As a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, Jeffrey S. Van Harte has a little chip on his shoulder when it comes to quality of public university education.
"There's a myth out there that an education from a state university is not on a par with that of a private school. But I got a fantastic education at CSU Fullerton," said Mr. Van Harte, chairman and chief investment officer of active equity manager Jackson Square Partners LLC, San Francisco.
Mr. Van Harte has donated a total of $1.5 million to CSU Fullerton to create and support an intensive, academic-yearlong investment track within the university's Mihaylo College of Business and Economics.
The cornerstone of the program is Titan Capital Management, a student-run investment fund that's part of the university's $100 million endowment, Ms. Van Harte said.
Competition for 20 or so spaces in the program is tough and accepted students must complete three investment boot camps over the summer to prepare for classroom sessions and real-life management of Titan Capital Management's $1.4 million pooled investment fund. The fund has been used to cover some of the costs associated with running the business school's tutoring center.
Many graduates have ended up getting great jobs at money management firms, including Pacific Investment Management Co. and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Mr. Van Harte said.
"Our students are kind of underdogs coming from a public university, but their perseverance and the great investment management jobs many end up landing make me feel that that work I'm doing is worthwhile. It's a personal thing for me."
Jackson Square also hosts the students for an educational day. Mr. Van Harte gives lectures an, as a member of the fund's advisory board, provides guidance to students about their investment choices for the fund.
Jackson Square Partners manages $21.2 billion for mostly for institutional investors.
