How far would you go to obtain a seven-figure gift for your school? Would you let the donor oversee faculty hires?  See what one university did …University: Publicly-funded Florida State University

Donor: Conservative billionaire Charles G. Koch

Amount: $1.5 million

Deal: In exchange for Koch’s donation toward faculty positions in the economics department, his advisory committee gets to “screen and sign off” on potential candidates, according to The St. Petersburg Times.

Specifically, Koch is focusing on a new program that promotes “political economy and free enterprise,” the Times reports.

And if the university hires faculty Koch and his reps don’t approve of, his foundation will withdraw its funding.

Is this a big deal in the world of higher ed donations? You bet it is.

You may recall six years ago, Yale University returned a $20 million donation for a program on Western civilization.

Why? The donor insisted on having the right to approve faculty appointments.

University, Inc. author Jennifer Washburn told the Times: “[Florida State's decision] is an egregious example of a public university being willing to sell itself for next to nothing.”

But Florida State’s not alone.

Koch has made donations to well over 100 U.S. colleges and universities. At least two other schools — Clemson and West Virginia University — he’s made a deal similar to that at Florida State.

And one more thing: Koch’s foundation is also headed by his brother, David, who started the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in 2004. The significance? It’s closely aligned with the tea party movement, says the Times.

Are schools giving up a vital academic freedom when they let donors play a role in hiring faculty?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

That exact course description is what attracted students at Stanford University to take part in Professor Matthew L. Jockers’ new Literature Lab.

In the lab, students are using computer programs to “read” entire libraries in an effort to investigate the evolution of literary style.

Students write code designed to process the text of a book line-by-line and word-by-word. More specifically, students program code to ask questions such as:

• Is there really such a thing as a literary period?
• Can novelistic subgenres be detected?

In a recent blog, Mr. Jockers writes, “Our lab is based on the idea that any good question deserves to be pursued.”

But some critics worry this approach will take the human aspect out of the humanities.

Katie Trumpener, a professor at Yale University, agrees. She told the Chronicle of Higher Education, “When you treat novels as statics the results can be misleading…What constitutes a genre is more slippery than a crude numerical picture can portray.”

Is using computers to “read” and research novels beneficial to students – or anyone? Let us know what you think below.

“Text a Librarian” services are popping up on campuses nationwide. At Oregon State University, for instance, students can text a question to a library number. The librarian signed into the library’s instant-messaging service then sends a text back to the student’s cell phone.

Students can ask about library services like checking out books or laptops, or more complex research queries. The librarian can ask for the student’s e-mail address if the request is too in-depth for a text and requires a more detailed answer.

At Yale University’s Kline Science Library, the librarians are trying to stay current on tech usage. They use a shared iPhone to answer student questions to stay familiar with students’ communication devices.

What methods does your library use to keep up with student needs? Let us know in the comments section.

Yale University will also be reducing graduate student numbers, limiting funding for research programs and even keeping the thermostat set to 68 degrees, in their efforts to close a $150 million budget gap.

Last year, the school’s endowment dropped from $22.9 billion down to $16.3 billion, forcing 100 staff layoffs, with more to come – though faculty positions won’t be affected. Meanwhile, new graduate student intake will be reduced by 10-15%.

Another cost-cutting step: Staff earning more than $83,000 will have to pay for part of their Yale Health Plan coverage.

How is your school working to cut costs? Let us know in the comments section below.

In fact, the students and alumni who created it admit they used the Disney hit for inspiration.

They picked a good source.

High School Musical became a marketing phenomenon from the time it first aired on TV in 2006. Its soundtrack even held the No. 1 spot for an album of any kind that year.

To give you some idea of how well Yale’s video is doing: It’s been viewed more than a quarter of a million times since it was launched not long ago on YouTube.

According to a report in the Washington Post, the video “feels like an episode of Glee, the popular TV show that overnight made it socially acceptable and even sexy to sing in the high school show chorus.”

Did Yale hit on the recruitment tool of the future? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

As Harry Potter fans know, Hogwarts combines Gothic architecture with a traditional higher ed environment. Students walk the long halls wearing black robes (at least in the earlier movies), and thirsting for knowledge.

If you’re looking to capture that Hogwarts feeling in the U.S., here are five colleges to visit (courtesy of ApplyWise.com):

• University of Chicago
• Yale University
• Kenyon College
• Bryn Mawr College
• Cornell University

Don’t believe us? See for yourself by clicking here to check out these schools.

Are there any other schools you know of that resemble Hogwarts? Let us know in the comments section below.