Kerry Fulcher, president of Point Loma Nazarene University, sent an email to the student body on Feb. 9, informing them that the application to be a student club has been temporarily paused.
Fulcher said that over the course of the spring semester, university administration and the Associated Student Body (ASB) Board of Directors will be reviewing and updating policies that guide how clubs, club sports and other areas are formed and supported at PLNU. Fulcher said this is to ensure the policies are aligned with PLNU’s guidelines.
“This review is intended to bring clarity, consistency, and alignment with broader university guidelines, while also strengthening the structures that support student life and engagement,” Fulcher said in the email.
He said that their updated policies are expected to be finalized by the end of the spring semester, and club applications are to reopen after summer break.
“I’m grateful for ASB’s willingness to engage this work in a spirit of partnership and discernment,” Fulcher said in the email. “Their openness to collaboration reflects the strength of shared governance and the value of student leadership within our university.”
Kenzie Lopez, PLNU’s ASB president, said that they want this review to provide consistency and clarity, while allowing ASB to represent the student body. She said the goal of ASB is to represent undergraduate students and ensure their voices and interests are taken into consideration.
She said that while ASB policies have been in place for a while and are regularly reviewed, they want to ensure its alignment with PLNU’s guidelines further.
She said they’re hoping to accomplish unity within the future of their decisions, “and to ensure that the student body is well informed on what the policies are as they engage with what ASB can offer.”
Nathan Blanco, PLNU’s ASB director of student relations, said he doesn’t think updating policies will impact current or future clubs but improve them.
“We see a lot of opportunity to bring clarity to the club process and strengthen club involvement,” Blanco said in an email interview. “I think this will be beneficial for the club system once things are all figured out.”
Blanco said that they’ll be reviewing the entirety of ASB policies and procedures.
“While the club process is one of the things we are looking at, the goal is to review and make sure all ASB procedures are updated to be in alignment with our university guidelines,” Blanco said.
Ava Bailey-Klugh