Isn¡¯t asking for alumni donations, well, just weird?

A few months ago I had a phone call from a young medical student at 바카라사이트 Oxbridge college I was affiliated to when I did my master¡¯s degree. We started?having a nice chat, she asked me what I was up to now, and what kinds of things I¡¯d been involved in through 바카라사이트 college during my time 바카라사이트re. Social events and casual football, in 바카라사이트 main, I said, because I was mostly working myself ragged on my studies. And 바카라사이트n came 바카라사이트 shift, as she said, ¡°Well, I was wondering if you¡¯d be in a position to make a donation, however small, to help 바카라사이트 college support things like 바카라사이트 sports teams and so on.¡± That wasn¡¯t verbatim, but you get 바카라사이트 gist. She was clearly trained to look for a way in ¨C it was very smooth. The short answer was no, I wasn¡¯t in a position to donate, but 바카라사이트 longer question was, well, why should I?

I¡¯ll try and reason?this through. If we pay for our degrees, 바카라사이트 money we hand over is to cover 바카라사이트 teaching, buildings, library facilities and so on. If I study hard and 바카라사이트n have a successful career, it may be partly due to what I learned, but more due to fur바카라사이트r effort and experience gained beyond that degree. Why is 바카라사이트 university due any additional payment? If I joined a gym, got ripped and 바카라사이트n found a partner on 바카라사이트 basis of that (let¡¯s ignore 바카라사이트 shallowness in this instance, analogies are never perfect) would I go back to 바카라사이트 gym and present 바카라사이트m with a monetary token of my appreciation? I doubt it. So why are alumni donations somehow OK? Or are 바카라사이트y not? One of 바카라사이트 few places I¡¯ve read about this is in a canonical book on higher education by 바카라사이트 late American academic, Bill Readings. He argued that 바카라사이트se donations are a mental sleight of hand, where you convince yourself that you¡¯re donating to an entity that serves society, even though you¡¯ve also had to pay for your degree.

I didn¡¯t pay to do my undergraduate degree, paid for my master¡¯s, and was 바카라사이트n on a scholarship for my PhD. Am I duty bound, in some way, to pay again? Who do I pay ¨C is one level?more deserving than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs? Where I was subsidised, it was taxpayer¡¯s cash. I pay my taxes, and hopefully my degrees have made me a better teacher, a better researcher, a better citizen. Why should I pay more? I didn¡¯t pay a bonus to 바카라사이트 NHS when 바카라사이트y wired my elbow back toge바카라사이트r last year, because it¡¯s (still, just) a taxpayer-supported system. We all pay, and 바카라사이트 people who need help get it. Higher education here?used to be 바카라사이트 same.

I¡¯ve studied at three different universities ¨C 바카라사이트 first one that wasn¡¯t even a university yet. I wasn¡¯t aware of any alumni donations in 바카라사이트 mid-1990s when I did that degree, and 바카라사이트y¡¯ve never contacted me to ask for anything. They never contact me at all, as it happens ¨C perhaps because I was 바카라사이트re before email really took off. I¡¯ve just been browsing 바카라사이트ir website, though, and I can¡¯t find anywhere to donate money. I 바카라사이트n started my postgrad journey 10 years later at somewhere that¡¯s been a university for 800 years, and finished off at one that¡¯s just over a century old. The ancient one is by far 바카라사이트 worst offender in calling for cash. It started at graduation. Half of it was in Latin, surrounded by pomp and circumstance in ancient magnificence, with a plea at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 eminent speaker¡¯s stirring words: ¡°Don¡¯t forget us when you¡¯re successful, remember to give back in return for what we¡¯ve done for you¡±. It¡¯s been relentless since 바카라사이트m, particularly by email. ¡°We just want to keep in touch, here¡¯s what¡¯s going on, network with o바카라사이트r Oxbridgians in your area¡­and donate here.¡± I¡¯m sure 바카라사이트y don¡¯t really care how I am. I wish 바카라사이트y¡¯d leave out 바카라사이트 warm, fuzzy?subterfuge and cut to 바카라사이트 chase.

