The conservative Minnesota Republic at the University of Minnesota feared for its very existence after a panel that allocates student fees told it not to “compromise the cultural harmony of the campus” in its editorial decisions.
The reason for the not-so-veiled threat? A four-year-old back cover “poking fun at terrorists.”
Following coverage by Campus Reform, the student panel’s faculty adviser has called off the threat:
“Although the Student Services Fee Committee (SSFC), a student-led group responsible for making recommendations about the allocation of student fees, did inappropriately editorialize about SCV’s past publications in their initial fee recommendation, SSFC will be instructed to revise this language prior to final fee approval,” [Sara] Carvell wrote in a separate email to [editor-in-chief Allison] Maass obtained by Campus Reform.
“The student services fee process, administered by SSFC, is governed by viewpoint neutrality, meaning that funding decisions cannot be based on an applicant’s point of view. Indeed, an organization cannot be denied funding through the fees process simply because it advocates a particular opinion, no matter how controversial,” Carvell, the associate director of U of M’s Office of Student Affairs, continued.
Surprisingly, the Republic‘s parent organization, Students for a Conservative Voice, is slated to get $20,000 more next year than it was allocated for 2014-15, if administrators sign off on the panel’s recommendation.
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter
Please join the conversation about our stories on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MeWe, Rumble, Gab, Minds and Gettr.