The College Fix

A university official confirmed that despite initial setbacks, the black student now has an advisor for the College Republicans chapter 

The only College Republicans chapter at a historically black university has moved forward after initial setbacks.

Florida A&M University student Charrise Lane initially had trouble getting approved without a faculty advisor. However, the senior public relations and political science major now has three choices, according to the university.

William Hudson, vice president of student affairs at FAMU, told The College Fix in a phone interview that Lane is on track to achieve this goal.

Hudson said the final choice is up to Lane.

Currently, no HBCU in the country has a College Republicans chapter. When Lane initially sought a faculty advisor to sponsor the organization, no one she asked was willing to take on the role, according to NBC News.

“Being unable to form the organization on her own campus, where 7 in 10 students are registered as Democrats, has been frustrating. FAMU has consistently been able to field an active chapter of College Democrats,” NBC reported.

Hudson told The Fix that Lane initially struggled to find an advisor because she was a new transfer student who “didn’t know the proper contacts.” However, the university began working with her to connect her with potential sponsors.

Hudson said that Lane’s experience is not unique to burgeoning student organizations at FAMU.

“We have over 20 organizations that do not have advisors,” he told The Fix. Since advising is a volunteer position, not all faculty members have the time to take on these responsibilities.

Consequently, some organizations choose to have multiple advisors to share in the responsibilities.

“We really try to have a robust campus,” Hudson told The Fix.

Regarding the process of establishing a new organization on campus, Hudson explained that students “must secure at least ten currently enrolled students.” While it remains unclear if Lane has met this requirement, the university has been working with her to assist in the process.

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Lane shared in a video posted on X that her motivation to create a College Republicans chapter comes from her Christian and conservative values. In the video, she says she believes in a “strong family unit,” “the sanctity of life,” “a woman’s right to protect herself,” and “school choice.”

“I believe the Republican party needs people like me,” she says.

In an Instagram video, Lane said she has been “facing pushback” and online threats since she announced her plans to start the College Republicans chapter at FAMU.

The College Fix reached out to Lane via Instagram and X, but she did not respond to requests for comment in the last two weeks.

A free speech expert with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression told The Fix that criteria for new student groups must be “viewpoint-neutral” when asked for comment on Lane’s problem finding an advisor.

“Forming student organizations is…how students exercise their freedom to associate,” Graham Piro told The Fix via email.

“It’s important for universities to ensure that when they create criteria for student group formation, that criteria is enforced on a viewpoint-neutral basis,” he said.

“That means that universities are not targeting specific groups for harsher treatment, and are making exceptions where possible to facilitate as much group formation as possible,” the free speech expert said.

“If there is any indication that the College Republicans are being treated differently because of their viewpoint, that would be concerning for FIRE,” Piro said.

He is “hopeful” that Lane and her university “can work together” and said FIRE “will be monitoring the situation.”

The campus Democrats stated in a post on Instagram that they support Lane and “oppose any act of violence or threats directed toward the FAMU College Republicans and their entire organization, which is in the process of potentially being reinstated.”

“Black individuals are not a monolith; we have diverse thoughts, opinions, and beliefs.”

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IMAGE: Fox News/Youtube

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