Community Trust Endowment Fund extension
At the most recent SFU board of governors meeting, held June 26, the board unanimously carried a motion suggested by the Community Advisory Committee to extend the Community Trust Endowment Fund.
The fund, according to the university website, “channels revenue from the UniverCity development into the seven major [research] initiatives outlined in the University’s Strategic Research Plan,”
VP research Mario Pinto said the fund has had “resounding success,” with an, “overall tremendous return on investments.” He continued, “More importantly, it brought together researchers in discussion groups as they formulated their proposals. [. . .] It let them develop more mature proposals than as individuals.”
New responsible investment proposal
The second motion passed by the board during open session was a proposal regarding responsible investment practices, an initiative that is geared towards improving transparency in the university’s investments.
VP finance Pat Hibbits explained that there were two prongs involved in the proposal: the first is that the university joins with the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment; the second requires all investors to engage in environmental, social, and governance factors.
President Andrew Petter explained that the main effect this policy will have is cultural: “It does provide a forum and a mandate for us to be much more deliberate and transparent in the way we go about oversight of our investment strategy.”
