University says conservative women's group does not merit club recognition, approves Beat Box org: EXCLUSIVE

A university’s student leadership has rejected an application to start a conservative women’s organization on campus, claiming it is not clear how such a group would help students, according to exclusive info obtained by Campus Reform. 

Student leaders at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, denied an application to start a chapter of Network of Enlightened Women (NeW) at Seaver College, which is Pepperdine’s “flagship college,” according to the school website. 

In a Dec. 19, 2023 email obtained by Campus Reform, Philip Hong, Student Organizations Coordinator for Student Activities and advisor to the Inter-Club Council (ICC), wrote to Delaney Ermshar, the Pepperdine University student who tried to start the NeW chapter and a Campus Reform correspondent, explaining why the club application was rejected.

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Hong said that the ICC advisory board “feels that we need more information on how your club will benefit the campus as a whole and how your events will benefit the women of Pepperdine,” and added: “At this time, after reviewing the application, the Board does not necessarily feel convinced that this club would benefit or impact the campus in a significant way.” 

Other clubs on campus include a Beatbox Club, a Scuba Club, and a Spikeball club, according to a club listing from the Fall Semester of 2022 on the Pepperdine Community website. 

Hong added that “we did not want to deny right away because we would like to hear how your events will benefit the campus as whole [sic].” 

On Jan. 11, Ermshar responded with a document, obtained exclusively by Campus Reform, that explained the club’s goals and mission: “The NeW at Pepperdine chapter would bring unique opportunities for the women at Pepperdine by helping them advance in their careers through networking and career development, such as LinkedIn workshops, resume-building sessions, and mock interviews that the chapter would offer to the women on campus.” 

“They would also get the opportunity to hear from different speakers around the country on specific topics and policy issues that interest them and would help them in their future careers,” the statement added.   

The document also noted: “The NeW chapter would have the opportunity to table on campus to raise awareness of different policies and issues important to students. This would help create intellectual diversity and ongoing dialogue that would benefit all students on Campus.”

Despite this explanation, Hong sent a follow-up email on Jan. 17 stating: “Unfortunately, the board and I cannot approve of NeW’s status at this time since we’ll need to gather again to make decisions about new club statuses for the upcoming academic year. The board didn’t seem confident in approving this club since it wasn’t exactly clear what NeW’s goals and objectives were.” 

“From my understanding, NeW’s goal is to provide a space for conservative women and a place of discussion. If so, then I’ll need to gather the board again at the end of this semester to discuss if we feel that this club is needed on campus,” he concluded. 

NeW, founded in 2004, hosts meetings on campuses nationwide to “discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women today, as well as current national issues” and “educates, equips, and empowers women to be principled leaders for a free society,” according to its website.

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In an email to Campus Reform, Ermshar also provided quotes from several women who support starting the Pepperdine chapter, including: “Creating a club for conservative women would allow young women, who may have previously been frightened to speak their opinions, to discuss their beliefs freely without fear of becoming social outcasts. Such a club would allow for strong bonds and friendships to form, memories to be made, and a blossoming community to be cultivated.” 

“I believe that if you allow a club from one side of the political spectrum it is imperative the other side also be allowed those same liberties to meet and have groups,” Ermshar told Campus Reform. “I think it’s hypocritical to allow one and not the other, especially when despite the political differences, they have similar stated goals.”

Campus Reform has reached out to Pepperdine University and Philip Hong for comment. This article will be updated accordingly. 

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