lauras Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Bernie Madoff's list of victims was published today and included schools such as Brandeis, Columbia and Brooklyn College. Other schools have taken hits to their endowments, for instance, BC cut many services, but pledged to keep funding of new students at consistent levels. I have heard rumors that other schools have financial problems, but nothing substantiated. Has anyone else read specific reports about recent losses to endowments? Is anyone else concerned about getting into a 7 year financial relationship this year, when the dust is still settling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel418 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I asked a member of U of Illinois's (U-C) music faculty if student funding has been cut for the 09-10 school year, and she said she hadn't heard of any cuts in that department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rising_star Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Brandeis announced plans to sell part of the art collection it currently houses in its Rose Museum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvyHope Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I was told by Columbia (and so were a few friends who've also applied there) "there's no funding for our students." Period, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demondeac Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I was told by Columbia (and so were a few friends who've also applied there) "there's no funding for our students." I did a quick google search and it looks like it was limited to Columbia law; someone donated 3 milllion worth of "shares" in Madoff's hedge fund, so the other programs should be fine aside from the general 30% decline of most endowments (market, not Madoff related). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvyHope Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 demon- I think my post was a little misleading. I did not mean I was told there was no funding because of Madoff- I was just told there's no funding. :-) It seems to be a common theme in the program I applied to- they tend to accept students who can pay out of pocket or bring their own funding (or are willing to go into hock for the degree). Seems a little elitist to me, but whatevs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampersand Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 If anyone's curious, NY Times columnist Nick Kristof compiled a list of organizations that had their finances tied up with Madoff: http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/0 ... ations/?em (the article has a link to a pdf document with more details). From my quick search through, it looks like the problem is that a lot of foundations that were donating to universities took a financial hit, so they won't be able to continue their donations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rx8anna Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I was told by Columbia (and so were a few friends who've also applied there) "there's no funding for our students." Period, I guess. That's like saying...a friend of a friend of a friend of mine knows someone... I have a letter stating that they're going to pay for tuition, health care and a very generous stipend. I received this letter two days ago from Columbia , so I doubt the statement "there's no funding for our students". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvyHope Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 That's like saying...a friend of a friend of a friend of mine knows someone... I have a letter stating that they're going to pay for tuition, health care and a very generous stipend. I received this letter two days ago from Columbia , so I doubt the statement "there's no funding for our students". Whatever. Good for you. That's like saying that your statement is just as valid as you claim mine is. I was told no funding, in person, so you can take your friend of a friend BS and tell it to someone who cares... Who are you to assume we've applied to the same program? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiselab Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Whatever. Good for you. That's like saying that your statement is just as valid as you claim mine is. I was told no funding, in person, so you can take your friend of a friend BS and tell it to someone who cares... Who are you to assume we've applied to the same program? Being told their is no funding, in person, does not make it any more valid than being told there is no funding over the phone or through some other communication. The difference between your claim and his is that Columbia did in fact give him funding, which entirely repudiates your "no one is getting funding. Period." Your flippancy is a little surprising, as though you are disappointed that you were in fact wrong and columbia is giving out funding. Such a claim seems bizarre to even contemplate, Columbia is giving no money because it is so financially strapped and yet this would not be larger news particularly to those of us who applied there. In short, whatevs, dude you were wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvyHope Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 This is so stupid, I can't even believe I am continuing this argument. First of all, I'm not a "dude." Your assumptions that I am are irritating. Secondly, I simply am not wrong. You're suggesting I didn't in fact stand in the man's office as he was telling me they don't offer funding to the students of the program I applied to. Unbelievable. Honestly, this forum has become so overrun with know-it-alls that I can barely stomach coming here anymore. I'm not going to let someone hide behind the veil of the internet and accuse me of being a liar, or being wrong. Congratulations to anyone who received funding from Columbia. Good for fucking you. That does not negate the fact that in the program I applied to, in the school I applied to (Teacher's College) I was told there isn't funding. Period. In person, on location, live. There is nothing to be disappointed about here, because I am not wrong, and it does not change what I was told. Do you really think I'm trying to suggest that the director of the program I spoke to said there was no funding for any student that ever applied to any program at any time at Columbia University? Give me a break. What he told me was, "there's no funding." Of course I realize what that means- it means for this program, students who apply are not traditionally offered funding. If you have a problem with the statement, take it up with Columbia. My flippancy comes from the overwhelming number of people on this site who like to come here and puff out their chests, look for reasons to try to prove people wrong. Believe me, as a current student in a PhD program, I can safely say there are lots of people who are going to have a rude awakening when they try to take their know-it-all attitude into grad school, because those with real knowledge are going to chew you up and spit you out. The appropriate response to my previous comment would have been "wow, that sucks for you. I was awarded funding and have a contract to prove it." The argument that because you have funding, from one program across the whole university, therefore I must not have been told what I claim I was told is completely flawed. Are you calling me a liar? Or are you calling the professor who told me this a liar? Out of curiosity, what was it about my original comment that leads you to believe I was trying to argue that there was no funding for the entire Ivy League Columbia University? Were you just looking for someone whose comment you could create an argument over? Does that give you satisfaction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solefolia Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I think the previous poster(s) might have thought you spoke for the university as a whole? I sincerely doubt anyone would assume that just because their department has funding that yours must. At least that's what the series of posts read like to me. Although it would be strange to assume the entire university just wasn't giving out any funding whatsoever (Lousielabe mentions this in her post). At any rate, I don't think the posters were trying to "puff their chest out" and prove you wrong. Edit: missed the tail end of your post where you address this very thing, sorry. All the same, as someone who did just read through the thread, your first post made it seem like it was across the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rx8anna Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 IvyHope, I was merely providing evidence that your general statement about Columbia was in doubt. I am sorry that you took it as a personal attack and reacted with such emotion. I would suggest taking a breath before responding to replies on a message board. You are making alot of assumptions based solely on written words....words that with the addition of body language could be interpreted completely differently. Take care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspekt Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I also applied to Teachers College for a PhD and I was told by a professor and the admissions director there is no funding. Teacher's College is an affiliate of Columbia and has a separate endowment,. Their endowment was small to begin with, but now it appears in event worse shape. I need full funding, so I am sure I will get rejected regardless if they like me or not. If you aren't applying to Teacher's College I wouldn't worry much until you get your letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvyHope Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Inspekt, you are WRONG. You big fucking liar. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow#5 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Ivy, You're feisty. I hope you wind up at my school! (If I even have one) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvyHope Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Yes, yellow, I am. But only when provoked. I'm actually a decent person until then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJR08 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Inspekt, you are WRONG. You big fucking liar. ;-) Well, that is a well presented argument! giving it a winking smiley face does not make it an appropriate response. Columbia GSAS marches on, likely with fewer candidates in the classes this year, but continuing on with their articulated policy of full funding. teachers college, like law, obviously is responsible for the dispersal of its own funding, separate from the other schools. i'm not sure what you're questioning about their separate endowment- even if the money isn't separate, the budget dispersal is. and in that case, it is important to note that Columbia's endowment on the whole has been effected far less than the average university. normally i don't comment much, but this whole argument has been absurd, perpetuated by the wild statement of facts without specifying the clear limitation of programs they pertain to. To be fair, no one set out here to prove anything, only to clarify which programs were actually involved with the funding freeze. That clarification is not about insulting anyone, so get over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgk Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 That's all folks. Be civil! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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