Two ASMSU representatives addressed the possibility of cutting ties with the Association of Michigan Universities during a conference in mid-September without the consent of ASMSU officials.
The Association of Michigan Universities, or AMU, which consists of student governments from 15 public universities, hosts conferences four times a year to vote on legislative issues concerning Michigan.
Adam Raezler and Colleen Card, both representatives for the Academic Assembly of MSU's undergraduate student government, issued a report to the ASMSU Student Assembly on Thursday to suggest that ASMSU doesn't benefit from involvement with AMU.
"For years, ASMSU has worked very hard and diligently to create an outstanding working relationship with the state and federal government and throughout the past years we have worked magnificently with them," the report said. "We have earned a great amount of trust and respect in Lansing and Washington. However, after viewing the AMU in action, it is our opinion that they do not have a respectable reputation with the state and they really do not care to establish one."
Student Assembly Representative Brian Dunn also attended the AMU conference and said Raezler informed the AMU general assembly that ASMSU would determine if it would disassociate from the organization, based on the progress made during the weekend.
"This was not the way to build relations and not a way to end them congenially," he said.
But Raezler said AMU hoped to pass several bills - such as one that would take away funding from MSU - that would be detrimental to ASMSU and MSU.
"It is because of this that we firmly believe that ASMSU should disaffiliate with the AMU and should no longer support them financially," he said.
AMU Chairperson Hrant Hratchian said Raezler's comments strained relations between some AMU and ASMSU members.
"A real concern for ASMSU is that they have a lot of internal troubles right now, and to a certain extent, ASMSU doesn't need AMU as much as AMU needs ASMSU," Hratchian said. "They did more harm to the students of Michigan State and they did a hefty job of alienating themselves from any statewide organization."
Hratchian said Raezler "was truly playing the role of disruptionist."
"He angered a lot of other delegates from other schools and he did not have any professional courtesy," he said. "It is on the shoulders of ASMSU to send delegates that will represent students better."
At Thursday's Student Assembly meeting, Chairperson Missy Kushlak said that she had no knowledge Raezler and Card would make such an announcement at the conference and was unhappy about the initiative Raezler took. She declined to comment further.
Other ASMSU members, who do not wish to break ties with AMU, made a motion during the meeting to issue a letter of apology to the AMU.
Raezler said those who disagree with his decision to address AMU members do not understand.
"The freshman representatives for Student Assembly have never been to the AMU conferences and they don't know anything about how it runs," he said.
But Dunn said Raezler's action were too quickly made.
"Adam was operating out of good faith, but he was misguided," Dunn said. "Someone just made a mistake, and overstepped the boundaries.
"We just need a better communication between assemblies."
