CSG November Elections Press Release

For immediate release:

The University has advised Central Student Government that the email released to all undergraduate students at 10:05am on Wednesday, November 29 violated U-M’s Standard Practice Guide 601.07. At this time, Central Student Government was asked to end the voting period on petition questions AR 13-025 and AR 13-026 because there was a concern from University administration that the election had been compromised. CSG declined to do so for several reasons.

Firstly, while University policy had been breached by the mass email, the CSG governing documents do not clearly forbid this conduct. Central Student Government had no obligation and no precedent for terminating a vote in the middle of our election period. We also still believe, as we did a month ago, and as our mission demands of us, that free and fair campus elections must not be interfered with by forces external to CSG. The preamble of our Constitution affirms CSG’s commitment to guaranteeing “a public forum for student expression.” CSG reaffirms its support for the students who thus far had courageously expressed their opinion and engaged in our democratic process with regards to these two ballot measures. The decision to deny students of a forum to voice their opinions on these questions goes against our governing documents and our morals as student leaders. For these reasons, CSG declined to remove the questions from the ballot. However, because of the rule breach and concerns that the results were compromised by this misuse of a University system, the University decided to shut down the vote on AR 13-025 and AR 13-026 effective this morning, Thursday, November 30 at 10:00am.

We are also aware that there have been allegations towards students who are claimed to have been “caught stealing the student body’s emails” in order to send the all campus email. This is not true. The email was approved by University personnel prior to its dissemination to the student body. The doxxing of these students is inflammatory and Islamophobic, and this kind of rhetoric and the violence it inherently incites should not be tolerated by our University.

The election is considered postponed until further notice. Monitor CSG’s website and social media for forthcoming updates. Consult the resources below to seek support as we all process the events of this past week.

1. Dean of Students Office: This office regularly assists students who are experiencing situations that may be interrupting their academic and campus life. The Dean of Students Office is also equipped to help students address campus climate concerns. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Email: deanofstudents@umich.edu; Call: 734-764-7420.

2. International Center: Information and resources for international students regarding their immigration and visa-related needs and challenges, and any travel-related concerns. Email: icenter@umich.edu; Call: 734-764-9310.

3. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Email: caps-uofm@umich.edu; Call: 734-764-8312; Visit: caps.umich.edu.

[CSG] November Elections Release.pdf

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