Socially Responsible Investing at UF

Dear President Bernie Machen:

We the undersigned support the student-led initiative to implement Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) strategies at the University of Florida. We believe that in formulating investment strategy, projected financial gain is just one of several important criteria to be taken into consideration. We'd like a portfolio that places emphasis not only on growth, but on the effects of that growth on environmental and human communities. As we enter the tumultuous times ahead, we want to ensure that our public university is supporting corporations and funds that ensure the sustainability of our future.

We understand that the successful implementation of SRI policies is a long term and involved process. As such, we believe that it requires the focused attention of a Socially Responsible Investing Advisory Committee comprised of student, faculty, and alumni representatives who would advise the Board of Trustees on SRI policy. We are pleased to see that in the Spring 2008 Student Government elections, 81.5\% of voters supported a referendum calling for the creation of such a committee.

We strongly urge you to begin taking the necessary steps towards the implementation of SRI at UF. This is the type of forward-thinking initiative our public universities ought to be tackling in the 21st century, and we believe there is no better school to lead the way than UF.