The Student Association announced on Monday night that it can no longer distribute funds to student organizations due to a new state law. They also announced they had fired their Director of Programming.
SA President Cameron Cummings told members at the general body meeting that their director of programming, Wendy Campbell, was dismissed after months of communication and collaboration issues.
“Due to the lack of communication, failure to collaborate and meet our expectations, we decided to remove our Director of Programming,” Cummings said. “This was not an easy decision. It was made after months of working to meet a common goal.”
Cummings said that himself, Vice President Karolina Heathcock and Chief of Staff Abby Reeves met with Campbell to voice concerns about her performance, but that she “clearly refused to collaborate with the executive council.”
According to the SA constitution, the president must appoint a successor within 10 school days, subject to a two-thirds vote of the Senate. The director of programming is a salaried position, set at $275 per month, with the position responsible for overseeing the programming cabinet committee, serving as an advisor to the SA president and managing campus programming.
Campbell did not respond to requests for comment.
In addition to the leadership change, SA executives announced they will not be able to distribute student organization appropriations this semester. The decision follows Mississippi House Bill 1193, passed in April, which prohibits Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) statements and practices in public K-12 and postsecondary schools.
The bill states that schools may not “maintain any programs, including academic programs or courses, or offices that promote or endorse divisive concepts or concepts promoting transgender ideology, gender-neutral pronouns, heteronormativity, gender theory, sexual privilege or any related formulation of these concepts.”
At the general body meeting, Mary Walker Foster, the treasurer of the SA, read on behalf of Regina Hyatt, the vice president of Student Affairs who could not attend the meeting, that due to the bill, Mississippi’s Institutions of Higher Learning have determined that the $25 student activity fee, included with every MSU student’s tuition, is considered state money. Student governments across Mississippi universities are barred from allocating the funds to outside groups.
“Because the IHL has determined student activity fees are considered state funds, we cannot contribute them to registered student organizations this fall without violating federal requirements to remain viewpoint neutral,” Foster said.
Instead, the money will remain unused and untouched this fall. Foster said she hopes to double appropriations in spring 2025 if regulations allow.
“The money that we would have used for appropriations this semester, we’re not spending it,” Foster said. “It’s just going to sit there, hopefully to double next semester, and then we’ll give out twice as much.”
Last semester, the Student Association allocated nearly $47,000 between 87 student organizations through appropriations.
In the meantime, the Center for Student Activities will offer fundraising workshops and work to connect groups with local businesses.
“I’m doing everything I can to help the student orgs get any type of money that they need,” Foster said.
