TX's public colleges and universities will allow guns in dorms eff. 2016

[Sneezyone]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/texas-guns-in-dorms_5679bff1e4b06fa6887f2767

 

No comment on the policy, just sharing the news as it may not be common knowledge for OOS applicants.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Sneezyone

[hopskipjump]

not going to make a political statement, but... I am very surprised. :mellow:

[hillfarm]

Trying to avoid making a political statement also, but IMO, all students will need to familiarize themselves with gun basics if they will be on campus.

 

They need to understand what safe gun management consists of and what constitutes unsafe handling so that they can recognize and leave unsafe situations immediately. (I'm talking about everyday situations, not active shooter scenarios.)

 

There is a world of difference between the level of danger from a gun that is properly and safely stored and one that is left carelessly lying around. I think all students there will need to learn to identify which is which and how to respond properly in each case.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

A person must be 21 years of age (or 18 years and older and active duty) to possess a handgun in Texas. So, I would guess a very small percentage of students would qualify.

[SeaConquest]

Another reason to avoid Texas. Our obsession with guns in this country is pathological.

[Sneezyone]

I assume it will primarily be upperclassmen and graduate students who keep guns in campus housing unless TX has a CC reciprocation agreement with more lax states? I'm not so sure that's a small percentage though. I suspect hillfarm may be right that if your child attends, they will need some additional training/skills WRT reckless and/or suicidal behavior.

[Roadrunner]

I remember college parties, some not in a good light. Add guns to this now. No, no, no. I don't want my kids on armed campus.

[regentrude]

Several reasons why I think this is a horrible idea.

 

1. When I think of the stupid stuff college students can get up to, especially when under the influence, I shudder to think of adding guns to the mix. Frat parties are bad enough with just booze.

 

2. As a faculty member, I frequently have to deal with upset and angry students.

I have no desire to deal with upset and angry armed students. I would imagine Texas professors to feel similarly.

 

3. Suicide risk. Young people under pressure, with possible mental health issues, away from family support, with guns readily available... just dumb.

 

No way would I want my kid on a campus where people routinely carry firearms. And heck no to living in a dorm at such a school.

 

Edited December 25, 2015 by regentrude

[regentrude]

A person must be 21 years of age (or 18 years and older and active duty) to possess a handgun in Texas. So, I would guess a very small percentage of students would qualify.

 

No. Neither small numbers nor small percentage.

At Texas A&M's College Station campus alone, there are 24,000 students over the age of 21 (52% of the student body.)

 

(Number from 2014)

http://dars.tamu.edu/dars/files/c6/c65e244e-8575-44f3-9ba3-c9b49aebeb81.pdf

 

[chiguirre]

The other requirement is that you have a concealed carry license. Only about 2% of Texans do.

 

http://kxan.com/2014/04/30/texas-concealed-gun-law-nears-20th-anniversary/

 

OTOH, it's very telling that Rice, SMU and Baylor all voted to continue to ban guns after campus referendums on the issue. They get to choose because they are private schools.

[bettyandbob]

I'm not in Texas. I went to a small highly competitive public university. There were suicides during my time there. The school continues to make the news for suicides every couple of years. There was one last spring.

 

So from my perspective, I think guns permitted on campus is not good. I see a very stressed out population mixing with the ultimate means of destruction.

 

No, I don't think mental health services will help. Many schools have asked students who seek on campus mental health help to leave. So, the message to the greater student population is not to get help. The end result is saying, making such services accessible is meaningless. Couple that with accessible guns. I see no good from this.

 

Perhaps going to school in Texas is not as high pressure as I experienced.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Diana P.

[justasque]

I suppose, then, there would have to be strict rules about how firearms are stored in campus housing.  Will the schools provide locking gun cabinets?  If not, will the school inspect cabinets brought from home?  Are there other ways to safely store firearms in a cramped dorm room?  People who cc may have their firearm on their person for most of their waking hours, but college students are often asleep when others are awake, and awake when others are asleep, and it's common to have one or more roommates who sleep and work in the same space.  Often these roommates are strangers before living together.  Will the schools even know who is storing a firearm in their campus housing?  Does the student have an obligation to notify the school, the way that they do at some schools with things like air conditioners or overnight guests?  Does the student have an obligation to notify their roommates of the firearm's existence and their plan for safe storage when not carrying? Will students have the right to a firearm-free dorm room, apartment, or dormitory building, if they so choose?  (Presumably they do not have the right to a firearm-free classroom, but a residence is not a public space in the usual way, though it's not quite the same as a rented apartment either.)

 

There is a lot for the colleges' administrations, school staff, the students' parents, and the students themselves to consider here.  Hopefully they will think through various issues and scenarios ahead of time, in considerable depth, so as to create as safe a space as possible for everyone involved. Using the numbers given by a PP for Texas A&M's College Station campus, and the 2% CC permit rate given by another PP, about 480 students there could choose to carry, plus of course staff and assorted visitors.

 

[Guest2]

I have mixed feelings about this. I am nervous about guns in dorms, mainly because I am afraid they will be stolen and used. I know there are not many 21 year olds in the dorms, so that helps me.

My son thought that the decision was not popular at my his school... Although I'm not sure if there were actual numbers of how many students were in favor of the bill. He is pretty anti-gun at all times.

 

With all of the random violence that has been occurring, I am also nervous about large groups of innocent people being targeted with no way to defend themselves.

 

Here are the stats of licenced comcealed carry liceneses who have commited crimes. This reassured me. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/reports/convrates.htm

 

Only 2 percent of the population has the required license as Chiguire stated. Thanks Regentrude for the 24,000 Texas A &M stat, so it would be 2 percent of the 24,000 is the numbers of college students that have concealed carry are the same as the general population around 480 students. That does seem pretty significant.

 

Mixed feelings for sure. It is interesting about the people who didn't want their kids to attend Texas schools- we moved from California so our kids could attend them. We are not originally fromTexas. I think we all want to protect our kids, I am not sure if this is the best way to do so.

 

Edited for grammar and spelling, then I thought of a few more points.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Silver Brook

[Joker]

I didn't even think about roommates. Will they allow people to choose not to room with someone keeping a firearm in the room? Will they make sure those with mental illness aren't roomed with someone keeping a firearm? So many things to think about. I'm totally against it and think it's a horrible idea. I won't help pay for my dds to attend a college with students carrying guns.

[Sneezyone]

I have mixed feelings about this. I am nervous about guns in dorms, mainly because I am afraid they will be stolen and used. I know ithe decision was not popular at my son's school... Although he is not in favor, so his viewpoint is probably biased...not sure if there were actual numbers.

 

With all of the random violence that has been occurring, I am also nervous about large groups of inocent people being targeted with no way to defend themselves.

 

Here are the stats of licenced comcealed carry liceneses who ahve commited crimes. This reassured me. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/reports/convrates.htm

 

Only 2 percent of the population has the required license, so not sure how many college students would be inpacted.as Chiguire stated. Sorry , i guess that was stated above. Mixed feelings for sure.

 

Interesting. At first glance, it looks like the percentages increased over the last five reported years and there looks like a disproportionate representation of CCL holders in the sex-crimes with minors categories? I wonder if they stopped reporting data after 12/31/2013 due to a new law or something? It'd be interesting to see how things have changed as CC has become more common. 

Edited December 28, 2015 by Sneezyone