UBC Graduate Research

Values and responsibility: developing a responsible investment policy at the university of british columbia Dominguez, Omar

Abstract

The investment returns of educational endowments in North America fell 24.1% on average in the last six months of 2008 (Commonfund Institute, 2009, p. 23). The overall losses represent a decline of about $94.5 billion USD in the value of endowment assets for the period of July 1 to November 30, 2008 (NACUBO and Commonfund Institute, 2009, p. 3). The devastating impact of the recent financial crisis on the value of endowments highlights the need for more rigorous investment management policies among institutions of higher learning. As part of expanding and strengthening the investment practices of colleges and universities, the present report argues that by engaging the expertise of a diverse set of academics and professionals, ‘Responsible Investment’ (RI) approaches provide valuable tools to identify and mitigate risk, thereby enhancing investment performance.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International