Documents show ties between university, conservative donors

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Matthew Barakat, Associated Press
 Updated 4:19 pm, Monday, April 30, 2018

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Virginia's largest public university granted the conservative Charles Koch Foundation a say in the hiring and firing of professors in exchange for millions of dollars in donations, according to newly released documents.

The release of donor agreements between George Mason University and the foundation follows years of denials by university administrators that Koch foundation donations inhibit academic freedom.

University President Angel Cabrera wrote a note to faculty Friday night saying the agreements "fall short of the standards of academic independence I expect any gift to meet." The admission came three days after a judge scrutinized the university's earlier refusal to release any documents.

The newly released agreements spell out million-dollar deals in which the Koch Foundation endows a fund to pay the salary of one or more professors at the university's Mercatus Center, a free-market think tank. The agreements require creation of five-member selection committees to choose the professors, and grant the donors the right to name two of the committee members.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Documents-show-ties-between-university-12874887.php

[OhNo-Really]

1. The Kochs have bought a piece of most colleges and universities sadly.

I used to have the huge list. Education and research has been compromised in more than one college and/or university.

Our kids go into debt all too often to pay for a propaganda education. Pffft! Or worse.....

[erronis]

2. And much of the MSM. Sinclair, Clearchannel, Fox, etc., etc.

And yet if any of them are accused of accepting quid-pro-quo arrangements with their morally-challenged benefactors, they'll do what George Mason does: deny, lie, stall, and then admit in a non-incriminating fashion.

It's almost like they all went to Dump U. How To Win The Deal Without Any Ethics 101.

[OhNo-Really]

7. oh, and the (not so) supreme court

[Maxheader]

3. Duh koch boys

would like to see an educational system in americu where
only the brightest get education past a ged. Like some places
in europe where kids pretty well have their educational agenda
set before their teens...

[cynical_idealist]

22. only the richest

.

[dalton99a]

4. Rename it Koch Bros. University

[Sam McGee]

5. Here in Virginia . . .

Here in Virginia, most of us refer to George Mason U. as "Koch University."

The George Mason School of Law has been named for Justice Antonin Scalia.

[OhNo-Really]

13. Here's the partial list of Koch $$ grubbing higher ed schools

The following was compiled in 2013. Hats off to the media for catching on five years later.

$16 million to George Mason as of 2013

"As an eye opener here's the list of colleges and universities Kochs have donated to, the $ amount is included.

You will find the link to this Excel spreadsheet in this paragraph of the article:

