Universities and Donations – Western Carolina University
What does a public university do when a donation to it comes with strings? This is the situation Western Carolina University finds itself in today as a $2 million donation is being given to it by a Charles Koch Foundation to establish a Center for the Study of Free Enterprise under BB&T bank sponsored department chair Dr. Robert Lopez.
Just to be clear, this is not the only donation ever made by a Charles Koch Foundation to a college or university, the “Koch brothers and their various funding arms awarded $108 million to 366 colleges and universities from 2005 to 2014 — with $19.3 million across 210 college campuses in 2013 alone — according to political funding analysis by the Institute for Southern Studies and Center for Public Integrity.” More and more, we can see moneyed and political interests making large donations no longer tied to just a name on a building in memory of that person: but, the donations are tied to a particular and current interest with an active participation. This is not only happening at universities or colleges, you can see conservative or other groups showing interest in think tanks such as CAP and Brookings for topics such as student loans and changing the law with regard to “mens rea.” The later being a direct attempt to change the law so as to protect their business. It is difficult for a college or a university, much less a think-tank, to accept a donation from an outside interest with ties to an ideology or interest without favoring it in the future.
In answer to WCU Provost Alison Morrison-Shetlar questioning whether Faculty Senate Leader opinion really reflected the overall view of the faculty. “The Faculty Senate voted in majority opposing the establishment of this new center, which is consistent with what I have heard from the general faculty,” said Dr. Bill Yang, chair of the faculty senate rules committee. There does not appear to be a conflict here to what WCU Provost Alison Morrison-Shetlar and what Senate Faculty Chair Dr. David. MCord said; “It is not a small stakes issue here. This is the academic integrity of the institution over the long run” and suggesting it is “fairly unique” to have the overwhelming majority of faculty take a stand one-way and the administration do the opposite.
In a subsequent interview WCU Provost Alison Morrison-Shetlar claimed “the majority of written comments from faculty support the creation of a free enterprise center. She said only one-third of those who submitted comments opposed it.” According to an analysis of the written faculty responses by The Smoky Mountain News; “The written comments showed 20 were against the center, 14 were for it and three were in the middle.” Still a majority against the donation.
The Free Trade Center was originally pitched in August 2105 and Dr. Lopez was given the go-ahead to pursue the Center and construct a proposal with only the Provost’s and the Dean of the School of Business’s knowledge. Coming up for a vote to approve, both the Dean and the Provost came to “finally” realize they would need faculty input before the meeting and the planning stage. Coming out of the October 1st Provost Council meeting, it was decided to present the proposal to the faculty and on October 14 (don’t they have documented rules [like Robert’s] for this stuff?) it was accomplished with a stipulation a decison was to be reached by the next Provost meeting November 1. The failure of the Dean, the Provost and Dr. Lopez to notify faculty members left something to be desired leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some as the process was hurried and not transparent.
One email as disclosed by the Smokey Mountain News gives the impression the center was a foregone conclusion as the administration was on board from the beginning or shortly after Dr. Lopez was given the go ahead. Dating back to late September, the email states; “The Chancellor would like for the proposal to be to the Board of Trustees by the last meeting of this semester. That means we will have to get this turned around and back to the Provost Council in a timely manner,” Dean Darrell Parker wrote in an email to Dr. Brian Kloeppel, the dean named to handle the faculty input process.
Ahhh, but there are University policy rules to be followed. The email “predates several steps outlined in university policy governing the creation of a new center or institute. Administration was already angling to have the center on the desk of trustees within a couple months, despite two rounds of faculty input still needed and a two-phased approval by the provost council.”
– “I am not aware of criticisms the policy wasn’t followed,” Lopez said. “This decision is the end of a process that from the very beginning was transparent and inclusive.”
– Wardell Townsend, chair of the WCU board of trustees, said university policy related to the center’s creation was followed, based on what he was told by the provost.
– Provost “Morrison-Shetlar said in an interview the policy was ‘followed to the letter.’”
So much for the complaints of the faculty about not following policy and it being truncated.
