At the same time, Interim President John Engler went forward with the decision to discontinue the Healing and Assistance fund — which has been suspended since July due to an investigation into fraudulent claims  — despite being advised not to by a sexual misconduct expert advisory workgroup he created.

"There are MSU students in the colleges that we represent who are Nassar victims, and just like us, they are stressed about finals," ASMSU Representative Alexis Sargent, who introduced the bill, said. "But during this time, they have lost hope that the fund MSU promised them for their mental health has been cut." 

The bill was introduced last minute at the final general assembly meeting of the semester on Thursday. The meeting was held without ASMSU President Katherine “Cookie” Rifiotis, who will return from her personal leave of absence on Dec. 16.

In an email obtained by The State News, Engler wrote that "consistent with the board's position that the healing fund would be used as a bridge transition to a global settlement."

ASMSU Representative Colin Wiebrecht, who seconded the bill, said this was not made clear in any statements or board meeting minutes. 

The MSU undergraduate student government now joins a number of community members who disapprove of Engler's decision to discontinue the Healing and Assistance Fund, including members of the university administration. 

MSU Trustees Brian Mosallam, Dianne Byrum and incoming Trustees Kelly Tebay and Brianna Scott released a statement after the announcement, disagreeing with Engler and noting that the news came as a surprise. 

"This decision is counter to the research and advice provided to us by the Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Expert Advisory Working Group," the statement read. "We intend to bring this topic before our current and future board colleagues."

ASMSU Representative Ben Horne expects the closing of the Healing and Assistance Fund to be discussed at the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting, and noted that trustees have the power to vote on whether it should be reopened. The undergraduate student government unanimously passing a bill advocating for that could act as a push, he said. 

But only two members of the current Board of Trustees have publicly disagreed with Engler's decision, as the recently elected trustees who also disagreed will not join them until January. 

"We're in a pretty bad situation right now in terms of trying to get it reopened at the next board meeting," Wiebrecht said. "But we can be putting enough pressure on them as possible by saying we are not in favor of the fund being shut down." 

ASMSU's resolution to advocate for the reopening of the fund has received online support from members of the community, including Lisa Lorincz, the mother of Nassar survivor Kaylee Lorincz. 

"Passing this statement is something with teeth," Horne said, "That, I think, really advocates for doing the right thing in support of survivors." 

The next MSU Board of Trustees meeting will be held on December 14.