Cal Poly Humboldt
PA-8: Committee on Investor Responsibility

The Humboldt State University Advancement Foundation (HSUAF), an auxiliary of The California State University and a nonprofit public benefit corporation, provides expertise, fiduciary oversight, and advocacy to increase charitable giving and manage the university’s endowment. The HSUAF includes a committee on Finance and Investor Responsibility (FIR). The FIR addresses social and environmental concerns by monitoring investor responsibility and ensuring that reports on investor responsibility are generated and reviewed at least annually. The "Social and Environmentally Responsible Offset and Mitigation" Policy and Pledge were adopted in April of 2014, making HSU the first state University in the US to commit to full fossil fuel divestment. The ten principles of the policy are as follows: 1. Define Socially or Environmentally Concerning Sectors in a broad, bold way so as to include: a) Energy – extraction, distribution, refining and marketing (i.e., oil, natural gas, coal and related/supporting industries); b) Utilities – electricity generation (i.e. utilities utilizing carbon-based fuels); c) Aerospace/Defense, Alcohol, Tobacco, Gaming and Casino industries. 2. Continue to abstain from any direct investment in Concerning Sectors. 3. Monitor and report on the value of indirect investments in Concerning Sectors. 4. Make reasonable attempts to reduce the size of indirect investments in Concerning Sectors provided any divestments are consistent with the Foundation’s fiduciary requirements. 5. Define Socially or Environmentally Responsible (SER) organizations, projects or assets initially as ones which: a) are environmentally friendly (i.e., reduce the levels of atmospheric CO2) or; b) improve the health and well-being of our community members. 6. Actively seek offsetting investment opportunities in SER organizations, projects or assets. 7. Invest directly in SER organizations, projects or assets provided that: a) investments meet the Foundation’s fiduciary requirements and policies, and b) support the stated HSU mission, vision and values. 8. Monitor and report on the value of direct investments in SER assets and active investments in SER organizations or projects. 9. Monitor and report on the value of obvious indirect investments in SER organizations, projects or assets. 10. Create a SEROP Fund (with appropriate policies) and actively seek donations of funds and assets that could be used to support HSU’s SEROP Pledge.

Heather Bernikoff, Member, Alumna; Gary Blatnick, Member, Alumnus; Steven R. Brown, Member, Alumnus; Carlrey Delcastillo, Member, Student; Laura Fisher, Philanthropy Chair, Alumna; Jenny Harris, Member; Mark Hemphill-Haley, Member, Faculty; Scott E. Hunt, Member, Alumnus; Dan Johnson, Member; Alisa Judge, Vice Chair & Governance Chair, Alumna; David Kalb, Member, Alumnus; Emily McBride, Member, Student; Heidi Moore-Guynup, Member, Alumna; Chuck Petrusha, Member; Jason Ramos, Treasurer and Finance Chair, Alumnus; Duncan Robins, Chair; Lisa Rossbacher, HSU President; Craig Wruck, Executive Director.

The Committee reviews Socially Responsible Investing on a quarterly basis. Investments are tracked for several concerning sectors and ownership is compared to the US and global markets as a whole.

All Humboldt State University Advancement Foundation (HSUAF) policies, meeting agendas and minutes, and member roster etc. can be accessed from the HSUAF website: http://hsuaf.humboldt.edu. There is a video on the HSUAF Board of Directors discussing their actions on http://hsuaf.edu/green. The video is listed under HSU Video: Fossil Fuel Divestment at HSU and a link to the Humboldt Magazine article-Greening up HSU's Endowment.