I get your frustration with the critical post going to the top. And I agree with you that a huge sum donated to a top university for research is a good thing.

I get your frustration with the critical post going to the top. And I agree with you that a huge sum donated to a top university for research is a good thing. I am also more sympathetic to the people who are critical. We are talking about $50 million more for a university that has a massive tax exempt endowment, that enrolls relatively few undergraduates, and has come under fire recently (along with all elite colleges) for having a relatively low percentage of low income students. I think it's ok to point this out, though I would also be careful to emphasize that the donation is a good thing (and that research budgets can be different from general support for undergraduates). Also, my understanding is that Microsoft has been very generous with UW.