What To Do About Campus Carry

[runswithscissors]

In my state, it is legal for a legally armed citizen to carry their firearm on campus. My campus however will not allow students to carry on campus without a written recommendation from the Campus Police Chief and final say from the President.

My question is this. Since I would not be breaking any laws, should I just carry on campus(CCW of course) and not bother with asking my campus for permission, or should I try to ask them to let me carry on campus? If they say yes, that would be great. If they say no, I'm sure they will ask me if I intend to carry on campus even though they now know that I would be in violation of the schools policy and procedures. I don't want to lie.

What do you think people? Ask and hope it goes well, or carry and hope I never have anyone find out? I only have one semester left and don't really want to get kicked out on the off chance that someone catches a peak while performing an awkward motion.

I'm not asking you to tell me what to do, just asking what you think on the situation and what you might consider doing if you were in my shoes.

 

[Omni04]

i would honestly ask for permission and hope it goes well. Doing illegal things is never good for the anti-gun people and in this day and age people will freak out if you are carrying a 1 inch box opener. Just my 2 cents :/

 

[Glacius_the_Invincible]

I am in your position (senior in college) and I don't/wouldn't do it. I have a carry permit and live in Indiana (a fairly gun-friendly state), but still never go to campus carrying.

To me, it's not worth getting kicked out and wasting the 3 years of effort I put in to get this far. That's just my opinion, though.

 

[Mark13]

Is your campus in an urban area? If not why are you worrying about it, just leave it in your car?

I would think that the only exceptions a university head would make is if you have been specifically targeted, and there is a verifiable threat to your life. And that's if he is "pro-gun". Otherwise they will look at you like you are the potential problem just for asking.

I'm not trying to be a downer, but college faculty generally are leftist/socialists and would be HORRIFIED at the thought of you walking around "their" campus armed.

 

[spartacus2002]

I think the frustrating thing is that I as a non-student with no affiliation with the college can walk around campus all day long with a concealed pistol, yet a tuition-paying student cannot.

 

[CAS700850]

Glacius is correct in his assesment fo teh situation. Is it worth the risk of being kicked out of school, and possibly losing the credits (and the cost to earn those credits) by violating policy? Ask. You might be surprised. If not, remember that school is only temporary .

 

[Bear Gulch]

Another example of collegiate fuzzy think!

 

[mainmech48]

Tough call! Kinda like having to decide if you'd rather be a "test case" or a "statistic".

IMO, your concerns about applying to the campus police and administration are well-founded. In the Orwellian world of Academia, doing so might well make you a "person of interest". What all that status might entail should be viewed with extreme caution.

I don't know where your campus is located, nor at what hours you are typically required to be there. Both of these factors would weigh heavily in my personal decision making process.

Myself, I would most likely carry, but with the utmost discretion. If that means I have to alter my dress, mode of carry, social activities, customary travel routes, and (most importantly!) level of awareness - so be it.

Your goal should be to get that sheepskin while doing everything possible to stay off the radar of both Big Brother and the hyenas. Carefull observation of and attention to, where you are, who else is there, how they might be reacting to your presence, and what's going on around you will go a long way towards helping you avoid trouble from both.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck and stay safe.

 

[tetchaje1]

Move to Utah, Carry Legally with the legislature's blessing...

You just have to ask yourself if it is potentially worth it to you to be kicked out of your school. With a demark like that from the liberal institution, it may also be hard to get reaccepted somewhere else. Just make sure that you want to take that step.

 

[Zundfolge]

If it was me, and carry was not against the law then I'd say concealed means concealed.

 

[Zak Smith]

So is it an actual LAW, or just some school "policy"? If it's the latter, it's no different than carrying concealed on private property-- they can kick you out and give you whatever contractual penalties you've agreed to, but they can't press charges.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

On the one hand, you're 7/8ths of the way there, and have gotten by okay so far.

On the other hand, a belly band, SmartCarry or Pager Pal provide really, really deep concealment.

In almost two years I've never been made with my SmartCarry. YMMV.

 

[30 cal slob]

Is that state property or private property?

I attended a private college in small NH town that borders VT. Guns and gun owners and gun shops everywhere. It's where I picked up my awful gun habit.

Official college policy was that only long guns were permitted on campus (handguns became prohibited) and had to be stored with the campus police (and not in residence halls or frats).

I didn't care about the rules.

I slept with a .357 mag under my pillow and a horsey AR-15 under the bed. Not because I needed them for protection, but because they were better than having a girlfriend.

Don't get caught.

 

[goalie]

Kel-tec P3AT in a pocket holster. Looks like a wallet in your back pocket with the right leather.

You are not breaking the law, and if you ever (god forbid) actually need it, well, school isn't going to seem too important anymore for a minute or two anyhow.

Remember, if two people know, it isn't a secret anymore.

