Universities aren’t the Ballet: Why university donations need to have no strings attached
We all know that the Koch Brothers have spent millions on elections. They spent over $400 million on the 2012 election and a combined $290 million on the midterms this year through personal donations and through their think tanks like Americans for Prosperity. There has been much debate over these donations and how the duo is affecting American democracy. In a post Citizen’s United world, we have begun to expect political interference by billionaires. But the Koch Brothers' influence is starting earlier than ever- in the classroom. To be clear, this isn’t new; the Koch’s have been donating to universities for years. But we are now beginning to see the consequences of taking large sums for specific projects within public education. In some cases, there has been major interference by the Koch Brothers to support their free-market, libertarian ideology.
David Koch is also known for his charitable donations to the New York City ballet. In principle, the idea of charitable giving to universities would be the same as donating to the ballet, right? Well, unless the ballet is required to change their production of Midsummer Nights Dream to Atlas Shrugged, then it is very different.
Koch donations to universities have increasingly created interference in departments. Contracts with universities such as Clemson University and Utah State include the language that the professors would, "support the research into the causes, measurements, impact, and appreciation of economic freedom." So their donations aren't exactly charitable. Their donations are an exchange: money for ideology. Florida State's contracts were even more explicit, calling for the hiring of specific professors and for Bruce Benson ( a staunch supporter of privatization) to stay on faculty for three more years.
This is not picking on the Koch's because they have turned words like "liberty" and "freedom" into something exclusive. This isn't about what they believe, but rather that their money at public universities are used to determine what students are taught to believe. It's the opposite of freedom. Curriculum was controlled in Communist Russia – for which the Koch's have open distain. So is controlling curriculum different when it's about billionaires deciding what's best for students? Don't we want our students to have exposure to a variety of ideas? Read a variety of books? Learn from a variety of professors? Not if it's left up to Charles and David Koch.
These university donations are not charity. They don't treat them like David treats his donations to the ballet. But if you do happen to see Fountain Head performed by a group in tights and tutus, we'll then maybe we are wrong about the ballet too.
Is your university or alma mater on this list of Koch-funded colleges and universities? You should check below, because there are over 250 schools and a lot of surprises!
If it is on the list, you can work with us to arrange for a screening at your school or you can connect with organizations like UnKoch My Campus!
Help get the Koch's out of student's classrooms.
Here is the list of Colleges and Universities with Programs Supported by the Charles Koch Foundation.
This list was taken directly from Koch Family Foundations website and was last updated on October 2014:
1. Albany State University
2. Allegheny College
3. Alma College
4. American University
5. Amherst College
6. Appalachian State University
7. Arizona Christian University
8. Arizona State University
9. Ashland University
10. Assumption College
11. Augustana College
12. Ave Maria University
13. Azusa Pacific University
14. Ball State University
15. Barton College
16. Baylor University
17. Beloit College
18. Benedictine College
19. Berry College
20. Bethel College - Indiana
21. Biola University
22. Birmingham-Southern College
23. Boise State University
24. Bowling Green State University
25. Brigham Young University
26. Brooklyn Law School
27. Buena Vista University
28. California State University - Chico
29. California State University - East Bay
30. California State University - Fresno
31. California State University - Northridge
32. California State University - San Bernardino
33. Campbell University
34. Carthage College
35. Catholic University of America
36. Cedarville University
37. Central Connecticut State University
38. Central Michigan University
39. Chapman University
40. Charleston Southern University
41. Chestnut Hill College
42. Christendom College
43. Christopher Newport University
44. Citadel College
45. City University of New York - Brooklyn College
46. Claremont Graduate University
47. Claremont McKenna College
48. Clemson University
49. Coastal Carolina University
50. Colgate University
51. College of Charleston
52. College of Coastal Georgia
53. College of New Jersey
54. College of the Holy Cross
55. College of William and Mary
56. Corban University
57. Creighton University
58. Dartmouth College
59. Duke University
60. Duquesne University
61. East Florida State College
62. Eastern University
63. Elizabethtown College
64. Emory University
65. Emporia State University
66. Eureka College
67. Fayetteville State University
68. Florida Atlantic University
69. Florida Gulf Coast University
70. Florida Southern College
71. Florida State University
72. Friends University
73. Geneva College
74. George Fox University
75. George Mason University
76. George Washington University
77. Georgia College and State University
78. Georgia Gwinnett College
79. Georgia State University
80. Grove City College
81. Gustavus Adolphus College
82. Hampden-Sydney College
83. Hampton University
84. Harding University
85. Harvard University
86. Hawaii Pacific University
87. High Point University
88. Hillsdale College
89. Hofstra University
90. Hollins University
91. Hope College
92. Houghton College
93. Houston Baptist University
94. Illinois State University
95. Indiana University
96. Indiana University - Bloomington
97. Indiana University-Purdue University -
