UM system president takes blame for funding cuts to cultural student groups

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri System President Mun Choi said it was his decision to dissolve the university's multicultural fee at Wednesday's Faculty Council meeting.

"It wasn't an easy decision, but it was decided that I needed to protect the institution. So that's the decision that I made," Choi said.

The multicultural fee provided funds to a number of identity-based student organizations at MU. The initial announcement came out on Sunday that the university would stop designating funds to the groups including:

• The Legion of Black Collegians
• The Asian American Association
• Association of Latin American Students
• Four Front
• Filling in the Space
• The Queer Liberation Front

The decision also revoked the student government status of LBC. The funding will end July 1 for the affected groups. University officials said the groups will be recategorized as Recognized Student Organizations in the fall and can apply for university funding, but it's not guaranteed. The organizations will now be wrapped in to MU's other groups vying for financial support.

Choi said during the meeting that in July 2025, the university received a memo from the Department of Justice that requested all institutions receiving federal funding to abide by Title IX, Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment.

Choi said the university found a concerning revelation during a review that would have put university funding at risk.

"We are not in compliance with Title VI because we provide specific benefits to student groups based on demographics," Choi said.

Noah Schnarre, Missouri Student Association President, said Title VI is not being violated by the student groups.

"In terms of Title VI, none of these organizations specifically will not allow white students or any other students of any specific race to not participate," Schnarre said.

Schnarre called the move by university leadership a logistical nightmare and uneccessary.

"It was not a law passed, it was not an executive order, it was not a Supreme Court case, this was a memo," Schnarre said. "They can hold some amount of validity, but not enough to be a concern of legality."

Schnarre said this could temporarily bankrupt the groups effected due to timelines already in place to request RSO funds.

"Even with being recognized in July, the first time that they're going to be able to get funding is the September meeting," Schnarre said.

Schnarre said it was implied to him and his colleagues that they could change some of the language in their bylaws, but it wasn't clear if that would change any possible decisions by the university.

The decision comes nearly two years after MU restructured its diversity division.