Faculty, Staff and Alumni in Favor of Fossil Fuel Divestment

As Middlebury faculty and staff, we hope our trustees will commit to fossil-fuel divestment and a new kind of investment, investment that yields high returns and embodies the promise of this challenging age.

Health technologies designed to perform miracles; clean-energy electricity for the world’s poorest; new financial instruments for striving small businesses: let’s invest Middlebury’s money this way, not in the clutter and peril of fossil fuels.

We respect the trustees’ stewardship of our institution, an institution for which we have the highest aspirations. We suspect that most board members support a new approach to college investing, with one hesitation: it’s complicated. It might even mean changing Middlebury’s relationship with Investure.

To that we say: “Bring it on!” After all, the transition to a better global economy will be easy for no one. Let’s show the investment community, the academic community and the global community that it can be done. In so doing, we’ll be on the right side of history, embracing the best economics and displaying the values of our mission: “leadership in a rapidly changing global community.”

Divestment can mean a new kind of investment. Wouldn’t that be a celebration of the liberal arts in action?

Faculty and staff signatories:

Alfredo Ortiz, Alison Nurok, Allison Coyne Carroll, Amy Holbrook, Andrea Kerz-Murray, Andrea Olsen, Andrew Gardner, Anne Knowles, Annie Dolber, Antonia Losano, Ashar Nelson, Avery McNiff, Beth Thompson, Bill McKibben, Bob Cole, Brenda Ellis, Brett Millier, Carolyn Craven, Carrie Macfarlane, Catherine Ashcraft, Catherine Combelles, Chris McGrory Klyza, Christopher Shaw, Dan Brayton, David Haward Bain, David Stoll, Deborah Young, Diane Munroe, Elizabeth Karnes Keefe, Ellen Oxfeld, Erick Gong, Erin Sassin, Eva Gudbergsdottir, Francisca Drexel, Glenn Andres, Grace Spatafora, Hector Vila, Helen Young, Hilary Cunningham, Jack Byrne, Jane Kimble, Jason Scorse, Jay Parini, Jeff Munroe, John Elder (emeritus), John Emerson, John Huddleston, John Maluccio, Jon Cormier, Jon Isham, Judy Olinick, Kacy McKinney, Karin Hanta, Kemi Fuentes-George, Kent Glenzer, Kevin Moss, Kim Ammons, Kirsten Hoving, Kristina Simmons, Linus Owens, Marc Lapin, Michelle McCauley, Miguel Fernandez, Mike Sheridan, Molly Costanza-Robinson, Pamela Berenbaum, Peter Hans Matthews, Peter Nelson, Rebecca Kneale Gould, Rebekah Irwin, Richard Wolfson, Sallie Sheldon, Scott Barnicle, Shawna Shapiro, Sophie Esser Calvi, Stefano Mula, Supriti Jaya Ghosh, Susan DeSimone, Susan Kavanagh, Tracy Himmel Isham, Tsuneo Akaha, Yumna Siddiqi, Yuwei Shi

Alumni signatories:

Aliki Barnstone, Anika James, Bennett Konesni, Blair Bowie, Bonnie Carton, Cedar Attanasio, Christian Hicks, Christine Gould, Clare O’Reilly, Darlene Lake, Devi Glick, Eliza Todd Haselton, Emily (Nelson) Tyler, Esther Ouray, Gioia Kuss, Grace Hawkins, Gregory Blake Benson Jr., Gregory Dennis, Janet Halstead Franklin, Jeb Bennett, Joan Beal, Kristin Holsman-Francoeur, Lindsey Franklin, Macy Johnson, Marie Paquin, Mima Tipper, Mona Donderi Rogers , Retta Leaphart, Scott Menge, Stephanie Ellis, Susan Spilecki, Virginia Shannon, Xian Chiang-Waren