Faculty in the University of Georgia’s largest college want Gov. Nathan Deal to veto a bill that would allow guns on UGA and other Georgia college campuses — but if he doesn’t, he should at least allow colleges to opt out.
The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ elected Senate on Tuesday adopted a statement opposing the law that would open campuses to guns, HB 859, which has passed both houses of the Georgia legislature. Deal has expressed concerns about problems with the bill, but called for fixes to those problems rather than threatening a veto.
Allowing guns on campus would not only pose a safety risk for students, workers and visitors, but is likely to prompt some faculty members to leave for other universities, according to the statement the Senate adopted. At the University of Texas, which last month adopted a long list of “Campus Carry Policies and Implementation Strategies,” one dean there has already said his departure is partly because of that state’s new campus carry law, which goes into effect Aug. 1.
Allowing guns on campus could even make students and faculty hesitant to discuss controversial topics, faculty fear.
As originally written, the Faculty Senate’s statement on guns would have encouraged Deal and the legislature to address the concerns Deal raised earlier in the week, such as on-campus day care facilities — UGA has two.
Deal also said colleges should have some discretion to make some areas off-limits to guns, such as disciplinary hearings and administrator and faculty offices.
He also raised the issue of advanced K-12 students who take courses on college campuses. Thousands of K-12 students visit the UGA campus over the course of a year, partly through a partnership with the Clarke County School District that aims to bring every Clarke County student to the UGA campus on a field trip at least once a year.
The Franklin College Senators decided to remove language about modifying the bill from their statement, though, to make it abundantly clear that they think guns on campus is a bad idea.
HB 859 would allow people 21 and older with the proper permit to carry concealed weapons on campuses, with the exception of student housing, including fraternity and sorority houses, and athletic events.
Most UGA undergraduates students wouldn’t be eligible, since most are under 21.
The college’s dean said he also opposes HB 859, and urged Senate members to write personal letters to the governor and their representatives in the Georgia legislature.
“I’m deeply disappointed that the bill has passed,” Dean Alan Dorsey told Senate members.
Follow education reporter Lee Shearer at www.facebook.com/LeeShearerABH or https://twitter.com/LeeShearer.
