ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on unexamined operational practices that influence the way students of lower socioeconomic status (SES) experience college. It identifies the problematic institutional practices and posit public divestment in higher education as their source. The very practices higher education institutions have engaged to compensate for the lack of state and federal funding are now undermining their credibility with the public whose support they need. Fundraising seems like a logical way to replace funds lost due to public divestment in higher education. The problem with contemporary fundraising in many public institutions lies in its shift from means to end. The pressure to engage in sponsored research and procure grants has intensified as universities look for alternative funding sources. In the biggest picture, the most significant negative outcome has been the lack of return on the investment of institutional resources spent on commercial research.
