Sweatshops and Stanford
By The Sweat-free Stanford Coalition

In launching “The Stanford Challenge,” a $4.3 billion fundraising campaign aimed at 
addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems, President Hennessy announced 
that it would “galvanize the Stanford community to meet the commitment made by Jane 
and Leland Stanford 'to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf
of humanity and civilization.’” But, the solutions we seek to the world’s ills cannot
come about if Stanford is a part of the problem. We fear that some of Stanford’s 
business practices contradict the purpose of The Stanford Challenge and do not reflect
our values; we fear that Stanford’s current sourcing policies allow for sweatshops to 
produce our apparel.  Apparel bearing the Stanford insignia bears the reputation of this
university, and it is imperative that such symbols are manufactured and distributed with
moral integrity.  

In a 2000 study commissioned by five universities, including Harvard and the University of 
California, it was found that sub-par working conditions existed in the collegiate apparel
factories of all seven countries they visited. Issues of concern included excessive work 
hours, limitations to freedom of association, and widespread health and safety problems. To
our knowledge, Stanford University does not currently adhere to any labor standards for 
the production of its clothing or to any monitoring system that ensures humane working 
conditions. Our campaign is designed to change this situation. 

There is a system already in place for Stanford to guarantee that their clothes are not 
made in sweatshops.  Through independent monitoring, the consolidation of factories 
producing Stanford clothing, and a factory certification process, the Workers’ Rights 
Consortium (WRC) and Designated Suppliers Program (DSP) ensure that factory conditions 
are humane.  Under this system, workers are guaranteed a living wage, the right to 
unionize, freedom from harassment and intimidation, and a safe working environment.  
Furthermore, by requiring licensees to sign long-term contracts with their suppliers, the 
DSP will stabilize an industry known for constantly shifting its production from country 
to country and provide garment workers with a reasonable level of job security. 

Today, 166 schools, including Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown, 
and the University of Pennsylvania, are all a part of the Workers’ Rights Consortium.  
30 schools, including Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown, Duke, and the entire UC system, have 
taken the next step by also joining the Designated Suppliers Program.  Clearly, the WRC 
and DSP are well-established and respected mechanisms through which we can ensure the 
protection of fundamental human rights in the manufacture of our apparel.  As students, 
we ask that Stanford University take a vigorous stand against sweatshops by affiliating 
itself with the WRC and DSP.  

We admire President Hennessey’s initiative in confronting some of the world’s most pressing 
problems by embarking on The Stanford Challenge. While we do not expect licensees to support 
Stanford’s entrance into the WRC and DSP, we feel that Stanford’s moral integrity must remain 
paramount. Joining the WRC and DSP presents the perfect opportunity for Stanford to do just 
that.