Iowa State University and the Iowa State University Foundation have a lot to be thankful for. In just the past few weeks, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences received $14 million, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences received an update on a previous gift in the form of a $145 million endowment and the College of Business received $50 million and a new name: Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business. This generous outpouring of financial support from alumni and corporations should be commended. However, it presents a unique set of challenges and should not cloud the fact that public universities need to be provided with adequate public funds.

The recent gifts and endowments to specific colleges are unlikely to change the fact that Iowa State students are facing a proposed 40 percent tuition increase over the next five years. Nor will they atone for the Iowa Legislature’s repeated failure to properly fund our state universities.

There is no question that the gifts will provide faculty and students with new and needed resources that will further their respective colleges and programs of study. However, these and similar gifts often come with caveats. Earmarks and monetary requests limit how colleges and departments can spend the money. Priority may be placed on certain programs and research areas because those areas benefit the donor.

This quid pro quo form of funding should present an ethical challenge to university leaders. All donations to the university, colleges and departments should be closely evaluated to avoid accepting money with requirements that may lead to research or teaching biases. Colleges and departments now have an added obligation to offer students fair and unbiased curriculum that is free from corporate sponsorship.

We are fortunate to have companies and alumni that want to invest or give back to Iowa State. The money is without a doubt a great investment in the education of thousands of students. However, these donations present ethical and logistical challenges to the university. The fight at the state level must continue in order to increase public funding of our universities. Simultaneously, the university must continuously seek donations from alumni and corporations with few strings attached.