Weapons on Campus
This page contains information and linkss to various articlles regarding weapons on campus from both the Kansas Board of Retents and other Universities.
KU Weapons Policy Committee message from the Chancellor
Weapons policy committees to begin work
In December, I wrote about how the University of Kansas is working to comply with the state law that will allow concealed handguns in campus facilities beginning July 1, 2017. Today I'd like to update you on our efforts.
In January, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a new weapons policy that applies to all Regents universities but allows each institution to develop its own policy consistent with the Regents policy. The Regents have asked KU to submit our policy by October 2016.
To lead this effort, I have assembled a university-wide Weapons Policy Advisory Committee. This five-member committee will be chaired by Jim Pottorff, our university general counsel, and includes our police chiefs from Lawrence and KU Medical Center, as well as two Governance representatives: Mike Williams from Lawrence, and Patricia Kluding from the medical center.
Additionally, we are assembling two campus implementation committees — one for Lawrence, Edwards and our Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Yoder, and one for the medical center's three campuses — to develop campus-specific implementation plans.
Over the coming months, the Weapons Policy Advisory Committee will oversee the formulation and implementation of the Regents policy at KU, provide guidance to the two campus implementation committees and ultimately review the two campus-specific plans. The Weapons Policy Advisory Committee will then present me with a final university plan by September 1 to review in advance of the Regents' October deadline.
As I've told the advisory committee members, the goal of this process is to create a university-wide plan that emphasizes the safety of our campuses, creates a setting conducive to learning, teaching and research, and is consistent with state law. This will require a good deal of work by the committees, given the complexity of our university and the different needs of our campuses. But with your support, I am confident we can do this.
We have created a website, weaponspolicy.ku.edu, where you can learn more about weapons laws and policies impacting Kansas and KU. Additionally, you are welcome to share your thoughts with committee members during this process at weaponspolicy@ku.edu.
As I said in my December message, once our plan is approved by the Regents, we will provide you with information to prepare for the change as we approach July 2017. This is an important and complicated topic, and we will work to ensure you are properly informed.
Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our KU community. Thank you for helping to ensure the University of Kansas continues to be a welcoming space for all.
Sincerely,
Bernadette Gray-Little
Chancellor
Kansas resources
Other resources and articles
- Texas Campus Carry Law Putting Damper On Academic Debate
- Texas university faculty are freaked out that students will be able to carry guns
- Subject: U of Texas at Austin Sets Rules for Handguns on Campus
- Subject: New campus gun laws have Texas professors rethinking their curriculum
- Subject: A PowerPoint Slide Advises Professors to Alter Teaching to Pacify Armed Students
- University of Houston Police Department: Concealed Carry FAQs
- University of Houston Conceal Carry Forms
- Texas academics told to avoid 'sensitive topics' if gun law goes into effect
- Faculty concerns re conceal carry: “Is teaching under campus carry still teaching? New guidelines from the Faculty Senate at U of Houston ask the question, with suggestions such as dropping controversial course content for safety concerns”:
- Don't teach “sensitive topics” or anger students, Houston professors are warned after “campus carry” gun law passed University faculty are concerned Texas' new concealed carry gun law threatens academic freedom — and their safety.
- U. of Houston faculty get tips on how not to get killed
- University of Houston working on campus carry rules