The Undergraduate Student Government Executive Branch has begun work on its Investment Advisory Committee to increase transparency and awareness surrounding the UNC investment and endowment management.
On Oct. 16, the branch's Instagram account posted about the committee’s first meeting, which Undergraduate Secretary and committee member Jakob Williams said was held on Aug. 28.
“The primary mission, honestly, is to ensure that students have voice and understanding,” Williams said.
The committee is composed of 14 members including undergraduate and graduate student government figures, faculty, staff, administration and Jonathon King, the president and CEO of UNC Management Company, Inc., a nonprofit organization that manages UNC System investments.
Student Body President Jaleah Taylor worked with Chancellor Lee Roberts to develop the committee, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations and committee member Nathan Knuffman said.
Williams said the Executive Council began committee planning over the summer, involving a review of similar committees at other universities and selecting specific members from the UNC community.
Undergraduate Chief of the Cabinet and committee member Nigel Parker said the committee was formed largely to address student concerns about UNC investment and endowment practices that the Executive Branch noticed last spring. One of the most pressing concerns, Parker said, was student demands regarding University spending and the Israel-Hamas war.
“Over the past year, it's undeniable that students have questioned our endowment and that students have demands around our endowment in some cases,” Parker said.
UNC Students for Justice in Palestine has hosted numerous protests where demonstrators shared their list of demands to the University, which include requiring UNC to divest from Israel and Israel-supporting companies.