Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.46
Liaison Winnie Mulamba
Submission Date March 13, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of South Florida St. Petersburg
PA-9: Sustainable Investment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.27 / 4.00 Brian Pullen
Sustainability Planner
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Option 1: Positive Sustainability Investment 

Does the institution wish to pursue Option 1 (positive sustainability investment)?:
Yes

Total value of the investment pool:
363,924,275 US/Canadian $

Value of holdings in each of the following categories:
Value of Holdings
Sustainable industries (e.g. renewable energy or sustainable forestry) 0 US/Canadian $
Businesses selected for exemplary sustainability performance (e.g. using criteria specified in a sustainable investment policy) 0 US/Canadian $
Sustainability investment funds (e.g. a renewable energy or impact investment fund) 15,000,000 US/Canadian $
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or the equivalent 0 US/Canadian $
Socially responsible mutual funds with positive screens (or the equivalent) 0 US/Canadian $
Green revolving loan funds that are funded from the endowment 0 US/Canadian $

If any of the above is greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:
USF Foundation has commitments to a private equity natural resources manager totalling $15 million. They will allocate to forestry and renewable energy as well as other natural resource properties and projects. Additionally, USF Foundation has $10 million in outstanding commitments to venture capital manager that aims for a roughly 10% allocation to "cleantech," which typically includes investments in renewable energy and other sustainability efforts. Given the nature of this investment, the value of specific sustainable investments cannot be determined.

Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
4.12

Option 2: Investor Engagement 

Does the institution wish to pursue Option 2 (investor engagement)?:
Yes

Sustainable Investment Policy 

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

None
A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
Policy Guidelines 2012-13 LBR Guidelines FINAL.pdf

None
The sustainable investment policy:
The Board of Governors (Board) and universities’ boards of trustees to jointly manage the system to meet the critical needs of the state, achieve the statewide goals and objectives of the State University System (SUS) Strategic Plan, address specific institutional issues as outlined in the university work plans, and demonstrate accountability/ justification.

None
Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
Yes

None
A brief description of how the policy is applied, including recent examples:
Investments and budgetary matters are guided primarily by the strategic plans developed: Goal One: Well-educated and highly skilled global citizens through our continuing commitment to student success Goal Two: High-impact research and innovation to change lives, improve health, and foster sustainable development and positive societal change Goal Three: A highly effective, major economic engine, creating new partnerships to build a strong and sustainable future for Florida in the global economy Goal Four: Sound financial management to establish a strong and sustainable economic base in support of USF’s continued academic advancement

Proxy Voting 

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?:
Yes

None
A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
Foundationa Articles.pdf

None
A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
The Articles of Incorporation of the Foundation may be amended or additional provisions added or adopted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the Board of Trustees present or voting by proxy at any meeting thereof, and in all instances subject to the written concurrence of the President of the University of South Florida provided, however, that notice thereof, which shall include the text of the change in the Articles of Incorporation, has been furnished in writing to each trustee of the Foundation at least ten (1 0) days prior to the meeting at which such change in the Articles of Incorporation is to be voted upon.

Shareholder Resolutions 

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?:
Yes

None
Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
The Foundation and the USF College of Business oversees student participation in shareholder responsibilty by assigning them task of proxy voting for shares owned in the Student Managed Investment Fund. It is up to the students to review the proxy ballots and file the votes for their shares. Any participation in shareholder advocacy is at their discretion as well.

Negative Screens / Divestment Efforts 

Does the institution have a publicly available investment policy with negative screens?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the negative screens and how they have been implemented:
Many of the private funding companies engaged to complete University investments have negative screens: https://institutional.vanguard.com/VGApp/iip/site/institutional/investments/productoverview?fundId=1349

None
Approximate percentage of the endowment that the negative screens apply to:
60

Investor Networks 

Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engage in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:
Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce By Partnering with Industry: Students win when we forge alliances with corporate partners to bring internships and mentors into their lives. They win as faculty use real-world corporate projects in the classroom. They win when they see how their USF business education can help them get a job – and contribute to a business investing networks. The college, employers, and students all win when companies play a role in shaping our academic programs. Such engagement attracts top employers like Google, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Walt Disney, Nielsen, Amazon, and FedEx to the college.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://giving.usf.edu/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
USFSP-Vision 2020-Strategic Plan.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.