Tag Archives: CIR

EVENT
Apply to be on the Committee for Investor Responsibility!

Are you interested in corporate, social, environmental, or governance issues? The balance of ethical values with fiscal responsibility? Apply to the Committee for Investor Responsibility to become involved as a student representative!

The CIR, a student, faculty, staff, and alumni committee, was created to consider social and ethical issues with regards to the Wesleyan Endowment. The CIR engages in shareholder advocacy on behalf of the University and offers oversight to the investment decisions of the Board of Trustees.

Our recent work and charter can be viewed on our website, http://cir.wsa.wesleyan.edu/. Members’ duties include attending bimonthly to weekly meetings, independent research on issues of concern, as well as drafting shareholder resolutions. Most recently, the CIR has developed and presented a proposal outlining procedural mechanisms for the Investment Office and Board of Trustees to thoroughly consider environmental, social, and governmental concerns in investment practices.

If you are interested in the CIR, please visit our website and familiarize yourself with what we do before applying. To apply, please submit one to two paragraphs explaining why you are interested in the committee and what relevant skills you would contribute to jholmes@wesleyan.edu by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, April 13.

Apply By: Wednesday, April 13 at 5:00 PM

FEATURED
Endowment 101 and Continuing the Conversation on Divestment

So what is the deal with our endowment?

Here’s some basics. As of June, our endowment rests at around $840 million. See this most recent endowment report. University endowments are accumulations of various assets that work to serve as “perpetual capital.” The yearly returns on these assets and investments, ideally, would cover all operating costs for the University for the academic year. For certain schools (corporations?) like Harvard and their $36 billion endowment, this is not a problem. But little old Wesleyan, for one administrative reason or another, has had to draw from the endowment for decades to help cover yearly operating costs. So naturally, we’ve been under pressure to offset that spending, which can be done in two major ways: fundraising (see entire ThisIsWhy campaign) and “better” investment of endowment assets. The latter of the two raises the question of where and how our investments are made, which have been the focus of numerous campus activist groups for some time.

Recall WesFest 2015. The Wesleyan Coalition for Divestment and Transparency staged a sit-in in President Roth’s office to push for divestment from the fossil fuel industry, the prison-industrial complex, and companies involved in the Israeli occupation, which members of the coalition saw as intersectional and inherently inseparable from one another.

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EVENT
Apply to be on the Committee for Investor Responsibility!

From Mira Klein ’17:

Are you interested in corporate, social, environmental, or governance issues? The balance of moral values with fiscal responsibility? Apply to the Committee for Investor Responsibility to become involved as a student representative!

The CIR, a student, faculty, staff, and alumni committee, was created to consider social and ethical issues with regards to the Wesleyan Endowment. The CIR engages in shareholder advocacy on behalf of the University and offers oversight to the investment decisions of the Board of Trustees. The CIR’s recent work and charter can be viewed on our website at cir.wsa.wesleyan.edu. Members’ duties include activities such as attending bimonthly to weekly meetings, independent research on issues of concern, as well as drafting shareholder resolutions. Most recently, the CIR has developed a proposal concerning the divestment of Wesleyan’s endowment from coal. This proposal can be found on the CIR website.

If you are interested in the CIR, please visit our website and familiarize yourself with what we do before applying. To apply, please submit one to two paragraphs explaining why you are interested in the committee and what relevant skills you would contribute to jhanway[at]wesleyan[dot]edu by Wednesday, April 22th at midnight.

Top candidates will be contacted for an interview. We hope to hear from you soon!

Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 22 (tomorrow!) at midnight

Apply for the Committee for Investor Responsibility!

From Angus McLean ’16:

Are you interested in corporate, social, environmental, or governance issues? The balance of moral values with fiscal stability? Apply to get experience and hands-on involvement as a student representative of the Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR).

The CIR is a student, faculty, staff, and alumni committee that has the power to engage in shareholder advocacy on behalf of the University. This includes activities such as proxy voting, advising the University on community investment, pushing for endowment transparency, and filing shareholder resolutions.

The CIR’s recent work and charter can be viewed on our website. Members’ duties include attending bimonthly to weekly meetings, and independent responsibilities, such researching banks and institutions, researching background on shareholder resolutions, and drafting resolutions to bring to the Board of Trustees. Please visit the website and familiarize yourself with what we do before applying.

To apply, submit one to two paragraphs, explaining why you’d like to be on the committee and what relevant skills you have, to xli03[at]wesleyan[dot]edu by Sunday, September 28th midnight. Top candidates will be contacted for interview.

Duedate: Sunday, September 28th
Time: Midnight

FEATURED
Wes, Divest?

“The facts are there, the arguments are solid, and with enough research, we think it’s absolutely clear that this could be a good choice for our university.” – Maya McDonnell ’16

Unless you live under a rock, which, given the advent of chilly New England weather, better be heated, you’ve likely seen groups of concerned students hang hand-drawn banners from almost every high up place in Usdan.

Although they vary in shape, size, and semi-hieroglyphic language, these banners have the same message: Wesleyan needs to step up to the plate and divest from fossil fuels.

Divestment movements are nothing new at Wesleyan. Among the most notable campaigns were the calls to divest from South African companies in the midst of apartheid during the 1970s and 80s. (Our courageous leader, Michael Roth ’78, occupied former President Campbell’s office in support of the South African divestment movement in 1979.) More recently, Students for Ending the War in Iraq (SEWI) demanded divestment from defense companies in light of then-current Iraq War in 2007.

