Prof. Nonini is emailing leftist activist professors on the UNC leftist listserv seeking access to the Ford Foundation grant:

From: Donald Nonini
[mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 11:25 AM
To: The progfac mailing list
Subject: RE: [progfac] Ford Fdn $$: Difficult Dialogues (fwd)

I’m wondering if anyone else in ProgFac would like to join together with me to put a proposal for funding on a project connected to this initiative which we could submit to Ford? Seems like we have rich and harrowing experience to draw on, as well as the possibilities of interdisciplinary collaboration, to draw on among us. Besides, it might actually provide us with resources, where our administration fails to do so.

Don

This would be the same Don Nonini who vehemently opposes a grant from the Pope Foundation and who signed (along with the rest of the “ProgFac”) an open letter to that effect.

But of course the Ford Foundation is a leftist organization, so presumably its money wouldn’t taint the university.

Meanwhile, other assorted leftists are going to hold a mutual hand-wringing session tonight (sponsored by the same activist group, even) over

Selling the University: Funding, Academic Freedom, and Public Responsibility: How does dependence on corporate, foundation and research funding influence teaching, research and service? Presentations from a panel of scholars, followed by discussion. Speakers: Jennifer Washburn, journalist and author of University, Inc. ; JoAnn Burkholder, botany professor and director of the NCSU Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology; Kendall Thu, anthropology professor at Northern Illinois University; Cat Warren, English professor and director of the NCSU Women’s and Gender Studies. April 20, 7-9 p.m. 111 Carroll Hall, UNC-CH Campus. UNC-CH Progressive Faculty Network.

How come they never wonder how dependence on government funding influences them? I’d love to see these guys get into a slap-fight over whether it’s OK to make an exception for leftist grants …