foster greater economic choice and
individual responsibility.
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The Mission of the Manhattan Institute is foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility. |
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 Center for the American University While universities pledge to respect diversity in its many forms-ethnic, cultural, religious-they all too often stifle diversity of thought. On far too many campuses, professors and administrators promote an ideological orthodoxy that leaves little room for critical inquiry or for different points of view. Many Americans by now have read or heard the stories: controversial speakers heckled, silenced, or disinvited; student newspapers expressing provocative views stolen or destroyed; professors and administrators who dissent from orthodox viewpoints harassed or even dismissed; and students pressured into ideological conformity in the classroom. The Manhattan Institute's Center for the American University (CAU) is dedicated to restoring the original conception of the university. We want to foster a university based on neither conservative nor liberal doctrines, but rather on the search for knowledge and truth. Discovering truth, however, is impossible without a commitment to freedom of inquiry and the broadest possible range of viewpoints-what we call intellectual pluralism. Our goal is not to topple what CAU senior fellow and former Olin Foundation director Jim Piereson has aptly coined the "Left University" and replace it with a "Right University." Rather, we want to encourage universities to embrace a broader range of thought on the issues that are shaping our nation and the world. Many universities are devout champions of diversity when it comes to the racial and gender makeup of their student bodies-but without diversity of thought, such efforts are hollow. Through books, conferences, and panel discussions, the Center for the American University works to strengthen the role of the university in a free society. The CAU provides a forum where scholars, philanthropists, journalists, and academic and business leaders can meet to exchange views on the future of the American university. The Center also encourages research and writing on the contemporary academy, and is forming partnerships with scholars and writers who have similar concerns. Minding the Campus The CAU has established a web magazine, Minding the Campus, which includes daily commentaries, original essays, and a blog. Minding the Campus draws upon the best from established magazines and publications, as well as from professional journals, blogs, and student publications. It provides transcripts and videos of CAU events; podcasts and book reviews; and "must reads"—an archive of key documents, research, books, and articles on campus issues. Minding the Campus actively fosters a free exchange of views—one of fair and balanced discussions instead of polemical monologues. The magazine is edited by John Leo, former U.S. News and World Report columnist and current CAU senior fellow. Leo's popular column, "On Society," ran in U.S. News & World Report for 17 years, and was syndicated in 140 newspapers. Events CAU events bring together a diverse and influential crowd of business leaders; top-level TV, print, and radio journalists; philanthropists; and politicians. We put them in contact with each other and with the best scholars, writers, and thinkers on a wide range of important issues. Journalists from Money magazine, the Wall Street Journal, The New Criterion, and Forbes have attended CAU events. For more information on past and upcoming CAU events, please click here. The VERITAS Fund for Higher Education Reform at DonorsTrust In 2007, the Manhattan Institute created the VERITAS Fund for Higher Education at DonorsTrust. The current environment on university campuses values Diversitas over Veritas—but cultural diversity is a poor substitute for truth, which must be the prevailing aim of the university. And discovering truth is impossible without a commitment to freedom of inquiry and the broadest possible range of viewpoints. We call this intellectual pluralism. The VERITAS Fund at DonorsTrust is a donor-advised fund that seeks out professors at top-tier universities who are committed to bringing intellectual pluralism to their institutions. Working with these professors, we fund centers of academic excellence within universities that help introduce a new generation of students to broader perspectives than are available on most campuses. Typically, we provide top-notch professors with substantial seed capital, spread over three years. After these professors have demonstrated progress with their "centers," we assist them in identifying other funding sources—alumni, institutional, or foundations—to sustain their efforts. Success Stories The VERITAS Fund's lodestar is Professor Robert George's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. The Madison program, which is dedicated to studying American constitutional law and Western political thought, was founded in 2000 and is a powerful example of how relatively modest funding, employed tactically, can drive the development of new institutions on campus. In its inaugural year, the VERITAS Fund raised and largely committed $2,500,000 to seeding centers on the campuses of Boston College, Brown University, the University of Colorado, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Emory University, Georgetown University, New York University, the University of Texas, and the University of Virginia. Of these programs, five were established programs that used VERITAS funds to help augment their existing efforts—often significantly. The remaining five were created from scratch, made possible only by the promise of three years of VERITAS Fund support. Click here for more information on VERITAS-funded programs. Supporting VERITAS Many philanthropists wish to support higher education reform on American campuses, but need assistance in identifying worthy scholars and programs. VERITAS provides an experienced staff of advisors who are closely attuned to the academic world and who are expert in leveraging philanthropic support to sustain efforts for the long haul. We focus on the most difficult part of a foundation's job—identifying and seeding new programs. Unlike the traditional foundation model, however, our fund is open to outside investors. We expect that a number of established foundations interested in making higher-education reform a philanthropic priority will invest in the Fund as well. The American mind remains open in large measure to a handful of such foundations—most notably, the now-dissolved Olin Foundation—that put their money where their minds were. VERITAS was honored to receive a $1 million matching gift from Olin before its closing. Gifts to VERITAS are not donations to the Manhattan Institute. Ninety-nine cents out of every dollar VERITAS raises goes to supporting our academic programs, with a penny going to DonorsTrust for administering the Fund. To make a financial investment in the VERITAS Fund, please contact DonorsTrust or follow the contribution instructions below. Charitable investments of any size are encouraged, and individuals, private foundations, and corporations are eligible for an immediate charitable tax deduction.
DonorsTrust (DonorsTrust serves as the financial administrator for the VERITAS Fund and is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides a safe, tax efficient, and innovative charitable vehicle to any donor who wishes to fund organizations that undergird America's founding principles.) If you have any questions regarding the VERITAS Fund at DonorsTrust, or would like to review our prospectus, please contact David DesRosiers at ddesrosiers@manhattan-institute.org. Select Articles:
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