Today the Wall Street Journal published an article by higher education reporter John Hechinger titled "New Unrest on Campus as Donors Rebel".
The article featured SaveWCAL's efforts as one of a number of cases across the nation where donors are trying to hold institutions to legal and ethical responsibilities regarding donor intent.
Financially strapped colleges are angering their benefactors by selling school radio stations, auctioning Georgia O'Keeffe paintings and dipping into endowments for purposes their donors may not have intended.
In one previously undisclosed fight, Trinity College in Connecticut is facing government scrutiny for its plan to spend part of a $9 million endowment from Wall Street investing legend Shelby Cullom Davis…
….Battles such as the one at Trinity show why the nation's universities may have trouble finding the cash for urgent needs in a deep recession. As schools struggle more than they have in decades to fund their core operations, many are looking to a rich pool of so-called restricted gifts — held in endowments whose donors often provide firm instructions on how their money should be spent.
SaveWCAL's efforts are highlighted in the sidebar to the article.
St. Olaf College Director of Communications Steve Blodgett is quoted in response using an unfortunate — and incorrect — term he has used about SaveWCAL in he press previously.
Steven Blodgett, a St. Olaf administrator, says opponents are "harassing the college" with their court fight. "Everybody wants to just move on," he says.
SaveWCAL refers readers to Susan Jacoby's excellent piece, "Cheap Apologies, Unearned Forgiveness" on the Newsweek/Washington Post web site. Jacoby writes:
"…A final mark of the non-apologetic apology is the statement, "It's time to put this behind us." Translation: I want to put this behind me. Again, this sort of weasel-like apology occurs in both public and private life…."
"Harassment" is an accusation that is often improperly applied and used by a party that knows it has done wrong and wants to "move on" so that its guilt will remain hidden or, at the least, will be quickly forgotten so that they will not be held accountable. For example, Richard Nixon unsuccessfully used the tactic during Watergate.
Blodgett's statement is inaccurate and assumes a point of view that communications professionals would be wise to avoid. Blodgett does not speak for "everybody" and "everybody" does not want to "move on" — especially when there are serious legal issues surrounding the actions and decisions of the St. Olaf College leadership.
But do we mind Blodgett's characterization? Not really. His disparaging comments have apparently given our efforts more legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of some members of the public. All they need to do is read our web site and judge for themselves whether our efforts are "harassment" — or, more accurately, the defense of the rights and intent of tens of thousands of donors who gave millions of dollars over the course of 80+ years to run a radio station that benefitted the college in countless ways.
The story was also covered by other media outlets
- Donations help SaveWCAL file appeal (Northfield News)
- Donors to Universities: You Want to Put My Money Where? (Miyanville.com)
- Strapped Colleges on Collision Course With Donors Over Restricted Gifts(The Chronicle of Philanthropy – Philanthropy.com)
- Donor-Intent Dispute at Connecticut's Trinity College May Be a Symbol of Tough Times (The Chronicle of Higher Education – Chronicle.com)
- Not so well endowed (ArtMarketMonitor.com)
- Wall Street Journal notes spat over deal that created The Current (Minnesota Independent)
- College Radio in the Wall Street Journal (Spinning Indie blog)
- Daily Glean for April 24 (In which MinnPost.com reports on the Minnesota Independent article that reports on the Wall Street Journal article…)
- Save WCAL group commits to appeal MPR's legal victory (Current.org)
- As Recession Deepens, Universities Look to Restricted Gifts (Philanthropy News Digest)
- As Recession Deepens, Universities Look to Restricted Gifts (PNNOnline.org)
- Financial Pipples (Norwegianity)
- A Wave of Donor Intent Lawsuits Coming? (The Volokh Conspiracy)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I have just read the WSJ article: Congratulations on getting the coverage.
I have somewhat mixed feelings about the story. Although the coverage is welcome, I slightly resent the headlining of SaveWCAL's efforts as "Nostalgia Radio" and further, the main article implies that all of these efforts are a matter of conservative donors protecting their point-of-view from "left-wing academia." If anything, SaveWCAL is on a different side of this issue, seeking to protect a valuable service from those who value everything only in terms of profit or asset liquidity. The implication is also present that St. Olaf took its actions from financial necessity, which we now know is not true.
I was glad to see SaveWCAL in the Wall Street Journal today but wish he had covered our story more fully. Interesting that some of the other college presidents had treated the protestor/faculty so badly, too, but guess it goes with the territory when you steal and then try to defend yourself.