Thompson Rivers University says it will begin to publicly share details of its investments online “in response to growing public interest in the financial practices of Canadian universities.”

It says while the statements – which will be posted here – will be redacted to remove some information for privacy reasons; the funds that TRU holds in its portfolios and their values will be detailed.

TRU’s Vice-President of Finance and Administration, Matt Milovick, says that this public disclosure is “an essential step to demonstrate transparency regarding investments.”

“We are committed to acting responsibly and supporting investments that promote environmental, social, and governance values that align with the expectations of our Board of Governors, as well as those of all Canadians,” Milovick said in a statement.

“We expect our investments to support the making of a better world. It’s at the core of TRU’s mission.”

The move comes after meetings between the TRU executive and students who identify themselves as The People’s University of Gaza at TRU.

The group – like many others that set up protest encampments at universities across North America – were calling on universities to disclose and divest any investments that support Israel or companies that do business with Israel.

In his statement, Milovick says TRU has “long been committed” to socially responsible investing guided by the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Milovick said that commitment is outlined in TRU’s Investment Objectives Policy (BRD-22), and is also consistent with the reporting required for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

He said while a review of TRU’s investments shows that its investment funds align with the UN’s PRI – which aims to give investors a framework so they can “integrate environmental, social, and governance factors into their decision making” – some of those funds “comprise hundreds of individual stocks that can change regularly, such as in pooled funds or exchange-traded funds.”

“Fund managers frequently adjust a fund’s holdings to achieve optimal returns,” Milovick said. “Regardless, TRU expects fund managers to apply the UN PRI screens as they consider a fund’s holdings.”

“We will continue to work with our investment teams to ensure they apply the UN PRI principles appropriately.”

He also said that TRU will update its investment web page annually so people who are interested can track and follow the university’s investments over time.