 

[HankB]

I would never advocate breaking a law in an open forum. But unless campus policies carry the force of law they're only rules . . . and I never was a stickler for following mere rules passed by a bureaucrat, not a legislature.

Having said that, I note that when breaking rules, it's best to do so with utter discretion, unless you actually wish to become a test case. Note that asking for permission puts you on the administration's radar, even if (or when?) permission is denied.

 

[Bear Gulch]

I have fessed up to carry in violation of College policy back in the 1980's (yes chillins, we had colleges then). It was a very tough choice. I am a law abiding man, but I also felt the need to be able to protect myself and others.

 

[runswithscissors]

Thank you all so much for your input

Here is some more info:

I live two blocks off campus. I walk to school. I am at school at all different times of the day and night. We can call school police and they will let us into the buildings, even after they are closed. I sometimes stay late (2-3 a.m.) working on projects and whatnot in the computer lab. My campus is "reletively safe" but my neighborhood has had a string of robberies, home invasions, sexual assualts, and murders. Police have been patroling the streets with special K-9 and detective units. My neighborhood is what most would call "safe", but there is a risk of danger anywhere you go. :banghead:
It is not against the law for me to carry on my campus. It is against school policies and they might take administrative action against me. I currently do not carry on campus, as I do not like breaking rules . I guess I have managed to go this long without carrying, one more semester shouldn't hurt. I think I will try to see if my school will let me carry, the worst that could happen is for them to say no and for me to continue not carrying on campus.

Thank you all once again for your helpful insight into this situation.

 

[jefnvk]

Not because I needed them for protection, but because they were better than having a girlfriend.

If it is just school policy, you are probably the only one in position to make the decision. Will the benefits (may need to depend on it sometime) outweigh the risks (possibly getting caught)? I don't think anyone can make that decision for you.

At my school, guns stay in the weapons room or your car. I know some people sometimes keep them in their rooms (for convienence, not protection), without any problems, but to me, that small possibility that I get caught outweighs any benefits.

 

[Standing Wolf]

If it was me, and carry was not against the law then I'd say concealed means concealed.

I have to concur. If the college is state-funded, it's probably violating the civil rights of tax-paying students by denying them their civil rights; fighting that battle in court, however, certainly would risk a felony conviction and cost thousands upon thousands of dollars.

 

[kirkcdl]

Then you have the "Silly Me!" option.Don't let ANYONE know you are even aware that a gun policy EXISTS.If caught carrying,"Silly Me!I figured that since it's legal for me to carry in this state,that a college would NEVER oppose the law.I'll put it back in my car,now.Thanks for letting me know about that policy!".Here in Orygun there was a student at Univ of Oregon that actually sued the school(Law student) because state law says it's legal to carry on campus,and that no state funded school was allowed to contradict state law,but OU campus rules forbid carry.Haven't heard the outcome yet,but I think I'd give the campus PD a VERY hard time(verbally,of course) about the fact they're State Police Officers engaged in the violation of state law to enforce campus rules.If your state CCW law is similar,a gently worded letter to the State Attorney General might get you some written backup.It could even force the school to change their policy.They'd probably do it extremely quietly,of course.You might read your states CCW law very carefully,there might be a similar clause...Good Luck...

 

[River Wraith]

I can hear the liberals now. "Why would anyone need a gun at school?" I think I might be with the "concealed means concealed crowd.

 

[LiquidTension]

Have you ever been "made" outside of school? Why would it be different on campus?

No matter how you answer the first question, you've got your answer.

 

[Bear Gulch]

I think that Runs point is that it sucks to be a law abiding soul who must choose between feeling like a crimnal or apotential target. My college campus was dangerous. There were numerous assaults and rapes plus 2 killings during my tenure there. If you added a radius of 1 mile to the campus the numbers go up geometrically.

In the years since I left the Ivy covered buildings, things have gotten worse. There have been murders withing 50 yards of campus. Rapes, robberies and beatings are underreported and still in sufficient numbers to shock potential student's parents.

Runs, the best advice I can give you is arm youself in a manner that will allow you not to be kicked out of school. Seek out any organizations on campus that are willing to work to change this rule. There is strength in numbers. Maybe contact the NRA for help.

 

[Ukraine Train]

I'm in the same boat. Last semester I made a petition to allow CCW in accordance with state law on campus and got about 500 signatures (total student body less than 3,000). Well it didn't go over too well, I made a lot of the higher ups really angry lol. The president of the school sent an emotionally charged email to everyone saying that guns will never be allowed on campus, without explanation as to why. My school is in Flint, MI and crime against students is pretty rampant and the school has yet to find an effective means of fighting it.

 

[q102josh]

college students especially have a moral obligation to be raped and murdered for the better of society... how dare they elude being raped or murdered on campus