Tulane University delays approval of TPUSA chapter revival
Tulane University has halted the approval of an application to bring back the school’s chapter of Turning Point USA.
The school noted that it would be pausing the process of recognizing student organizations just a day after the application was submitted.
A Louisiana university appears to be attempting to hamper students’ efforts to revive a conservative student group on campus.
Students at Tulane University recently applied to reestablish a chapter of Turning Point USA, but were immediately met with obstacles, according to an article in The Tulane Hullabaloo, Tulane’s school newspaper.
“As of Fall 2025, Tulane University is temporarily pausing new applications for Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) while we conduct a comprehensive review of all currently active organizations, including those affiliated with national or international partners,” the school announced in a statement on its website. “This review ensures that all RSOs remain aligned with Tulane’s Non-Discrimination Policy, Title VI and Title IX protections, and our shared commitment to equitable student participation.”
The policy change was announced a day after the application was submitted, leading chapter president Noam Gracia to decry the decision.
“I feel like it’s very obvious that they’re trying to stall us,” he told The Tulane Hullabaloo.
Nathan Jones, president of the school’s College Democrats chapter, denied allegations of partisanship, despite only ten percent of the student body being registered Republicans, according to a pre-election poll conducted by the school’s newspaper.
“I think it [the Tulane student body] is more liberal than it is conservative, but I think we’ve also got to give it more ideological diversity than we might think,” he told the outlet.
In addition to College Democrats, the school also recognizes chapters of “Feminism, Redefined” and “Planned Parenthood Generation Action,” according to a school webpage.
”Tulane University is committed to creating an environment that supports and encourages open and vigorous dialogue and debate over a range of issues and from a variety of perspectives,” a statement from Tulane reads. “Turning Point USA previously had an active chapter at Tulane and was an officially Recognized Student Organization (RSO) as recently as the 2023-2024 academic year. The group did not seek to renew its charter during the renewal periods for the 2024-2025 academic year so, per our process for all student organizations, was inactive.
”Students affiliated with Turning Point USA have recently re-applied for official RSO recognition, but Tulane has placed a temporary pause on new RSO applications while the university conducts a comprehensive review of all active organizations, including those affiliated with national or international partners. Again, this pause applies equally to all student groups with pending requests — currently 21 in total. To be clear, this pause has nothing to do with any one applicant’s viewpoint. This review is to ensure that all student organizations operate in compliance with federal laws and university policies. Once the review is complete, the application process will reopen.”
Tulane is not the only Louisiana school that has stymied the efforts of conservatives to organize on campus. Loyola University’s student government recently voted to deny an application for recognition of a Turning Point USA chapter, citing its “focus on maintaining fairness and community.”
Other schools have reversed such decisions by their student governments. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga overrode an SGA rejection of an application for a TPUSA chapter and granted the group approval, according to a recent Campus Reform report.
All relevant parties have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