98. Indianapolis
99. Iowa State University
100. Jacksonville State University
101. Jacksonville University
102. James Madison University
103. John Brown University
104. Johns Hopkins University
105. Johnson and Wales University - Charlotte
106. Kansas State University
107. Kennesaw State University
108. Kenyon College
109. LaGrange College
110. Lake Forest College
111. Lakeland College
112. Lebanon Valley College
113. Lee University
114. Liberty University
115. Lindenwood University
116. Lipscomb University
117. Long Island University
118. Loyola University - Chicago
119. Loyola University - New Orleans
120. Malone University
121. Manhattanville College
122. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
123. McGill University
124. McKendree University
125. Mercer University
126. Methodist University
127. Metropolitan State University of Denver
128. Michigan State University
129. Middle Tennessee State University
130. Millikin University
131. Mississippi State University
132. Montana State University - Bozeman
133. Montclair State University
134. Morehead State University
135. Mount Holyoke College
136. Mount St. Mary's University
137. Murray State University
138. New York University
139. Newman University
140. Nicholls State University
141. North Carolina State University
142. North Dakota State University
143. North Park University
144. Northern Illinois University
145. Northwest Nazarene University
146. Northwest University
147. Northwestern College - Iowa
148. Northwestern Oklahoma State University
149. Northwestern University
150. Oglethorpe University
151. Ohio State University
152. Ohio University
153. Oklahoma State University
154. Patrick Henry College
155. Pennsylvania State University
156. Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg
157. Providence College
158. Purdue University
159. Radford University
160. Ramapo College
161. Regent University
162. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
163. Rhodes College
164. Roanoke College
165. Robert Morris University
166. Rochester Institute of Technology
167. Rockford University
168. Rogers State University
169. Rutgers School of Law- Camden
170. Rutgers University - Newark
171. Saginaw Valley State University
172. Saint Francis University
173. Salisbury University
174. Sam Houston State University
175. Samford University
176. San Diego State University
177. San Jose State University
178. Sarah Lawrence College
179. Seattle Pacific University
180. Seton Hall University
181. Skidmore College
182. Southern Illinois University
183. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
184. Southern Methodist University
185. Southern Utah University
186. Southern Virginia University
187. Southwestern Law School
188. St. Ambrose University
189. St. Bonaventure University
190. St. Cloud State University
191. St. Edwards University
192. St. John Fisher College
193. St. John's University
194. St. Lawrence University
195. St. Mary's College of Maryland
196. St. Vincent College
197. Stanford University
198. State University of New York - Plattsburgh
199. State University of New York - Purchase
200. Stephen F. Austin State University
201. Stonehill College
202. Suffolk University
203. Susquehanna University
204. Syracuse University
205. Texas A&M University
206. Texas State University - San Marcos
207. Texas Tech University
208. Towson University
209. Transylvania University
210. Trinity College
211. Trinity University
212. Troy University
213. University of Akron
214. University of Alaska - Fairbanks
215. University of Arizona
216. University of Arkansas
217. University of Arkansas - Little Rock
218. University of California - Irvine
219. University of Central Arkansas
220. University of Colorado - Colorado Springs
221. University of Connecticut
222. University of Dallas
223. University of Dayton
224. University of Delaware
225. University of Florida
226. University of Georgia
227. University of Houston
228. University of Kansas
229. University of Kentucky
230. University of Louisville
231. University of Maine
232. University of Maine - Machias
233. University of Maine - Orono
234. University of Maryland - Baltimore County
235. University of Maryland - College Park
236. University of Minnesota - Duluth
237. University of Mississippi
238. University of Missouri - Columbia
239. University of Nebraska - Omaha
240. University of Nevada - Las Vegas
241. University of Nevada - Reno
242. University of New Orleans
243. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
244. University of North Carolina - Greensboro
245. University of North Carolina - Pembroke
246. University of North Texas
247. University of Notre Dame
248. University of Oklahoma
249. University of Pennsylvania
250. University of Richmond
251. University of San Diego
252. University of South Alabama
253. University of South Florida
254. University of St. Thomas
255. University of Tampa
256. University of Tennessee - Knoxville
257. University of Texas - Arlington
258. University of Texas - Austin
259. University of Texas - Pan American
260. University of Texas - San Antonio
261. University of Tulsa
262. University of Virginia
263. University of Virginia's College at Wise
264. University of Washington
265. University of Washington - Bothell
266. University of West Florida
267. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
268. University of Wisconsin - Madison
269. Ursinus College
270. Utah State University
271. Vassar College
272. Villanova University
273. Virginia Military Institute
274. Virginia Tech
275. Wake Forest University
276. Washington College
277. Washington University - St. Louis
278. Webber International University
279. Wellesley College
280. Wesleyan College
281. West Liberty University
282. West Texas A&M University
283. West Virginia University
284. Western Carolina University
285. Western Kentucky University
286. Western Michigan University
287. Wheaton College
288. Wichita State University
289. Wingate University
290. Winthrop University
291. Wofford College
292. York College of Pennsylvania