the Kochs gave $30.5 million to 221 universities through their charitable foundations. More than half of that giving, roughly $16 million, has gone to George Mason University and its foundation.
Universities - Sum of Koch Contributions
Alma College $15,175
American University $17,500
Andrew College $2,500
Appalachian State University $17,000
Arkansas Tech University $21,000
Ashland University $20,000
Athens State University $7,000
Auburn University $300,000
Azusa Pacific University $45,500
Ball State University $24,600
Barton College $12,680
Baylor University $6,000
Beloit College $167,000
Berry College $79,500
Bethel College $23,105
Boise State University $15,020
Brown University $437,682
Buena Vista University $2,000
California State University - East Bay $14,000
Campbell University $36,693
Carnegie Mellon University $5,850
Carthage College $6,500
Case Western Reserve University $25,000
Chapman University $89,000
Charleston Southern University $17,200
Christendom College $10,200
Christopher Newport University $14,000
Claremont McKenna College $50,000
Clemson University $932,516
Coastal Carolina University $21,300
Colgate University $4,931
College of Charleston $118,555
College of New Jersey $27,210
College of William & Mary $12,300
Colorado College $9,000
Dartmouth College $47,000
Delaware State University $15,422
Delta State University $8,000
Duke University $27,781
Duquesne University $80,000
East Stroudsburg University $31,200
Fayetteville State University $7,000
Florida Gulf Coast University $87,146
Florida State University $1,063,459
Fort Hays State University $507,000
Friends University $144,620
George Fox University $17,392
George Mason University $16,374,492
George Washington University $105,620
Georgetown University $14,000
Georgia College & State University $18,830
Georgia State University $25,000
Georgia Tech Research Corp. $30,000
Grove City College $182,949
Hampden-Sydney College $108,500
Hanover College $10,500
Henderson State University $6,515
High Point University $2,000
Hillsdale College $110,423
Indiana University $7,600
Jacksonville State University $6,000
James Madison University $51,705
Johns Hopkins University $9,000
Kansas State University $269,254
Kansas University Endowment Association $571,717
La Sierra University $17,500
Lake Forest College $7,500
Lakeland College $7,000
Lindenwood University $5,000
Linfield College $11,500
Louisiana State University $11,340
Loyola (IL) University $7,184
Loyola (LA) University $120,000
Massachusetts Institute of Technology $319,988
McGill University $14,000
McKendree University $7,000
McNeese State University $4,500
Mercer University $42,500
Metropolitan State College of Denver $59,840
Michigan State University $49,730
Middle Tennessee State University $8,000
Midwestern State University $9,800
Milligan College $8,800
Monclair State University $5,271
Montana State University $57,500
Morehead State University $9,300
National University $31,708
New York State University $26,000
New York University $142,500
Newman University $78,000
Nicholls State University $4,200
North Carolina State University $13,000
Northeastern State University - Tahlequah $21,600
Northern Illinois Research Foundation $5,000
Northern Michigan University $1,000
Northwestern Oklahoma State University $7,250
Northwestern University $450,750
Northwood University $40,000
Northwood University - Florida Campus $6,000
Northwood University - Texas Campus $8,000
Oglethorpe University $5,000
Ohio University $33,000
Oklahoma State University $36,400
Patrick Henry College $8,000
Pennsylvania State University $45,500
Pennsylvania State University - Erie, Black School of Business $14,500
Pepperdine University $32,150
Presbyterian College $4,243
Providence College $13,650
Randolph-Macon College $9,000
Regent University $17,500
Research Foundation of the State University of New York $11,781
Rhodes College $89,300
Robert Morris University $7,000
Rockford College $32,350
Roosevelt University $16,350
Saginawy Valley State University $8,590
Salisbury University $24,000
San Diego State University Research Foundation $5,500
San Jose State University $87,900
Santa Clara University $5,000
Sarah Lawrence College $17,000
Seton Hall University $31,911
Skidmore College $8,000
Southeast Idaho Research Institute $7,500
Southern Illinois University - Carbondale $31,976
Southern Methodist University $101,800
Southern Utah University $9,200
St. Ambrose University $5,400
St. Cloud State University $20,700
St. Edwards University $7,000
St. John Fisher College $8,000
St. John's University $57,562
St. Lawrence University $50,000
St. Vincent College $7,500
State University of New York - Plattsburgh $7,500
Stephen F. Austin State University $7,000
Stillman College $7,500
Stonehill College $13,494
Suffolk University (MA) $457,160
Suffolk University (NY) $472,434
Texas A&M University $9,000
Texas Christian University $7,500
Texas State University - San Marcos $6,546
The King's College $35,500
Towson University $4,650
Trinity College $72,253
Trinity University $8,000
Troy University $480,000
University at Buffalo $7,960
University of Akron $9,500
University of Alabama - Birmingham $4,874
University of Alabama - Huntsville $14,974
University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa $22,950
University of Alaska- Fairbanks $56,800
University of Arizona $725,945
University of Arkansas -$3,826
University of Arkansas - Little Rock $21,855
University of California - Davis $5,561
University of California - Los Angeles $32,426
University of California - Riverside $15,000
University of Central Arkansas $15,375
University of Colorado $55,000
University of Dallas $42,000
University of Dayton $30,500
University of Georgia - Arch Foundation $2,600
University of Houston $20,000
University of Illinois - Springfield $10,375
University of Kansas $50,000
University of Kentucky $2,000
University of Louisville $31,055
University of Maine - Machias $6,000
University of Maine - Orono $3,200
University of Maryland - Baltimore County $7,400
University of Memphis $5,900
University of Michigan $18,607
University of Mississippi $7,000
University of Missouri- Columbia $80,000
University of Nebraska - Omaha $30,000
University of Nevada - Las Vegas $10,000
University of Nevada - Reno $8,000
University of North Alabama $7,000
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill $255,000
University of North Carolina - Greensboro $7,500
University of Notre Dame $9,650
University of Oklahoma $3,000
University of Richmond $25,675
University of Rochester $9,000
University of San Diego $23,620
University of South Alabama $15,586
University of South Florida $7,500
University of St. Thomas $30,000
University of Texas - San Antonio $11,500
University of Texas- Arlington $19,500
University of Texas- Austin $11,400
University of Texas- El Paso $21,975
University of Texas- Pan America $59,300
University of Tulsa $5,000
University of Virginia $23,000
University of Virginia's College at Wise $6,000
University of Washington $7,000
University of West Florida $20,000
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire $7,082
University of Wisconsin - Madison $12,400
Utah State University $668,500
Wake Forest University $14,310
Washington University - St. Louis $6,000
Webber International University $3,000
Wesleyan College $15,300
West Texas A&M University $8,500
West Virginia University $965,200
Western Carolina University College of Business $24,000
Western Kentucky University $17,700
Western Michigan University $28,190
Westmont College $3,000
Wheaton College $7,300
Whitman College $6,000
Wichita State University $48,000
Winston-Salem State University $8,500
Wisconsin Lutheran College $7,500
Yeshiva University $20,000

