Pro-Palestinian students swept University of Michigan's student government elections last spring, pledging to halt all funding for student organizations until the school divests from any investments associated with Israel.

Many students were off campus when the summer budget vetoes began, but as they return, the impact is starting to be felt, according to The Detroit News.

The new president, Alifa Chowdhury, has already vetoed the summer budget, cutting off funding to student groups. She plans to do the same with the fall budget, which will likely get more attention as students return to campus.

The Shut It Down party ran 36 candidates, 24 of which ultimately won their March elections to the 45-member Central Student Government body. The move was part of pro-Palestinian activists' ongoing efforts to get the UM to divest from its endowment, according to its leaders.

"The University of Michigan is one of those institutions (whose) $6 billion of the endowment are implicated in the genocide or occupation of people of Palestine," Shubh Agrawal, party chair for Shut It Down, said during a July CSG meeting. "And the University of Michigan does not deserve to function as normal while it continues to do those things."

Chowdhury told The Detroit News that their platform was clear from the start.

"The Shut it Down movement ran on a completely transparent platform," she told the outlet. "This is really to send a message to regents that you can't just give us, student government leaders, a lump sum on money and expect us to stay silent with that. The point of student government is to make our voices heard."

However, the university's Board of Regents has stated that they won't change their investment policies. Regent Sarah Hubbard emphasized that the board won't be swayed by student government tactics. Regent Jordan Acker also criticized the approach, calling it "absurd."

UM's student government has an annual budget of $800,000, funded by a student fee of $11.19 per semester. While it's unclear how the lack of funding will impact all groups, one affected organization is the UM Rugby Football Club, which relies on $20,000 from the student government each year. Club president Ryan Grover said the funding cut will strain the team, potentially affecting their long-term growth and safety during games.

The Shut It Down movement is part of a larger effort by pro-Palestinian students and activists, organized under the TAHRIR Coalition, which has been pushing the university to divest for years. Their efforts intensified after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. Activists have staged numerous protests on campus and faced university sanctions for their actions.

Chowdhury believes the divestment campaign is essential, even if it means sacrificing student group funding.

"There is a very easy fix to this, and that is to divest," she said. "We are asking them to divest, and then everything can go back to normal. They really forced our hand with this."

As the fall semester begins, more students will likely become aware of the funding shutdown and its implications. Some members of the student government assembly have already been recalled for excessive absences, and others predict a broader backlash against the Shut It Down movement as student groups feel the impact. The administration is seeking ways to support student groups if their funding gets cut off.

Topics University of Michigan, Israel, Funding