Additional $25 million will expand University of Missouri's Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy
Arming graduates of the University of Missouri's Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy with information in a divided political climate is part of the reason the Kinder Foundation wanted to add another $25 million to its donation, said donor Rich Kinder.
The $25 million brings the total from the Kinder Foundation to $60 million.
He wants graduates from the Kinder Institute to be able to confront misinformation about the U.S. Constitution and the founding of the country by being able to say "that's baloney" and the reasons why, Kinder said, speaking with reporters after a ceremony Tuesday in Jesse Hall.
"The ability to defend democracy comes from understanding it," Kinder said. "We've lost that civility in my lifetime."
Every thinking citizen needs a foundation in the U.S. Constitution and the founding of the country, Kinder said.
"I'm astounded, frankly, by the ignorance of a big part of the American population," he said.
Students are the country's future, he said.
"There's nothing guaranteed about democracy," he said.
With the additional $25 million, the institute will double the number of students it can support on a summer internship to Washington D.C., to 40 students.
The additional funding also will expand a study abroad program at Oxford University in England from a one-week pilot over spring break to a summer program with more students.
The funding will pay to hire more faculty for the institute as well.
During the ceremony in the rotunda of Jesse Hall, UM System President and MU Chancellor Mun Choi said the institute has been at the top of its discipline since Rich and Nancy Kinder established it in 2014.
"This institution has become world-recognized for the work that they do," Choi said.
The donation is a big deal for the university, Choi said.
"We can't thank you enough for your incredible generosity and your belief in us," Choi said.
The donation is for the students, said Kinder Institute director Jay Sexton, acknowledging the students in the room.
"The Kinder Institute is for you and you deserve it," Sexton said.
He also appealed to high school students to consider the Kinder Institute.
"Our sights are set high," Sexton said. "The Kinder Institute offers you more than any Ivy League institution."
During the ceremony, Sexton said constitutional democracy is fragile, but speaking with reporters after, he said he is bullish.
"It requires continued investment," Sexton said of democracy. "I think this gift is a fantastic way for us here in Missouri to address these issues."
The donation is "a game-changer" that will provide the institute with the resources it needs to serve more students, Sexton said.
Philanthropy is important for universities, said MU Provost Latha Ramchand.
"We used to say we are state-funded," Ramchand said. "Then we said we are state-supported. Now we are state-located."
She said she didn't originate the phrase.
Donations at the level of the Kinders' are more common for Ivy League institutions, she said.
Student Paul Odu, of Kansas City, will graduate next month from the Kinder Institute. He's a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford.
He said he's thankful for the opportunities the Kinder Institute has given him.
"I've been able to travel the world," he said. "It's incredible."
Whether he receives the Rhodes Scholarship or not, there will be more school after MU. He plans to pursue a law degree.
"I want to work in an area where I can promote financial and social equity," Odu said. "I see my future in that space."
Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: MU's Kinder Institute can arm students against misinformation
