This article was originally posted in the Raging Chicken Press, which is a blog I write for, and it just so happens that the university I attend, and where we're based, has changed it's gun policy. The university has loosened it's gun policies to allow guns on campus, but not inside any of the buildings and it is on a "case-by-case" basis.
More will be explained below the fold.
Kutztown University, which is located between Reading and Allentown, PA, used to have a safety policy that banned guns and any other weapons on it's campuses, but a couple of weeks ago, the university decided to change it's policy to allow those with a government issued permit to carry on campus, and this would be on a "case-by-case" basis. The following excerpt explains:
Kutztown’s previous policy, which appeared on the university’s web page as recent as April 23, banned the “possession or use of firearms, explosives, other weapons or dangerous chemicals on university premises.” The 83 word policy was replaced by a two page policy on the “Possession of Deadly or Offensive Weapons on Kutztown University Campus,” detailing the policy, its purpose and scope. In a May 3 email sent by the president of the local chapter of the faculty union, APSCUF, Dr. Paul Quinn provided faculty with copies of the old and the new policy, saying that “Administrative Council discussed it at their last meeting, and it is now posted on the website.” Vigorous discussion of the issue is expected at the the next APSCUF-KU Representative Council meeting later today.
The most significant difference between the old policy and the new policy has to do with what is omitted. The old policy prohibits weapons on “university premises,” while the new policy prohibits weapons only in “Kutztown University academic buildings, administrative buildings, student residence halls (both university owned or leased), dining facilities, student union buildings, athletic facilities, recreation centers, or while attending a sporting, entertainment or educational event on the university property or sponsored by the university.” In other words, you can carry weapons on campus as long as you do not enter a university building or participate in a university event. That leaves quite a bit of room to roam across Kutztown’s beautifully manicured campus while packing your favorite Glock
Apparently, university administration officials claim that this directive came from the State System of Higher Education's Board of Governor's but would allow universities to make these decisions on their own. When asked about the decision, Matthew Santos - Director of University Relations - stated: “in conversation with other presidents across PASSHE [Pennsylvania’s 14 university State System of Higher Education] and conversations with legal, the time seemed right as other universities were making individual decisions.”
According to other universities in the state system, they have not changed their policy and Kutztown was the only campus to do so. The following excerpt reads:
Kutztown’s administration initially seemed to indicate that the change in policy was the result of a directive from PASSHE’s Chancellor’s Office or Board of Governors. Santos said that it was his understanding the change in policy “goes beyond our administration.” He said that it was his understanding that the Pennsylvania Attorney General stated that banning weapons on PASSHE campuses is not legally defensible in court. (I am still awaiting a reply from the Attorney General’s Office). PASSHE and other state agencies were advised that they would have to adopt policies that were less than an outright ban. According to Santos, PASSHE could not dictate a system-wide policy, so they provided a model policy for each university to use in revising their policies.
If such a model policy was distributed to each of the 14 PASSHE universities, most are either unaware of such a model policy or are unwilling to acknowledge that their respective administrations have been advised to change their policies. For example, California University of Pennsylvania’s weapons policy is similar to Kutztown’s original policy
However, according to California’s Director of Communications and Public Relations, Christine Kindl, the university has “heard no concerns about our weapons policy.”
I am stopping the blog here because of how expansive the issue is, but to catch up on the complete story,
please click on the following link.