Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.78
Liaison Brandon Trelstad
Submission Date April 30, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Oregon State University
PA-14: Sustainable Investment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.08 / 4.00 Molly Brown
Sr. Director, Communications & Stewardship
OSU Foundation
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total value of the investment pool:
447,147,466 US/Canadian $

Value of holdings in each of the following categories::
Value of Holdings
Sustainable industries (e.g. renewable energy or sustainable forestry) ---
Businesses selected for exemplary sustainability performance (e.g. using criteria specified in a sustainable investment policy) 5,256,703 US/Canadian $
Sustainability investment funds (e.g. a renewable energy or impact investment fund) ---
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or the equivalent ---
Socially responsible mutual funds with positive screens (or the equivalent) ---
Green revolving loan funds that are funded from the endowment ---

A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:

Holdings reported above receive the highest ESG score as determined by the Foundation's investment consultants.


Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
Yes

A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
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The sustainable investment policy:

Sustainable invesment practices are addressed in the Foundation's Investment Policy. Relevant paragraphs are excerpted below:

... As a fiduciary of private gifts provided to support this mission, the Foundation’s primary investment objective is to achieve the highest long-term total investment return on investment assets that is compatible with the Foundation’s risk tolerance and time horizons and consistent with prudent investment practices.

A successful, long-term investment strategy must include a diverse portfolio of companies that are excellent corporate citizens. The Foundation strives to invest in companies that maximize shareholder transparency and are committed to the protection of their workforce and natural environment over the long term.

The Foundation’s investment staff will ensure that the Foundation’s investment consultants provide ratings on environmental, social, and corporate governance (“ESG”) factors for all new fund managers under consideration, and for all existing fund managers as part of the annual due diligence process. The Foundation’s investment staff will report this information to the Investment Committee, and the Investment Committee will take this information into consideration when evaluating current and prospective fund managers, and when managing the Foundation’s direct investments. ...


Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
Yes

A brief description of how the policy is applied, including recent examples:

The Foundation’s investment staff will ensure that the Foundation’s investment consultants provide ratings on environmental, social, and corporate governance (“ESG”) factors for all new fund managers under consideration, and for all existing fund managers as part of the annual due diligence process. The Foundation’s investment staff will report this information to the Investment Committee, and the Investment Committee will take this information into consideration when evaluating current and prospective fund managers, and when managing the Foundation’s direct investments.


Does the institution's sustainable investment policy include negative screens?:
No

A brief description of the negative screens and how they have been implemented:
---

Approximate percentage of the endowment that the negative screens apply to:
0

Has the institution engaged in proxy voting, either by its CIR or other committee or through the use of guidelines, to promote sustainability during the previous three years?:
No

A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
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A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
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Has the institution filed or co-filed one or more shareholder resolutions that address sustainability or submitted one or more letters about social or environmental responsibility to a company in which it holds investments during the previous three years?:
No

Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
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Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engaging in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
Yes

A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:

Foundation staff monitors and shares best practices and networks with peer institutions regarding issues and emerging trends in responsible investing. Primary networks include the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)'s Institutionally Related Foundations group, Associated Governing Boards (AGB), the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), and Mercer LLC.


The website URL where information about the institution's sustainable investment efforts is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.