On Friday, December 6, a small group of students protested inside Gordon Hall. The students posted several demands and asked to meet with a senior administrator who met with the group earlier today. 

The group asked for updates concerning the ongoing review of a formal divestment request from companies doing business in or with Israel, made to the university earlier this year. As part of the university’s Responsible Investing Policy, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane established a Review Committee for Responsible Investing. As part of the review committee’s process, public consultations ran from August to mid-October, during which the committee invited community perspectives through both written submissions and in-person presentations. In total, the committee received over 320 written submissions, representing 550 individuals and organizations, and held 44 in-person consultations on campus. 

As stated publicly, the committee is now reviewing the input received focusing on the request’s alignment with university policies, the feasibility and potential impact on Queen’s overall investment portfolios. The committee will produce a recommendation report for the Principal, who will then present it to the university’s trustees. An update on this work was published on November 20 in the Queen’s Gazette.