Northeastern said Wednesday it is rejecting students' demands that it divest and cut ties with companies that do business with the Israeli military.
In an updated FAQ article to the school media outlet Northeastern Global News, or NGN, the university provided answers to questions “Will Northeastern cut ties with companies that do business with the Israeli military? And will the university commit to divest its capital holdings in these companies?'
The university responded indirectly to both, stating that it would not “support efforts to limit students' experiential learning options,” “impose a political test on employers,” or use its gift as a “means to serve specific political agendas or for weighing matters on which reasonable men may differ.'
Pro-Palestine student groups have staged about a dozen protests on campus — including sit-ins, marches and strikes — since October. Many in the Northeast community have also released numerous letters and requests calling on the university for allegedly suppressing pro-Palestine student speech and failing to call for a ceasefire, recognize Israel historical killing Palestinians and severing and withdrawing from military and industrial companies.
Since the start of the war on October 7, President Joseph E. Aoun, Protector David Madigan, and Chancellor Ken Henderson have issued a statement October 10 condemning Hamas attacks and mourning “all the innocent lives lost” in Gaza and Israel.
Answering many questions about whether the university had an answer to continuous student protests against the Israel-Hamas warthe university sent a link to the FAQ in The News.
While the FAQ addressed a question about whether the university would respond to students' demands to divest from military-industrial corporations, Northeastern did not immediately respond to questions asking whether it plans to issue further statements about the conflict or whether it has a response to student claims that he is involved in the suppression of pro-Palestinian student speech.
The answers to frequently asked questions, which were added to an article first published by NGN on Dec. 11, emphasized the university's focus on experiential learning and collaborative programs. The cooperation program is based on the university's relationships with various companies that employ students, and students seek employment opportunities with companies that “align with — and reinforce — their studies in the classroom,” the statement said.
A major demand of many students protesting the war is that the university stop cooperating with and investing money in military-industrial corporations — such as Raytheon and General Dynamics – that arms supply in the Israeli army.
However, the university said it would not limit employers' choices based on the demands of students with “strong political views”.
“The university does not impose a civics test on employers, nor will we support efforts to limit students' experiential learning options,” the statement continued. “We hope that students who hold strong political views would not try to impose their views in a way that limits opportunities for their classmates.”
Huskies for a Free Palestine, an unofficial student group known as HFP, organized one February 8 strike to deliver a letter to Aoun asking the university to “denounce and disavow” what they called genocide in Palestine. The News confirmed with the university that the letter was delivered.
The university also said it did not see his privilege — which it summarized $1.5 billion by July 2022 — as a political tool.
“Northeastern's gift is invested to maximize opportunities to advance the university's educational and research mission,” the FAQ said. “Donation should not be seen as a tool to serve particular political agendas or weigh in on issues on which reasonable people can disagree.”
The university said it does not hold “direct investments” in any company, but invests in “combined funds – similar to mutual funds for individual investors – that include securities in a wide range of economic sectors”.
Pooled funds include assets contributed by investors to a single fund, according to Investopedia. They are similar to mutual funds, but are not regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, resulting in lower expenses and operating costs. Fund information is not as transparent as mutual funds because securities in commingled funds are not publicly traded.
The university also did not directly address questions from The News about its response to some pro-Palestinian student groups that claim the university is “targeting” pro-Palestinian students.
Read the whole thing Update FAQ below:
Will Northeastern cut ties with companies that do business with the Israeli military? And will the university commit to divest its capital holdings in these companies?
Northeastern is the global leader in experiential learning, supported by an affiliate program that maintains connections with thousands of employers. Students seek partnerships with employers that align with — and enhance — their classroom studies. The university does not impose a civics test on employers, nor will we support efforts to limit students' experiential learning options. We hope that students who hold strong political views would not try to impose their views in a way that limited opportunities for their classmates.
Northeastern's endowment is invested to maximize opportunities to advance the university's educational and research mission. Donation should not be seen as a means of serving particular political agendas or weighing issues on which reasonable people can disagree. It is important to emphasize that Northeastern does not hold direct investments in any company. This is because the funding is mainly invested in pooled funds – similar to mutual funds for individual investors – that include securities in a wide range of economic sectors.
