The Purposes of Public Higher Education Annual Giving Programs: Practices, Discourses, and the Public Good

Autor/in	Gehringer, Joel F.
Titel	The Purposes of Public Higher Education Annual Giving Programs: Practices, Discourses, and the Public Good
Quelle	(2023), (370 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	979-8-3797-3882-2
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Higher Education; Educational Finance; Donors; Fund Raising; Critical Theory; Role; Discourse Analysis + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Bildungsfonds; Fundraising; Spendensammlung; Kritische Theorie; Rollen; Diskursanalyse
Abstract	This dissertation examines the purposes of annual giving fundraising programs at public higher education institutions, particularly whether this fundraising format supports the advancement of education as a public good versus a private benefit good. While research exists on large-gift philanthropy and major gift fundraising at colleges and universities, little focuses on annual giving programs, which solicit small-gift donations and represent how the vast majority of college and university alumni and donors experience higher education fundraising. Additionally, via solicitation efforts, these programs serve as a primary vehicle through which graduates receive information about their alma mater. This research asks, "What is the purpose of public higher education annual giving programs?" It also asks two additional sub-questions: "What discourses do these annual giving programs advance?" and "What do annual giving discourses convey about the role of public higher education?" Utilizing directed content analysis and critical discourse analysis to examine interviews and solicitation documents from 19 participating U.S. public universities and colleges, this research finds nine common discourses -- students in need / never-ending need, donor as hero vs. collective power, socio-political topics, "access," transformation, the "experience," amount doesn't matter, good feelings, and someone helped you -- and through these discourses, finds these programs may undercut their own effectiveness in supporting public higher education. Ultimately the research finds five emergent purposes for public higher education annual giving programs -- fundraising, business intelligence, pipeline development, donor participation and narrative framing -- and through critical theory informed analysis, suggests two additional latent purposes: de-emphasizing public higher education as a public good, and legitimizing the privatization of public higher education. This dissertation calls for alterations to practices that could support the twin aims of achieving advancement and development goals while simultaneously reframing common discourses to promote the value of higher education as a public good necessary to functional democratic society. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01