Minnesota State University Student Association
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Students United, formerly called the Minnesota State University Student Association or MSUSA, is a non-profit organization funded and operated by students. The Association serves nearly 65,000 students attending
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
's seven state universities:
Bemidji State University Bemidji State University (BSU) is a public university in Bemidji, Minnesota. Founded as a preparatory institution for teachers in 1919, it provides higher education to north-central Minnesota. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Univ ...
,
Minnesota State University, Mankato Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU, MSU, or Minnesota State) is a public university in Mankato, Minnesota, United States. It is Minnesota's second-largest university and has over 123,000 living alumni worldwide. Founded in 1868, it is t ...
,
Metropolitan State University Metropolitan State University (Metro State) is a public university in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
,
Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has an enrollment of 7,534 students in 2019 and 266 full-time faculty members. MSUM is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities s ...
, St. Cloud State University,
Southwest Minnesota State University Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) is a public university in Marshall, Minnesota. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. The university has an enrollment of approximately 8,700 students and employs 148 fa ...
and
Winona State University Winona State University (Winona) is a public university in Winona, Minnesota. It was founded as First State Normal School of Minnesota in 1858 and is the oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It was the first no ...
. The association is recognized by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees and the
Minnesota State Legislature The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...
as the respective representative of state university students in Minnesota, and works on a variety of issues at the different levels of government.


Structure


501(c)(3)

Students United is a
501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
, which means it is exempt from federal income tax. Additionally, this means that Students United is prohibited from supporting political candidates, making it a
nonpartisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers sp ...
organization.


Board of Directors

The organization is governed by a board of directors composed of the elected student body presidents at each of the seven state universities and three non-voting statewide officers; a State Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer. These board members govern and set the vision for the organization.


Officers

The State Chair is elected by the Board of Directors each spring. The State Chair is the spokesperson for the organization. They are responsible for representing the Board of Directors and chairs all of their meetings as a non-voting member. Additionally, the State Chair or their designee represents the organization at the Student Advisory Council (SAC) of the Office of Higher Education (OHE) and is responsible for testifying to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (Minn State) Board of Trustees meetings at their monthly meetings, which they may also delegate to another student. The State Chair also appoints state university students to Minnesota State system-level committees and task forces. The Vice Chair performs the duties of the State Chair in their absence or at the State Chair's request. The Vice Chair serves as the chair of the Delegate Assembly Committee and is the co-chair of the Scholarship and Alumni Board. The Treasurer oversees the financial updates of the organization and works with the staff and the organization accountant to produce monthly statements and an annual audit. The Vice Chair and Treasurer are elected by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors. Officers' terms are for one year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30.


Staff

Students United has a team of full-time, professional staff members who work out of their office a
Fueled Collective
in Northeast
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. The Executive Director supervises and manages the staff and acts as the liaison between the staff and the Board of Directors. The Executive Director is hired and supervised by the Board of Directors. Other staff positions include: * Director of Development * Director of Equity and Inclusion * Director of Government Relations * Director of Operations * Director of Public Relations * Director of System Relations * Office Manager


References

{{authority control