Pope funds stir discord at NCSU

Dean pitches ideas to foundation

RALEIGH -- A debate that became heated at UNC-Chapel Hill is now under way at N.C. State University -- whether to accept new donations from the John William Pope Foundation of Raleigh.

At a meeting Monday of faculty from NCSU's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, some professors spoke out against the idea, although no specific proposal is on the table.

The dean, Toby Parcel, said she approached the Pope family to discuss the possibility of a private gift for programs in the college. She said she pitched a couple of general ideas, such as study abroad scholarships and money for French and German programs.

But, she stressed, the discussion is preliminary, and Monday's meeting was meant to test the mood. "Is there sufficient faculty support for some kind of proposal?" Parcel asked.

To many at the small gathering, the answer was no.

"This is dirty money," said David Auerbach, a philosophy professor.

David Ambaras, an associate professor of history, said NCSU risks losing autonomy by aligning itself with organizations that have argued against public money for higher education. "I think it's a very dangerous step to take," Ambaras said, "to even accept a penny of this money."

But NCSU is already benefiting from a $511,000 gift from the foundation to support programs in economics and public policy, including a lecture series that two years ago brought economist and Nobel Prize winner Vernon Smith to the university. The donation also supports a student group known as the Society for Political Science, Economics and Law.

Political science professor Andy Taylor said the Pope Foundation has not exerted undue influence over the program. "There are no strings attached," he said. "There is no management."

Ruth Gross, head of NCSU's department of foreign languages and literature, said the faculty should be open-minded. After all, she said, the money could improve students' educational experiences. "If we can find ways to use the money in some fruitful way, that would help us," she said.

The Pope family and foundation have long supported conservative causes, including the John WIlliam Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, a frequent critic of public universities in North Carolina. The center has skewered women's studies, African-American studies and multicultural offerings.

At UNC-CH, a proposal for a Pope-funded Western cultures program caused a stir among professors, who accused the foundation of trying to control curriculum. The proposal was revised several times amid faculty outcry.

Finally, in September, the foundation instead gave $2 million to UNC-CH's football program. A much smaller amount -- $300,000 -- went toward study abroad and summer research fellowships for undergraduates who study Western cultures, as well as a visiting scholar program.

Art Pope said Monday that his family's foundation is engaged in preliminary discussions about donations to other universities, including N.C. Central. "We are focused on supporting higher education and particularly undergraduate education throughout the state of North Carolina," he said.