Not all colleges created equal?

Given the disparity in architecture among the residential colleges, rumors have long circulated that Rockefeller and Mathey colleges have more funds at their disposal than Butler, Wilson or Forbes.

University renovations of up-campus buildings — including the recent restoration of Rockefeller's Holder Hall and the overhaul of the Mathey college office — have not helped quell these suspicions. With Butler remaining "the Butt" of campus jokes and Wilson and Forbes seeing little improvement, many students have wondered whether colleges enjoy unequal endowments.

There is some truth to these theories. Each residential college does receive a different amount of funding, but the effects of those differences appear limited.

Each college's budget is directly proportional to the number of students living in the residential college because the funding comes from the $570 residential college fee, included in every sophomore and freshman's tuition bill.

Nassau Hall takes care of renovations and maintenance, as well as dining services but plays no role in the other residential college functions, such as college council events, trips, study breaks, RCA training and academic advising.

While the colleges "were originally set up, renovated and equipped with money from private donors," Forbes master Christian Wildberg said, "that money is long gone and the annual budget comes from the residential college fee." In other words, while the original donation amounts may have varied, current funding levels are equal.

"It would be great to have an endowment for each college," Wildberg added.

College endowments?

Interviews with college masters revealed that Butler has no endowment and that most other colleges appear to be in the same boat.

"I'm not aware of any endowment or special gifts for Butler," Butler master Sanjeev Kulkarni said in an email.

Though Wilson received a donation in 1961 to fund its Julian Street Library, neither Forbes nor Rocky administrators recollect having received any endowment money.

"We've never considered what it would mean to look for some funds from Rocky alumni," Rocky dean Oliver Avens said.

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In fact, Mathey is the only college with an endowment.

Mathey master Antoine Kahn GS '78 said that his college received a gift more than 10 years ago. "Most of that money has not been spent yet," he said in an email. "We are thinking of ways to spend it most wisely and in ways that will best benefit the college."

Spending priorities

How the individual colleges choose to allocate their funds is another matter, as those determinations are left to the college administrators.

"Each master has jurisdiction over the basic, program-based operating budget of each college, which ... is based on the college fee," Associate Dean of the College Claire Fowler said in an email.

Each college has different priorities, leading to slight discrepancies in funding allocation. For example, RCAs in different colleges have different amounts to spend on their advisees.

Rocky, Mathey and Forbes RCAs receive a flat rate of $400 per semester for about 20 students, which averages $20 per student.

Wilson and Butler RCAs receive $20 for each freshman and $10 for each sophomore. Since an average RCA group includes 15 freshmen and 20 sophomores, the funding averages $14.29 per person.

RCAs may also ask the college for more money if needed.

Another discrepancy that some students have observed between residential colleges involves study breaks. Some have agreed that Rocky, compared to other residential colleges, tends to host better breaks.

"We're making choices based on what we think students want," Avens said. "The fact that we have good food at our study breaks is because we have a good turnout."

"You constantly experiment with events, and then you find out if it's worth doing again," he added.

The difference is not a result of more funding, however. "Our study breaks do cost more, but it can't be that there's a factor that involves [overall] financial differences," Avens said.

All of the colleges agreed that they are willing to pay for almost anything that students request.

"As far as I know, the college council rarely proposes something that we cannot afford to fund at all," Wildberg said.

"If I overdraw the budget, that money has to come out of next year's budget."