The University received its largest gift in history, $40 million from Lonnie and Carol Johnson Poole, in December. Most of this substantial contribution was donated to the College of Management, which is now the Lonnie C. Poole Jr. College of Management.

After this announcement, many University administrators, including Chancellor Woodson and Ira Weiss, dean of Poole College of Management, announced various plans to utilize the money in the future for the betterment of the College of Management and for the benefit of students.

The only fact that surprises me is that students’ opinions were not even mentioned even though they should be considered while allocating this huge amount of money.

I feel College of Management and its students are well trained and equipped to manage their own money. With departments like accounting, business management and economics being a part of College of Management, there is no shortage of talented individuals capable of managing money coming their way. These students are capable of coming up with ideas that will help the University and the College of Management in the long run.

The initiatives and programs focusing on technology, globalization and sustainability will certainly benefit the students in the long run. However we all need to understand that student needs could be different from the programs or initiatives where this money will be spent. We need to consider that current students might be facing different issues or prospects. It might not be a top priority for them to focus on these broad scaled activities. Their needs might be to focus on something very specific and such requirements need to be considered while making big decisions.

I am not suggesting the entire endowment be handed over to students; doing so would be very unwise. At the same time, students should certainly have a say in the decision making. Student opinions need to be valued while making student-related decisions. Part of the received endowment could be handed over to students or student views should have some value while making decisions on allotting money.

Students certainly deserve to have a voice on the decision in the use of the money that has been donated for their cause. They have a right to decide at least to some extent what is good for them, and some of the money needs to be diverted towards student suggestions.

Students from the College of Management, who are the primary recipients of the endowment money, need to form student organizations that will help in wisely spending the money obtained. They need to be assertive when it comes to this endowment money. Students need to wake up to understand things happening around them–be a part of it and not just a mute spectator.