I thought this research would be of interest to this list given the recent passage of several concealed carry laws and the conflicts between many of these laws and campus policies prohibiting firearm possession.
Rich
National Survey of College Campus Gun Possession Policies
Spring 2003
http://www.allianceforjustice.org/student/student_resources/college_survey.html
The Alliance for Justice and its student-led gun safety network, Gun Industry Watch, presents National Survey of College Campus Gun Possession Policies. This report is a summary of the gun possession policies at more than 150 colleges and universities.
According to a recent Harvard University study, 4.3 percent of U.S. college students own a firearm - 450,000 students nationwide. Gun activity exists among college-aged students, but are our nation's universities protecting students from possessing guns on campuses?
This National Survey of College Campus Gun Possession Policies covers a broad array of campus gun policies from those that are very restrictive to those that are extremely lenient. Our findings in this survey offer high school students, their parents, school and government offices needed information to better prepare for the college application process.
The Alliance for Justice surveyed 150 of the largest U.S. colleges and universities. Every college and university in our survey has adopted a gun possession policy, however these policies vary greatly from campus to campus. Each school's gun possession policy was organized into one of five categories. These categories were designed to help parents and students decipher the nuances of various gun policies. The Alliance for Justice urges parents to look beyond a university's stated policy and ask questions about enforcement of that policy.
These categories are as follows:
Zero Tolerance
Policy states that the possession of a firearm is prohibited, with no exceptions - 82 schools fall into this category.
Campus Storage Facility
Policy states that possession of a firearm is prohibited, except if stored in a university sanctioned storage facility - 25 schools fall into this category.
Authorized Use Only
Policy states that firearms possession is for authorized use only - ROTC, rifle team or a specific educational activity - 27 schools fall into this category. Campus
Registration
Policy states that firearm must be registered with the University - five schools fall into this category (two of the five also require storage of the firearm). Campus
Authorization
Policy states that students must receive prior authorization to bring a rifle onto campus - 22 schools fall into this category.
The survey research also revealed emerging legal conflicts for campuses with strict gun policies located in states with lenient gun possession laws. In the past few years, thirty states have passed laws that allow most people to carry a concealed firearm on their person. Nineteen of those state concealed carry laws make no exception for college campuses and appear to directly conflict with university possession policies.
Students at Virginia's George Mason University are using that state's lenient concealed carry law to challenge the university's more restrictive gun policy. In Utah, for example, a state that allows citizens to carry concealed weapons in public venues, the state attorney general recently challenged the University of Utah's strict gun possession policy. As a result legislation was introduced this past legislative session that would allow concealed-carry owners to carry their handgun onto school grounds. Unfortunately this legislation was passed through both houses of the Utah legislature. (As of our print date, the governor of Utah had not yet signed the bill though reports are that he has every intention of doing so shortly.) How can you use the information provided in this survey?
The Alliance for Justice hopes that students and parents will use the information provided in the National Survey of College Campus Gun Possession Policies to be better informed of campus gun policies while applying to college. We also hope that students attending colleges across the country will use this information to strengthen existing university gun policies. Your college experience should be in a safe and secure environment. A college campus is not a place for lenient gun policy.
View the survey results.
For further information please contact the Alliance for Justice at 202-822-6070 or write to us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Alliance for Justice is a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations. Since its inception in 1979, the Alliance has worked to advance the cause of justice for all Americans, strengthen the public interest community's ability to influence public policy, and foster the next generation of advocates.
