Community | May 10, 2011 | 32 comments

Koch Billionaire buys hiring rights for Florida State University Economics Dept.

source: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/billionaires-role-in-hiring-decisions-at-florida-state...

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August_K
"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.

Most universities, including the University of Florida, have policies that strictly limit donors' influence over the use of their gifts. Yale University once returned $20 million when the donor demanded veto power over appointments, saying such control was "unheard of."

Jennifer Washburn, who has reviewed dozens of contracts between universities and donors, called the Koch agreement with FSU "truly shocking."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/billionaires-role-in-hiring-decisions-at-f...
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  2. tags:
    Fascism,  Right Wing,  Koch,  Public Schools
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32 comments // Koch Billionaire buys hiring rights for Florida State University Economics Dept.

  • bike10
  • letsliveinpeace
  • Saladin
  • Leen61
    • +2
      Leen61  

    • The Koch Suckers strike again....in Florida. This time controlling the minds of our youth. They are taking over this country. These criminals know they can buy anything/anyone. They want the Ayn Rand world to become reality....and sadly, they are succeeding.

    • 1 year ago
  • JustZ
    • +2
      JustZ  

    • Headline should be: COCK brothers buying American on behalf of top 1%. Life as you and I know it, is about to end. I've always suspected V for Vendetta was an accurate prediction.

    • 1 year ago
  • JustZ
    • +3
      JustZ  

    • Fucking criminals...they couldn't dig a deep enough hole to throw these bastards into. These two men epitomize the pervasive affect of unchecked greed and power.

    • 1 year ago
  • Arizona_Huey
  • bluestranger
  • Saladin
  • bluestranger
  • samthesixth
    • +2
      samthesixth  

    • One more example of how broken and irrelevant our system for higher learning has become.

      A question. Pick a state any state. Who is the highest paid state employee in the state you have selected? The state U football coach, followed by the state U basketball coach. Usually these are the only state employees making $1M a year or more. Some taxpayers fund multiple state university football teams with coaches making $1M a year or more.

      The priorities of the system are skewed.

    • 1 year ago
  • Mark701
  • ReMarker
    • +3
      ReMarker  

    • If you are not a Gator, you're Gator bait!!!

      FSU alumni need to step up and bring some class back to FSU by chasing Koch out. Be classy like the Gators and get back in the contest for being the pride of Florida!

      The Gators want a rival of the Florida titans without politics.

      FYI, The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation rejected about 60% of FSU faculty proposed scholarships.

    • 1 year ago
  • Plue
  • extracrazykiwi2008
  • sharin
    • +2
      sharin  

    • Rachel Maddow had a segment on this issue last night. the Koch brothers bought this position several years ago (and it is just NOW getting attention) and during these years the brothers have indeed exercised their pejorative and rejected many good candidates for teaching position. They just didn't fit the totalitarian mold that the Koch brothers want taught

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
    • 0
      August_K  
    • sharin:

      I just watched it. I can't believe the rest of her story.....THREE GOP run states have now cut unemployment benefits and are giving that saved money to corporations in tax cuts and in FL they are going to force drug testing if you need assistance of any kind.

      The GOP has gone totally anti-people since the last elections.
      I hope people start to wake up.....because it's their livelihoods on the line if they just ignore this GOP fascist agenda.

    • 1 year ago
  • bike10
  • Blueshound9
  • Mona_Swearingen
  • August_K
  • littlwarrior
  • timetide
    • +2
      timetide  
    • littlwarrior:

      Not just regular every day youth, but the young adults who are going to go out into the world and become economists, stock traders, bankers, etc etc etc. who will be interacting directly with the non-college educated. They are buying the right to influence the education and minds of young adults who tell other adults the "whats what" in the economic world. People who trust them to tell the truth, and people who expected to be taught facts and truth, not dogma. the future benifits of this are endless

    • 1 year ago
  • littlwarrior
    • +2
      littlwarrior  
    • timetide:

      They are buying that right at a damnable low late. Hell if I knew it was this cheap, I would have gone that route years ago. So 20 years from now when I rule the world, remember to thank the lovely Koch brothers for the idea. Oh and thank God, I dont have to become the Pope now, and I dont have to move to South America, oh my plans to rule the world just got cheaper easier, and hot damn fewer bugs and no robes. shit yes! (Well I was kinda looking forward to the robes, but thats ok, Ill design new ones, something more fun. Ya know like uber fabulous, but still Imperial.)

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
  • ReMarker
  • lazloman
  • lazloman
  • Warren_Merrill
    • -1
      Warren_Merrill  

    • "Most universities, including the University of Florida, have policies that strictly limit donors' influence over the use of their gifts. Yale University once returned $20 million when the donor demanded veto power over appointments, saying such control was "unheard of.""

      FSU is a state school. Yale is a very wealthy school with a HUGE endowment.

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
    • 0
      August_K  
    • Warren_Merrill:

      "FSU is a state school" and that makes this even more heinous.

      NOBODY should be able to buy educators or force students to read biased books.
      Would you like it if the tables were turned and some wealthy person insisted that all students must read Satans Bible?

    • 1 year ago
  • Warren_Merrill
    • -1
      Warren_Merrill  
    • August_K:

      There are plenty of very wealthy families who fund areas of universities. If you think it doesn't provide them access and input I have a bridge to sell you.

      A friend of mine attended Boston University. A professor named Murray Levin wrote a book. It was required reading for his lecture classes for six hundred students per year. A New York Times review said they couldn't believe the book was written by a literate person much less a college professor.

    • 1 year ago
  • August_K
    • +2
      August_K  

    • Ayn Rand will be "required reading".

      "As originally drafted, the agreement called for the Koch foundation and FSU to raise up to $6.6 million for six faculty positions. That plan has been scaled back in the face of the recession, but FSU's dean dismissed suggestions that he signed the deal with Koch because of financial strain.

      "This would have been an opportunity to improve our economics department under any circumstances," Rasmussen said.

      In addition to funding two slots, Koch has also donated nearly $500,000 for graduate fellowships. So far only BB&T, the bank holding company, has joined the effort, with its foundation pledging $1.5 million over 10 years. The money is being used to hire an instructor who is not eligible for tenure; BB&T had no control over the hire, Rasmussen said.

      A separate grant from BB&T funds a course on ethics and economics in which Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is required reading. The novel, which depicts society's collapse in the wake of government encroachment on free enterprise, was recently made into a movie marketed to tea party members."

    • 1 year ago
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