Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility

Overview

Georgetown’s Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility (CISR) is charged with offering advice and guidance on implementation of the University’s Socially Responsible Investing Policy. CISR makes recommendations regarding the University’s voting of shareholder proxies and considers written proposals from members of the Georgetown community on issues related to socially responsible investing.

CISR was established as an advisory body. Fiduciary oversight for the endowment is vested in a subcommittee of the University’s Board of Directors, specifically the Subcommittee on Investments of the Committee on Finance and Administration.

CISR does not have authority to review, veto, or recommend specific endowment investments, or to address the day-to-day operations of the University. However, should the Committee decide that a proposal submitted by members of the University community merits further consideration, it will send a written report and recommendation of its findings to the Board, which has final decision-making authority.

CISR’s operations are governed by the following Principles & Operating Guidelines.


Committee Membership

The Committee is composed of twelve voting members, including faculty, staff, administrators, and student representatives. The chair of the Committee is James Feinerman, Associate Dean for Transnational Programs; Co-Director, Georgetown Law Asia; and James M. Morita Professor of Asian Legal Studies at the Georgetown University Law Center.

Current members include:


Meetings and Minutes

Fall 2024

October 4, 2024

Fall 2023

October 27, 2023

Spring 2023

March 30, 2023

Fall 2022

November 18, 2022

October 28, 2022

Fall 2021

October 20, 2021

Spring 2021

February 12, 2021: CISR Memo on GU Prison Divestment Campaign Proposal

Fall 2020

October 16, 2020

October 2, 2020

Spring 2020

January 16, 2020: CISR Memo on Sustainable Impact Investments and Fossil Fuel Divestment

January 10, 2020

Spring 2019

March 20, 2019

February 4, 2019

Fall 2018

November 12, 2018

Spring 2018

April 30, 2018: CISR Memo on Tar Sands Extraction

February 26, 2018

Fall 2017

November 10, 2017

October 13, 2017

Spring 2017

May 5, 2017

March 2, 2017: CISR Memo on Divestment Proposal

January 23, 2017

Fall 2016

November 15, 2016

October 14, 2016


Guidelines for Proposals

The CISR recognizes that decisions regarding investment responsibility are often controversial and that differing, and sometimes conflicting, opinions on a particular topic may exist within the university community. The Committee’s review of proposals is intended to promote thoughtful dialogue on these complex issues. To that end, the most effective proposals will include the following content and should be no more than five pages in length.


Contact Information

Any member of the university community interested in contacting the CISR or submitting a proposal for consideration is welcome to email the Committee at cisr@georgetown.edu.


Media Inquiries

Media inquiries regarding the CISR may be directed to the university Office of Strategic Communications at media@georgetown.edu.