Charles G. Koch buys FSU Econ dept.

[dainthomas]

Exposing students to diverse ideological perspectives other than Keynesian...oh the horrors!

If Michael Moore were doing this, your rage would melt my screen. But it's someone from your team, so it's OK.

Politics is disgusting.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Educational standards are not something which should be bought and sold to the highest bidder. I don't care whether the outside influence is liberal or conservative. Any public university who sells out to private monied interests deserves to be faulted for doing so. I don't get why anyone would defend this, no matter their ideological persuasion.

Have you guys just fell off the turnip truck? Go to any school. Look around. What do you see? XXX Auditorium. XXX Field. XXX School of Dentistry. XXX Stadium. XXX Theater.

The schools sold out 30 years ago, you are suddenly outraged now that its a conservative making a donation?

 

[dainthomas]

Have you guys just fell off the turnip truck? Go to any school. Look around. What do you see? XXX Auditorium. XXX Field. XXX School of Dentistry. XXX Stadium. XXX Theater.

The schools sold out 30 years ago, you are suddenly outraged now that its a conservative making a donation?

Anyone can donate to build facilities. Donating to give you a say in hiring decisions is disgusting no matter who does it. If someone can provide evidence of a non-conservative doing it, I would be equally outraged.

I won't hold my breath.

 

[sMiLeYz]

It's called Alumni donations, usually Alumni's who donate generously don't get to pick and choose who teaches there to preach their line of thinking.

 

[blinblue]

Have you guys just fell off the turnip truck? Go to any school. Look around. What do you see? XXX Auditorium. XXX Field. XXX School of Dentistry. XXX Stadium. XXX Theater.

The schools sold out 30 years ago, you are suddenly outraged now that its a conservative making a donation?

That'd be a sweet school to go to

 

[ayabe]

Anyone can donate to build facilities. Donating to give you a say in hiring decisions is disgusting no matter who does it. If someone can provide evidence of a non-conservative doing it, I would be equally outraged.

I won't hold my breath.

If he read the article he would know how out of sorts this sort of agreement is.

Also, since the agreement was made in 2008 it has nothing to do with FSU's budget, this just allowed them to offer 8 additional classes not the reverse.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Anyone can donate to build facilities. Donating to give you a say in hiring decisions is disgusting no matter who does it. If someone can provide evidence of a non-conservative doing it, I would be equally outraged.

I won't hold my breath.

Are you serious? You think all the people who have their names plastered all over universities didn't get something for it? You don't think someone who gives millions to build a new dental school isn't going to have influence over who heads the school, or who they hire? You don't think someone who gives millions to put their name on the stadium isn't going to have influence?

Sorry, I can't deal with this stupidity. What's next, you are going to suggest that political donations are free of conditions as well?

 

[woolfe9999]

Have you guys just fell off the turnip truck? Go to any school. Look around. What do you see? XXX Auditorium. XXX Field. XXX School of Dentistry. XXX Stadium. XXX Theater.

The schools sold out 30 years ago, you are suddenly outraged now that its a conservative making a donation?

Are you too dense to understand the topic here? It has nothing to do with the mere act of accepting donations. It has nothing to do with the fact that a university names a building after someone making a donation. The act of receiving a donation and naming a building after someone is not "selling out." When you get back on topic, maybe you'll make a point worth discussing.

 

[Fear No Evil]

It's called Alumni donations, usually Alumni's who donate generously don't get to pick and choose who teaches there to preach their line of thinking.

You don't think so? So is it safe to assume political donations from rich people and corporations don't have any influence on politicians as well?

 

[Fear No Evil]

Are you too dense to understand the topic here? It has nothing to do with the mere act of accepting donations. It has nothing to do with the fact that a university names a building after someone making a donation. The act of receiving a donation and naming a building after someone is not "selling out." When you get back on topic, maybe you'll make a point worth discussing.

Oh, I'm sorry. Let me get back to the topic at hand:

WE'RE ALL BUTTHURT BECAUSE THE EVIL CONSERVATIVE MAN GAVE MONEY TO A SCHOOL AND WANTED SOMETHING IN RETURN FOR IT! WAHHHHH WAHHH WAHHHH!!!!

Better?

 

[Fear No Evil]

If he read the article he would know how out of sorts this sort of agreement is.

Also, since the agreement was made in 2008 it has nothing to do with FSU's budget, this just allowed them to offer 8 additional classes not the reverse.

It may be out of sorts in that the agreement was spelled out. Most people who donate the money get the wink and nod agreement. Again, outrage not found. This was all spelled out and open in the agreement.

