The University of Vermont’s Socially Responsible Investment Work Group (SRIWG) announced on Thursday that it will not act on the proposal to divest from companies “directly profiting from the [Israeli] occupation of Palestine.”

UVM Controller Claire Burlingham, who serves as SRIWG leader, said, “It was felt that the proposal had a number of shortcomings, including that it was too broad and that an appropriate definition of offending behavior was difficult to identify clearly.”

She noted that the SRIWG has declined to indicate its “support or non-support” of the proposal, but said, “There will be no further consideration of the proposal at this time.”

As ICB previously reported, UVM’s student government tabled a similar proposal earlier this month and, after a concerted effort by campus and off-campus Israel supporters, this SRIWG decision had been expected.

UVM Hillel director Susan Leff, who spearheaded campus efforts to oppose the proposal, expressed satisfaction at the SRIWG decision not to act.

“I’m happy and relieved to know that this proposal to divest has been put aside by the Socially Responsible Investing Work Group,” Leff told Israel Campus Beat. “My preference would have been for the Work Group to vote ‘No’ on the proposal but this outcome is acceptable to us.”

Burlingham noted that the SRIWG will not reconsider the proposal “unless it is revised to address the issues identified… and is submitted for consideration again in response to a subsequent call for proposals.

“We do not plan to issue a new call for proposals for the Socially Responsible Investment Work Group until the next academic year,” she added.

Many students, faculty and off-campus groups participated in the effort to counter the divestment proposal. “We hope that in the process, a few more people understand the complexity of the issues involved in the quest for peace in this conflict,” Leff concluded.

http://www.israelcampusbeat.org/home/news/11-03-31/Update_UVM_Defers_Divestment_Bid.aspx