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Net Position: $1.479 billion | Impact of Philanthropy
Nearly 200 St. Thomas students, faculty, staff and community members participated in the Center for Well-Being’s Wellness 5K Run/Walk on Oct. 12. See more here: https://t.co/Uni3U0VxrX pic.twitter.com/zwNH1j68a1
— University of St. Thomas (@UofStThomasMN) October 17, 2024

“Pythagoras — The school of Athens” Raphael’s Fresco (1511)
American philanthropists who amassed fortunes through innovation, risk-taking, and market competition frequently channel hundreds of millions into university capital campaigns. They seek the immortality of a named building—a library, business school, or engineering center—yet confront an academy overwhelmingly skeptical of the capitalist system that enabled their success.
This creates a persistent tension: why continue subsidizing institutions whose faculty often view profit, markets, and even individual achievement as morally suspect?
Many donors reconcile the contradiction through pragmatic optimism. They believe education transcends transient ideology. A new engineering building trains skilled graduates who will later build companies, regardless of postmodern seminars occurring across campus. Others adopt a long-game strategy: by endowing centers for free enterprise, constitutional studies, or empirical social science, they hope to introduce intellectual diversity and counter ideological monocultures.
Some simply prioritize legacy and prestige. Yet the reconciliation remains imperfect. Surveys show humanities and social science faculties lean heavily left. Donors thus risk becoming unwitting patrons of ideas that undermine the very system that created their wealth.
Relata:

“Pythagoreans Celebrate the Sunrise” | Fyodor Bronnikov (1869)
Real estate titan Stephen Ross has donated $321 million to school that bears his name: http://t.co/Hd0iyfWhKL pic.twitter.com/WTl0VZl9Ba
— Forbes (@Forbes) September 15, 2015
The Patrick and Shirley Ryan Family makes largest gift in @NorthwesternU history, which will advance research, educational initiatives, and redevelop Ryan Field.
📈 https://t.co/nulrSi9DmZ#GoCats | @NUFBFamily pic.twitter.com/gOE7gAUTER
— Northwestern Athletics (@NU_Sports) September 22, 2021
“Keep a green tree in your heart
and perhaps a singing bird will come”.
— Chinese proverb
The condition of campus gardens, trees and landscaping is a central element of ambiance, brand identity, environmental instruction and even revenue to education communities when tied to charitable donations. The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) is trade association of 2300 private tree care firms that is also an ANSI-accredited standards developer. It has several titles relevant to education communities and posts drafts of best practice titles at the link below:
Current Projects & Public Review Periods
Last year we tracked a revision of TCIA A300 that asserted leading practice for lightning protection has been released for public consultation. The consultation period closed and, like many standards setting organizations, leading practice discovery has been impeded by the circumstances of the pandemic.
We encourage our colleagues in business units responsible for lawns, trees, gardens and pathways to participate in the TCIA standards development process (Learn more HERE). Stakeholders in any interest category may communicate directly with Amy Tetreault at the Tree Care Industry Association, (603) 314-5380, atetreault@tcia.org, 136 Harvey Rd # 101, Londonderry, NH 03053.












We maintain the TCIA standards catalog on our periodic Bucolia and Pathway colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meting; open to everyone.
Issue: [Various]
Category: Bucolia, Pathways
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben
LEARN MORE:
A Brief History of Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree
Learn how to apply an SRS redirect without unloading your primary suspension point in this instructional video and article featuring Aaron Feather, CTSP! https://t.co/qJCSQeg2iz
— Tree Care Industry Association (@WeAreTCIA) May 22, 2020
Always return to this Czesław Miłosz: pic.twitter.com/3Ydw75jwCQ
— Dr. Maya C. Popa (@MayaCPopa) July 4, 2023
This content is accessible to paid subscribers. To view it please enter your password below or send mike@standardsmichigan.com a request for subscription details.
