Students urging the University of Michigan to divest from Israeli companies and military contractors protested outside the homes of Regents last week. Following the protests, the body reaffirmed their decision not to divest the roughly $15 million the University says is indirectly invested in companies based in Israel.
Jordan Acker is a Regent at the University of Michigan. He says student protesters came to his home last week and left a list of demands on his front door.
Acker says the University of Michigan has a long tradition of student protests. However, after last week's events, Acker says there needs to be clear expectations and consequences for protests that violate university policy.
“When it comes to the fall, we need to be at a place where our rules are enforced, where violations of those rules are met with, not severe, but predictable consequences.”
Acker says the Regents will continue to make the decisions on the endowment that are in the best financial interest of the university.
“I don’t ever want to be in a situation where a potential student at the university is unable to attend the university as a Michigander because we haven't maximized those revenues.”
The University says about 0.1% of its endowment is indirectly invested in companies based in Israel, amounting to about $15 million of the University’s $17.9 billion endowment.
Acker encourages students to participate in public comment at the UM Regents meetings.
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