At Colorado College, our primary responsibility is to deliver an outstanding liberal arts education that empowers students to think critically, practice empathetic leadership, and be active participants in society and democracy.

Prior to the June 2024 Board of Trustees retreat, a group of faculty and a group of students met with Board Chair Jeff Keller and Board Investment Committee Chair John Troubh to discuss divestment requests related to war and conflict in the Middle East. We appreciate the student and faculty groups’ engagement with the Board and use of established processes to bring forward requests. Today, we write to share the outcome of those conversations and how we arrived at our decision.

While we deeply value our community’s perspectives on investment matters, the Colorado College Board of Trustees has decided that the college will not divest, nor change the approach to divestment within CC’s Investment Policy, at this time.

The students and faculty with whom we engaged last spring also made specific requests for increased transparency around the endowment. After multiple discussions, we are moving forward with the following actions:

The strength of our endowment and the careful stewardship of our resources allow us to maintain the exceptional learning experiences we offer to all students. The payout from the endowment makes up nearly 20% of CC’s total operating budget each year, supporting crucial areas like financial aid, academic departments, the library, and high-impact practices including study abroad, field study, and faculty-student research. More information about CC’s endowment is available here.

When the Board makes decisions regarding investment or divestment in the endowment, we must consider the effect on the college’s overall budget, the burden placed on tuition dollars to cover college operations and employee compensation, and the resulting impact on current and future students. The Board’s fiduciary responsibilities require us to ensure the financial stability of the college, now and in the future — and our decision is grounded in this fundamental duty.

CC’s commitment to shared governance — in which faculty, staff, students, and trustees collaborate with mutual accountability, drawing on diverse perspectives and expertise — stands at the heart of our decision-making process.

A healthy community is one in which we maintain open dialogue and make informed choices based on due process and feedback. Thank you for your commitment to these values as we move forward together.

With appreciation,

Chair, Colorado College Board of Trustees 

Chair, Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees