University of Michigan. Michigan Student Assembly

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The first student government at the University of Michigan was organized as the Student Council in 1906 by the Michigan Union. The Union itself had been organized in 1903 by students wishing to bring unity to an exponentially growing student body who had no common dormitory or social space.

The need for self-governance was recognized after the popularity of hair-cutting between men of warring classes came to a head with the assault of one individual in the library during daylight hours. The incident resulted in the expulsion of the ring leader; which was protested by fellow students. The faculty, concerned with what they saw as the general decline in the good conduct of the students, endeavored to intervene. According to the 1906 Michiganensian, students felt that these issues, as student issues, should be dealt with through self-government and the Student Council was elected. The council is first mentioned in the September 1907 minutes of the Regent's Proceedings as, "men elected by the body of students to secure the wise management of their affairs." The Regents also commend them on stopping the "silly and sometimes dangerous amusement of hair-cutting," among other reforms.

The council moved toward formal organization when it successfully petitioned the regents for a budget of $150 for the 1912-1913 school year. Through the years, the government underwent several name reincarnations including the Student Senate in 1938 and the Student Legislature circa 1946. In December 1954, students voted 5,102 to 1,451 to restructure the student government and asked the regents to officially recognize the organization. At their December 1954 meeting, the Regents agreed to give the Student Government Council (SGC), as it was to be known, a two-year trial period. The first meeting of the SGC was held in March of 1955 where an eighteen member council was approved with the constitution of the Student Council serving as a temporary constitution during the trial period. In 1957, the regents approved the SGC as the, "official and authoritative voice of the University student community." The SGC was given the power to recognize student organizations; a power that had previously belonged to the University Senate Committee on Student Affairs.

Following a period of questioned voting practices and accusations of money mishandling; the SGC's reputation was in tatters amongst students and administration alike. Widespread call for reform resulted in the Central Student Judiciary Committee's January 21, 1976 decision to dissolve the SGC and to establish a new, restructured entity in its place to be called the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA). The Regents officially recognized MSA as the new student government at their September 1976 meeting. The MSA continues to serve as the central government of the students at the University of Michigan and to carry out its duties as outlined in its constitution dated March 2006 and quoted below. Further information about the Michigan Student Assembly is available via their website: http://www.msa.umich.edu/

For information regarding the records of earlier entities of MSA, see the finding aid for the Student Government Council records (University of Michigan) 1912-1975.

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[Excerpt from MSA Constitution] D. Michigan Student Assembly. The Michigan Student Assembly (hereinafter referred to as "MSA" or "the government") shall consist of the Assembly, the Steering Committee and the Central Student Judiciary (hereinafter generally referred to as "CSJ" or "the judiciary"). MSA shall be the one central student government, and the representative and coordinating organization of the students of the Ann Arbor Campus of The University of Michigan. Article II Assembly Powers and Functions Consistent with the limitations imposed in other sections of this Constitution, the governmental, representative, legislative, and coordinating powers and functions of the Assembly shall be as follows: A. Rules. To make and sanction rules governing students. B. Dues. To levy dues and provide for their collection equally among all the students of the Ann Arbor Campus. The Michigan Student Assembly fee shall be considered to be dues. The Assembly shall not raise the level of the fee above a maximum limit approved by a vote of the student body. The fee at the time of the adoption of this section shall be the initial limit. All fees collected in excess of the fee limit shall be placed in a University account created for the sole purpose of holding such funds. These funds shall be appropriated upon a referenda that empowers MSA to utilize such funds. C. Appropriations. To appropriate monies collected under Article II, Section B, and all other sources of income. D. Lobbying. To lobby for the interests of students. E. Judicial Appointments. To appoint members of the Central Student Judiciary as provided in Article X of this Constitution. F. Projects. To originate student projects and activities. G. Recognition, Coordination, and Calendaring. To provide a system for the automatic registration of all groups meeting the definition of a student organization, to coordinate the activities of such organizations, to calendar or provide for the calendaring of student sponsored events, and to revoke recognition to groups not meeting those requirements. A student organization shall be defined as any group which has at least five students as members, has students or University Family Housing lessees as a majority of members, and which has University of Michigan students, Family Housing lessees, faculty, alumni, or staff comprising two-thirds of the groups' membership. Individual members of the group shall not benefit financially as a result of the groups' activities, for the group to be defined as a student organization. All groups meeting the definition of a student organization shall have the right to be registered, and shall be considered recognized upon registration. H. Elections. To conduct its own election and referenda among the student body, to provide for the manner of nominating candidates in its elections and to enact campus-wide regulations governing the conduct of its elections, campaigns, and related activity. I. Applying Bill of Rights. To apply the Bill of Rights contained in Article IX of this Constitution to all student bodies, all University bodies, and all its own operations. J. Appointments. To serve as the appointing body for selection of members of student committees, student representatives to outside bodies, except insofar as the Assembly may delegate this function, and to remove such appointees. The foregoing shall include, but not be limited to such all-campus bodies as the Board of Directors of the Michigan Union, the Office of Student Services Policy Board, the University Judicial system, the University Council, the Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics, the University Cellar Board of Directors, the committees of Senate Assembly, and all regental and presidential committees. K. Compiled Code. To establish a Compiled Code of legislation in order to exercise the powers and carry out the functions described herein. L. Summer Operations. To provide procedures for representation of student interests during the spring and summer terms.

From the guide to the Michigan Student Assembly (University of Michigan) records, 1975-2008, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
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