The president’s impact report for York may give students some idea on how the university is fairing, alongside some information pertaining to where York’s donations are headed.
York received 6,866 donations last year.
The largest donation received was $3 million from Pierre Lassonde to support student awards and faculty positions in the Lassonde School of Engineering.
The largest gift in 2013-14, was $5 million from the Kaneff family to the Lassonde School of Engineering.
Janice Fukakusa (MBA ’79) helped steward a $2-million gift from RBC in support of the Schulich School of Business’s newly launched Centre for Global Enterprise.
The Winkler Institute for Dispute Resolution at Osgoode received 55 major donations. The groundbreaking project was created with more than $2 million in funding, including donations, and a $1-million matching grant from York.
The Connected Health and Wellness Project received a whopping combined total of $38 million from public and private academic partners who collaborated over the last two years.
Questions often circulate regarding donations and lobbying activity.
Jeff O’Hagan, vice-president advancement, says donors can designate their gift to a particular faculty or project but cannot direct the university’s academic activities in any way.
Only 12 donors were anonymous and do not want public recognition, he adds.
“York’s policy on the procurement of goods and services states that York has an open and transparent procurement process and further explicitly states that philanthropic giving to the university, realized or potential, cannot influence the process.”
The gift acceptance policy also clearly prohibits the acceptance of any gift that results in influencing academic freedom or the university’s integrity, says O’Hagan.
“Furthermore, it emphasizes that gifts are received unconditionally and are used at the discretion of the university.”
The university may accept or decline to accept any gift or donation and will make its decision to do so on the basis of what is in the best interest of the university in the circumstances.
In 2012, York cancelled a deal with CIGI for an international law program because of the unprecedented strings attached. CIGI was a private think tank chaired by Jim Balsillie.
Ryan Moore, News Editor
Featured image courtesy courtesy of Michael Zusev, Photo Editor
