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The president of the University of Dallas, a conservative Roman Catholic university, acted on Friday to approve a new student club focused on racial solidarity after the student government twice tabled the proposal for the club amid concerns from some students and faculty that it would be divisive.
The approval of the club by the university president, Thomas S. Hibbs, bypasses normal processes requiring the student government to vote on new clubs. Hibbs previously joined with the bishop of Dallas and the chair of the university's board in issuing a joint statement supporting the club proposal.
Hibbs wrote in an email to the campus that a student vote on the club would be "unnecessary and unduly burdensome" in light of his conclusion that the club merited approval.
"I realize that some will be unhappy with this decision, as it bypasses normal processes. But there are times when bypassing such processes is the most reasonable path. I have made the judgment that this is such an occasion," Hibbs wrote.
Joshua Nunn, a senior at Dallas and president of the newly approved club, said he was happy about the approval.
“I’m glad that we didn’t have to go through the process, because it really took a lot of mental fatigue out of us as a group,” he said.
Throughout the process of seeking approval last fall, the club changed its name three times, from Student Leaders for Racial Progress to Student Leaders for Racial Justice to, finally, Student Leaders for Racial Solidarity. Nikki Kramer, the student government president, said in a statement that the student government "supports President Hibbs’ decision and hopes this club does well on campus."
