MSU
ASMSU representatives voted at a Thursday night committee meeting to delay funding of an anti-racism task force until a clearer purpose of the task force could be declared.
ASMSU discussed the recent racist incidents on campus at committee meetings Thursday night in Student Services.
ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.
Finance committee representatives discussed the formation of a task force, proposed by representative Robert VanKirk, to combat the further incidents of racism on campus through cultural events.
VanKirk recommended ASMSU’s programming board fund its development and implementation at a cost of $20,000 to $40,000.
VanKirk said a response to the issue should be more than “lip service,” and ASMSU should do more than just talk about addressing it.
ASMSU adviser Cathy Neuman said ASMSU is not ignoring the issue but suggested forming a clearer definition of what the task force would entail.
But after a lengthy discussion, representatives voted to refer the proposal to the Student Affairs committee for further discussion.
ASMSU Chairman Steve Marino said the finance committee cannot vote to fund something without a clear definition.
Representatives in the Academic Assembly also discussed the excused absence policy, which aims to prevent students from being penalized for missing classes in the case of an emergency.
ASMSU is aiming to make changes to the policy to allow students more leniancy in missing class in the case of ilness of the death of a loved one, ASMSU Provost Zach Taylor said.
Taylor said the majority of faculty are sympathetic to students’ concerns, but some use their authority in ways that aren’t responsible.
The only group currently protected by the policy is athletic groups, he said.