Students petition for ethical university investment
This week the Student Union’s Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Campaign will aim to raise a petition of 5,000 student signatures to increase awareness about the implications of central investment. The petition will form part of a protest scheduled to take place outside a University Council meeting on Monday of 5th week.
Richard Ollerhead, a Balliol student and Chair of the campaign, said: “we will be lobbying members as they go in, and generally making our views heard.” The SRI Campaign wants a reform of current policy in order to encourage investment that is both ethical and economically viable for the university.
Despite an ongoing dialogue throughout the last year between student representatives and Sir Allan Budd, Chair of the Investment Committee of the University Council, no changes have been implemented. The University Council has faced criticism for refusing to publish any records of its Fund Manager meetings.
A referendum at St Hugh’s revealed an 81 per cent majority in favour of ethical investment in the college, while Balliol has agreed to the construction of an SRI plan, in consultation with its SCR, MCR and JCR.
9th Feb 2006