After UT's McCombs School of Business severed monetary ties to tobacco companies in November, students groups are still looking to generate support from other corporate sponsors.
The Asian Business Students Association relied on Altria Group Inc., a parent company of Philip Morris USA, to fund its mentoring and social events, said president Jeena Lee. According to McCombs figures, the association received $3,000 in 2006. Although Philip Morris is still permitted to recruit from the business school, the company's inability to sponsor student organizations has hurt its exposure on campus.
More than a year ago, George Gau, dean of the business school, decided not to solicit funds from tobacco companies, including Philip Morris. The donations kept flowing, though, forcing the dean to eventually ban them outright.
Paula Murray, associate dean for undergraduates in McCombs, advocated for the ban upon assuming her position on Sept. 1. Although faculty were consulted, Gau said the ban was a "leadership decision" in which student organizations did not have a role.
Gau said the decision was an attempt by the administration to display ethical leadership.
The business school did not want a decision like this to open the door to a re-evaluation of each of its corporate partners, said Dave Wenger, spokesman for the McCombs school.
While ethical flaws may exist in the dealings of some other corporations, tobacco is a "unique product" and "uniquely harmful," Wenger said. The reality is that McCombs students will work in the corporate world for a large part of their careers, and corporations have a lot to offer them while in school, including speakers, research funds and networking opportunities, he said.
Wenger said he suspects that corporate partnerships are stronger in McCombs than in any other UT college because McCombs produces "businesspeople, not architects." However, he said he shares Murray's concern that partnerships, like that with Philip Morris, could appear to be endorsements, a concern that motivated the ban.
McCombs spokesman Rob Meyer said Philip Morris' share of corporate contributions to McCombs' groups was 2 percent of all contributions. The company has donated $308,557 to business school organizations since 1989.
Lee said Philip Morris' representatives did not come to the campus to sell their product but to provide professional advice and mentoring, and she said she disagrees with the assertion that it is somehow different from other companies.
Greg Mathe, a spokesman for Philip Morris, echoed Lee's beliefs and said the company is disappointed with UT's ban.
"The decision limits students' opportunities to learn about possibilities after college," Mathe said.
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