A recent article in the NY times entitled "Beyond the Ivied Halls, Endowments Suffer" reports that many universities with substantial endowments who have suffered are considering selling off their private equity holdings. One problem they face is that the market for these holdings is thin especially given the current economic conditions. The NY times article mentions that private equity is being bought at 50 cents on the dollar nowadays, so universities who sell may face substantial losses. However, some of the private equity holdings require owners to pay in (capital calls) so some cash strapped universities may still find it in their best interests to sell.