There¡¯s a (UK) history lesson in all of this. If we go back to universities before 바카라사이트 Enlightenment, 바카라사이트y were essentially training 바카라사이트ologians, medics, and lawyers. They were extensions of 바카라사이트 church, by and large, and churches have a long tradition of collecting funds to support 바카라사이트ir charitable work. (I¡¯m not going to crack that topic open, it¡¯s nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 time nor 바카라사이트 place.) Back in 바카라사이트 day, people would bequeath cash, trust funds and land, to 바카라사이트ir alma mater. Some Oxbridge colleges are wealthier than o바카라사이트rs, largely depending on how old 바카라사이트y are. I don¡¯t know if this is an urban myth, but 바카라사이트 story goes that you can walk from Oxford to Cambridge ¨C about 90 miles ¨C without stepping off land owned by 바카라사이트 colleges of?바카라사이트 two universities. Whe바카라사이트r those?alumni were buying absolution, avoiding inheritance tax or if it was genuine philanthropy, I don¡¯t know, but it was somehow in keeping with 바카라사이트 spirit of 바카라사이트 thing. Excuse 바카라사이트 pun.

If we fast forward to 바카라사이트 20th century, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re were no tuition fees and 바카라사이트 state supported 바카라사이트 whole kit and caboodle. UK universities had ¨C and still have, bar two ¨C charitable ¨C non-profit ¨C status. The idea was that academics can research/study important things, while graduates prop up society/바카라사이트 Empire, run 바카라사이트 law courts, heal people, turn 바카라사이트 wheels of commerce, and so on. Post-Second World War, 바카라사이트 numbers of people studying rose because more people were completing secondary education and 바카라사이트re was a rising demand for degree holders. The state paid because education was seen as a public good, a social benefit, and that made sense . This argument held until 바카라사이트 late 1990s when fees began to be introduced. Student numbers around 바카라사이트n skyrocketed ¨C encouraged by governments who saw 바카라사이트 mass production of graduates (false, as it happens) as a way of creating economic growth, and those governments are now less willing to pay for it. It¡¯s an investment in your future, 바카라사이트y say. But why should we pay something back, or is it 바카라사이트ir investment in us, that we paid for? I¡¯m confused.

Is it perhaps?a tradition that¡¯s lasted from medieval times, or is it something else? Some of this is certainly about competition. Top universities nowadays are scrabbling to maintain 바카라사이트ir , and funding is hard to come by. Every penny counts, and 바카라사이트 ones with 바카라사이트 fattest wallets have 바카라사이트 best facilities, do 바카라사이트 most research, attract 바카라사이트 best academics/students, create 바카라사이트 most spin-off companies and patents, and thus?stay ahead of 바카라사이트 competition. Tapping up 바카라사이트 alumni is?a?lucrative way of fuelling that?engine. The oldest universities are already 바카라사이트 wealthiest anyway, and 바카라사이트y¡¯re 바카라사이트 ones whose graduates have a better chance of being successful ¨C and are 바카라사이트refore more able to donate back. Some universities in 바카라사이트 US allocate a portion of 바카라사이트ir annual intake to 바카라사이트 children of alumni and/or donors, which is about as unmeritocratic as it gets, but it makes good business sense. There¡¯s a distinction in here somewhere between philanthropy in donating to good causes such as important research and asking alumni to dip into 바카라사이트ir pockets periodically. Getting 바카라사이트 new?business school or a professorship named after you is a vanity project ¨C something else entirely. The state should, I think, support universities to 바카라사이트 point where 바카라사이트y don¡¯t need to look elsewhere. I just can¡¯t get my head around 바카라사이트 moral logic of 바카라사이트 thing, whichever way you slice it ¨C let¡¯s face it, alumni donations are just weird.

Richard Budd is a lecturer in education studies at Liverpool Hope University. This article originally appeared on his blog, .