Radio host’s remarks cost University of Central Missouri a big benefactor

The University of Central Missouri had a strong friend in Benoit Wesly. The Dutch entrepreneur funded scholarships. An endowed chair in the business department was about to be created. Wesly’s money built the 80-foot Maastricht Friendship Tower, a campus landmark since 1998. Now, after 20 years, Wesly has withdrawn his support because of an on-air remark by a Warrensburg radio personality who is affiliated with the university.

Full text article by Mara Rose Williams is available via The Kansas City Star, 2/1/10.

Hofstra U. Is 2nd University in 2 Weeks to Drop Its Football Team

Hofstra University has eliminated its football program and will redirect the team's $4.5-million budget toward new academic ventures and need-based scholarships, the university's president said today, echoing a similar announcement last week at Northeastern University. The Hofstra team suffered from low attendance and flagging interest among students and the local community, and financial support was dwindling, the president, Stuart Rabinowitz, said in a letter to the university. He called the decision a "strategically driven reallocation of resources."

Full text article by Libby Sander is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 12/3/09.

Ford Foundation Commits $100-Million to Change Public Education

The Ford Foundation has pledged $100-million over seven years to support efforts to improve American public education. The New York philanthropic fund said the money will go to “reformers whose visions of a just and fair public-schooling system can galvanize all the players — parents, students, teachers, and community leaders, as well as scholars and policy experts.”

Full text article by Ian Wilhelm is available via The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 11/4/09.

Fulbright Program Adapts to Obama Administration's Priorities

The Fulbright Program, run by the U.S. Department of State, has always straddled the worlds of academe and public policy. Tailored to enhance both the international interests of the United States and the scholarship it supports, the program is sending 1,551 students and 1,250 scholars abroad this academic year. Now, with a new administration in place, the State Department is reviewing the disciplines and areas of the world on which it wishes to focus, with an eye toward putting President Obama's stamp on the program.

Full-text post by Beth McMurtrie is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/18/09.

• Frugal Minnesota Farmer Leaves Multimillion-Dollar Bequest

A lifelong bachelor farmer from southwestern Minnesota whose modest lifestyle and prudent investments allowed him to build a $9.3 million estate has left about half of his fortune to nonprofit organizations in Rock County.

Full-text article by PAUL WALSH and PAMELA MILLER is available via Star Tribune, 8.20.09.