Skip to main content

To: Ball State Foundation Board of Trustees

Divest Ball State University from Fossil Fuels

Because it is unethical to pay for our education with investments that will condemn the planet to climate disaster, we call on Ball State University to immediately freeze any new investment in fossil-fuel companies, and if there are investments in the fossil fuel industry, to divest within five years from direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil-fuel public equities and corporate bonds.

Why is this important?

In recent years, Ball State has developed a reputation as an institution at the forefront of social and environmental responsibility. Despite significant progress at the university, the foundation’s endowment investments remain closed to the public. In 1999, as we entered the 21st century, Ball State made a commitment to sustainability; students, shareholders, and alumni deserve to know that the university and its affiliates are living up to that promise. If the current financial opacity continues, confidence in the administration’s commitments will continue to erode. Only when the investment policies are public knowledge can we work together to uphold the principles that this institution has adopted, while ensuring the university’s financial health and success.

Ball State is seen as one of the most sustainable schools in the nation and has taken many steps to achieve this creditability. Some examples of what Ball State has done is having the largest geothermal in the country, all of our buildings meet LEED silver certification, and Ball State has received several awards for being environmentally conscious. However, if Ball State University is investing fossil fuel companies, Ball State is being hypocritical in their actions. For Ball State to be a truly sustainable campus, transparency of funds and not investing in fossil fuel corporations are essential next steps.

Not to mention, climate change is accelerating.

We are witnessing the increasing impacts of a warming planet more and more consistently; in this last year alone our country experienced record-breaking heat, droughts, and hurricanes, which impacted hundreds of thousands of people and cost our country hundreds of billions of dollars. Hurricane Sandy alone caused $50bn in damages.

Experts agree that global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels will continue to accelerate and intensify these tragic climate disasters. The scientific consensus is clear and overwhelming; we cannot safely burn even half of global fossil-fuel reserves without dangerously warming the planet for several thousand years.

As public pressure to confront climate change builds, we call on Ball State University to immediately freeze any new investment in fossil-fuel companies, and to divest within five years from direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil-fuel public equities and corporate bonds. We believe such action on behalf of Ball State University will not only be a sound decision for our institution’s financial portfolio, but also for the wellbeing of its current and future graduating classes, who deserve the opportunity to graduate with a future not defined by climate chaos.

Ball State University, Muncie, IN

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Links

Updates

2015-02-11 16:40:08 -0500

1,000 signatures reached

2014-02-20 13:46:47 -0500

Flash mob to a parody of Gold Digger was done today to gain some publicity! Check out the video here and share with your friends! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGBagJvH-xo

2013-12-06 15:05:10 -0500

500 signatures reached

2013-09-24 14:57:05 -0400

100 signatures reached

2013-09-09 23:54:30 -0400

10 signatures reached