Pecunia non olet—money does not stink—is a phrase attributed to the first century Roman emperor Vespasian, who used it to defend his controversial tax on purchasing urine, used for various industries at the time. The value of cash, he meant, is not tainted by its origins. But as the scandal surrounding donations to academics and research institutions from the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has revealed in recent weeks, that’s not always true.

Almost a month after the jail suicide of the disgraced billionaire financier, the fallout continues for those who had accepted his gifts, especially when they were given after Epstein served time for soliciting sex from a minor in 2008. MIT, for instance, has pledged to hand over the $800,000 it received from Epstein to charity, while two of its academics have resigned in protest of their boss’ relationship with the donor. Harvard University, on the other hand, has so far resisted calls to redirect the $6.5 million or so it received.

The Epstein case is the latest controversy to shine a light on the way that universities solicit and accept money from wealthy individuals, foundations, and companies. Many institutions across the world have found themselves in the firing line over their own links to other controversial individuals or corporations. So, how do they decide whose money to accept and when to reject or return funds? And are they more conscientious now than in the past?

…continue reading ‘Universities Grapple with Donor Behavior’

Image: By HM Revenue & Customs – https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmrcgovuk/28556836534/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65768061

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