“The money is being held pending the resolution of the issues with ASMSU,” Haas said. “It is not being used for anything else. If we don’t have a resolution of these issues by July, then we will not even be collecting the fall student tax.”

Haas and Vice President for Student Affairs and Services Denise Maybank previously had given MSU’s undergraduate student government a deadline of April 5 to move its funds from an off-campus account and comply with the university’s financial process. After missing the deadline, the organization was sent a memorandum on April 23, giving notification that tax dollars would no longer be collected until ASMSU moved all its funds onto campus.

Although he was aware of the university’s plan to hold summer funds, ASMSU President Evan Martinak said the cancellation of further collection in the fall was not communicated to him by university officials. Haas confirmed that there has been no further communication between parties since the April memorandum.

“The only thing we heard was that summer revenues would be withheld,” Martinak said. “There has been no communication on part of the university whatsoever since April regarding that.”

Martinak said ASMSU has reached out to alumni and MSU Board of Trustee members for support. Despite the university’s insistence that it does not wish to make ASMSU an official department of MSU, he said the organization will continue to protect its complete independence.

“Maybe it wasn’t in writing or communicated to us in an official way, but I do specifically remember discussing, many times, departmentalization (of ASMSU),” he said. “I’m not sure the difference it would make if we were called a department or not, but it has the same connotation in our eyes of trying to sweep control over ASMSU by the university.”

But Haas, along with university spokesman Jason Cody, maintain that MSU’s only intention is to fix ASMSU’s finance issues found through previous audits to prevent a university liability.

“Never, ever has MSU leadership said they wanted to make (ASMSU) an MSU department,” Cody said. “They wanted to align business practices.”

Until a resolution can be reached, Martinak said the organization will continue to seek an alternative means of progress.

“If we can’t get the attention of President Simon and the administration, we’re going to try to get a larger argument to come to the table with and end this game with serious conversation that is not being dictated by threats and ultimatums,” he said.