On Oct. 31, Students for Unity invaded the park blocks on Halloween dressed in sandwich boards reading, “Moving the Money.”
Angi Cesario, events coordinator for Students for Unity, said that her organization wants to help ensure that Portland State Funds are used in socially responsible investments.
According to Students for Unity the group’s goals are to advocate for racial, social and economic justice on campus and in the community.
The group has requested the investment portfolio of the Portland State University Foundation to find out where the money is being invested.
Since the PSU Foundation is a nonprofit organization, their financial records are not for public disclosure.
“We feel as students we have a right to know where our money is,” Cesario said.
The PSU Foundation is an independent organization that raises and manages money on behalf of Portland State Univeristy.
On Nov. 28, the PSU Foundation will have its first board meeting of the year. Students for Unity hopes to ensure that that they are on the agenda for that meeting.
If the Students for Unity are on the agenda, then there are three questions that they want to ask the PSU Foundation.
The first request is to ask that the PSU Foundation invests one percent of their total investment portfolio to go into community development banks.
The hope is that if a certain percentage of money goes into the community development banks, it helps the community and takes the money away from the corporations.
Cesario said that Students for Unity wants to ensure that Portland State students are serving the needs of the community.
The second request from Students for Unity would be that there is students, faculty and staff representation on the PSU Foundation board.
Students for Unity is pushing the PSU Foundation to have a long-term objective of being socially responsible.
The goal of Students for Unity is to collect enough signatures from students, faculty and staff to show the support of the university for this cause.
Students for Unity is currently trying to recruit and to get petitions signed, and a series of information sessions will occur until the day of the PSU Foundation board meeting.
Students for Unity holds weekly meetings in Smith Memorial Center, Room 225, every Thursday from 4-5:30 p.m. For more information about the group, call 503-725-8777 or e-mail unity@mail.pdx.edu. The group also encourages people to stop by its office in the sub-basement of Smith Memorial Center.