ERIC Number: EJ1260902
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0363-4523
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Blueprints for Protecting Academic Freedom from Dark Money Donations. Wicked Problems Forum: Undue Donor Influence in Higher Education
Banks, Jasmine
Communication Education, v69 n3 p383-387 2020
When one thinks of the problems that face higher education,"philanthropy" probably is not a concern that rises to the top of anyone's list. Indeed, as state funding has retreated in the past decade, universities and colleges across the nation have increasingly pursued donations from corporation and the wealthy in an attempt to shore up lost revenues. However, as university budgets have declined, they have become vulnerable to wealthy and corporate interests who offer their financial support with strings attached. Perhaps the most well-known example of this issue is the influence of the Koch network. Student investigators and journalists have detailed how the Koch Foundation has sought to further their own ideological and economic interests using grants and donations. Founded in 2014 by a coalition of students from George Mason University, Florida State University, and University of Kansas, UnKoch My Campus is a nonprofit organization working to increase transparency on campus and fighting attempts by corporate donors, such as the Koch Foundation from influencing education. The UnKoch My Campus network includes grassroots campaigns made up of students, faculty, alumni, and community members who have seen firsthand the undue influence Koch money has on campus policy, in the form of undisclosed, quid pro quo arrangements that give them a say on curriculum, hiring decisions and research outcomes. This article describes the history and purpose of UnKoch My Campus as well as the resources it offers campus activists.
Descriptors: Academic Freedom, Private Financial Support, Corporate Support, Advantaged, Influences, Personnel Selection, Activism, Disclosure, Accountability, Guidance, Political Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A