UTSA announces university-wide campus carry policy
Plan addresses Senate Bill 11, the campus carry law, which takes effect August 1
Plan addresses Senate Bill 11, the campus carry law, which takes effect August 1
Share this Story(April 13, 2016) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) today announced a policy on the implementation of Senate Bill 11, the campus carry law. The measure allows licensed individuals to carry a concealed handgun on public university campuses, and goes into effect just prior to the Fall 2016 semester.
In an email sent to UTSA students, faculty and staff, President Ricardo Romo noted that no decision has weighed more heavily on his mind than Senate Bill 11 and a policy for implementing it at UTSA.
“While I do not agree with campus carry in principle, I recognize that I have an obligation to ensure we are prepared to comply with it when the law takes effect on August 1,” said Romo.
Last year, Romo, UTSA Police Chief Steve Barrera and UT System Chancellor William McRaven were among education leaders testifying before the legislature against Senate Bill 11.
“I believe that handguns have no place in our classrooms, in our laboratories or on our campuses,” he said. “Campus carry is a distraction from our mission of providing excellence to our students and our community.”
He added, “Together, we have all worked to create an environment that promotes open discourse and intellectual curiosity. We embrace diverse cultures, thoughts and opinions. We encourage the free expression of ideas. Now, we are being required to implement a law that could compromise that environment.”
Last fall, Romo appointed a task force, comprised of UTSA students, faculty, staff and administrators, to explore how campus carry might be implemented at UTSA and what potential exclusion zones should be considered. The committee organized listening sessions while it conducted its work to obtain input from the larger UTSA community and other university supporters. That task force presented its recommendations to Romo earlier this month.
UTSA’s campus carry policy includes general provisions, the designation of exclusion zones on UTSA’s campuses where handguns will not be permitted, and plans for education and training programs.
Some of those exclusion zones include:
- Shared university residence halls and housing units;
- Laboratories with combustible, flammable or other dangerous materials;
- Counseling and health services centers;
- Facilities providing child care for minor children;
- Roadrunner Café and John Peace Library dining areas;
- Athletics venues;
- Youth events sponsored by UTSA or other schools;
- Facilities with special uses, e.g. JPL Special Collections area, housing used for summer camps and orientation, official proceedings or hearings locations, the Multidisciplinary Studies Building testing center, the UTSA Police Department and Central Receiving
The full policy is available for review at UTSA.edu/campuscarry.
Over the next several months, UTSA will install signage defining exclusion zones. It will also develop mandatory training to educate UTSA students, faculty and staff about the law.
Texas is the eighth state in the U.S. to allow concealed carry at public universities.
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Review the UTSA’s campus carry policy and full list of exclusion zones.
Read a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
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Alamodome, 100 Montana St.
