A group of students that calls itself the Coalition for Equal Opportunity sent a letter Friday to MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon listing five demands it wants university officials to meet in response to the state's affirmative action ban.
Some of the demands include the university taking a stance against the ban, joining the lawsuit University of Michigan officials filed against the proposal and engaging in open communication between university officials and members of the coalition in regard to any discussion about how the ban could affect the university.
Michigan voters passed Proposal 2 on Nov. 7, which bans race- and gender-based preferences in university admissions, state hiring and state contracting.
The letter states that if the demands are not adequately met, the coalition will "interrupt normal operations of the university." But coalition members are unsure about what they'll do if the demands are not met because they have not yet discussed it, said coalition member Bhavisha Bhalsod, a marine biology senior.
"It's not much of a threat or anything," Bhalsod said. "It's just saying we're not going to stand here as our lives get screwed with."
Simon refused to comment Sunday night but posted in her online blog Friday that "no ballot initiative can take away Michigan State's core values."
She added that even though the proposal presents certain problems, the university is "resolved to maintain our active role in addressing the inequalities, both large and small, that plague our society and that from time to time manifest themselves on our campus."
Simon will be talking more about Proposal 2 in an open meeting from 10:30 a.m. until noon Tuesday at the Wharton Center's Pasant Theatre.
University spokesman Terry Denbow said the communication process between administration and students has begun, and both sides are hopeful for a positive and civil turnout.
"We want dialogue, but we want respectful communication and we want to share our values," Denbow said. "The values of inclusion, diversity and accessibility."
Paulette Granberry Russell, senior adviser to the president on diversity and director of the Office of Affirmative Action, Compliance and Monitoring, said she hopes talks between students and administrators focus on the university's values.
"I hope we embark on discussions and that we all come into the process with the same goal: the goal to support MSU values and goal to be an inclusive campus community," Granberry Russell said.
"My belief is we share these goals, but the question is what effect Proposal 2 will have on these goals."
A group of more than 125 students attended the MSU Board of Trustees meeting earlier this month and expressed concerns about how officials are handling the affirmative action ban. After that board meeting, another meeting was held last week with more than 30 students and administrators in an effort to work out what will happen on campus after Proposal 2's passing. At the meeting, students talked about these demands.
"This is the finalized written version of those demands," said Francesco Aimone, a member of the coalition and history senior. "Just so they remember what we were talking about."
The intent of the letter is to bring the concerns of the students to President Simon in writing, Aimone said.
"(We wrote this list) so that she knows that we are serious, and we are very concerned about what's going on," he said.
The list of demands was created as a result of several community meetings that took place on campus with many different students, Aimone said.
"The community meeting represented a lot of voices on campus," Bhalsod said.
"Since we all came up with it together, I feel really good about the list (that was sent to President Simon)."
Another community meeting will be held at 9 p.m. tonight on the first floor of Hubbard Hall.
"We will be deciding how we are going to handle the trustees' meeting on Tuesday," Aimone said.
Justin Kroll can be reached at krolljus@msu.edu. Lindsay Machak can be reached at machakli@msu.edu.
