One of the Koch brothers controversially bankrolling faculty positions at Florida State University
This is the story you are going to be talking about tomorrow:
A conservative billionaire who opposes government meddling in business has bought a rare commodity: the right to interfere in faculty hiring at a publicly funded university.
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.
…
Jennifer Washburn, who has reviewed dozens of contracts between universities and donors, called the Koch agreement with FSU “truly shocking.”
Said Washburn, author of University Inc., a book on industry’s ties to academia: “This is an egregious example of a public university being willing to sell itself for next to nothing.”
Continue reading here.
[...] Schorsch over at SaintPetersblog tipped spotted this one, and it’s something to see…: A conservative billionaire who [...]
When will the public realize that the Kock Bros are undermining and dismantling the very fabric of American society for their own misguided, short-sighted financial gain? Is $20BB per brother not enough? Is it not enough that they are poisoning our environment for generations to come? They feel they need more $$$ apparently. Anyone who dismantles and undermines this country in the fashion that the Kock Bros are, is guilty of treason, and traitors should be punished accordingly and to the fullest extent of the law. Their accounts should be immediately frozen and all assets seized.