The November meeting of Beloit College’s Academic Senate, made up of faculty and staff as well as eight student senators, with two representatives from each graduating class, commenced at its typical location in the Richardson Auditorium in Morse-Ingersoll Hall. The meeting comes at a tumultuous time for the campus as a whole due to the establishment of a chapter of the right-wing organization Turning Point USA by Beloit students, furthered by a recent FOX News interview given by an executive board member of the club, who alleged that the college provided obstacles to the club’s formation. 

Proceedings began with Provost Donna Oliver calling the meeting to order and motioning to approve the minutes from the previous meeting. After this, it was time for a brief set of committee reports, beginning with Associate Professor of Japanese Susan Furukawa, who delivered an update on behalf of the Academic Strategic Planning committee. Furukawa discussed the possibility of implementing a technological literacy requirement for all students, in addition to establishing a core health science planning team to incorporate health sciences degrees into the curriculum in the near future. 

Following Furukawa’s departure from the portrait-flanked podium, Associate Professor of Sociology Kate Linnenberg stepped up to present briefly for the Faculty Status and Performance committee. She echoed her sentiments at the previous month’s meeting by simply saying, “We are still doing reviews, but we’re almost done.” This was in reference to the evaluation of faculty members in contention for tenure-track positions. 

Following Linnenberg’s presentation, Associate Professor of Spanish Amy Tibbitts spoke on behalf of the Curriculum Oversight and Administration committee. 

Cognitive Science Chair Robin Zebrowski also kept her presentation succinct, announcing that the deadline to submit funding proposals to the Professional and Program Development committee is the week of Nov. 24 to Dec. 1. Associate Professor of Biology Rachel Bergstrom then gave an update on Academic-Athletic Affairs, sharing her experience as the faculty advisor for the Buccaneers Football Team. Bergstrom expressed that “It’s been good for me to branch out to the students I don’t normally see in my classes,” adding that “I’ve really found it to be rewarding.” 

Associate Professor of Religious and Critical Identity Studies Dr. Sonya Maria Johnson asked how faculty might apply for a position like this, wondering humorously, “Do we get swag?” Bergstrom indicated that it’s a process that involves meeting with prospective student-athletes and establishing a relationship with coaches. 

An audience question was then posed as to what the working goals of a partnership such as this are, and Bergstrom responded by saying that faculty should take advantage of “Any opportunity to love our students for who they are,” in order to “make them feel like they belong here.” Athletic Director Patrick Miller stood up in the back of the hall and once again introduced himself to emphasize that “One of our main goals is to build bridges between academics and athletics.” 

Beloit College President Eric Boynton then stepped up to give remarks to preface an update on Student Affairs by Dean of Students Rongal Watson. Boynton began directly, asking the audience rhetorically, “How have we appeared in the headlines lately?” Boynton added, “We’ve been on FOX News once, maybe twice.” This was in reference to the FOX News interview given by an executive board member of the proposed Beloit College Turning Point USA chapter earlier that week. 

In introducing Watson, Boynton asserted the college’s values and the principles of a liberal arts education, saying to the audience, “Let’s aspire to be in the media not for controversy, but for leadership, and for showing how a college can preserve its values and advance its mission in a polarized time.” Boynton also emphasized the need for in-person communication and discourse, saying that “When our students seek to engage across political divides, our role is to help them do it well. With respect, courage, care.” 

With that, Boynton brought Watson to the podium to address the faculty and student senators, giving an update on Student Affairs. Watson reviewed the timeline of events related to the formation of the Turning Point USA club thus far, initially stating that he had heard of the organization in early October and had scheduled a meeting with its executive board members. When discussing the meeting, Watson stated, “It was my position then, and it remains my position, that these students are welcome to form a club.” 

After the club members made a public Instagram account, another account under the name @BC_friendly_edits posted photoshopped images of the executive board members in Nazi regalia, which prompted the club members and parents to view said posts as threatening and call the Beloit Police Department, which declined to pursue it as a threat. 

However, following this, comments were made on the club’s Instagram account that were deemed too extreme and prompted an investigation by Beloit College, the Beloit Police Department, and a third-party business. Watson indicated that the individual who commented was not a student but a consistent presence on campus and is no longer allowed on campus premises. 

Watson further explained that he met with executive board members of the club once again in a meeting that was scheduled before the Instagram post was made. Watson also discussed the email sent from the Dean of Students Office to the campus community in response to the situation, encouraging students to “treat their peers with respect, and pursue engagement with one another.” Since the interview was published on FOX News, Watson acknowledged that “We have fielded numerous inquiries from outside media organizations and individuals.” 