 

[zinfamous]

Well, FSU does have a clown college.

This is appropriate for the Cock brothers.

 

[Fern]

Educational standards are not something which should be bought and sold to the highest bidder. I don't care whether the outside influence is liberal or conservative. Any public university who sells out to private monied interests deserves to be faulted for doing so. I don't get why anyone would defend this, no matter their ideological persuasion.

Strikes me as an exaggeration.

The Kochs are not just picking the new employees.

It looks like a process where the university first approves of a candidate itself.

If the Kochs went out and found the employee and made the university accept them I could agree, but that's not the case.

Anyway, I think it sets a terrible precident and shouldn't have been done.

Fern

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Are you serious? You think all the people who have their names plastered all over universities didn't get something for it? You don't think someone who gives millions to build a new dental school isn't going to have influence over who heads the school, or who they hire? You don't think someone who gives millions to put their name on the stadium isn't going to have influence?

Sorry, I can't deal with this stupidity. What's next, you are going to suggest that political donations are free of conditions as well?

As someone who has spent the last few years working in the fundraising departments of both private and public educational institutions, I can say that I have NEVER heard a donor, even at the highest level, make a donation with a stipulation being that they would be directly involved in the hiring process of new faculty. There are certainly perks that come from being a major donor; your name on the side of a building you helped fund is the most common, but frequently major donors will also be asked to serve on the board of trustees. However, serving as a boardmember is still a long shot from asking to have hiring control over an entire department.

It's naive for people to think that major donors don't get preferential treatment. But it's equally naive to think that because someone made a large gift, they should be given managerial control. There's a reason that development offices refer to these things as "donations" and "gifts;" people who give them shouldn't expect to get anything in return (apart from the tax benefits of charitable giving).

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Unprecedented.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

As someone who has spent the last few years working in the fundraising departments of both private and public educational institutions, I can say that I have NEVER heard a donor, even at the highest level, make a donation with a stipulation being that they would be directly involved in the hiring process of new faculty. There are certainly perks that come from being a major donor; your name on the side of a building you helped fund is the most common, but frequently major donors will also be asked to serve on the board of trustees. However, serving as a boardmember is still a long shot from asking to have hiring control over an entire department.

It's naive for people to think that major donors don't get preferential treatment. But it's equally naive to think that because someone made a large gift, they should be given managerial control. There's a reason that development offices refer to these things as "donations" and "gifts;" people who give them shouldn't expect to get anything in return (apart from the tax benefits of charitable giving).

Word for Word, this.

I have met more university presidents in my life than most university presidents have. I can safely say that this story is shocking.

 

[CitizenKain]

Are you serious? You think all the people who have their names plastered all over universities didn't get something for it? You don't think someone who gives millions to build a new dental school isn't going to have influence over who heads the school, or who they hire? You don't think someone who gives millions to put their name on the stadium isn't going to have influence?

Sorry, I can't deal with this stupidity. What's next, you are going to suggest that political donations are free of conditions as well?

FNE making shit up, no way. The jealousy from people not smart enough to attend college is amazing.

 

[senseamp]

FSU is now a rightwing thinktank.

 

[sMiLeYz]

FNE making shit up, no way. The jealousy from people not smart enough to attend college is amazing.

College according FNE, is full of liberals, he doesn't want their way of thinking to challenge his beliefs.

 

[zinfamous]

College according FNE, is full of liberals, he doesn't want their way of thinking to challenge his beliefs.

basically.

 

[senseamp]

Bummer for students in FSU econ department. This is a big asterisks next to their academic credibility that is going to follow them around.

 

[manimal]

usually the party at large concocts the litmus tests...now its a person....

 

[CycloWizard]

You mean a university will have to set up a search committee to hire someone for an endowed position? That almost never happens, except for every endowed position I've ever heard of. The endower generally appoints a committee to ensure proper use of funds - that's one of the perks associated with endowing a position. Often, an entire department, institute, or center will be subject to this same oversight. If you have less money, you can choose the style of bench that gets put in with your name on it. More money will get you an endowed chair with your name on it. More money will get your name on a department. More money will get your name on a building. Your money, so you select the amount of input you want related to its expenditure. The candidates now just have one more hoop to jump through - approval of the endower. For better or for worse, that's how things are done. If you want things done differently, move to England and go to Oxford or Cambridge.

 

[Throckmorton]

The free market at work!

 

[senseamp]

FSU Econ department is now a right-wing shill, with corresponding credibility for any of their future "academic" papers. This is not how endowments work in credible universities.