Editor’s note: This story includes vulgar language. Some speakers’ names were unable to be verified by The Badger Herald and ASM at the time of the publication date. This article was edited to properly reflect the institutions in charge of UW’s investments. It was also edited to correct Bobby Gronert’s quote from “Trump’s fascist buds” to “Trump’s fascist thugs” and context was added to Mnookin’s quote “I think what….” The word “some” was added to the sentence “As Mnookin began….”
The Associated Students of Madison held a student council meeting with University of Wisconsin Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin on Wednesday evening where students challenged her on UW’s investment of funds that are directed to Israel.
“For years upon years … anytime this issue is brought up, this university’s administration either ignores, downplays or flat out suppresses what students want,” a student, as seen wearing a black hoodie in the video, said. “Students have been demanding this for time and time and time again, and I don’t see any progress being made. It doesn’t seem like you guys care, and it’s very, very, very disheartening. I want to know if this is even something you guys are working towards.”
Mnookin said the university’s investments are made through two institutions that she does not have authority over. This was in reference to the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association and the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, which have investment management responsibilities of UW System Trust Funds, according to an email statement from Assistant Vice Chancellor John Lucas.
Student groups have claimed that there has been a lack of transparency in UW’s investment process, specifically about funds directed to the global investment manager company BlackRock.
Lucas said that investment practices in questions are not managed by the university — rather these independent groups are responsible for their own reporting and approval processes.
Further, Mnookin said that she believes there is a structural misunderstanding surrounding how investments at the university are made, emphasizing that no students’ tuition dollars are being invested in that manner.
“I think what I need to say to you is that I actually don’t control what our university does,” Mnookin said, referring to the university’s investment policy. “I genuinely don’t control it. I also would say that there’s actually much more diversity of viewpoint about whether investment processes should look at issues like this or not.”
Mnookin said she is not looking toward divestment as an opportunity, stating that she does not have control over the investment process as a reason.
“Your budget condones genocide,” one student, as seen wearing a leather jacket in the video, said.
“You do have power. You use this constant rhetoric of ‘We have no power. This is out of our control.’ It’s not true. Use your voice,” the student wearing a black hoodie said.
In response, Mnookin expressed her gratitude to speak to students about issues facing the campus. She said she hopes to provide students with tools to be advocates for the matters they are passionate about.
As Mnookin began leaving the meeting, some attendees stood up from their seats and chanted “shame, shame, shame” toward Mnookin as she walked out of the conference room.
Following her departure, meeting members addressed Mnookin’s responses in an open forum.
“I want to start by addressing directly a statement Mnookin just left with, which is that ‘I hope we give you the tools to be fierce advocates,’” attendee Mo Cronesgrove said. “I’m saying this is expressly bullsh—.”
Meeting members — such as SSFC secretary of ASM Bobby Gronert — continued, questioning where their tuition money goes in terms of the university’s compliance with the Trump administration in matters of both immigration and in suppression of pro-Palestinian advocacy.
“They don’t give a sh—,” Gronert said. “Trump’s fascist thugs are coming across the country, and they’re probably going to come here. They’re not going to do sh— about Palestine, and I don’t have any faith that any student will be protected by anyone under this administration.”
Besides discussion of the university’s investment process, the open forum covered topics such as international enrollment, freedom of speech on campus, animal rights and more.
Mnookin began the meeting by discussing student enrollment statistics, which are generally increasing, aside from a few low numbers.
“International enrollment is also somewhat down,” Mnookin said. “We were not surprised by that, frankly — disappointed but not surprised, given the current political climate.”
After Mnookin’s remarks, including statements on the recent government shutdown, she took questions from attendees regarding current UW matters.
GAC representative at ASM Laila McLaughlin expressed concern on UW’s lack of support for diversity, equity and inclusion student organizations.
“It’s a culture shock that you cannot advertise to those types of students and then get them to come here, and then there’s no support,” McLaughlin said.
Mnookin took further questions about animal abuse and free speech. UW student animal advocacy member Ryan Blum mentioned that UW researchers are scared to reach out concerning animal abuse and that having zones where speech is monitored around UW buildings violated free speech.
Mnookin responded by emphasizing the importance that animal research has toward human health. Further, she stated the importance of free speech to UW and underscored the university’s free speech policies being traditional.
“I think there’s a lot of ways that you as students can engage in free expression,” Mnookin said. “Absolutely you should have reasonable and substantial opportunities to share your views across campus. Reasonable time, place and manner restrictions are not inconsistent with free speech. They’re part of the underlying structure of how we protect free speech in complicated environments like the university.”
