TO THE EDITOR:
I write in response to Tuesday’s editorial about the Board of Trustees’ budget, finance and audit committee meeting last week.
It is misleading to say that the trustees failed to address the coal divestiture issue.
Even though the students did not make a presentation, I formally added the topic to the agenda, acknowledged the coalition’s presence, provided feedback on their cause, gave the materials to the full board and included information in my formal report to the full board the following day.
This issue is not one that was appropriate for the budget, finance and audit committee because we do not have jurisdiction over the endowment.
The individual foundation and endowment boards are responsible for those assets.
My committee promised the coalition that we would make sure that copies of the materials were distributed to each of the members of those boards prior to their next meeting.
I added to my comments that perhaps the most valuable way we could help was to try to get the University foundations to invest more heavily in alternative fuels.
I understand the frustration expressed by the editors in their article.
However, I have to ask whether the DTH covered either the committee or the full board because the issue was definitely brought forward and discussed publicly.
