The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Dean of Students Office has ultimately approved Turning Point USA as a Registered Student Organization despite the school’s Student Government Association (SGA) previously voting against the proposal.
On Tuesday, the SGA voted to reject students’ plans to register a Turning Point USA chapter at the school, which drew immense backlash from Republicans across Tennessee.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) called on UTC to “do the right thing and approve the Turning Point chapter immediately.”
Lawyer and political commentator Robert Barnes threatened to sue his “hometown school” if a student chapter was not approved, which caught the attention of Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet, who questioned the values of Tennessee, adding, “Your tax dollars are propping this garbage up.”
Thursday morning, UTC released a statement announcing that its Dean of Students Office overruled the SGA’s vote, officially allowing a Turning Point USA chapter to be formed at the university.
The UTC Dean of Students Office has approved Turning Point USA as a Registered Student Organization.
Recognition of student organizations is determined by the Dean of Students and Chancellor in accordance with university policy and state law. pic.twitter.com/KrlVKMuY4H
— The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (@UTChattanooga) October 9, 2025
“As part of the process of becoming a Registered Student Organization at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Dean of Student’s Office has completed its review of a group of students’ application to establish a chapter of Turning Point USA on campus. The Dean of Student’s Office has determined that Turning Point USA is approved as a Registered Student Organization,” the statement reads.
“While the Student Government Association may voice opinions, recognition of student organizations is determined by the UTC Dean of Students and Chancellor. Turning Point USA has been authorized in accordance with university policy and the law,” UTC added.
With Turning Point USA now recognized as a Registered Student Organization at UTC, several Tennessee lawmakers are urging conservative students to challenge the current SGA by voting its members out of office.
Tennessee House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) was among those calling for change to UTC’s SGA, writing in an X post, “These woke SGA’s need to be voted out yesterday. I’d be more than happy to pitch in for a conservative slate so something like this never happens again, and I have a feeling other conservatives would be happy to join.”
Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) added, “Looks like some of these young conservatives need to run against the liberal SGA who didn’t even want their voices heard on campus.”
UTC’s approval of a Turning Point USA chapter comes as the organization has received more than 120,000 inquiries from people wanting to start new campus chapters since the September 10 assassination of its co-founder, Charlie Kirk.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “University of Tennessee at Chattanooga” by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
