Soros Just Gave A Boatload Of Money To A Private College In New York

Taken directly from the Bard College website: 

Bard College today announced a transformational $500 million endowment from philanthropist and long-time Bard supporter George Soros. This challenge grant — among the largest ever made to higher education in the United States — will facilitate and strengthen Bard’s exemplary educational and social initiatives, establish the College’s most substantial endowment ever, and set the stage for a $1 billion endowment drive. In response to Mr. Soros’s generous challenge grant, Bard announced it has raised an additional $250 million from supporters, including trustees, alumni/ae, and friends, and will raise another $250 million over the next five years.  

“This is the most historic moment since the college’s founding in 1860,” said Bard College President Leon Botstein. “When this endowment drive is complete, Bard will have a $1 billion endowment, which will ensure its pioneering mission and its academic excellence for the future.” Botstein said, adding, “Bard has played an innovative and progressive role in American education without any historical wealth; it will continue to do so with this new and highly competitive endowment, to ensure equity in financial aid, reform the relationship between higher education and secondary education, promote international education, and defend the arts, the humanities and basic science as the essence of the liberal arts.”

The Conservative Brief had more on the story: 

So why does this matter? Well, there are two main reasons.

First, Botstein serves on the Global Board of Soros’ Open Society Foundations international grantmaking network, where his responsibilities include reviewing and advising all of the programs and entities within the organization. 

OSF’s website credits Botstein for guiding “Bard’s innovative liberal arts BA program in New York state prisons” and writing a book that “is the basis for acclaimed public high school reforms” in several major U.S. cities, including Baltimore, New York, and Washington, D.C.

He is also chancellor of the Open Society University Network (OSUN), a global partnership of educational institutions.

The school’s ties to Soros have drawn scrutiny for several years as some critics have likened Bard College to OSF’s education arm, Botstein’s website says.