The process to start a Center for Free Enterprise was well on the way by the time the faculty was informed. In early October, Distinguished Professor of Capitalism Dr. Lopez had already penned a job description “two months before the free enterprise center would come before the board of trustees for a vote” and the position would “participate in a new interdisciplinary center for free enterprise research.”
The position would be a part of the Center for Free Enterprise as the Gimelstob-Landry Distinguished Professor of Regional Economic Development. The position was also announced the previous year with no candidates found to fulfill the role. It was thought at the time the mention of a Free Enterprise Center may prejudice candidates and only those candidates of this mindset might apply. A concern by those opposing the center was the funders might influence who was selected to fill the professorship.
“As far as I’m involved, there is no chance that any donor will appoint any university personnel, full stop,” Lopez said.
References:
“WCU leaders, faculty at odds over Koch-funded free enterprise center” Smoky Mountain News, Becky Johnson
“WCU community grapples with academic pursuits in the face of politically-charged outside funding” Smoky Mountain News, Becky Johnson
” WCU chancellor pledges transparency, faculty involvement to vet controversial Koch money” Smoky Mountain News, Becky Johnson
Shocking! Private individuals donating money to universities and colleges.
A list of the loans made in June of 2015 to a few schools:
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
*Dillard University 6/01 $77,733,347.57 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $3,853,333.66 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $5,859,589.88 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $4,578,074.92 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $4,249,002.25 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $6,442,245.15 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $2,201,296.04 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $593,963.30 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $3,598,519.19 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $6,149,808.01 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $3,125,863.55 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $4,898,987.50 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $2,150,180.58 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $3,758,284.26 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $1,626,188.92 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $1,234,435.43 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $1,471,561.22 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $1,307,207.32 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $1,213,660.12 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $2,692,395.67 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $1,535,886.51 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $1,248,210.68 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $1,251,286.95 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $3,369,243.39 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Dillard University 6/01 $4,095,753.81 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $9,806,302.99 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $1,050,009.08 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $2,009,588.14 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $1,565,512.57 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $1,813,629.64 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $744,807.84 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $950,525.64 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $503,341.44 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIV. 6/01 $553,649.38 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $20,022.39 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $1,120,381.52 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $2,381,510.24 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $2,322,882.66 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $3,603,981.33 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $3,113,069.48 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $2,171,697.24 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $2,212,062.98 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $4,335,073.34 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $2,338,678.70 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $2,502,475.20 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $4,543,160.91 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $1,805,897.95 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $847,435.31 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $691,288.71 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $696,986.60 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $943,816.96 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $792,154.11 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Southern University 6/01 $1,953,367.58 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $9,565,104.69 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $322,859.18 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $293,302.65 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $561,514.13 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $296,338.65 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $598,871.53 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $320,201.19 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $300,235.87 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $571,408.41 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $524,423.63 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $554,817.20 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $666,510.60 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $871,979.49 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $639,175.49 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $975,521.04 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $419,096.48 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $310,007.12 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $296,246.39 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $657,017.49 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $247,057.83 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $816,467.56 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $843,447.66 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Tougaloo College 6/01 $3,171,504.41 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $68,551,289.58 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $2,537,303.33 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $1,033,734.72 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $3,534,932.81 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $3,591,804.05 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $2,056,644.05 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $1,262,202.02 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $2,683,601.84 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $1,916,443.62 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $1,748,781.02 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $1,653,198.25 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $7,135,340.88 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $4,767,749.09 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $3,869,299.36 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $5,244,791.89 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $3,085,899.85 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $9,292,668.48 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $1,078,667.30 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
*Xavier University 6/01 $1,963,168.94 12/01/15 0.065% S/A
Texas College 6/03 $869,296.07 5/02/44 2.727% S/A
Texas Southern University 6/03 $1,847,409.80 5/01/34 2.374% S/A
Texas Southern University 6/03 $3,090,999.35 5/01/34 2.374% S/A
Texas Southern University 6/03 $3,393,506.38 5/01/34 2.374%
Florida Memorial Univ. 6/09 $416,197.14 4/01/42 2.749%
Philander Smith College 6/12 $7,712,623.77 4/01/36 2.538%
Philander Smith College 6/12 $6,666,845.37 10/01/41 2.721%
Who wouldn’t like some of the 0.065% money? Almost every month more of these loans are made/rolled over.
