On giving to colleges

Long ago I decided to remove my undergrad and grad alma maters (almae matres? How about, schools I attended?) from the list of charities to which I'd give serious donations.

I still give a token amount, because education is worth supporting. But I share the concern James Piereson voices in a Wall Street Journal piece called "Only Encouraging Them." The subheading fairly well summarizes Piereson's thesis: "Generous people give money to colleges without restrictions. The money gets misused."

Now that political correctness has fairly well run amok among universities and faculties, or the ones I attended anyway, is it reasonable to send them money? Read Mike Adams's columns from recent years if you doubt the current state of our campuses. Or read the first post on this blog to get widespread notice, on Ivy League faculty political donations.

The good news: Piereson thinks that with due diligence on the part of donors, constructive giving is possible.