University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
PA-9: Committee on Investor Responsibility

The University of Illinois Joint Advisory Committee on Investment, Licensing, and Naming Rights provides advice to the Chancellor’s Office on issues of social responsibility related to investments, licensing, and naming rights consistent with the values of the university. This committee expanded from the previously named "Joint Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Licensing and Investment". This group is the primary committee to discuss the Illinois Sustainable Investment Act. Additionally, fossil fuel divestment was formally recommended by the Joint Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Licensing and Investment.

Additional issues within its responsibility include, but are not limited to, licensing of the campus’s names, symbols, and insignia; supporting workers’ rights and fair labor practices; sponsorship of products; and corporate social responsibility more generally.
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Responsibilities
The Board of Trustees develops basic University policy on investments and delegates the execution of those policies to its administrative agents, who are required to be guided by the Board's policies and report to the Board. The Comptroller has been delegated transaction authority to assist the Audit, Budget, Finance, and Facilities Committee of the Board in the areas of investments and banking. That Committee meets regularly to review the University's investment program. The investment policy describes the overall level of risk the Board of Trustees deems appropriate.

The Vice President/Chief Financial Officer and Comptroller is authorized to manage University investments at his/her discretion consistent with the Board of Trustees' policy and/or with investment managers appointed by the Board of Trustees.

The investment function is centralized in Treasury Operations. The Vice President/Chief Financial Officer and Comptroller has delegated to the Senior Assistant Vice President for Treasury Operations the authority and responsibility to develop, and, after necessary consultations, disseminate guidelines and procedures regarding the investment of University funds. The Senior Assistant Vice President for Treasury Operations is also authorized to develop, install, and oversee the operations of suitable business systems to accomplish this function. The Senior Assistant Vice President for Business and Finance or delegate is responsible for the security and administration of University bank accounts. The Senior Director of Treasury Operations is responsible for the daily management of University bank balances and general oversight of EFT activity. Requests for exceptions to approved investment policies should be addressed to the Comptroller.

The Senior Assistant Vice President for Treasury Operations is also responsible and has authority for day-to-day investment operations. Endowment investment transactions are reported to the Board of Trustees. Investment managers are appointed by the Board of Trustees to execute the policy and invest the assets in accordance with established policy, but apply their own judgments concerning relative investment values. Investment managers are accorded full discretion, within policy limits, to select individual investments and diversify their portfolios.

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https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/files/projectupdate/7354/U%20of%20I%20Investing%20in%20Climate%20Solutions%20%E2%80%94%20From%20the%20Ground%20Up%20_%20ILLINOIS.pdf

The U of I’s investment assets are managed in two parts. The University of Illinois Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, controls the bulk of the endowment, or about $2.2 billion, investing funds given in support of the
three universities in Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield. That process is overseen by an Investment Policy Committee that reports to the Foundation’s board.

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Membership
The Committee shall consist of:
Five members of the faculty;

One academic professional;

Three students, including at least one undergraduate student and at least one graduate or professional student;

A representative from the University of Illinois Extension, designated by the Director of Extension (ex officio with vote);

The representative of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics with responsibility for licensing and corporate sponsorships, designated by the Director of DIA (ex officio with vote);

The campus’s representative to the University Caucus of the Worker Rights Consortium (ex officio with vote);

A member of the Office of the Chancellor designated by the Chancellor (ex officio).

The University of Illinois Joint Advisory Committee on Investment, Licensing, and Naming Rights worked on implementing the Sustainable Investors Policy and formally recommended to the Chancellor that the University of Illinois divest from fossil fuels.