Overview
- The University of Missouri says it will stop allocating money and space based on protected traits in July, shifting the five umbrella groups into a competitive pool that serves more than 600 student organizations.
- The affected associations are the Legion of Black Collegians, the Association of Latin American Students, the Asian American Association, the Queer Liberation Front, and FourFront.
- The Legion of Black Collegians will also lose its separate student-government status, a change the group says will undercut long-running programs and leadership roles.
- Student leaders call the reclassification an effective defunding because umbrella groups now must apply for capped awards instead of receiving lump sums that cover most programming.
- At a large campus meeting, students condemned the move as intentional erasure, and at least one other group said it was told to expect the loss of direct support, suggesting the policy could extend beyond the initial five.