college academic rankings

August 19, 2006

Ok, a few questions for the older alumni.
1. How to we obtain the endowment? Donors, excess funds, state money?
2. How the hell do we have so little of it, especially compared to UH and Tech. I understand why A&M and UT would be way ahead of us, but HOW can we be so behind?
3. Whats the primary uses of our endowment? Is it scholarships, help building new buildings or for starting new programs?
←

1. The endowment is obtained by donors, estates, trusts, etc. Typically they give stocks, bonds and real estate.

2. We have so little endowment because we started later than anyone else. Some large donations went for specific projects (i.e. Murchison/Winspear Hall) and did not go directly to the endowment fund. I don't think that we started until the early or mid 90s. This may hurt but one of our biggest benefactors was an SMU grad from Graham. Endowment money may go into the permanent fund or into a specific use fund. In a permanent fund you may spend only the interest. In a specific use fund all may go to a specific project (i.e. Department of Human Behavior). The University of Houston benefitted from two huge benefactors (Jim Plummer can probably tell you their names [Hugh Roy Cullen was one?]). I really don't know who the main benefactors were for Tech.

3 The endowment fund is not used for buildings. Those funds come from the state. Endowment interest may be used for new programs, especially for faculty staffing, and could be used for scholarships.

To find endowment fund balances, try browser searches for each specific college.