Looking at the lighter patches of grass left behind by the tents from last spring’s encampment for Palestine, some might have thought that student activism on campus would start to lose its steam. But some key moments are still to come this fall semester, as activist groups and University administrators prepare for the next stage of a years-long push for divestment.
In October, the Corporation, Brown’s highest governing body, will vote on a proposal to divest from 10 companies with ties to Israel. The proposal was written by members of the activist group Brown Divest Coalition, who agreed to dismantle an encampment on the Main Green in exchange for the vote.
Here’s what’s happened since students went home last spring.
ACURM solicits community input in lead-up to divestment recommendation
The first step for Brown to consider a divestment resolution is the completion of a review from the Advisory Committee on University Resources Management, or ACURM. The group comprises students, faculty, staff and alumni who review and escalate recommendations on how Brown allocates its resources.
At the end of July, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 directed ACURM to review the proposal, known as the “Brown Divest Now” report, and issue a recommendation by Sept. 30.
ACURM will recommend divestment from the companies in the report if at least one of two criteria are fulfilled: the company causes a social harm that divesting could help correct, or the companies are causing social harm “so grave that it would be inconsistent with” the University’s values, Paxson wrote to ACURM.
“In gathering evidence to inform the committee’s recommendation, I expect ACURM to provide sufficient opportunities for input from Brown community members with a variety of perspectives on the proposal,” Paxson wrote.
On Aug. 2, ACURM invited the Brown community members to share written input on the proposal.
On Tuesday morning, ACURM also announced four digital forums to be held in early September for University community members to discuss divestment with the committee.
At the first meeting on Wednesday, members of Brown Divest Coalition are scheduled to present their proposal and answer questions from ACURM. In the second meeting on Sept. 9, students opposed to divestment will also present.
While these first two meetings will only be open to invited community members, the second two will feature “open listening sessions” where attendees will be called on to ask questions or make comments about the divestment proposal.
The Herald’s Spring 2024 Poll found that roughly two-third of students approve of a divestment resolution and around 14% oppose it.
Brown Divest Coalition prepares for ACURM presentation and semester ahead
Brown Divest Coalition has been working over the summer to prepare its case for divestment before ACURM and the Corporation.
The group submitted an updated version of its “Brown Divest Now” proposal to ACURM this July, which included additional context on the May encampment and negotiations with the University, said Anila Lopez Marks ’26, a representative of the group.
In advance of its Wednesday presentation to ACURM, BDC members held a public preparatory session to go over their proposal and practice answering mock questions from ACURM members.
The group also called on Brown to use a secret ballot process, allow student representatives at the October vote and to make a list of members who recused themselves from the vote available, among other demands. The University has not publicly agreed to these demands.
Brown Divest Coalition, which was born out of pro-divestment protests last winter, now serves as a coordinating body for various pro-Palestinian activism groups on campus.
“We have a very clear shared mission of pushing towards the divestment vote,” Lopez Marks said.
Sophia Wotman is a Senior Staff Writer covering the Affinity & Activism beat under University News. She is a sophomore from Long Island, New York studying Political Science and Music with an interest in women’s rights. She is a jazz trumpet player, and you’ll often find her performing on campus and around Providence.
