Which universities have actively recognized or rejected TPUSA chapters in the last five years?
Executive summary
Over the past five years, campus battles over Turning Point USA (TPUSA) recognition have produced a mixed record: several student governments have rejected TPUSA bids while university administrations or courts have sometimes reversed those denials, and a handful of campuses have explicitly approved or left chapters unregistered; reporting names Tulane, Loyola University New Orleans, Eastern Illinois University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Wichita State University, Catholic University of America, and the University of Cincinnati as focal points of those disputes [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
1. Tulane approved a TPUSA chapter after a cautious review
Tulane University ultimately approved a TPUSA chapter following months of administrative review and a temporary pause on new organization approvals; university officials said the pause applied uniformly while the school considered federal civil‑rights guidance, and TPUSA’s campus leaders announced formal Registered Student Organization status in January after the delay [1] [2].
2. Loyola University New Orleans’ student government rejected recognition
Loyola’s student government voted to deny recognition to a proposed TPUSA chapter, citing concerns about how the national organization’s stances could affect campus community and fairness; that rejection drew public backlash from conservative politicians and coverage noting the contrast between Loyola’s denial and Tulane’s approval nearby [2] [8].
3. Eastern Illinois University administration overrode student government and approved
Eastern Illinois University’s administration stepped in to register a TPUSA chapter after the Student Government Association voted against recognition, with university officials formally granting status despite the SGA’s rejection [3].
4. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga granted recognition after SGA rejection
Reporting indicates the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga also overruled its student government’s denial to approve a TPUSA chapter, illustrating a pattern where administrative offices sometimes prioritize free‑speech or nondiscrimination principles over SGA decisions [4].
5. Wichita State: legal pressure and questions about viewpoint discrimination
Wichita State’s student senate confronted legal concerns when debating a TPUSA recognition vote; civil‑liberties advocates such as FIRE warned that viewpoint‑based denials would violate First Amendment protections, and previous legal action on the campus (a 2021 student court ruling) has shown courts can overturn student‑government denials as unconstitutional [5] [9].
6. Catholic University of America has repeatedly denied TPUSA recognition
Campus Reform reported that Catholic University of America denied TPUSA’s recognition for a third time, with students alleging bias against the national group; the school’s repeated rejections make it an example of an institution explicitly blocking TPUSA chapter formation in the recent coverage [6].
7. University of Cincinnati: chapter not registered since 2021, university pushes back on “kicked off” claims
The University of Cincinnati stated its TPUSA chapter had not been registered as a student organization since 2021 and disputed social‑media claims that the group had been “kicked off” campus, noting the group could reapply under standard procedures for future academic years [7].
Conclusion — patterns, motives and institutional agendas
The reporting shows two clear dynamics: student governments sometimes reject TPUSA bids on community‑fit or fairness grounds while university administrations and courts occasionally reverse those decisions on legal or policy grounds, producing a patchwork of outcomes across campuses [3] [4] [5]. Coverage originates from outlets with differing perspectives—Campus Reform and TPUSA‑friendly sources emphasize administrative approvals and denials framed as bias [6] [10], while campus newspapers and local reporting focus on procedural pauses and community concerns [1] [2]. Legal advocates like FIRE frame the disputes as First Amendment cases, signaling a likely reason administrations intervene: to avoid legal liability for viewpoint discrimination [5]. This summary is limited to the universities named in the provided reporting; other campuses have been part of TPUSA’s broader expansion but are not covered in the supplied sources [9].