Class is back in session. Philanthropy is attuned to whether the campus protests that overtook many colleges and universities last academic year would be reignited and how school leadership will respond to antisemitic protests and the treatment of Jewish students on campus.
Donors and alumni have widely rebuked student involvement in riots and violent protests. University presidents, who could not act with moral clarity to protect Jewish students or who have been selective in the application of free speech and academic freedom, have been forced out by pressure from stakeholders. Using the power of the purse, donors canceled pledged gifts and promised to withhold future funding to send a clear message to university leadership.
However, higher education donors and grantmakers should also pay attention to the actions of deans, faculty and lecturers. Are these academics upholding the standards and values that motivate alumni and donors to give to institutions, or are they perpetuating toxic learning environments donors want to change? True diversity calls for a diversity of viewpoints, but not for discriminatory behavior or intolerant rhetoric.
Concerning events may have flown under the national radar but they provide cautionary examples of what is happening on campuses around the country. Recently, several Columbia University deans left the university after a scandal ensued from their antisemitic text exchanges during a panel discussion on Jewish life on campus this spring.
One wrote, “Amazing what $$$$ can do,” while another dean wrote the panel discussion at the event “comes from such a place of privilege.” A third dean used vomiting emojis to refer to an op-ed by the campus rabbi on antisemitism. The text messages were captured by attendees at the event and released by the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce in a hearing.
Conversely, a Stanford lecturer was dismissed last October for calling Jewish students in the class “colonizers” and asking Jewish students to physically go to the back of the class to illustrate the point that this is “what Israel does to Palestinians,” according to eyewitnesses. University officials stated clearly that “academic freedom does not permit the identity-based targeting of students.”
These incidents and likely many others that have gone unreported should make donors cautious to ensure their philanthropic dollars are not supporting faculty who disrupt the learning environment for students of all backgrounds.
My Roundtable colleague, Joanne Florino’s “Top Ten Tips for Higher Education Funders,” provides some helpful pointers for university donors in this regard. For example, one of Florino’s tips is to form relationships with friendly faculty. They will execute your project and are most likely to serve as guardians of your donor intent because you share the same goals. Faculty with aligned values can also be a trusted source of information for grantmakers on campus happenings or advising on promising philanthropic opportunities there and elsewhere.
However, be prepared for personnel changes to remove your ally from the equation. Consider funding an academic center that hires professors who share your values and commitment to your mission. And, as always, be careful with unrestricted grantmaking. Grants or gifts with no strings attached can lead to donor intent being undermined and donors supporting people and activities they vehemently disagree with.
This fall, expect more campus protests, especially as we approach the one-year anniversary of the Israel massacre and hostage crisis on October 7. Colleges and universities must grapple with heated viewpoints on different sides. Faculty should know there is no place for antisemitic or violent rhetoric when it comes to education and academic freedom. Philanthropy can play a role in making sure that message is heard loud and clear.
Philanthropy Roundtable’s True Diversity initiative is an equality-based, holistic framework for embracing diversity. It values every person as a unique individual and empowers charitable organizations with the freedom and flexibility to advance their missions and help those in need.
