JTA — The University of Michigan’s new student government campaigned on a simple message: Until the school agrees to divest from Israel, “No Business As Usual.”
Michigan’s Central Student Government is in charge of disbursing a $1.3 million annual budget, funded by student fees, among hundreds of student groups. But in the wake of its election victory in the spring, the Shut It Down Party is vowing to withhold funding from all student groups unless the university agrees to divest.
“If CSG cannot be used to support our pursuit of divestment, we will take decisive action to disrupt the status quo,” a March campaign statement from the party reads. “We will halt CSG activity and funding dispersal until the University of Michigan divests. We will Shut. It. Down.”
The university says it will circumvent the student government if it carries out the pledge. Still, the tactic has some students alarmed.
“Without this funding a lot of student organizations can’t function as they should, making a lot of students’ lives worse,” said Ryan Grover, a student and rugby player, at a student government meeting Tuesday night. “They’re going to be a lot worse off mentally. They’re going to be a lot worse off physically.”
The student government narrowly voted to approve a $400,000 fall budget at the end of the meeting — potentially setting up a repeat of the summer session, when Michigan’s student government president Alifa Chowdhury vetoed a proposed budget for student groups. Chowdhury is the leader of Shut It Down and a member of the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel student collective TAHRIR Coalition, which organized the school’s protest encampments in the spring.
A general view of the anti-Israel encampment at the Diag on University of Michigan’s campus on May 4, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Nic Antaya / Getty Images via AFP)
Whatever happens, the saga offers a stark indication that protest over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is on track to shape another school year, with potential consequences even for students who aren’t engaged with either side of the divide.
Chowdhury did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. A student government representative deferred to the school’s public relations department.
“The University of Michigan will make funding available to registered student organizations who apply for funding for the fall semester,” a spokesperson said in a statement to JTA. “U-M’s Vice President for Student Life and the Dean of Students notified the Central Student Government on August 19 of the decision to immediately institute a temporary funding process. This step was taken at the request of senior leaders within the CSG assembly after the CSG president in June vetoed a budget resolution that had been passed unanimously by the assembly.”
The fall budget approved on Tuesday was not unanimous: It passed 25-15.
Most of Michigan’s Jewish groups receive their funding from Michigan Hillel, which is an independent nonprofit, meaning they are insulated from student government funding decisions.
“All my programs are running normally, and I really only heard about this because my dad sent me an article,” Ian Rosenberg, a representative of the university’s Jewish Engineering Association, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
But Michigan Hillel says the spillover effects on Jewish students could be significant.
“We are deeply concerned about the potential impact for any student organization who may rely on CSG funding and the broader chilling effect this could have for Jewish students on campus,” Michigan Hillel said in a statement. “In the past, Hillel student groups have received funding from CSG for campus-wide initiatives, and it’s unfortunate that this situation could impact community-building efforts and further divide students.”
A student holds a flag of Israel during a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protest during the University of Michigan’s Spring Commencement ceremony on May 4, 2024 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Nic Antaya / Getty Images via AFP)
The organization added, “It is disheartening to see student government leaders prioritize a divisive and discriminatory agenda over the well-being of their fellow students.”
Other student groups at the university that hold varying stances, including the Arab-Jewish Alliance and the school’s chapter of the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, did not immediately return requests for comment. The school’s JVP chapter supports the encampment movement and the TAHRIR Coalition.
Michigan’s isn’t the only student government to…
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