well, the subtle has now become overt. in an annoucement today, microsoft officially purchased a university program and its curriculum hiding any thought that freedom from corporatism in the academic sphere exists. in giving $2.3 million to the university, microsoft altered university curriculum and insured that their product will become the software of necessity in uw's classrooms. i am disgusted and revolted at this invasion of pure academic space.

while some may contend that this is good for the university as it brings in money to utilize a superior software product, i will simply suggest that the university had no plans of alterting its curriculum until this donation carrot was waved before its face. there has been corporate involvement in the academic sphere for quite some time but this crosses the lines from funding university priorities to designating priorities for the university.

i do not believe this decision would have been made if jim kalbfleisch was still vp academic and provost and i do not think this reflects the real will of the total university. i hope students protest this and i hope that the university is disgraced for capitulating to the corporation and selling academic freedom.