Brown University rejects pro-Palestinian students’ divestment demands

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – Brown University rejected students’ demands on Tuesday to divest from 10 companies for their alleged support of “the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territory.”

The university’s highest governing body, the Corporation of Brown University, voted against the student-led proposal, agreeing with Brown’s Advisory Committee on University Resources Management (ACURM) that the university’s relation to the companies is minuscule, according to a Wednesday announcement. ACURM clarified in a report that Brown has no direct investments in any of the companies the students demanded divestment from.

“The Corporation carefully considered ACURM’s findings on a range of issues,” the Corporation wrote in a community letter Wednesday. “In particular, Corporation members noted ACURM’s finding that Brown’s exposure to the 10 companies identified in the divestment proposal is de minimis, that Brown has no direct investments in any of the companies targeted for divestment and that any indirect exposure for Brown in these companies is so small that it could not be directly responsible for social harm, as defined in ACURM’s charge. These findings alone are sufficient reason to support ACURM’s recommendation [not to divest].”

The Corporation decided to vote on possible divestment during its October meeting after an agreement was made with the student-led Brown Divestment Coalition in April to ends its Gaza Solidarity Encampment. One trustee resigned in September as a result, claiming that planning a vote showed “weakness toward student activists.”

“If the Corporation were to divest, it would signal to our students and scholars that there are ‘approved’ points of view to which members of the community are expected to conform,” university president Christina H. Paxson and chancellor Brian T. Moynihan said in the letter. “This would be wholly inconsistent with the principles of academic freedom and free inquiry, and would undermine our mission of serving the community, the nation and the world.”

Brown will continue to consider issues that arise from the conflict, but the university will not make decisions based on political stances, according to the letter.

“Brown’s Public Statements Policy is already clear that the University does not make institutional statements on social, political or policy matters unrelated to the University’s operations in advancing education, scholarship and discovery,” the university leaders wrote. “Brown’s standards for divestment should be reviewed to ensure that they are aligned with this policy.”

Brown did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.