[ad_1]
The Student Government Association (SGA) wants to know how students want their money invested at Middlebury College. We used Google Forms to solicit student input on Middlebury College’s endowment investment strategy.
The company sent out a Google Form on February 26 asking, “What opinions or recommendations would you like to share with the Investment Committee through the Student Endowment Liaison (SEL) regarding the Middlebury Endowment Investment Strategy?” .
The input form received responses from 98 students in the two days it was open. This was something that both newly elected Student Fund Liaison Jake Butler-Junkours ’26 and his SGA President Abed Abbas were proud of.
“We were surprised at how many responses we received,” Abbas said. “We really wanted to make sure that student voices were reflected and considered in how Middlebury College invests its endowment.”
According to Middlebury College’s web page, the purpose of the endowment is to “provide a permanent source of support for the college’s students, faculty, and programs.” It plays an important role in sustaining the University of Monterey, Middlebury School of Languages, Bread Loaf School of English, and Middlebury International Institute.
This will be managed by members of the Board of Directors of the Investment Subcommittee and the University’s finance and accounting staff. Members are responsible for establishing and periodically reviewing investment policies and strategies related to all endowment assets.
According to SGA’s bylaws, the Student Fund Office is the “official contact point for student organizations to the Board Investment Committee.” According to Abbas, the liaison officer will be responsible for attending investment committee meetings, gathering student input on investment strategies, and reporting to the student body an overview of issues raised at the meetings.
SGA voted on February 23 to appoint Butler Jancoas ’26 as the student fund liaison.
Butler-Junkos expressed excitement to fill the position, which hasn’t received much attention in recent years, and the last person to hold the position, Tyson Boynton ‘25.5, went overseas this spring.
“It is important that students feel that the means and purpose of their donation are compatible,” Butler-Junkours said. “as [student endowment liaison]I am dedicated to keeping student voices, Middlebury values, and conflict transformation at the center of my work. ”
Of the 98 responses, more than half mentioned some form of desire in ethical investing, particularly one that aligns with conflict transformation values.
One student responded, “I would like to see a complete divestment from companies that are complicit in human rights abuses, including but not limited to genocide, crimes against humanity, child labor, forced labor, etc.”
Survey responses reflect the University’s commitment to conflict transformation practices and ensure that all war profiteering practices are avoided, as set out in SGA’s Resolution 4 on Middlebury’s Ethics in Investment and Consumer Partnerships. There are overwhelming calls for Middlebury to invest in endowment funds in order to exit. The Indigenous Peoples Bill passed in January.
One student responded, “The university supports transformative, nonviolent conflict practices and should increase the application of conflict transformation to finance.”
Conflict Transformation at Middlebury is supported by the Center for Community Engagement, in collaboration with the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Conflict Transformation Collaborative and various other departments at Middlebury.
“The Conflict Transformation Collaborative seeks to learn lessons from this vast community that can be applied to Middlebury’s most pressing issues and questions,” the initiative’s website states. “Our work helps build new networks and expand our ability to transform the world around us.”
Another student’s response expressed hope that the investment strategy reflects SGA’s recent efforts to pursue divestment from groups that profit from war and oppress indigenous peoples.
“Given Middlebury’s success in divesting itself from arms dealers and ending its association with war-fueling companies more generally, the oppression of indigenous peoples in places like Palestine is possible.” they are writing.
Are you enjoying what you’re reading?Get content from the Middlebury campus delivered to your inbox
Mr. Butler-Junkois added his belief in the importance of the concerns expressed in the student responses submitted to the board’s subcommittee meeting.
“At a time of increasing polarization around the world, it is more important than ever to focus on what unites us,” Butler-Junkours said. “All of us in this university community share the importance of Middlebury College’s mission to teach students to lead active, consequential, and creative lives dedicated to tackling the world’s toughest problems. I can agree, and the foundation itself is dedicated to financially sustaining this mission.”
The fund is currently comprised of more than 1,600 individual funds, with a value of more than $1.6 billion as of June 2023.
Endowment investments are confidential and can only be viewed by committee and finance team members and one student appointed by SGA.
David Provost, executive vice president of finance and administration, cited competitive advantage as the reason for the lack of transparency regarding donations.
“What we are trying to do is outperform the market benchmark,” Provost told The Campus. “If we exposed our investment strategy to Williams, Amherst, and all our competitors, we wouldn’t want them to understand our strategy, and they wouldn’t want us to see theirs. They won’t give it to you.”
Middlebury uses external managers to determine which funds to invest in.
“Since 2005, Middlebury has engaged investors, along with 12 other customers who share a similar mission to Middlebury,” Provost explained. “If we were to go public, we would essentially be corralling the investment strategies of other clients like Dickinson and Haverford because they are commingled funds.”
Given that the endowment is managed in a highly private manner, Mr. Abbas expressed his belief that it is important to consider student voice in endowment investment strategies.
“We want to make sure we have student representation in Middlebury’s endowment,” Abbas said. “We decided to reinstate the Student Fund Liaison position in preparation for the Investment Subcommittee meeting held last week. [February] 28th day. ”
Provost said the committee itself does not choose which funds to invest in, but relies on investors to make investment decisions that align with SGA’s mission statement.
“We keep them [Investure] Take responsible. ” said the principal. “We communicate with our investors on a daily basis and undergo formal reviews every 10 years to determine whether to continue our relationship with them. We plan to conduct this review in 2025.”
Mandy Berghela ’26 (she/her) is a local editor.
She previously served as an SGA correspondent and campus contributing writer. She plans to major in political science and minor in Arabic. In addition to this dissertation, Mandy serves on the Judiciary Committee, serves as the Social Media Manager for the Southeast Asian Society (SEAS), and is involved in many campus theater productions. In her free time, she enjoys long walks, cycling, and reading fantasy novels.
[ad_2]
Source link
