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Koch Brothers determine part of F$U faculty

RJKarl

RJKarl

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This is outrageous even for them. They get the final say on every hires in this department for a crummy $1.5M.

Recent reports by the St. Petersburg Times and the Tallahassee Democrat reveal that the billionaire Koch brothers have very close ties to Florida’s public university system. A foundation funded by Charles Koch, CEO of the regulation-fighting Koch Industries, is responsible for filling staff positions at Florida State University, which many say is an affront to academic freedom. #

The Times‘ Kris Hundley writes: #


A foundation bankrolled by Libertarian businessman Charles G. Koch has pledged $1.5 million for positions in Florida State University’s economics department. In return, his representatives get to screen and sign off on any hires for a new program promoting “political economy and free enterprise.” #

Traditionally, university donors have little official input into choosing the person who fills a chair they’ve funded. The power of university faculty and officials to choose professors without outside interference is considered a hallmark of academic freedom. #

Under the agreement with the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, however, faculty only retain the illusion of control. The contract specifies that an advisory committee appointed by Koch decides which candidates should be considered. The foundation can also withdraw its funding if it’s not happy with the faculty’s choice or if the hires don’t meet “objectives” set by Koch during annual evaluations. #
 
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I'd boycott them, but they make everything -- I'd end up having to wipe my ass with my left hand like jhmd.
 
Perhaps you missed No Child Left Behind. Then there is affirmative action.

You have every right to ask a university or a lower level academic institution what it is going to do with YOUR money. You can put conditions on it. They can reject those conditions. There shouldn't be any hard feelings if the parties can't come to an agreement.

What if you donated money to fund a position dedicated to the study of a certain subject or you donated a whole lot of money to start a department? What if five years later they hadn't begun to enact your request? Would you say that is academic freedom? No one on this board would say so. I believe you would be making inquires. You might want your money back.

The article fills in some of the blanks regarding the hysteria accompanying the original post.
 
RaleighDevil said:
Perhaps you missed No Child Left Behind. Then there is affirmative action.

You have every right to ask a university or a lower level academic institution what it is going to do with YOUR money. You can put conditions on it. They can reject those conditions. There shouldn't be any hard feelings if the parties can't come to an agreement.

What if you donated money to fund a position dedicated to the study of a certain subject or you donated a whole lot of money to start a department? What if five years later they hadn't begun to enact your request? Would you say that is academic freedom? No one on this board would say so. I believe you would be making inquires. You might want your money back.

The article fills in some of the blanks regarding the hysteria accompanying the original post.
Click to expand...


Perhaps you've heard of George W. Bush? NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office.

http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/factsheet.html
 
Did RJ send you over here just to get some action going on his post? You must be a Duke lurker, given your handle. Hah! Richard Nixon's law school alma mater.
 
lol at using NCLB as an example of the left influencing academic policy
 
RaleighDevil said:
Perhaps you missed No Child Left Behind. Then there is affirmative action.

You have every right to ask a university or a lower level academic institution what it is going to do with YOUR money. You can put conditions on it. They can reject those conditions. There shouldn't be any hard feelings if the parties can't come to an agreement.

What if you donated money to fund a position dedicated to the study of a certain subject or you donated a whole lot of money to start a department? What if five years later they hadn't begun to enact your request? Would you say that is academic freedom? No one on this board would say so. I believe you would be making inquires. You might want your money back.

The article fills in some of the blanks regarding the hysteria accompanying the original post.
Click to expand...


Perhaps you've never heard of academic freedom.

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/issues/AF/
 
RaleighDevil said:
Perhaps you missed No Child Left Behind. Then there is affirmative action.

You have every right to ask a university or a lower level academic institution what it is going to do with YOUR money. You can put conditions on it. They can reject those conditions. There shouldn't be any hard feelings if the parties can't come to an agreement.

What if you donated money to fund a position dedicated to the study of a certain subject or you donated a whole lot of money to start a department? What if five years later they hadn't begun to enact your request? Would you say that is academic freedom? No one on this board would say so. I believe you would be making inquires. You might want your money back.

The article fills in some of the blanks regarding the hysteria accompanying the original post.
Click to expand...


I think you were the child left behind when they handed out the brains. LOL.
 
Okay, I'm back. It was not my intent to link NCLB with the left, although it had supporters on that side. I was juggling two thoughts. (Yes, you can laugh.)

Actually, I meant to point out that the federal government has long had its tentacles in education. Is there any denying that? Along these lines, Bush is one with his opponents on the other side of the aisle.

Now, for the person who is engaged in hysterics over "academic freedom," are you saying that donors don't have any right to place conditions on their grants? You must be a big supporter of performance artists. I notice that nobody responded to that part other than to shout "academic freedom."
 
RaleighDevil said:
Now, for the person who is engaged in hysterics over "academic freedom," . . . .
Click to expand...

Define hysterics and demonstrate what was hysterical about the academic freedom post. You like that word (hysterics) a lot, because you've used it twice in this thread. It must be your most recent lesson from the Reader's Digest Increasing Your Vocabulary column.
 
I'll quote from the link. It is possible that the writer has facts wrong, but I am sure RJ will let us know:

Under the grant, a three-person faculty committee was set up to review candidates for the positions, including one member designated by the Foundation. The paper suggested that by designating a member of the review committee the Foundation was undermining academic freedom by interfering in the faculty’s right to appoint colleagues on the basis of professional competence.

Fortunately, the president of the university and members of the Economics Department have stepped forward to set the record straight and to defend the grant. The faculty of the Economics Department unanimously approved the grant and viewed it as a vehicle for expanding and strengthening its undergraduate course offerings. The complaints about the grant originated from two faculty members at Florida State who are not even affiliated with the Economics Department and whose motives were political and not academic. The faculty screened applicants and then passed a short list of 50 candidates to the review committee, which recommended a final list of 16 candidates. In the end, two assistant professors were hired, but neither came from that final list of candidates but from an expanded list recommended by the faculty and approved by the committee. It is obvious that this layered process protected the faculty’s responsibility to make appointments while also protecting the donor’s intent in awarding the grant.
 
Apparently, you believe that the university can do what it wishes with the donors' money.

I'm sure you don't believe that, but you write as if you do.

Please continue with the insults. They are a window into your soul.

ETA: The link I posted earlier in the thread. Look, if you want to hook up. don't make it so obvious. RJ is not running a dating service.
 
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RaleighDevil said:
Apparently, you believe that the university can do what it wishes with the donors' money.

I'm sure you don't believe that, but you write as if you do.

Please continue with the insults. They are a window into your soul.
Click to expand...

Darlin', do you need some help with copy-and-paste so we can all see that little ol' linky winky you mentioned?
 
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