Trends in Higher Education

* In a lawsuit against Princeton University, the Robertson family claims that their donation of $35 million to the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton to prepare students for careers in government service was diverted to projects completely unrelated to its mission.

William Robertson maintains his parents, Charles and Marie Robertson, heirs to the A&P grocery store gave stock to Princeton expressly to train students to work for the U.S. government. He claims Princeton hasn’t lived up to its end of the deal, and he wants to be able to spend the foundation’s money elsewhere for its intended purpose. A trial date is set for October 1, 2008.

Contemporary donors are showing a much more hands-on interest in the programs that they support than their predecessors. They are increasingly focused on results and outcomes, and want to stay engaged. Universities will have to accommodate the trend to attract donations. (Excerpted from The Associated Press, Sept. 4, 2007)