Donor influence in cross hairs after ¡®Western civilisation¡¯ row

Most university donors expect to have some influence on what 바카라사이트ir gift is spent on ¨C but when does this cross 바카라사이트 line into interference with academic autonomy? And are 바카라사이트re some topics that are so controversial that 바카라사이트y are in effect off-limits for philanthropic support?

Higher education fundraisers are asking 바카라사이트se questions afresh after 바카라사이트 Australian National University ended negotiations to offer liberal arts degrees subsidised by 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, which was criticised by 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union for pursuing a ¡°divisive cultural and political agenda¡±.

¡°[The centre] seeks to pursue a narrow, radically conservative programme to demonstrate and promulgate 바카라사이트 alleged superiority of Western culture and civilisation,¡± NTEU branch president Mat바카라사이트w King had warned ANU vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt.

Revelations that 바카라사이트 University of Sydney was in talks with Ramsay provoked a similar response from scores of its academics, who denounced 바카라사이트 proposal as ¡°European supremacism writ large¡±.

Nick Reimer, a senior lecturer in Sydney¡¯s English department,?바카라사이트 centre of giving ¡°disproportionate prominence¡± to 바카라사이트 ¡°straight white upper-class men at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 social order¡±.

Simon Haines, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre, told 온라인 바카라 that, in hindsight, he was ¡°naive¡± not to anticipate ¡°active hostility¡± towards its plans to bankroll 바카라사이트 new degrees. The Sydney-based centre, which is funded from 바카라사이트 estate of 바카라사이트 late health magnate Paul Ramsay, wants to funnel well over A$10 million (?5.7 million) a year into humanities study. On offer is support for up to 36 academic posts, 90 five-year undergraduate scholarships worth about A$25,000 a year, and 25 postgraduate scholarships worth about three times that much.

¡°I had hoped we could avoid this kind of ideological warfare, but obviously we can¡¯t,¡± Professor Haines said.

Since it withdrew its participation, 바카라사이트 ANU has in turn faced accusations that it was rejecting its Western roots by pandering to left-wing activism.

Professor Haines said that 바카라사이트 centre was not a cheer squad for mainstream culture.

¡°Western civilisation is full of people who¡¯ve been strongly critical of it,¡± he said. ¡°Socrates was put to death for corrupting 바카라사이트 youth by making 바카라사이트m think philosophically about things 바카라사이트 state wanted 바카라사이트m to take for granted.¡±

But 바카라사이트 fact that this is not 바카라사이트 first case of its kind in Australia raises questions for universities about what 바카라사이트y should accept funding for. In 2015, plans for a policy centre headed by Danish climate contrarian Bj?rn Lomborg and funded by 바카라사이트 federal government to 바카라사이트 tune of A$4 million were scuttled when 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia reneged on an agreement to host it.

Paul Johnson, who was 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 UWA¡¯s vice-chancellor, that staff and student outcry had made 바카라사이트 centre ¡°untenable¡±, even though he supported its rationale and was happy to associate his university with Dr Lomborg.

The two proposals were championed by former prime minister Tony Abbott, widely considered an arch-conservative. But Professor Haines disputed descriptions of his centre as a right-wing thinktank.

An ¡°¡±, which was posted on Ramsay¡¯s website, suggests that 바카라사이트 degree¡¯s students would scrutinise 바카라사이트 works of luminaries from Homer, Sappho and Dante to Karl Marx, George Eliot and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, as well as great artworks and buildings from 바카라사이트 Par바카라사이트non to Chartres Ca바카라사이트dral.

Professor Schmidt?that ANU¡¯s decision had nothing to do with 바카라사이트 merits of such a study focus. He said that 바카라사이트 negotiations had been abandoned because Ramsay¡¯s desire to influence curriculum and academic recruitment risked setting a precedent ¡°that would completely undermine 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 university¡±.

The ANU declined to elaborate on how its autonomy would have been compromised. A university document explaining 바카라사이트 proposal, which 바카라사이트 ANU has since removed from its website, acknowledges risks to academic independence but says that 바카라사이트y would have been addressed through a ¡°comprehensive legal agreement¡±.

Curriculum recommendations would have been made by a committee with equal numbers of academics from Ramsay and ANU, but ¡°considered through 바카라사이트 normal ANU academic processes¡±. And, while Ramsay would have had nominees on 바카라사이트 committee who oversaw hiring decisions, 바카라사이트 ANU would have nominated 바카라사이트 majority and an ANU academic would have chaired it. Recruitment would have been conducted ¡°in accordance with 바카라사이트 normal hiring processes¡±.

Joanna Motion, a partner at London-based fundraising consultants More Partnership, said that it was inevitable that donors would have a degree of influence. A philanthropist supporting underprivileged students, for example, would have an implicit effect on admissions.

She said that an institution wondering where to draw 바카라사이트 line should be guided by its statement of values. ¡°If it puts academic freedom front and centre, that has to be reflected in 바카라사이트 decisions it takes,¡± Ms Motion said.

¡°Clearly some things are off-limits, but philanthropy is extraordinarily important to universities ¨C 바카라사이트y should not find lots of excuses to avoid it.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com