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Open agenda; Not Too Organized. Whatever anyone wants to talk about. We do this once at irregular points every month. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Summer Hours at our Eisenhower Parkway Office: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Join us for lunch 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM every 3rd Wednesday
University of Michigan Golf Course Lounge
What is the #USNC and how does it impact #standards for #electrotechnology?
Learn more about the U.S. National Committee to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in a new video: Welcome to the USNChttps://t.co/hsKfDrxaVO pic.twitter.com/qA8WEYsIg8
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) June 21, 2024
THE COLLEGE CRISIS
A massive number of colleges and universities have shut down within the last couple of years, or will shut down in the next few.
Many of these colleges have cited financial hardship or enrollment decline as reasons for closure. But what’s really going on? 🧵 pic.twitter.com/MoF1Iiejzd
— Alec Bianco (@alecmbianco) June 18, 2024
Happy Midsummer! 🌺☀️🇸🇪🎉
We had so much fun celebrating the magic of this Swedish tradition by making flower wreaths, dancing around the maypole, enjoying a smorgasbord buffet and music with our American friends, families and allies here in DC. pic.twitter.com/NC9tEKa4RS
— Embassy of Sweden USA (@SwedeninUSA) June 21, 2024
In honor of Charles-Augustin de Coulomb’s birthday, we would like you to know that 1 coulomb is equal to the charge of 6.24 quintillion (billion billion) electrons! pic.twitter.com/VnrLu0Lb0P
— National Institute of Standards and Technology (@NIST) June 14, 2024
What is the #USNC and how does it impact #standards for #electrotechnology?
In honor of Charles-Augustin de Coulomb’s birthday, we would like you to know that 1 coulomb is equal to the charge of 6.24 quintillion (billion billion) electrons! pic.twitter.com/VnrLu0Lb0P
— National Institute of Standards and Technology (@NIST) June 14, 2024
Learn more about the U.S. National Committee to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in a new video: Welcome to the USNChttps://t.co/hsKfDrxaVO pic.twitter.com/qA8WEYsIg8
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) June 21, 2024
📢📢📢
MSU Observatory will be open for public observing twice a month between April and September. Stay tuned for our public events schedule.. 🔭🌕🪐💫@MSUNatSci @michiganstateu
Video credit: EA Photography
Audio credit: Epicomposer pic.twitter.com/hGF9oEidqd— MSU Observatory (@MSU_Observatory) March 6, 2023
Showing him my roots in the showmestate ❤️ pic.twitter.com/KDwGaKKfCj
— Beth Hoover (@Bethalma7) May 25, 2024
The IEEE P3119 draft standard is designed to help strengthen AI procurement approaches, using due diligence to ensure that agencies are critically evaluating the AI services and tools they acquire.https://t.co/ujVJxZqjEm @InstituteIEEE
— IEEE Standards Association | IEEE SA (@IEEESA) May 19, 2024
— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) May 25, 2024
The word #standard is commonly used in daily language, so much so that people do not always reflect on its definition. Learn how ASTM International’s Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees (aka “Green Book”) defines them. #standards See https://t.co/oSBmwh1lbX pic.twitter.com/ynk87XDr7D
— ASTM International (@ASTMIntl) May 21, 2024
I taught these boys (grown men!) when they were just 6 and now they are graduating from college 😮 pic.twitter.com/eNmVf6HiXy
— Sarah Oberle (@S_Oberle) May 21, 2024
The ICC Pulse’s 50th episode, Building Safety as Told by Kids, features children of Code Council staff exploring building safety in their homes. #BuildingSafetyMonth2024 #BuildingSafety365 https://t.co/Hllb1jo9j7
— IntlCodeCouncil (@IntlCodeCouncil) May 23, 2024
“Abide withe Me” | Clare College Choir@ClareChoir @mrgrahamross
.https://t.co/9u1ASZ90MMhttps://t.co/aCNGzZGLJwhttps://t.co/rq3Z9P69E3 pic.twitter.com/J28NhRppBW— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) May 19, 2024
“Freebird” Lynyrd Skynyrd Cover | Jacobs University Graduation Band@jacobs_bremen @constructor_uni @IEEECampushttps://t.co/uJD4vqwuLehttps://t.co/wOd3uDeAgZ pic.twitter.com/PQOVYsj8w7
— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) May 18, 2024
🏆 We applaud the brilliant minds shortlisted for the 2024 IEEE PES Power Engineering Education Committee (PEEC) Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award!
