Is the University of Iowa School of Public Health retracting its position or is it an attempt to smooth ruffled donor feathers?
The faculty of the School of Public Health held an emergency meeting Monday morning and reversed its position, voting to "consider this naming gift at a collegiate faculty meeting" in the fall semester.
The Gazette reports that "Marvin Pomerantz, who resigned as chairman of the public health's fund-raising committee last week, said he's not sure Wellmark will hold the gift open that long."If it does go all the way to the fall, it would be doubtful in my mind that Wellmark would even let the gift stand," he said. "If a majority of faculty would vote for it and they do it now I think the gift could take place. But they have to do it now.""
While there are some who would be highly disappointed if the School of Public Health accepted the conditions of the donation, it would not surprise me if they accept the gift for several reasons:
1) The University of Iowa Foundation will be hurt by this P.R. disaster and is likely to be hurt more by other large donors threatening to withdraw their support.
2) Beyond the School of Public Health, the UI Hospital Center, which already has issues, is likely to experience dissonance from donors.
3) The pressure from state movers and shakers has got to be enormous and will land in the lap of incoming UI President Sally Mason. This will put her in the hot seat very quickly.
My "two cents" prognosis is that a face-saving arrangement will be arrived at and the donation will be accepted.
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