Hiding the unwanted: A University-level campus carry policy

Sampo Ruoppila

doi:10.1007/s10734-021-00740-5

Abstract

Campus carry laws have allowed civilians to legally bring their concealed firearms onto college and university campuses in several states in the U.S. over the past decade. Previous studies have addressed the policy’s legal grounds, arguments for and against it, impacts on campus safety, and faculty and students’ attitudes toward it. This paper examines the less addressed topic of policy implementation, especially the role of universities in modifying the outcomes, including what kinds of rules the higher educational institutions themselves have designed and what these approaches mean. The article focuses on Texas, where public higher educational institutions were required to allow campus carry but also given some discretion in implementation. The article provides a qualitative content analysis of policy documents and expert interviews regarding the campus carry policy at The University of Texas at Austin. It argues that the university fully accomplishes the law, but through its policy it has also sought to hide it, removing the issue from everyday life on campus.

Highlights

As society changes, universities are required to change, too
This article has shed light on how a campus carry policy was implemented at a major state university, examining its modification of the policy
The study has a broader significance, for as campus carry legislation is both spreading to an increasing number of states and becoming more detailed, the questions concerning implementation remain important, and the Texas law has been even suggested as a best practice (Short, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

This can mean the adoption of policies that appear at odds with their primary remit as a realm of academic scholarship and higher learning. Recent reforms of U.S gun laws have forced public higher education institutions in ten states to accept— reluctantly—that faculty, staff, and students are legally permitted to carry a concealed firearm can do so on university premises. Universities have been required to define their campus gun policies. The article focuses on Texas, where public higher educational institutions were required to allow concealed carry on campuses but given some discretion in implementation.

Methods

Results

Conclusion