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Campaigning Wiki

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Summary

From October 2013 to March 2017, student group Divest Barnard campaigned for Barnard College to divest its endowment from fossil fuel companies that deny climate change or hinder mitigation efforts. Through education, petitions, coalition-building, and direct actions, they pressured the Board of Trustees to vote for divestment in March 2017. The campaign succeeded in achieving its specific demands.

Tactics used

Tactics used

Background

Barnard College, though part of Columbia University, maintained a separate endowment. Student activists split into Columbia Divest for Climate Justice and Divest Barnard in fall 2014, with Divest Barnard formally launching its campaign in spring 2015 to pressure the Board of Trustees to divest from fossil fuel companies that deny climate change or do not support mitigation efforts.

What happened

Divest Barnard began with education and awareness initiatives, hosting teach-ins, tabling with pamphlets, and creating a petition that gathered 27,618 signatures. [source: nv-database] They also ran a photo campaign and organized a ‘Fossil Fools Day’ event on 1 April, featuring photos and a YouTube video of students explaining why the school should divest [source: nv-database]. After gaining campus presence, they met with the Board of Trustees and President Debora Spar, learning that Barnard’s endowment was managed by Investure LLC in a consortium with 13 other colleges. [source: nv-database] Divest Barnard formed the Investure Schools’ Coalition with Reinvest Dickinson, Divest Middlebury, and Divest Smith College, releasing a public letter demanding unified divestment [source: nv-database]. When President Spar delayed an official statement, Divest Barnard escalated by attending the Board’s annual retreat in October 2015 with signs and organizing a speak-out and rally. [source: nv-database] In November 2015, they presented to the Investment Committee, spoke at the Seven Sisters Conference, and held a Student Government Association referendum where 96% of participating students voted for divestment [source: nv-database]. In December 2015, the Board unanimously created the Presidential Taskforce to Examine Divestment, which included administrators, trustees, professors, and student representatives. [source: nv-database] Divest Barnard representatives met with the Taskforce weekly or biweekly. [source: nv-database] In December 2016, the Taskforce recommended divestment from companies that deny climate science or thwart mitigation efforts. [source: nv-database] In March 2017, the Board of Trustees voted to divest from companies that deny climate change and those that mine coal and tar sands [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Divest Barnard
  • Barnard Board of Trustees
  • President Debora Spar
  • Investure LLC
  • Investure Schools’ Coalition
  • Reinvest Dickinson
  • Divest Middlebury
  • Divest Smith College
  • Seven Sisters Coalition to Divest
  • Presidential Taskforce to Examine Divestment

Outcome

Verdict: won.

The campaign achieved its goal when the Board of Trustees voted to divest from companies that deny climate change and those mining coal and tar sands in March 2017, meeting all six specific demands. The success was driven by sustained student organizing, coalition-building with other colleges, and the creation of a taskforce that legitimized the demand. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • Building a coalition with peer institutions can amplify pressure on shared financial managers like Investure LLC.
  • Combining educational campaigns with direct actions and formal referendums builds both public support and institutional accountability.
  • Engaging with administrative taskforces can turn opposition into a structured process that leads to policy change.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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