Wes, Divest! started as a rag-tag group of concerned students late last February as divestment movements nationwide began to pick up steam. Co-founder Angus McLean ’16 was surprised that Wesleyan, “the school you would expect to be at the forefront of this movement,” didn’t already have a group devoted to fossil fuel divestment.

McLean mentions that their initial goals included a “direct freeze on new investments and divestment within five years from… funds that include fossil-fuel public equities and corporate bonds.” The group stands by these goals and plans to continue to “work with the administration to figure out the best way for Wesleyan to divest.”

With the arrival of a new school year, the group took on a more concerted effort, setting up a social media campaign and assembling those infamous banners. Bolstered by passionate freshmen, who make up over 60% of the group, and the creation of Fossil Free, a website that links nationwide divestment movements together, Wes, Divest! has gained great momentum on campus.

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EVENT
CIR Hosts Open Forum on the Endowment

From the estimable Corey Guilmette ’13:

This Tuesday, April 30th, from 4:15-5:15 in 41 Wyllys 114 the Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR) will be hosting conversation with Wesleyan’s Investment Office, University Relations, and CIR members about investing, social responsibility, and Wesleyan’s financial future.

There will be FOOD!!! Including, but not limited to: Pad Thai, Cookies, Cobbler.

The Investment Office will give an overview of endowment strategy and performance.

University Relations will discuss the alumni giving process.

Student members of the Committee for Investor Responsibility will report on progress on community investment and shareholder engagement, and solicit input on ideas for future projects.

A Question and Answer session will follow.

Date: Tuesday April 30th
Time: 4:15PM
Place: 41 Wyllys Room 114

Apply for the CIR

Rachel Warren ’14 wants your applications:

Are you interested in corporate social, environmental, or governance issues? The Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR) is accepting applications for its fifth student representative.

The CIR is a student, faculty, staff, and alumni committee that has the power to engage in shareholder advocacy on behalf of the University. This includes activities such as proxy voting, advising the University on community investment, pushing for endowment transparency, and filing shareholder resolutions.

Visit our website and take a look at our charter and the recent work we are doing at: cir.wsa.wesleyan.edu. Membership will include approximately weekly meetings with students and/or staff, and several hours a week of outside work, including researching banks and institutions, researching background on shareholder resolutions, and drafting resolutions to bring to the Board of Trustees. Please read what is on the website and familiarize yourself with what we do BEFORE you apply.

To apply, submit one-two paragraphs, explaining why you’d like to be on the committee and what relevant skills you have, to rwarren[at]wesleyan[dot]edu.

by Friday September 21st at Midnight. The top half dozen candidates will be contacted about an interview.

Brief editorial after the jump.

Continue reading →

Apply to be on the CIR!

Are you interested in corporate social, environmental, or governance issues? The Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR) is accepting applications for its fifth student representative.

The CIR is a student, faculty, staff, and alumni committee that has the power to engage in shareholder advocacy on behalf of the University. This includes activities such as proxy voting, advising the University on community investment, pushing for endowment transparency, and filing shareholder resolutions.

The CIR’s charter, which outlines the committee’s mission and purview, is available here. Membership will include approximately weekly meetings with students and/or staff, and several hours a week of outside work, including researching banks and institutions, researching background on shareholder resolutions, and drafting resolutions to bring to the Board of Trustees.

To apply, submit one-two paragraphs, explaining why you’d like to be on the committee and what relevant skills you have, to rwarren[at]wesleyan[dot]edu by Monday February 20th at 5PM. Soon after we receive your application, you will be notified of when interviews will occur.

Apply to be on the Committee for Investor Responsibility!

Are you interested in corporate social, environmental, or governance issues? We could use your voice on the Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR).

This student, faculty, staff, and alumni committee has the power to engage in shareholder advocacy on behalf of the University. This includes activities such as proxy voting, advising the University on community investment, and filing shareholder resolutions.

The CIR’s charter, which outlines the committee’s mission and purview, is available at: http://cir.wsa.wesleyan.edu/page-2/

To apply, submit one-two paragraphs, explaining why you’d like to be on the committee and what relevant skills you have, to cguilmette(at)wesleyan(dot)edu by Tuesday 11/22 at 5 PM. Soon after we receive your application, you will be notified of when interviews for the seat will occur.

Socially Responsible Investment Coalition passes its resolution

As a follow up to an earlier event post, it bears to note that this evening, the WSA voted in the passage of the Endowment Transparency Resolution that was submitted last week by the Socially Responsible Investment Coalition (SRIC). (For anyone keeping scores, it was near unanimous with 3 abstentions.)

Do you know what this even means? Or what’s the SRIC in the first place? Or who’s that hot guy with the bushy bush hair on the left?

Well, neither do we.

But tune in sometime next week (or maybe later, maybe sooner, depending if I can get my class shit done in time) for HISTORY TIME WITH YO MAIN BROSKI, FROSTEDMOOSE, in which we attempt to figure out what this hubbub is all about. If our budget allows, we may even have guest appearances by Bill Nye the Science Guy ’16 and Big Bird P’05 (not to be confused with AJ “Big Bird” Hinds ’12).

As a side note, the WSA should really make their open meetings more Michael Bay. Arya Hat-Guy ’13, though interesting, is no Shia LaBeef.


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