US News
November 9th, 2014\
Colleges often rely on grants and donations to expand their curricula and hire faculty. However, students, professors and outside groups have begun to question what effect these contributions have on education. Inside Higher Ed reports that students from institutions across the country came together Nov. 3 to protest the involvement of some of the wealthiest and most controversial people currently funding many schools - Charles and David Koch.
Florida State Funding Concerns
Students at Florida State University led the charge. The institution has a history of working with the Koch brothers, which has caused controversy in the past. In 2008, FSU made an agreement that allowed the brothers to exert some control over faculty hiring. In exchange for a grant, the donors were allowed to create an advisory board with the power to veto any new hires in the university's school of economics. In addition, some funds would go toward creating a new undergraduate program in economics that promoted the free-market views championed by the Kochs. The details of the agreement weren't publicly revealed until 2011, at which point they were met with indignation by both students and faculty.