Vassar College officials will consider increasing their hedge fund...

Vassar College officials will consider increasing their hedge fund allocation at their February meeting, said Jay Yoder, director of investments for the Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based $540 million endowment fund. The staff recommendation is to increase the fund’s hedge fund allocation to 14% from its current 10%, he said. "The case for hedge funds hasn’t changed, despite a poor quarter or two,’’ Mr. Yoder said in reference to hedge fund performance in 1998. Endowment staffers also will recommend the hiring of an additional manager in a hedge fund style that Vassar currently does not use, but declined to say which that is.