View the announcement & list: https://t.co/jRBmleowel#ieeepes #ieeepesgm #PEEC #powerengineering #electricalengineering pic.twitter.com/Tl6zhCYITY
— IEEE Power & Energy Society (@ieee_pes) May 23, 2024
There’s still time to enter ANSI’s 2024 Student Paper Competition! Win a cash prize by sharing how standards impact #AI. Check out the details:https://t.co/DjXcqf3yRP#studentcompetition #studentnews pic.twitter.com/4IB52fNccm
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) May 24, 2024
Last Families meeting of the year and we are looking forward to big and small adventures this summer! 💚 pic.twitter.com/CvQxtNt1ol
— Mrs. Riley (@MrsRiley_MVES) May 17, 2024
Bucolia (OED adj. pl.) “pastoral, relating to country life or the affairs and occupations of a shepherd,” 1610s, earlier bucolical (1520s), from Latin bucolicus, from Greek boukolikos “pastoral, rustic,” from boukolos “cowherd, herdsman,” from bous “cow” (from PIE root *gwou- “ox, bull, cow”) + -kolos “tending,” related to Latin colere “to till (the ground), cultivate, dwell, inhabit” (from PIE root *kwel- (1) “revolve, move round; sojourn, dwell”).
Oxford’s Living Libraries: Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum
ANSI Rebrands Flagship Conference: ANSI Innovation Summit Replaces World Standards Week
ANSI’s 2025/2026 Student Paper Competition challenges high school & college students to investigate the invisible standards that keep our world running—from smartphone compatibility to food safety.
🔹Theme: “Imagine a World Without Standards or Rules—What Would Happen?”… pic.twitter.com/9WDaevWvQ8
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) September 17, 2025
ANSI Student Paper Competition paused for 2025
No award for the 2024 cycle (per COE Chairperson)
The Society for Standardization Professionals Paper Competition 2025
Updated January 7, 2024
For nearly twenty years now, the American National Standards Institute Committee on Education administers a student paper competition intended to encourage understanding of the global standards system that also provides a solid prize — in the $1000 to $5000 range. The topic of the 2024 Student Paper Competition will be What Role Do or Could Standards Play in Safe and Effective Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Applications/Systems?
Student Paper Competition Flyer 2024 – Entries due 7 June 2024
For the past six years Standards Michigan has hosted Saturday morning workshops to help students (and faculty) interested in entering the contest. We will soon post those dates on our CALENDER. We typically host them — three sessions ahead of the deadline — on Saturday mornings.
We provide links to previous paper winners and refer you to Lisa Rajchel: lrajchel@ansi.org for all other details.
Related:
“Normal” Things Americans Do That The Rest Of The World Will Never Understand
ANSI Accredited Standards Developers | Contact Information
ANSI 2019 Student Paper Winner: Cybersecurity & Ukraine Power Grid Attack
2019 Student Paper Winner / Standards in Crisis Prevention & Response:
2016 Student Paper Winner | Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness
The UT Extension was established as part of the national Cooperative Extension System created by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. Tennessee’s legislature authorized its Agricultural Extension Service in 1913, with operations beginning around 1914 as the outreach arm of the University of Tennessee’s land-grant mission. It helps Tennesseans improve their quality of life and solve practical problems by delivering research-based knowledge in agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, and community economic development.
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
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