Campus Carry To Be Implemented Today, August 1

By Rae Glassfor

In accordance with a mandate from the Texas Legislature, all public institutions of higher learning are required to make accommodations for the concealed carrying of firearms by handgun license holders.

Friday morning, President Denise Trauth announced to the student body and university staff members alike that Texas State will be implementing that mandate starting on August 1.

The implementation process will mark the end of a long discussion period, during which students and faculty were encouraged to voice their concerns and opinions on topics of gun control and gun safety in the context of the university campus. Discourse occurred at venues such as open forums and on online information-gathering sites coordinated by university administration.

In her email, disseminated to all persons with a Texas State email address, Trauth referred to the preemptive analysis of relevant information in light of the looming Campus Carry implementation as “exhaustive”, and expressed pride in the ability of all involved and interested parties to engage in what she called “an ongoing civil discourse” about such a controversial topic.

These discussions have resulted, she said, in an “arrival at rules that reflect an elegant compromise among the sincerely held beliefs of all of our community members.”

In order to alleviate the sheer volume of questions that could potentially occur to staff, students and their parents, the university has officially launched a new branch of the Texas State website, specifically designed to help curious parties navigate information related to Campus Carry and its implementation here in San Marcos – including a Frequently Asked Questions page in addition to other resources.

“Please know that safety is our highest priority,” Trauth said. “It is my intention to do a holistic review of our Campus Carry rules and processes next summer to assess how we will move forward in the future.”

You can find more details on Texas State University Campus Carry in this April 21, 2016 article by Terra Rivers. At that time, Terra was a senior at TX State and Intern with SM Corridor News, and is now the Managing Editor. Campus Carry, Is It A Double Edge Sword? 

This article originally published by The University Star.