Members of the DailyKos community have been working hard over the years to expose the Koch Brothers and the like.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2013/8/9/1230049/-Koch-Brothers-Influence-Peddling-Is-Your-Alma-Mater-on-the-List

HUGE TROVE of Koch related resource material at the above link.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. They must have known it was no good if they had to lie about its existence

These free market pro-growth addicts have no boundaries

[FSogol]

8. I can't believe GMU is VA's largest University. That cannot be true. n/t

[LuckyLib]

21. Huge number of commuters and online students.

[S.E. TN Liberal]

9. T.he Koch-roaches are infesting everywhere they can.

That 'Vast Reich-Wing Conspiracy" is much bigger than most people realize. They are not going away. We have to fight them forever. They are going after every Democrat.

[mountain grammy]

14. I so agreed with her on that

She nailed them and they made her pay while they bought up the media.

Fuckers..

[orangecrush]

10. The best educational system

The Kochs can buy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Josh Marshall on TPM was musing on the crazy "sex inequality" MRA econ prof at George Mason

and whether there was any connection with the Koch influence:

Meet Robin Hanson, Opponent of ‘Sex Inequality’

...
In any case, let’s get down to details. The Professor is Robin Hanson. He wrote a post on his personal blog a few days ago on the “incel” discussion and what he refers to as “sex inequality.” Hanson seems to be a fairly standard libertarian economics professor with very rightist politics. He makes clear at the start that he does not believe in any kind of government income distribution (progressive income taxes) or social insurance like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. He then marvels that those who are most concerned about income or wealth inequality are entirely unconcerned about “sex inequality.” “Those w/ less access to sex plausibly suffer simiarly to those with low income, & might similarly hope to organize to lobby for redistribution along this axis. Strikingly, I see little overlap between those concerned about income & sex inequality.”
...
Now, if you don’t know you’re deep into the psycho-sexual fever swamp you might think that by “sex inequality” Hanson means what most now refer to a “gender inequality,” gaps in status, wealth and power on the part of women vis a vis men. But that’s not it. Hanson is talking about the fact that some people have more access to sex with people they find attractive than others. Hanson then sets out to explore policies that might ameliorate this “sex inequality” because to him there’s nothing fundamentally different between differences in wealth and different levels of access to sex with people you find hot. The idea that inequality of access to inanimate objects might be fundamentally different than access to other people’s bodies is one he is either unable to or perhaps unwilling to grasp.

So what are the policy solutions? He is at pains to make clear that “Rape and slavery are far from the only [policy options]!” Thanks! But the gist of his suggestions are actually quite similar to, if more antiseptic and sophisticated, the proposals one finds on the nutso incel message boards.
...
Is he trolling us? I think to some degree he is — making ridiculous and morally horrifying arguments to provoke people. But I don’t think that’s the entirety of it. It’s a disquieting example of how what we might call hyper-misogyny has crept into academic discourse via sexually frustrated and clearly angry men who believe men are not only entitled to sex but entitled to sex with women they find attractive. It’s not lost on me by any means that the idea that women owe men sex is not at all new. But this is a new frontier in embedding these ideas into formal public policy proposals, particularly ones that ape the language of rights and equality in much the same way modern racists groups do.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/meet-robin-hanson-opponent-of-sex-inequality

[OhNo-Really]

12. List of Koch higher ed investments. Is your Alma Mater on the list?

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2013/8/9/1230049/-Koch-Brothers-Influence-Peddling-Is-Your-Alma-Mater-on-the-List

[czarjak]

15. Uncle Walter Williams is at GMU...

[BobTheSubgenius]

16. But it's the liberal elite!!!

They are the ones unduly influencing modern American education.

[perdita9]

17. George Mason Uni. needs to lose its accreditation

This kind of agreement is an anathema in academia

[bronxiteforever]

18. Kick and recommend for visibility

[turbinetree]

19. Thomas Jefferson and education

https://study.com/academy/lesson/thomas-jeffersons-views-on-education.html


and it was not to have assholes like the Koch's involved.............................

[LuckyLib]

20. Florida State over a million? Others got chump change.

What kind of “work” is FSU doing for the Koch Bros? Any journalists in FL want to check this out?

[bdjhawk]

23. Florida State's Economics Dept is a "Koch Kollege"

Same propaganda filled BS described above for GMU. Econ Dept is to teach "free" market, anti-government crap, Koch's get reps on the board of hiring, tenure, etc. If you don't follow the Koch teachings, you have no chance.

They are obsessed with infecting young minds to spread their greedy, selfish philosophy.