Watson also had some other news to announce, saying to the now apprehensive Richardson Auditorium, “As of now, my understanding is that the students have completed all the procedural steps to become a club, and will soon be submitting their materials in accordance with Beloit Student Government Process.” 

The Turning Point chapter at Beloit College is ratified by Beloit College as of Nov. 17, according to the TPUSA Instagram and Jocelyn Jordan on X.

However, this did come with an acknowledgement from Watson that he has met with many students who have legitimate concerns about the formation of such a club, and said that “I think we have to step away from the worst aspects of social media,” implying that students should rediscover how to solve differences and interact with one another face to face. 

Assistant Professor of Economics and Business Kevin Smith inquired whether the Turning Point USA chapter had fulfilled its requirements for becoming an official club, specifically whether it had secured a faculty advisor. The club has had conversations with a staff member and a faculty member, and Watson clarified that “My understanding is that there are several individuals who would be willing to step into that role for them.” 

Student senator Ava Tedesco’29 was handed the microphone, asking Watson, “What are your plans specifically to ease the minds of those on campus who feel unsafe?” Watson again stressed the importance of resolving differences in person and spoke to his experiences in meeting with the Turning Point USA executive board, explaining that those inside the organization view it a lot differently than others on campus do. 

Speaking to the fears of the campus community in relation to the club members, Watson said, “They are literally the same. They feel the exact same fear.” 

Fielding concerns from faculty about the beliefs of the national organization that the club purports to represent, Watson asserted that action will be taken if any of the college’s policies are violated, acknowledging that “This is a place where vigilance is required.” Many faculty members weighed in on the issue as Watson took questions from every corner of the auditorium, and Associate Dean of Students Joy Deleon implored faculty to “Remind your classes, they cannot record or share classes without permission.” 

Dr. Sonya Maria Johnson was then called on to speak, and the entire room ceased its idle chatter and fell silent to listen as she emphasized “Doubling down on our values of care” and that a unified community is best equipped to face challenges. She asked the room, “How do we do this? We do it with each other.” 

Johnson received an ovation from the crowd for her remarks, and Watson continued to answer questions from inquiring faculty, most notably from Kevin Smith, who wondered what the intended goal of the students was in forming a chapter of Turning Point USA at Beloit. Watson expressed that the students had conveyed to him that they simply wanted to have conversations about limited government and free speech.

 Watson then shared a story of how he used to be a member of a socialist organization as a college student, but realized that the group’s values did not represent his own, alluding to the fact that the students forming the Turning Point USA chapter might not subscribe to all the values of their parent organization. 

Following Watson’s anecdote, Amy Tibbitts, who had been roaming the rows of the auditorium to facilitate questions, weighed in herself, saying simply, “I really want to live in transparency.” In her brief statement, Tibbitts urged administration to have an open line of communication with faculty about relevant issues facing campus. 

Watson then concluded his remarks and was met with applause as he left the podium and the dust settled, welcoming Vice President of Strategic Planning and Career Development Tim Leslie and Mariela Trevino to the stage for an update on changes to the college’s social media policy. 

Leslie noted that “A lot has changed since September 2018,” announcing an added section to the policy on “managing negativity on social media.” Leslie and Trevino also explained a new tiered system for campus social media accounts, with institutional accounts being run by Communications and Marketing, official accounts being run by departments or offices, affiliated accounts being run by student clubs and organizations, parents, and alumni, and individual accounts being run by faculty, staff, and students. 

Leslie and Trevino encouraged affiliated accounts to put the following disclaimer in their account bio: “Not an official account of Beloit College. Content is created and managed by [club/organization/group], not Beloit College.” Administrators must also now apply for the creation of official accounts and attend an annual training required for all official social media account administrators. 

The meeting concluded on a positive note with remarks from Beloit College President Eric Boynton, who lauded the faculty, saying, “You should be proud of the work you’re doing,” and explaining that “There is reason to be optimistic and think about the work ahead.” 

Provost Donna Oliver was the final person to take the podium, thanking Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures Sylvia Lopez for organizing the Beloit and Beyond Conference the previous week and displaying a video showcasing the work of students at the conference. Oliver also emphasized that the development of new nursing programs at the college is consistent with its core values of global perspectives, community-based learning and community engagement, entrepreneurship, and integrative thinking. 

As the College enters a new era, Oliver encouraged faculty to “Continue to embrace our role as educators.” After a period for campus announcements, the meeting was adjourned, but not without difficult conversations and the collective navigation of a fraught time for Beloit College as it is thrust into the national spotlight. 

_{Featured image: Cian McKeown’27}