Recent donations show faith in Trojan spirit
During these still floundering economic times, one might expect large college donations to go down.
Not in USC’s case.
Jovanna Tosello | Daily Trojan
A few timely — and critical — donations to USC have completely redefined the future possibilities of the university as it moves forward under President C.L. Max Nikias’ new administration.
Microsoft recently pledged support to the Interactive Media Division of the School of Cinematic Arts, the Annenberg Foundation donated $50 million for a new journalism building and USC trustee and alumnus Ming Hseih provided another $50 million to create an institute focused on cancer research.
Though the recent influx of donations to USC’s professional schools might seem like a coincidence, they all stem from the donors’ shared confidence in the future success of our university.
These benefactors clearly believe that their money will go toward a good cause. With an experienced leader such as Nikias, it’s no surprise that donors are knocking on our door.
It was only fitting for both the Annenberg and Hseih donations to be announced during Nikias’ inauguration, when thousands of USC’s supporters were on campus.
Less than a week later, Microsoft seized the opportunity to create the Microsoft Endowed Professorship and the Game Innovation Lab.
From medical advances to state-of-the-art journalism resources and innovations in gaming, each of these areas will gain a significant and competitive advantage over the rest of the pack.
But what unites these varied fields? The rapid evolution in technology that demands creativity in all areas.
Wallis Annenberg, chair of the Annenberg Foundation, told the Los Angeles Times that students and faculty need “to experiment with emerging tools and invent the newsrooms, online media and broadcast studios of the future.”
Tracy Fullerton, SCA professor and acting chair of the Interactive Media Division, told USC News that Microsoft’s support will provide much-needed experience in the “emerging discipline of games-user research.”
Both the donors and the university’s leadership see eye to eye — we must continue to push the boundaries of technology and academia while we have the momentum.
Both sides have made careers of redefining our university resources, and neither side will relent.
As many universities are struggling to attract large investments as the country crawls out of the recession, USC must utilize — and strengthen — its partnerships now more than ever before.
Though these donations might put us ahead in the race, our university won’t forget its biggest partnership: the students who will take this financial support and transform it into a positive, societal impact.
Although USC is a large institution, we must not think for one second that we aren’t a part of the process. We are the largest stakeholders.
Imagine a 400-meter relay. The starter — the benefactors and generous supporters — begins the momentum with an infusion of financial and professional support. That donation is passed off to the university administration, which paces itself and times the allocation of these resources perfectly.
But then there’s the anchor. And in this case, it’s the students, eager to innovate and expand their knowledge, who finish the race by putting these resources to work.
The students will always be counted on by our supporters and administration to come through in the clutch; making what we want of these generous opportunities.
But we aren’t just relied upon by our teammates. We are being cheered on by the fans in the stands — those in our surrounding neighborhoods, our community and our world who root for our problem-solving and innovation in a rapidly changing industry.
Some might not see the relationship between benefactors, administration, students and the outside community as being a cycle of innovation and progress. In fact, these groups might be in it for their interests alone.
But if a donor just wanted his or her name on a building, or if an administration wanted to take all the credit for the university’s status, then such large gifts would be only a one-time occurrence.
Instead, these donations are reoccurring. The same businesses, foundations and individuals continue to provide support to the Trojan Family in hopes of fueling greater ideas for the future.
Let’s continue to give them a reason to do so.
Stephen Zelezny is a sophomore majoring in public relations. His column, “USC on the Move,” runs Thursdays.
Money did NOT cut UC Berkeley student sports. When UC Berkeley announced its elimination of baseball, men’s and women’s gymnastics, and women’s lacrosse teams and its defunding of the national-champion men’s rugby team, the chancellor sighed, “Sorry, but this was necessary!”
But was it? Yes, the university is in dire financial straits. Yet $3 million was somehow found to pay the Bain consulting firm to uncover waste and inefficiencies in UC Berkeley, despite the fact that a prominent East Coast university was doing the same thing without consultants.
Essentially, the process requires collecting and analyzing information from faculty and staff. Apparently, senior administrators at UC Berkeley believe that the faculty and staff of their world-class university lack the cognitive ability, integrity, and motivation to identify millions in savings. If consultants are necessary, the reason is clear: the chancellor, provost, and president have lost credibility with the people who provided the information to the consultants. Chancellor Robert J Birgeneau has reigned for eight years, during which time the inefficiencies proliferated. Even as Bain’s recommendations are implemented (“They told me to do it”, Birgeneau), credibility and trust problems remain.
Bain is interviewing faculty, staff, senior management and the academic senate leaders for $150 million in inefficiencies, most of which could have been found internally. One easy-to-identify problem, for example, was wasteful procurement practices such as failing to secure bulk discounts on printers. But Birgeneau apparently has no concept of savings: even in procuring a consulting firm, he failed to receive proposals from other firms.
Students, staff, faculty, and California legislators are the victims of his incompetence. Now that sports teams are feeling the pinch, perhaps the California Alumni Association, benefactors and donators, and the UC Board of Regents will demand to know why Birgeneau is raking in $500,000 a year despite the abdication of his responsibilities.
The author, who has 35 years’ consulting experience, has taught at University of California Berkeley, where he was able to observe the culture and the way the senior management operates.
You may want to think about the people who are REALLY going to take the donated money and use it for good – the Professors and Researchers at USC. The students are not the anchor when it comes to innovation at USC, sorry.