Chancellor and President Renu Khator spoke at the public launch for the $1-billion “Here, We Go” capital campaign on Jan. 18. | Jasmine Davis/The Cougar

CORRECTION: A previous version of this letter appeared in print on Wednesday, Jan. 25 failed to clarify whether students could direct their donations, regardless of the amount. This editorial has been updated to reflect those clarifications and also to clarify the editor’s position on the issue. 

Last week, the University rolled out its “Here, We Go” campaign, which aims to rein in $1 billion to generate new scholarships, hire top-tier faculty members, improve campus facilities, develop the nearby economy and boost the athletic program.

Truly, it was a transformative moment for the University of Houston.

From the moment the campaign launched, we were entertained with astonishing figures: 135,000 donors. $684 million already raised. A $20-million donation to the College of the Arts. $140 million for athletics.

It was easy to get caught up in the festivities, and apparently easier still to improperly communicate. While speaking to The Cougar about who will control the direction of student donations, both Chancellor Renu Khator and Vice President for the Division of University Advancement Eloise Dunn Brice said that the University will identify the priorities for that funding. Donors can then match their money to the University’s priorities. However, when Dunn Brice was asked whether those priorities had student input, she did not answer the question.

When asked whether students determined where their money for spirit cords (which were used as donations to the campaign last year) goes, Khator said no.

“That is not something we’ll go and ask the students: ‘How do we spend your $15?’” Khator said at the campaign launch. “That is for a general purpose, for the priorities.”

Later, when our assistant news editor, Jasmine Davis, attempted to contact the University about the issue of who directs student donations (such as those gathered by the sale of spirit cords last year), a UH spokesperson told her this was just a misunderstanding. Students can decide where their money goes in a drop-down menu on the campaign website.

These women are both heavily involved with the campaign and critical to its success, receive yearly salaries of $699,999.96 and $399,999.96, respectively, yet they couldn’t seem to correctly answer a basic question for students at a critical moment in the campaign launch.

I served a minuscule role on an advisory committee to the campaign launch in December, and in just the few meetings I attended, we were constantly told that this money was for students — and I am not doubting that it is a very, very good thing for students — but they would have little input on what the University would do with it. Instead, we brainstormed ways to convince students that their donations are a good idea, despite the more than $5,000 that each student pays per semester on tuition alone.

In the committee, I did not give input on what the priorities of the university campaign should be.

There seems to have been an oversight of the University in allowing for student input, and the University and its department of advancement should highly consider reframing the way they think about campaigns. Without our voices, there is no university.

editor@thedailycougar.com

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“Letter from the Editor: Where does our money go?” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar