BY ROBERT A. SCOTT AND CHRISTIAN P. VAUPEL

Conflicts between academics and administrators on college campuses have been in the news. Recently, issues of mask mandates, actions taken to reduce expenses due to pandemic-related loss of revenue, and concerns about alleged violations of academic freedom have erupted. What reports about such problems don’t always acknowledge is that relationships between faculty and administrators have been strained for many decades and for many reasons. Faculty frequently complain about “bureaucrats” and administrative bloat while referring to the main administration building by name as if it were a foreign land.

But who has not heard administrators react negatively to a faculty member stating that he or she wanted more time for “my work,” as if teaching and advising were something else? Those who see faculty as pursuing a noble calling might think of administrators as inhabiting the “dark side” of academe.

As a result of these views and tensions, a lack of trust can develop between faculty and administrators that diminishes the possibility of shared respect and support for common ideals. We believe that one cause of these tensions is a lack of adequate communication.

However, one example of a fruitful partnership can be found in the relations between the chief development officer (CDO) and the faculty. Staff in development, alumni relations, publications, and communications support the faculty in their professional development on and off campus in many ways. At the same time, faculty can work with advancement professionals to help secure gifts of time, talent, and treasure from alumni and friends for the benefit of the institution and its students.

While news reports recount the amounts of money elite colleges raise each year and the size of their endowments, they do not detail the many ways that faculty and students at institutions of all sizes and types benefit from philanthropy. In fact, individual donors are the single major force in the development of modern higher education. As a 2020 report noted, higher education is second only to religious organizations in the sheer amount of donations.

Research and scholarship are the largest recipients of restricted current fund dollars donated to higher education. Such funds support the role of higher education in adding new knowledge, expanding our understanding of the natural and cultural worlds in which we live, developing new interpretations of what we think we know, and providing opportunities for students to develop their research skills. This form of support is critical for faculty members’ development as scholars and professional advancement and for the fulfillment of an important part of an institution’s mission.

Fundraising also raises substantial sums for student financial aid. This private support has been critical in the advancement of opportunities for previously underrepresented student populations, including women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and others formerly excluded from consideration. These funds also provide aid for students who lack the personal or family resources needed for a collegiate experience.

Other donations support curriculum development, laboratory equipment, library purchases, special collections of notable documents in many forms, and technology advancements. Still other gifts support internships, lectureships, art collections and exhibits, and science fairs as well as visiting experts of many kinds. These contributions add to the environment for teaching and learning.

The major sources of philanthropy are individuals, organizations and foundations, and corporations, which collectively provide funds to support, on average, 10 percent of campus budgets. The range is from 3 percent at public institutions to 16 percent at private campuses. While prestigious private and public universities garner popular attention because of billion-dollar campaigns and endowments, fundraising is also critically important to small- and medium-sized institutions with only regional or local reputations.

Among individuals, the major source of funds are the alumni. Overall, they donate more to private institutions. Foundations, on the other hand, give more to public institutions, but they are generally bigger and enroll more students.

In order to mount successful fundraising efforts for annual giving as well as larger gifts, institutions must conduct research on sources of donations, engage potential donors so that they become involved and invested in the campus, and communicate with particular and general populations about the many ways in which alumni, foundations, and others are supporting student and faculty growth.

Faculty can be especially helpful because students are often fond of their former instructors and keep them informed of their professional progress. Foundations and parents are particularly impressed when they see that the faculty, administration, and staff support the fundraising priorities of an institution with their own gifts–no matter the size. Faculty can help their own cause by sharing their passion for teaching, research, learning, and new knowledge with prospective supporters. 

The CDO aspires to meet the challenges of fundraising and “friend raising” in alignment with the president and board of trustees but also has unique concerns. The competition for private support is intense. Not only other institutions of higher education but also nonprofit organizations of all types appeal to the same populations of potential donors. If alumni or neighbors have not been involved with the campus for many years, they may have developed other priorities for giving.

In addition, while these concerns may not apply to the CDO’s own institution, news about the undue influence of big donors at other campuses and scandals, such as the “varsity blues” admissions bribery cases, may require explanations about the policies in place to avoid such risks. News about congressional attempts to tax endowments of a certain size also require explanation to donors.

The chief development officer’s goal is to seek the resources and opportunities required to enhance the environment for teaching and learning, doing this in concert with the president to fulfill the goals established by the board of trustees. Faculty and students are major beneficiaries of the funds raised, fulfilling the promise of the CDO as the faculty’s friend.

Robert A. Scott is president emeritus and university professor emeritus at Adelphi University. Christian P. Vaupel is vice president for advancement and university Relations at St. John’s University.