S.A.V.E. never gives up, and the VSU Foundation provided fuel for the fight. -jsq
November 13, 2013
Dr. William J. McKinney
President
Valdosta State University
Dear President McKinney,
Thank you very much for agreeing to be a part of
our ceremony for the new solar canopy this Friday. We are excited
for it, and we are glad that you will be able to come. We definitely
appreciate your support, and we hope to have a nice turnout!
As happy as we are about VSU’s continuing efforts to “go
green,” I am writing to you in regard to
S.A.V.E.’s ongoing
fossil fuel divestment campaign and
the recent response we received
from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the VSU Foundation. If
you have not yet read the letter, I have attached a copy for your
convenience.
We were clearly disappointed to hear that
our request had been
denied, but what troubled us the most was the condescending tone
used by Mr. Edwards in the last part of his letter. To end his
letter on University (not Foundation) letterhead with sarcasm and
cavalier dismissal of our concerns is unacceptable, especially as we
have acted in a respectful manner throughout this process. Within
his response, Mr. Edwards downplays the importance of practicing
social responsibility and belittles the validity of past divestment
campaigns that have been used to counteract injustices such as
South Africa’s Apartheid regime, which represented an inhumane and
repressive system that needed to be challenged.
We also find the apparent lack of interest and concern with the
scientific and social basis of our request troubling. As students at
an institution of higher learning, we, collectively, decided to make
an effort to ensure that our university better represent the
knowledge and values being taught within our classrooms. Our request
was received and denied within the span of twelve days. We do not
believe this is an adequate amount of time to fully consider and
research the feasibility and importance of a request meant to
address an issue as urgent and distressing as climate change.
Last night S.A.V.E. also hosted
a panel discussion on global warming
and the divestment movement. In Mr. Edwards’ response he challenges
the intellectual honesty of
the IPCC report referenced in our request.
The report was discussed and analyzed, in depth, by a
climatologist at the event. Subsequently, panelists provided
evidence supporting the fact that socially responsible investing
does not harm, and may even better, the returns of an investment
portfolio.
Thus, we made a strong case for the cause that we are
advocating. However, not a single member from the Board of Trustees
was in attendance, which further suggests that there seems to be a
complete lack of concern with our request.
The question is, do you feel that this response was acceptable and
how do you plan on addressing it?
We will continue our campaign, and we ask that you please assist us
in ensuring that this conversation does not end. Issues of
transparency have disabled us from reaching out to the majority of
the board, so we are asking you, as our president, to ensure that
the Board of Trustees and Mr. Edwards, as Chairman, take part in
healthy and honest dialogue.
In closing I would like to share two quotes from our panel
discussion on divestment with you:
“It is unethical to claim that there should be no limits on
investment sources—otherwise why not invest in crack cocaine,
blood diamonds, or human trafficking? Society agrees that such
support is wrong, therefore such investments are prohibited. The
effect of coal-burning on the planet is threatening the existence of
humans and other life, and stopping it now is not only ethical, but
intelligent and sane.”
“I have difficulties to believe that even the most
conservative BOT members prefer to invest in stocks connected with,
say, an Apartheid-like regime or the fracking industry, if better
alternatives are available. Fiduciary responsibility and social and
environmental responsibilities do not have to contradict each
other.”
Sincerely,
Danielle Jordan
President,
S.A.V.E.
The panel discussion was incredibly informative, with so many diverse perspectives it was the key to becoming environmentally conscious about the issue of fossil fuels at the mass production and consumption rate our world is currently under. Being a student of Valdosta State, I was highly disappointed that President McKinney was nowhere to be seen because I know he would have left a changed man (hopefully). I am excited to meet him at the solar panel ceremony Friday -hoping that he will actually come- because this is an issue that I feel very strongly about and it would comfort me to know that the President of my University shares the same concerns.
I commend all 4 professors that participated in the discussion last night; I am especially honored to have a shared profession with Dr. Williams -his plea for social movements demonstrated one of the main reasons that I joined Sociology!
I want to thank the students of Valdosta State University, and especially S.A.V.E., for their passionnate and scientific efforts to get the VSU to divest from fossil fuels. As the intellectual beacon on the hill, VSU has a responsiblity to set an example of environmental stewardship for all of South Georgia. I am confident that Dr. McKinney, Wayne Edwards, and the board of trustees will adhere to VSU’s slogan of “engaged innovation” by divesting from fossil fuels and building VSU’s reputation as a 21st century university.
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