3.7 Statewide Student Association

Board Policies
Chapter 3 - Educational Policies

Part 1. Statewide Student Association Recognition
The Minnesota State University Student Association (doing business as Students United), for state university students, and the Minnesota State College Student Association (doing business as LeadMN), for state community and technical college students, are each recognized as the one statewide student association for their respective student associations and students.

Part 2. Campus Student Association Affiliation
Each campus student association shall be affiliated with its statewide student association and all students enrolled in credit courses will be members of their respective statewide association.

Part 3. Fees

Subpart A. Fee setting
Each statewide student association shall set its fees and shall submit any changes in its fees to the Board of Trustees for review. The board may revise or reject the fee change during the two board meetings immediately following the fee change submission.

Subpart B. Fee change proposal
The system office Student Affairs and Enrollment Management unit shall provide the statewide student associations with document templates for the proposal. A statewide student association proposing a change in a fee shall submit a written proposal to the Board of Trustees that includes the following elements:

How the proposal supports the mission and purpose of the statewide student association as stated in its governing documents, board policy, and state statute;

History of the statewide student association fee amount;

The statewide student association’s internal process for developing and approving the proposal;

Evidence of student and campus student association consultation and support, including the public record of vote authorizing modification of the fee within the budget;

Current budget vs. actual income and expenses; and

Anticipated budget for upcoming fiscal year that includes information on the activities/projects the proposed fee modification will support.

Subpart C. Fee collection and forwarding
Fees must be collected for each enrolled credit by each college and university and must be credited to each association’s account to be spent as determined by that association. For purposes of this policy, enrolled credits include all credits in which a student has enrolled and not dropped before the college or university drop deadlines. Fees must be forwarded by the college or university to the statewide student association whether or not the college or university has received payment for fees.

Part 4. Recognition Process

Subpart A. Statewide student association recognition
Recognition of the associations listed in Part 1 must continue until such recognition is repealed by the Board of Trustees and succeeded by an appropriately constituted association representing the same group of students.

Subpart B. Repeal of recognition

Repeal of recognition by the board must occur if the following actions occur:

a. Two-thirds vote by the existing statewide student association indicating no confidence, expressed by a petition to the board in accordance with the procedures set forth in the association’s governing documents; and
b. Two-thirds of existing campus student associations, in accordance with their governing rules, submit petitions to the board indicating no confidence.

Dissolution of a statewide student association must be subject to each association's internal procedures as indicated in their respective governing documents. Recognition of a statewide student association is repealed automatically upon dissolution of the student association. A notice of intent to dissolve must be sent to the board.

Subpart C. Recognition of new statewide student association
Following repeal of recognition of a statewide student association, recognition of a new statewide student association must be granted after the presentation of a petition to the board which expresses support of the new association and approval by two-thirds of the campus student associations.

Part 5. Implementation
The chancellor shall develop an agreement between Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and each statewide student association to implement this policy, including provisions addressing payment of fees collected.

Policy History:

Date of Adoption: 10/18/94
Date of Implementation: 10/18/94
Date of Last Review: 05/21/25

Date & Subject of Amendments:

05/21/25 – Full review. Added subpart headings in Part 3 along with the elements of a fee change proposal in Part 3, Subpart B, and made several technical edits.

01/27/2021 – replaced “board” with the “Board of Trustees” in Part 3.

05/16/18 - Amended Part 1 to reflect new student association names. Applied the new formatting and writing styles which resulted in multiple technical edits.

Additional HISTORY

3.7 Statewide Student Association

Related Documents:

Policy History: