After close deliberation, the Graduate Student and Professional Council decided not to approve the resolution to divest SIU funds from fossil fuel companies.

Patricia Walker, a senior from Carbondale studying biological sciences, spoke on behalf of Students Engaging in Nature Sustainability and Environmentalism and made final appeals to have the divestment resolution approved.

Some members expressed qualms about the resolution and the council discussed whether to divest funding completely or to take gradual steps.

Patrick Hunn, vice president for administrative affairs, said divesting in fossil fuels could be problematic for the university because of its deep rooted history with the coal industry.

“Having the main university in southern Illinois, which is coal country, come out against fossil fuels might upset the community,” he said. “It might be a better stance to come out in support of those companies who adhere to [Environmental Protection Agency] requirements as opposed to saying we should completely get out of any investments in fossil fuels.”

Walker said despite Carbondale’s strong ties with the coal industries, SIU could profit greatly from no longer supporting coal.

“It’s part of progressing from what old history is. Coal investments are the least profitable,” she said. “A lot of other universities agreed ‘We’re not going to divest from all the fossil fuel industry, but we are going to divest from coal.’”

She also said universities that had divested saw an increase in donations.

After debating the pros and cons of the divestment resolution, the council made the decision to not approve it in its current state. Walker can adjust the resolution and resubmit it.

Interim Provost Susan Ford also spoke at the GPSC meeting.

Ford said providing quality education was the top priority for the university and because of its financial challenges, there have been budget cuts. However, the decision was made to hold graduate assistant lines stable, she said.

“To stay a Carnegie hard research institution, we have to maintain our support of graduate programs,” she said. “So while we have fiscal problems, we’re addressing and working through them, and we are trying to do so in a way that doesn’t undermine the quality of education.”