A hub coordinator for MSU’s Sunrise Movement, Portia Chana, spoke on the Board’s lack of transparency regarding fossil fuel divestment and the Nassar scandals. 

“The first example of a lack of transparency, and frankly a lack of care, that comes to mind is the case of Larry Nassar,” Chana said. “Not only avoiding a vote to release 6,000 Nassar-related documents, but also not making the healing fund smoother and a more accessible resource for Nassar survivors.”

MSU is currently involved in contracts with hedge fund companies that invest millions of university dollars in the Marathon Petroleum Corporation, one of the major polluters in the Metro Detroit area, Chana said.

“There’s a national climate emergency, and our University is actively funding the problem through the discretion of hedge funds,” Chana said.  

Trustee Melanie Foster said in her comment to the board that MSU has not invested in fossil fuels since 2018 and the endowment does not make investments in individual stocks.

“We have no intention going forward of investing in fossil fuels,” Foster said.

Chair Dianne Byrum also noted the energy transition plan that MSU adopted.

“We walked the walk, we didn’t just talk the talk,” Byrum said.

The plan involved retiring the coal power plant, placing solar panels above carports and using geothermal and solar power to heat buildings.

“The board is in alignment here and they’ve had a very progressive stand when it comes to climate and making sure that we’re doing our part in climate change,” Byrum said. “That includes our students and our research.”

Sunrise hub coordinator Troy Distelrath said MSU’s investments, although not direct, are harmful contributions to climate change. For example, he mentioned million-dollar investments such as Marathon and other hedge funds.

“We can take an action to make some settlement payment with our hedge funds for an actually moral and just purpose of not bringing about a global climate crisis,” Distelrath said.