Over the past weeks, the University administration has received a wide variety of correspondence from across our diverse community, including this open letter from the Palestine solidarity working group of CUPE 3903 rank and file members, and other messages, representing many different views.
It bears repeating that York will continue to support freedom of expression and the principles of academic freedom. Universities are vital institutions in democracies and should serve to confront complex challenges through open and respectful dialogue and scholarship as articulated in the President’s Initiative on Open and Respectful Dialogue. The York administration consistently strives to support our faculty, students, instructors, and staff to engage in peaceful protest and expression, while fulfilling our obligation to provide safe and inclusive campuses free from hate and discrimination.
One of the areas that has been raised is the University’s investment portfolio. York has long been committed to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles through both the University’s pension and endowment investment funds. Selection of an investment manager for these funds is a process that the University takes very seriously, involving rigorous review by independent investment experts to ensure alignment with the University’s investment strategy. Selected investment managers are held accountable through continuous performance reviews of their activities supporting our commitment to ESG factors. While we do not negatively screen investments or exclude any individual nations, the University does not directly own shares in any of the industries referenced in the open letter. York will continue to report annually on investment performance, and how our investment managers incorporate ESG factors. More detailed information is readily available here and can be found in the most recent Sustainable Investing Progress Report.
Several community members have also written to express interest in how the University responds to protests, recent employment matters, student organizations, labour relations concerns, and police presence on campus, again spanning a wide range of opinions. While we cannot comment on individual cases that are being addressed through appropriate channels, we are committed to free and open dialogue that respects the rights of all community members to an environment free of discrimination. We would like to commend the many members of our community who have worked to support peaceful demonstrations and events, and we hope to continue to work with you to ensure that your rights to free speech are maintained in a safe manner.
The pain and anger experienced by members of our community due to what is happening in Gaza and Israel is real. We will continue to work to support those impacted. Among other initiatives, York is an active participant in the Scholars at Risk network and funds dedicated scholarships and programs to support Palestinian students as well as others affected by war and forced migration. The University will also continue to work to prevent incidents of antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia as well as any other forms of racism and discrimination. All community members should be able to rely on our campuses being respectful and safe for everyone, and we are calling on all of us to treat each other with empathy and compassion as we navigate these issues together.
The University remains open to meeting with the CUPE 3903 Executive, as well as the leadership of other unions and recognized student organizations at York, to discuss these issues as we reflect on what more we can do collectively to create the conditions for divergent views to be expressed.