To the Editor:

Comments on the WNMU President’s Society

In the October Regent’s meeting the Regents set up 5 goals for fiscal year 2017-18 for President Shepard to a receive $50,000 bonus. Goal number 3 for President Shepard's bonus this fiscal year is: From FY 2018 non-state revenues increase Foundation's assets by $400,000 with a weighted value of at least $8,000.

So if this fund raising effort raises $400,000, President Shepard gets an $8,000 bonus if it raises more than $400,000, he gets more than $8,000. Do you think it’s a coincidence that the Foundation wants all the donations in by the end of the fiscal year? President Shepard’s income from the University for this fiscal year will be about half a million dollars.

The President’s Society wants donations to be unrestricted. Unrestricted funds can be used for any use including general expenses of the Foundation and funding the President’s Discretionary Fund. In recent years the Foundation’s attention has change from providing scholarship money to students to funding the President’s Discretionary Fund. In the 2010-11 fiscal year the Foundation provided $222,140 in scholarship money with no President’s Discretionary Fund. In the 2015-16 fiscal year the Foundation provided only $120,332 in scholarships and $52,725 for the President’s Discretionary Fund. The Foundation will not release what the President’s Discretionary Fund funds. However, people that have dealings with the Foundation tell me a large part is used for entertainment, especially to pay for alcoholic beverages that can’t be paid for from state funds.

So, when you make an unrestricted donation to the Foundation the money you think is going to help a deserving student pay for their tuition may well be paying for a couple of bottles of wine to top off an expensive dinner.

If you want to make a donation to the Foundation and have a fair chance that it goes toward student scholarships, earmark the donation to one of the many scholarship funds that already exist in the Foundation or start your own fund in the Foundation.

 

Alfred Milligan
Silver City, NM

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