Portland, Oregon (coinPortland State University will form a new committee to focus on university investments and partnerships in the wake of calls to end its relationship with Boeing, Portland State President Ann Cudd announced Friday.
The Committee on Socially Responsible Investments and Partnerships is tasked with examining the University’s practices and investments and making recommendations to support the University’s mission and values.
The announcement was made by the Portland State University Student Union. May 13th Resolution They called on the university to end its relationship with Boeing, citing its association with “war and human rights violations.”
“My intention is to broaden the conversation to ensure that decisions about investments, giving and partnerships are based on PSU’s values and take into account all considerations that align with our mission,” Cudd said in Friday’s announcement.
The university’s president said he spoke with students, faculty, alumni, donors and community members last month before deciding to form the committee to replace the public forum originally scheduled for June 5.
Committee members will be finalized by Cudd over the summer and are expected to include students, faculty and trustees from PSU and the PSU Foundation.
Meanwhile, Cudd said PSU will continue to suspend receipt of new contributions from Boeing while giving time for the committee to convene and issue its recommendations.
“I thank the entire PSU community, including ASPSU leadership and the work of PSU students, and I look forward to moving forward together,” Cudd concluded.
Cudd said the creation of the committee was the “right step” to address the issues the ASPSU raised in its resolution.
The resolution says Boeing’s “business is linked to significant ethical and humanitarian concerns, particularly in the areas of war, violence and human rights violations,” which it argues are inconsistent with the school’s values of sustainability, equality, diversity and inclusion.
The ASPSU criticized Boeing’s history of supplying aircraft to the Israeli military and the use of Boeing equipment in attacks on the Gaza Strip.
In a joint statement on May 24 after the ASPSU resolution was released, PSU Student Body President Yousif Ibrahim and President Kad announced that the university will admit a Palestinian scholar in fall 2025 and establish a scholarship for students directly affected by the war in Gaza.
Cudd also pledged to “support new curriculum proposals from PSU faculty that analyze Islamophobia, anti-Semitic, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab rhetoric.”
The joint statement also acknowledged the protests on campus.
We want to collectively recognize the passionate and impactful student activism that took place on PSU’s campus. We salute the tradition of student protest and its power to create positive change in the world, and we are proud of the PSU students who participated in nonviolent activism and became part of this important living history.
Throughout this difficult time, our campus community has also been affected by widespread property destruction, hateful rhetoric, emotional harm, and violence. We believe these actions have weakened the voices of student activists rather than enhancing their powerful messages. They have also made our campuses spaces of uncertainty and fear for those who live, learn, and work there. We collectively condemn this violence and the harm it has caused.
KOIN 6 News has reached out to Boeing and will update this story if we hear back.