The details from the Federal Financing Bank:
https://www.treasury.gov/ffb/press-releases.shtml
non sequitur
You know full well what this post is about and yet you post “your-typical-garbage” in answer to it utilizing good programs meant for minorities in an attempt to skew the discussion.
In the past you have denigrated Social Security and Medicare meant for the elderly (ageism?) and now you have chosen to pick on a program meant to support minority universities and colleges as an example of what colleges and universities have to do to fund themselves. Guess what, these minority institutes you have chosen to use as an example are not typical of the many and are fighting from a lesser plane and need help. You are displaying a pattern and practice here at AB which is getting to be ugly.
The Kochs give money away to influence people, institutions, universities, communities, etc.
Of course the Kochs could always do what John D Rockefeller did found their own university (Rockefeller founded the University of Chicago). Just fine the right academic as president and give the academic free rein and a large checkbook. (Of course its harder now due to the accreditation cabal which was not as important in John D’s time)
Lyle:
I read somewhere the one Koch is getting old and he is spreading his legacy in any manner possible including buying his way into places.
This is why the Kochs, Exxon and a few others have been able to buy the vote in the Congress and Senate for about a paltry $200M. What a return on investment for the big oil-anti global CO2 lobby… I read recently that the China lobby is doing the same thing at many universities. This only proves that big money can-does corrupt very efficiently capitalism, and democratic republics. Perhaps Sander’s idea of breaking up too big to fail companies should also include too politically powerful companies.
There’s nothing new under the sun, especially when it comes to the wealthy having undue influence over social, financial and educational institutions. Rockefeller didn’t quite found the U. of Chicago, but he did put up the money for the effort and endowment. And the who’s who of Chicago’s wealthiest put up the cash for the physical structures. Check the current Trustee’s list, http://trustees.uchicago.edu/page/university-trustees. Just how independent can any of the faculty be when the entire ideological basis for the place is capitalism with a capital C.
Oh Krasting, none of the money first given to U. of C. was loan money. It was given, but we can’t say with no strings attached. The string is always the need to pull yet more money from the trusting Trustees and their friends and co-travelers.
Jack:
At first blush, you would be accurate for undue influence. It does not stop there as some of the requirements to colleges to get the grant was to teach Atlas Shrugged and Randian philosophy. It is not a matter of fresh water vs. salt water ideology. This is an active implementation of Libertarian and Rand views. More on this in post #2. Mark Jamison is writing a column for the local newspaper which we will incorporate also. I am just doing some background work for it.
Glad to see you on one of my threads.
I think it’s worth pointing out that University of Chicago is a privately founded and funded school while Western Carolina University is part of the state’s public university system.
Of course in some ways the Koch money or other private donations to universities are public in the sense that they are being subsidized by non-profit tax advantages. The whole idea of philanthro-capitalism is one that is worth some attention.
Is it really proper for the Kochs (or for that matter anybody) to buy the focus of a public university’s economics department. At present, WCU doesn’t even have an undergraduate major in econ – most of econ is taught as part of the business school curriculum. Strings or no, the impact of a grant of this nature would be to turn the focus of the department onto a relatively narrow and somewhat fringe part of the discipline. Under the circumstances it doesn’t seem likely that students would get exposure to other schools of economic thought.
Mark:
Thanks. You picked up on some points I had overlooked and you have presented the real question of what may or may not be ethical. “Focus of the department onto a relatively narrow and somewhat fringe part of the discipline” this is still a string tied to the granting of a donation. Quid pro quo whether direct or indirect. As I have said before, this is not a matter of hiring fresh water and salt water economists.
To the author:
I’m assuming you meant BB&T, not BT&T.
Thank you Vince and welcome. I fired the editor as a result! 🙂
WCU? The same university that produced Eric Rudolph? Maybe the Koch’s can reign in some of the nuts! On a serious note, Soros gives tons of money to Bard College. Is anyone worried about that?
