Bricks or Mortar Boards?

Bricks

As UCLA completes its $150+ million Grand Hotel, it is important to note that there is always a choice. Physical capital or human capital? That choice is available, regardless of the source of funds. Will it be bricks and mortar? An alternative is mortar boards. Inside Higher Ed today reports that Stanford has decided to go towards mortar boards:

Stanford University today announced a $400 million gift that will help launch a new scholarship program to attract the best graduate and professional students from around the world. The university is already close to its goal of a $750 million endowment for the program, which will admit 100 students a year for up to three years of study -- fully funded, including living expenses -- in one of the university's graduate or professional schools. The students will be nominated by their undergraduate institutions. Those in M.D. and Ph.D. programs, which typically take longer than three years to complete, will have the option of additional years of funding.

All students in the program will also receive leadership training and attend special programs that will draw the students together across their fields of study...

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/24/stanford-announces-huge-gifts-and-new-efforts-attract-best-graduate-and-professional

Mortar Board

Because UCLA made a poor choice in the past, there is no reason to continue to make such choices in the future.