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The Missouri Students Association (MSA) serves as the primary student governance body at the University of Missouri, tasked with representing and advocating for the interests of the student body to the university's administration.

Structure and Branches

Executive Branch

The Executive Branch, headed by the President and Vice-President, it directly elected by all members of the undergraduate population. Requirements for presidential candidates include a minimum of two semesters of association membership and an intention to complete their term of office. The Executive Branch also encompasses an executive cabinet with roles like a Public Relations Coordinator, Treasurer, and a Policy and Advocacy Coordinator.

Presidential Elections

Missouri Students Association Presidential Election 2023

Turnout	3,034 12.8% of Eligible Voters
Votes counted	100% as of March 8, 2024
Candidate Clay Van Eaton Kayla Modacure Alliance All In 4 Mizzou Revive the Roar Running mate Emily Brockmann Olivia Prudhomme Percentage 50.69% 49.31%
President before election Mya Jones President Clay Van Eaton

Legislative Branch

Senate of the Missouri Students Association
Type
Type	Student government of the University of Missouri
History
Founded	1911
Leadership
Speaker	Maggie Funston
Structure
Senate committees	Internal Affairs, External Affairs, Academic Affairs, Campus Affairs, Social Justice Affairs
At-Large Seats	20
Academic Seats	50
Organizational Seats	10
Elections
Senate voting system	Plurality block voting for Academic Seats Single member plurality for At-Large Seats
Last Senate election	March, 2024
Next Senate election	November, 2024

The Legislative Branch, represented by the Senate, holds exclusive legislative powers within the MSA. Comprising academic college senators, at-large senators, and organizational senators, the Senate is tasked with enacting laws, allocating the association's funds, passing resolutions, and establishing its procedural rules.

Classification of Seats and Election Procedure

At-Large Senators are elected by sitting Academic Senators at the beginning of each semester. Each Academic Senator can vote for one applicant to an at-large seat. The 20 applicants who receive the most votes are seated in the Senate. At-Large Senators terms last one semester and my be renewed.
Academic Senators are elected by their peers in each of their respective colleges (ex: Political Science Majors are elected from the College of Arts & Sciences) and serve a one-year term and may be renewed.
Organizational seats constitute several different campus organizations who allotted a seat in the Senate. They are either elected or appointed by their respective organizations.

Legislative Cabinet
Office	Name	Term
Internal Affairs Operation Chair	Lucas Hawkins	1 Year Renewable
Internal Affairs Fiscal Chair	Alex Duckwitz	1 Year Renewable
External Affairs Chair	Trey Trapani	1 Year Renewable
Academic Affairs Chair	Sophie Ayers	1 Year Renewable
Campus Affairs Chair	Platinum Liang	1 Year Renewable
Social Justice Affairs Chair	Aidyn Gleason	1 Year Renewable
Legislative Chief of Staff	Ally Sharp	1 Year Renewable
Legislative Clerk	Logan Kuykendall	1 Year Renewable

Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch of MSA consists of the Student Court, possessing jurisdiction over legal and equity matters arising from the constitution or bylaws. With nine justices serving during good behavior, the Chief Justice presides over the court, administering its functions. The swearing-in of elected officials, including the President, Vice-President, Speaker of the Senate, Judicial Court, and Senators, is conducted by a justice of the court at a Full Senate meeting. This formal ceremony is scheduled within thirty days of their respective elections or selections. There is debate over weather swearing-in ceremonies officially mark the start of a term or merely serve as a ceremonial gesture.

Board of Election Commissioners

The Board of Election Commissioners (BEC) as an independent entity under the Judicial Branch responsible for certifying election and referendum results. The BEC, led by a chair appointed jointly by the President, Speaker of the Senate, and Chief Justice.

Auxiliaries

Tiger Pantry

Tiger Pantry traces its roots to the efforts of Nick Droege, a member of the Executive Cabinet, faculty, and students who envisioned a dedicated food pantry for the Mizzou community. Inspired by the Full Circle Pantry model, Tiger Pantry officially commenced its operations on November 14, 2012. While it mainly focuses on the distribution of food to both graduate and undergraduate students it also conducts educational programming on food insecurity.

Truman's Closet

Truman’s Closet, a service provided by Tiger Pantry at the University of Missouri, is dedicated to supporting students, staff, and faculty by offering access to professional and business attire suitable for career fairs, interviews, and workplace settings.

The services provided by Truman’s Closet include rentals of business and professional attire, ranging from suits and dresses to dress shirts, blouses, and accessories like ties. It also facilitates cap and gown rentals for graduation ceremonies. Truman’s Closet operates on a donation-based model and encourages contributions of business attire, winter coats, and caps and gowns.

History

Formation and Early Years (1911-1959)

Established in 1911, the student governance system underwent several changes, evolving from the original Student Government (SG) to the Student Government Association (SGA) in 1923. World War II briefly saw a name change, becoming the Student War Board, and eventually returning to the name SGA in 1946. In 1959 the association adopted a new constitution, leading to transition into the modern Missouri Students Association (MSA).

2015 Campus Unrest

The Missouri Students Association (MSA) played a significant role during the campus unrest of 2015 at the University of Missouri. The protests, triggered by a series of racial incidents and concerns about the university's handling of such incidents, gained national attention. MSA, as the undergraduate student government, became actively involved in advocating for change and addressing the grievances of the student body.

In November 2015 the association collaborated with student activists, faculty, and other stakeholders to push for institutional changes. The catalyst for the protests was a series of racially charged incidents, including instances of racial slurs and the perception of inadequate responses from university administrators.

MSA leaders engaged in dialogues with university officials, seeking concrete actions to address systemic issues related to race and inclusivity. The association sought to articulate the concerns of the student body to university administration.

The protests ultimately led to the resignation of the university's president, Timothy Wolfe, who was criticized for his handling of the racial incidents.

In an op-ed published in the Columbia Missourian then-President Nathan Willett acknowledged the impact of the 2015 protests on enrollment but emphasized the need to consider broader factors such as demographic changes, increased competition from SEC recruitment in traditionally Mizzou-dominated out-of-state markets, and significant budget cuts to higher education by the Missouri General Assembly. He points out that the protests did not result in students leaving; instead, the enrollment drop primarily affected new students.