Shared November 5, 2025:
The Associated Student Body (ASB) Board of Directors has made its decision regarding the application to charter a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) student club at PLNU. After a formal review process guided by the ASB Constitution, a motion to establish the club was brought to a vote and the motion failed to pass. Their rationale focused on concerns related to TPUSA’s Professor Watchlist. While the applicants indicated they would not participate in the watchlist, their application included phrasing that mirrors language used on TPUSA’s website in connection with it. That practice is not aligned with ASB’s purpose of fostering constructive communication and interaction between students, faculty, and administration. Their rationale also focused on the applicants’ stated intent during their presentation to affiliate with TPUSA Faith, which is not permitted under the University’s Church and Parachurch Policy. This policy is in place to ensure that outside churches or ministry organizations, however well-intentioned, do not duplicate efforts already being led by our campus ministry team and use university resources to advance their own programming.
Some in our internal and external community asked for the university to intervene or influence the outcome. While I understand that desire, it’s important to be clear: the authority to approve or deny student-initiated clubs rests solely with the ASB Board of Directors, as outlined in their Constitution (Article VI, Section 2(C), and Article X).
I know this decision will land differently for different people. For some, it may be deeply disappointing or raise concerns. For others, it may feel affirming or reassuring. However you view this outcome, I want to encourage us all to respond in a way that reflects Christ-centered community committed to mutual respect, thoughtful dialogue, and the dignity of one another.
In moments like this, we have an opportunity to live out what that means. Disagreement does not have to lead to division. In fact, these moments offer us the opportunity to model something distinctively different from the polarization we see around us. We can choose to respond with humility, grace, and love. These are virtues that run deeper than any political or ideological line.
I am grateful to the ASB Board for engaging this process with seriousness, prayer, and discernment. They listened to many perspectives and carried the weight of this decision thoughtfully. They did not take this responsibility lightly.
I also want to be clear that students who hold conservative views are valued members of this community. There are conservative chartered clubs that are able to participate fully in the shared life of our campus. I'm committed to supporting these students with the same spirit of respect, consistency, and hospitality that guides how we care for all student organizations at PLNU.
If there are additional avenues by which conservative students would like their perspectives represented in campus life, I am open to hearing those ideas and understanding which form of support would be most helpful. This is a shared community, and your voice plays a meaningful role in it.
Many of us will need time to reflect on what this decision means and how it feels. If you are feeling anxious, frustrated, or uncertain in light of this decision, please know that the Student Life and Formation team is preparing spaces where you can gather, ask questions, and process this moment together. You do not have to carry this alone.
This decision could divide us, but it doesn’t have to. We’ve navigated complex issues before, and I believe we can do so again with the same grace and maturity I’ve seen time and again in this community. Our calling as followers of Christ remains the same: to love well, listen deeply, and lead with compassion.
With grace upon grace,
Kerry Fulcher, Ph.D.
PLNU President