Cal State Fullerton Sends Email Asking Alumni to Include School in Their Will

California State University-Fullerton is facing scrutiny this week over an email that encouraged alumni to include the university as a benefactor of their estate. Several recipients of the email have called the email “tone deaf” in light of the ongoing Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report by Campus Reform, CSU-Fullerton is facing criticism from their alumni over a recent email that encouraged alumni to work on their “estate plans.” Many argued that the email was insensitive given the ongoing Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. Others felt that the university wanted to make sure that they received donations from alumni before they passed from the Chinese virus.

“During times like this, it is not unusual to think about our estate plans, either creating one or reviewing our current plan. It is normal to want to make sure our current plan reflects our wishes and plans for our family, represents our values, and, our charitable legacy. We would like to be a resource to you as you consider your planning,” the email reads. The university directed alumni to a list of resources that would help them prepare their estate documents.

One alumnus, Scott Lovelady, said that he felt the email was telling alumni to “put [the university] in your will before coronavirus kills you.”

The university did not exactly hide their intentions. The email claimed that the university may need donations to recover from the ongoing pandemic.  “Higher Education, like every sector of our economy, is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cal State Fullerton is no exception,” the email stated. “Although the full extent will not be known for some time, the Campus will likely experience a negative financial impact from the COVID-19 restrictions.”

The university claimed that it will suffer as a result of refunds that were issued to students this semester for services that they will not use. “Refunds have been made to students for parking permits and housing, the campus will see a loss of revenue from campus-located vendors, such as Starbucks, and, we will likely face a short-term decline in international student enrollments,“ the email added.