LJ:
Not quite the same and the Kochs make their donations to influence.
“As a general rule,” Soros said in 2011, “I do not support higher education in the United States.”
“But there is an interesting difference: Soros’s contributions to Bard College aren’t generally earmarked for core academics or domestic political considerations. Instead, Soros’s money mainly helps fund Bard College’s Center for Civic Engagement, which houses a broad portfolio of both U.S. and overseas programs aimed at “advancing the ideals of an innovative, hands-on, liberal-arts education through a myriad of opportunities across the globe.”
This tracks with Soros’s broader tack on educational giving: The vast majority of his tens of millions of dollars in education-related contributions fund foreign schools and programs, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. (Soros lived his early life in Hungary, where as a Jew, he survived Nazi occupation before emigrating.)
Among the U.S. schools Soros does aid, many of his most sizable grants are earmarked for programs with international goals, such as $500,000 to Harvard University funding a project on economic growth in Albania, and $159,834 to The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., to “develop effective and influential public policy leaders in Central Asia.”
Soros’ foundation even gave George Mason University more than $22,500—not to fund economics programs, but to organize meetings in Mexico and Peru about conflict reconciliation.” http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/spreading-the-free-market-gospel/413239/
“Unlike the Kochs, Soros and many other prominent political donors, both left and right of center, have charitable agendas that largely diverge from their domestic political agendas.”
For the past several years, the NC legislature has been cutting the budget of the UNC system. They recently replaced Tom Ross as president, a man who was well regarded by almost everyone. He was not known to be partisan, but his removal certainly appeared to be.
Margaret Spelling has been named as his replacement, and starts March 1st. It remains to be seen what the “No Child Left Behind” advocate will do to a well-regarded university system.
In the meanwhile, as the budgets continue to be cut, campuses are no doubt seeing such largess as the Koch’s as a lifeline.
Fair enough. Let’s take Mr Soros and The Atlantic at their word. How about the Levy Institute at Bard?
LJ:
Same Atlantic which is writing on College donations in general.
The tiny New York liberal arts school nestled along the Hudson River is renowned for both scholarship and hippy-dippyness. It received more than $11.2 million from Soros’ private foundation in 2013—part of a $60 million, multiyear commitment.
But there is an interesting difference: Soros’s contributions to Bard College aren’t generally earmarked for core academics or domestic political considerations. Instead, Soros’s money mainly helps fund Bard College’s Center for Civic Engagement, which houses a broad portfolio of both U.S. and overseas programs aimed at “advancing the ideals of an innovative, hands-on, liberal-arts education through a myriad of opportunities across the globe.”
This tracks with Soros’s broader tack on educational giving: The vast majority of his tens of millions of dollars in education-related contributions fund foreign schools and programs, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. (Soros lived his early life in Hungary, where as a Jew, he survived Nazi occupation before emigrating.)
Among the U.S. schools Soros does aid, many of his most sizable grants are earmarked for programs with international goals, such as $500,000 to Harvard University funding a project on economic growth in Albania, and $159,834 to The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., to “develop effective and influential public policy leaders in Central Asia.”
Soros’ foundation even gave George Mason University more than $22,500—not to fund economics programs, but to organize meetings in Mexico and Peru about conflict reconciliation. “As a general rule,” Soros said in 2011, “I do not support higher education in the United States.”
Should we look at these donations as a single attempt to influence opinion, or should we look at them in conjunction with the massive amounts of campaign money sloshing around out there, much of it from Goddess-knows-where?
I was reading Thomas Edsall’s piece, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/opinion/campaign-stops/the-republican-partys-50-state-solution.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region®ion=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region on how the GOP has been turning the tide by focusing on state houses & governorships; the Kochs are prominent players there, too.
It seems to me that the libertarian conservatives, at least, are truly playing the long game, from influencing young minds to favor free market capitalism, to spending untold sums of money on elections.
A book called “Thunder on the Right” was the first place I encountered the idea that after Goldwater’s defeat in 1964, the GOP began to rebuild, by building farm teams – going after elected positions at the local and state level, slowly building a bench to take national. They have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. /But in addition to that, we have academic influence, such as Liberty University.
