A week after the decision was made by the university to freeze ASMSU’s accounts and several meetings later, the status of ASMSU’s funding freeze remains uncertain.
ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.
University, ASMSU officials weigh in on account status
Officials from ASMSU said Monday they currently are awaiting a response from Denise Maybank, senior associate vice president for Student Affairs and Services, this week with clarification that the association’s accounts have been unfrozen.
“We’re extremely optimistic,” said Chris Schotten, chairperson of ASMSU’s Student Assembly. “Conversations were around moving forward and not dwelling on what happened last Monday.”
Maybank issued a memo March 14, the said ASMSU’s special elections held March 1-4 were in violation of the university accountability measures. The election was held in regards to the proposed constitutional change that allows the assemblies to merge. As a result, the memo said ASMSU’s accounts had been frozen.
ASMSU officials met that afternoon with Maybank to discuss how the organization could come back in accordance with university guidelines and unfreeze their accounts.
Despite the language of that memo, Association Director Kara Spencer said ASMSU’s accounts never had been frozen.
“It’s important to point out that there actually hasn’t been any freezing of our accounts. All of our bills were paid by the university this week,” she said. “Although that’s the message that’s been carried forward publicly, that’s not what’s been done in action by the university.”
Prior to last Monday’s memo, ASMSU officials said they never received notification from Maybank that the constitutional violation could violate the accountability measures and result in a freezing of the accounts.
During Student Assembly’s March 17 meeting, Maybank said she didn’t want to appear as if she was threatening the organization and had encouraged ASMSU to look more closely at its constitutional language. Spencer said she appreciated Maybank not wanting to appear as threatening.
“There was probably a lot of space about making a threat and informing of your intents and actions,” she said.
Maybank said in an email Monday that ASMSU officials requested an opportunity to present their case to the university during the March 14 meeting. She said she received the full documentation last Thursday. ASMSU officials and Maybank met again last Friday to discuss the issue.
“During the Friday, March 18 meeting, I informed those present that I would respond to them in writing and they should assume nothing before receiving that written response,” she said.
In a press release issued Sunday, ASMSU said during Friday’s meeting, MSU agreed with ASMSU’s position that no willful violation of Constitution or Codes occurred. Maybank said she made provisions to ensure student groups relying on funding or any other financial obligations prior to the freezing still would receive that funding.
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“However, if your question is, did I tell them that they had not violated their constitution or code, the answer is no,” she said.
ASMSU officials now are waiting to hear an update from Maybank regarding the freezing of their accounts.
“At this point, nothing has changed,” Maybank said.
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