Goshen College
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Sustainable investment is addressed in the Climate Action Plan (uploaded below):
The core values of our stewardship investing approach since 2000 are:
1. Respect the dignity and value of all people
2. Build a world at peace and free from violence
3. Demonstrate a concern for justice in a global society
4. Exhibit responsible management practices
5. Support and involve communities
6. Practice environmental stewardship
These core values impact the decisions of which companies to invest in and which to avoid in all
actively managed sections of our endowment. Domestic and International company restricted
lists created out of these values are provided to all managers of the Goshen College endowment
by Everence (another agency of Mennonite Church USA), who as a partner entity provides
investment screening services for Goshen College and other pool participants.. Everence is a
nationally recognized leader in environmental and stewardship investing. See
http://www.everence.com/stewardship­investing/. The Goshen College financial staff reviews
and monitors investments closely and regularly updates the Board of Directors to insure
compliance with institutional policies.
As a result of this ongoing process of environmental stewardship in our investing practices, a
December 2015 review of the MEA fund pooled endowment portfolio holdings showed that the
fund’s portfolio contained only 1.3% of the Carbon Underground 200 list of fossil fuel
companies and only 0.1% of the Filthy Fifty Coal list, with the companies in the portfolio on
those lists held primarily by a pooled fund international manager where it is extremely difficult
to apply stewardship investing screens.
Because of the high impact of the fossil fuel industry on the environment and a continued need to
promote alternative energy sources, Goshen College is committed to continuing the conversation
on investment strategies. This conversation is happening on campus through student engagement
and education efforts, advocacy for socially responsible investing, and the work of organizations
such as the Ecological Stewardship Committee and GC Divest.

From the 2020 Strategic Plan draft (uploaded below), two Aspirations specifically relate to DEI:
Aspiration 3: Broadly diverse and exceptionally talented faculty and staff who collaboratively lead a rigorous and vibrant team-based educational environment.
1. Celebrate our accomplishments
2. Achieve prominence within our disciplines and professions
3. Enhance recruitment and retention of employees with under-represented identities on our campus
4. Strengthen campus shared governance and communication
5. Embrace and renew our Anabaptist-Mennonite faith identity

Aspiration 4: Student experiences that enhance involvement, inclusion and belonging for all
1. Engage entire student body
a. Strengthen commuter student engagement
b. Support and retain historically under-represented students
2. Create a stronger culture of student leadership
3. Focus on faith development
4. Strengthen and integrate Maple Leaf Athletics in the campus experience
5. Build stronger bridges from student to alumni experiences

Goshen College's Mission and Vision statements, and our core values reflect our commitment to respect for all people and global citizenship that includes caring for and sustaining the earth. Our community of faith and learning is built on five core values: Christ-centeredness, passionate learning, servant leadership, compassionate peacemaking and global citizenship.
CHRIST-CENTEREDNESS:
a reflective faith that nurtures spiritual growth in individual and corporate contexts
an active faith that informs all life’s choices
PASSIONATE LEARNING:
the mastery of a major field of study as the basis for life-long learning, service, relationships, and work in a socially and culturally diverse context
an extensive foundation of knowledge, skills, processes and methodologies derived from a liberal arts curriculum that are required for systematic study and problem solving
SERVANT LEADERSHIP:
a leadership ability that empowers self and others
a healthy understanding of self and others that is reflected in relationships of interdependence and mutual accountability
COMPASSIONATE PEACEMAKING:
a personal integrity that fosters the ability to resolve conflict and to promote justice
a commitment to diversity in all of its forms both conceptually and in practice
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP:
an intercultural openness with the ability to function effectively with people of other world views with a responsible understanding of stewardship for human systems and the environment in a multicultural world.
https://www.goshen.edu/about/mission/

The February 2019 board-approved strategic directions includes as a major priority: 3. Become a more visible leader in environmental science and sustainability through more strategic and synergistic programs and promotions to address the climate crisis and environmental degradation--among the most complex and urgent problems of our time.

[see 2016 Climate Action Plan pdf above]
[see strategic directions pdf above]

June 26, 2017 President Brenneman signed on, with other educational institutions and communitites, to the "We are still in" letter indicating our ongoing commitment to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. https://www.goshen.edu/news/2017/06/26/president-brenneman-signs-letter-stating-still-paris-climate-agreement/

In early 2019 we partnered with Earthdeeds.org to provide a platform for calculating the carbon cost of travel, and designated three on-setting beneficiaries that donations would support. http://earthdeeds.org/org.php?orgid=39