Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees have postponed a controversial vote to shorten the time allowed for public comments at their meetings.
While the proposal is no longer on the board’s agenda to be voted on, it’s “still a topic they are discussing and considering,” said spokesperson Emily Guerrant.
Trustee Renee Knake Jefferson said the board decided to postpone the vote after listening to public input around the proposal.
Under the initial proposal, a maximum of 15 individuals can address the board, limiting the total time of public comment to 45 minutes. Each presenter will still get three minutes to talk, and will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis.
Today’s meeting has 18 individuals registered to speak during public comment.
Frequent public commenters and activists previously told The State News they see change as an attempt to silence community concerns.
Board meetings often have over an hour of public comments. In recent months, public commenters have called for the university to divest from Israel, raised concerns about MSU’s delayed recognition of a new faculty union, and called attention to issues faced by Black students, among other things.
“How is the public supposed to reach their elected officials now?” said Valerie von Frank, leader of POSSE, a group for parents of survivors of disgraced ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar.
Nassar survivors had previously attended and spoken at board meetings in droves to call for the release of thousands of documents detailing MSU’s handling of Nassar. The board voted to release the long-withheld documents to the attorney general in March.
A time limit on public comment is common at other universities. Both the University of Michigan and Wayne State University have limits on how many people can sign up to address their boards.
Jesse Estrada White, a student organizer with Sunrise MSU, said that limiting public comment won’t slow down student activism.
“Our advocacy will continue,” he said. “We just may have to get a little more creative.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