I wonder, though, if we really want a nation where it’s ‘every man for himself and God for us all’? Don’t these good Christians believe they ‘are their brother’s keeper’ these days?
Atlantic Magazine has an article on college donations you might want to read; http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/spreading-the-free-market-gospel/413239/ “Spreading the Free Market Gospel.” It talks about the Kochs as well as other major donators. It is about influence; but most of them are not as forward as the Kochs.
Thanks, Run. I will check it out.
I wonder how ‘reaching young minds in college lecture halls’ squares with research that seems to support the thesis of “The Republican Brain”? If people are predisposed by nature to be more open or closed, more fearful than adventurous, will these free-market seeds fall on fertile soil? Or does it matter, as long as some of them take root and grow?
Seems we may be in the midst of a ginormous sociology experiment, whether we meant to be or not.
I started to write a different reply and accidentally deleted it.
“Atlas Shrugged” is a great high school read. I believe it reflects what most young people believe at this age, being an individual and recognized for their beliefs. If you are looking for a counter influence, try Huxley’s “Island.” Unfortunately, both are extremes and a good reality is somewhere in between.
I do not believe they identify themselves as Republicans as much as Libertarians if it could be a political party to itself. Kochs do not care about being Republicans. They have other things in mind and they are spreading their moneyed seeds of influence where they may root and take on in the future. As younger people seek more education, I think much of the naivety of these beliefs can be counter. In the end Ayn Rand turned to society and took the buyout of Social Security and Medicare.
“As a general rule I do not support higher education in the United States.” Except for 60 million dollars. “…aren’t generally earmarked for core academics…” Not generally? “The vast majority of his tens of millions of dollars in education related donations…” Wow, I am glad he doesn’t support higher education in the U.S.! “…many of his most sizable grants are earmarked for programs with international goals…” Many doesn’t mean all.
Maybe it’s just sloppiness on the Atlantic writers part, or maybe Mr. Soros is being disingenuous.
Nonetheless if you don’t think rich liberals and rich conservatives donate to higher education with a tacit understanding that their particular political philosophy will be forwarded then you are naive. But, I would agree that the typical donor is much more subtle in their influence than the Kochs.
Run,
You’re definitely right about “Atlas Shrugged”, and why it resonates with teens (IMNSHO).
I apologize that I didn’t make myself clear when I mentioned “The Republican Brain”. Of course, libertarianism is one flavor of conservatism, not necessarily in lock step with the others. Even David Koch characterizes himself as socially liberal.
One of the other attributes of the Republican brain, or the conservative mind, if you will, is a strong conscientiousness, which is one of 5 psychological traits that support success. It’s little wonder that the attitude of ‘they should just pull themselves up by their bootstraps’, is so much more resonate on the conservative side of the street.
A total of $38B was gifted to colleges and universities in 2014. Some of this has strings attached.
The largest gift came from John Paulson (the guy who actually did the Big Short – he made $5B on that trade). JP gave $400m to Harvard.
How to end this? Easy, just change the tax code so that this giving is not deductible. The gifts would fall to a trickle if that step was made.
Federal tax revenues would increase as a result, so there is a plus to this.
Of course there would be a few negatives. Hospitals get a huge amount of money from donations. Many schools would have to jack up tuition, there would be less student aid for kids who could not afford $100k a year.
Want to end influence that comes with giving? Change the tax code.
So what is the conclusion from readers? Want to give up the big ticket giving from the likes of Buffett/Gates/Zuckerberg??
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/28/2014-record-year-higher-ed-donations
A list of the bad guys are here:
https://philanthropy.com/factfile/gifts
BK:
It is not a matter of ending it. It is a matter of ending the influence of a few who attempt to buy there way into institutions to change curriculum. The conclusion is the Kochs are attempting to do just this in an area of the country they thought they would meet little opposition. Got news for you, WCU is catching on and the faculty is waking up after a few thoughts and ideas were given to them.
After your first post, my tolerance level for you is rather low even with the difference approach. Take the hint BK.