This semester, however, ASMSU wants to develop a plan to create an undergraduate student government structure in Dubai, which could include a council, prior to the organization’s elections in March, ASMSU spokesperson Portia McKenzie said.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

“We’re a big university and we’re supposed to be the student government covering all undergraduates,” McKenzie said. “(MSU Dubai) is a part of that and they should reap the same benefits as we do regardless of their location.”

The problem is overcoming more than 7,000 miles, a nine-hour time difference and cultural and regional differences, Student Assembly Chairperson Kyle Dysarz said.

“It is our intention to give them their own student government and council,” Dysarz said. “There are still a lot of questions about how we can work them into the structure.”

Dysarz said ASMSU has not yet developed a cohesive plan to incorporate Dubai into the group’s operations.

He said establishing a separate council and student government would require changing ASMSU’s constitution to include another student government entity, which the organization wants to have on the ballot in time for its elections.

“Any constitutional change will have to be a referendum,” he said. “The assembly proposes the referendum and works out the language. The changes would go to the election committee and university. It could only pass with a majority vote from students.”

The referendum — which still is in the planning stage — must be passed by both Academic and Student assemblies before students vote at the polls to approve or reject the proposed ASMSU constitutional changes, Dysarz said.

Dubai’s lack of access to ASMSU-related resources is a concern to officials, Dysarz said.

“It would be wrong to take and spend their money,” Dysarz said. “The logistics have to be worked out, but we know (the money) has to get back to those students. If they get all their money back, they wouldn’t be paying for other students to use those services.”

Students in Dubai will be able to vote for East Lansing college representatives this March, but the problem facing ASMSU officials is how to exchange information between a council in Dubai and representatives in East Lansing, said Eric Branoff, Student Assembly vice chairperson for external affairs.

Branoff said although ASMSU has not received any student complaints from Dubai to date, East Lansing representatives want to make sure they are able to address any MSU Dubai student concerns in the future.

“We want to open up a line of communication and be in communication on issues that are affecting them,” Branoff said. “We need to know how we can help or how MSU’s campus can reach out to them.”