Department Gift Funds
Ralph Grove
For the 1998-99 year, the Gift Money Committee has approved a
change to the way in which contributions are handled. This change
has also been approved by the entire faculty. The change has to do
with making it easier to decide how to spend contributions. In the
past, there has been a great deal of disagreement within the
department over the best use of contributions - equipment,
activities, travel, etc. To minimize future disagreement and to
make speedier decisions about using gift money possible, the
Committee has decided to recommend splitting all undesignated gift
income into five categories, each with its own income account. The
categories are:
Endowment - an interest-generating account; the interest from this
account will be spent as regular income
Facilities - for the purchase of hardware and software to support
instruction as recommended by the Facilities Committee and approved
by the faculty
Scholarship - an annual cash award for incoming students, as
recommended by the Gift Money Committee and approved by the
faculty. This is a new scholarship; the Howard E. Tompkins
scholarship will continue to exist, although it will not be funded
with undesignated income.
Student Activities - to support conference travel, meetings, and
other activities involving students; to be used at the discretion
of the Department Chair and to be reported to the faculty.
General Purpose - a "miscellaneous" fund to be used as recommended
by the Gift Money Commmittee and approved by the faculty.
The Endowment account currently exists, while the other four are
being created under the plan.
Under this new arrangement, donors have the option to designate
their contributions to any of the six accounts listed below. All
undesignated contributions will be divided among the six accounts
according to the percentages listed below. The Computer Science
faculty will review the percentages annually and adjust them if
necessary. We (the Committee) hope that this new arrangement will
streamline the operation of the Gift Money Committee, minimize
disagreement, and make funds available more quickly for approved
uses.
Proposed % of
Account : Undesignated Income
Endowment 10
Facilities 40
Scholarship 10
Student Activities 20
General Purpose 20
HET Scholarship 0
This new system of distributing and accounting for gift funds will
go into effect with the current academic year.
Questions and comments about gift money are welcome! You can reach
me at rfgrove@grove.iup.edu or 724/357-6102.