Tag Archives: committee for investor responsibility

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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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Ethics and Transparency in Managing Wesleyan’s Endowment

PSA from Joel Michaels ’18:

The Committee for Investor Responsibility is hosting a panel open to all Wesleyan community members that will address the University’s endowment. Panelists will discuss how ethical considerations factor into investment decisions and choosing external managers.

President Roth will introduce the event and discuss the role of Wesleyan’s endowment in supporting academic programs and financial aid. The panel will feature Anne Martin, Wesleyan’s Chief Investment Officer, alongside Gil Skillman, Wesleyan Professor of Economics, and Noah Markman ’13, a Wesleyan alum who now works in the area of responsible investing. After presentations by the panelists, the space will be opened for questions from the audience.

Date: Thursday, November 5th
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: PAC 001

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

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Inequality and the Climate Crisis: A panel discussion on fossil fuel divestment

Video by Ani Acopian ’16

An event sponsored by Wes,Divest! and the Committee for Investor Responsibility- a panel discussion of great importance to the future of the planet.

Fossil fuels do more than threaten the stability of the Earth’s the climate; fossil fuel extraction destroys the communities where oil, coal and gas are removed from the ground. Mountaintop removal coal mining, hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) for natural gas, oil drilling, and pipelining each pose incredible risks to water supplies and to the health of local residents. As the people in these communities suffer, the political and economic sway of fossil fuels companies allow them to continue with their destructive ways.

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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.

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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.

Apply for a Seat 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) for the ’10-’11 academic year.

This student, faculty, staff, and alumni committee has the power to engage in shareholder advocacy on behalf of the University. This may include proxy voting, writing letters to companies, and filing shareholder resolutions.

The CIR’s charter, which outlines the committee’s mission and purview, is available here.

Two seats are currently vacant. To apply, submit a paragraph explaining why you’d like to be on the committee to wsa@wesleyan.edu by Wednesday 5/5 at 7 PM. Soon after we receive your application, you will be notified of the timing of interviews for the position.


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