Colleges Hope to Cash In on Naming Rights for Classes

With schools hit hard by the recession, some are considering new ways to pull in cash. One idea: corporate sponsorship for classes, Time reports. City College of San Francisco may sell naming rights to 800 classes that might otherwise disappear. College officials have mixed feelings, with some put off but aware of the idea’s potential. Corporations, however, haven’t jumped at the chance.

One teacher is considering asking local police and firefighters for cash for a law class. The University of Wisconsin, meanwhile, has an online health course sponsored by a pharmaceutical company; a Charlotte community college has sold naming rights to academic programs. “We have to go after private money, but in a thoughtful way that doesn’t compromise our values,” notes one California official. (More college stories.)