A House bill that would allow licensed faculty and administrators to have firearms on college campuses has advanced from a legislative panel to the full House of Representatives, but college administrators oppose the bill, which also concerns law enforcement.
While such a measure likely wouldn’t affect Shawnee’s two private colleges, it would impact Seminole State College.
SSC President Dr. Jim Utterback said the faculty and administration there, “Stand united in opposing any legislation which would allow more guns on campus.”
“Studies show that during the past 15 years, people have been 60 times less likely to be murdered on a college campus than in society as a whole,” Utterback said. “Those odds are less than one in a million. You are much more likely to be hit by lightning than murdered on a college campus. Yet, some of our legislators want to fix this by adding guns to campus. In my opinion, it is ludicrous.”
It appears St. Gregory’s University and Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee would likely not be impacted if the measure does become law.
“As a private institution, St. Gregory’s University would not fall under the direct jurisdiction of the proposed bill allowing concealed weapons on college campuses,” said Joshua R. Clary, dean of students at SGU. “However, we join with our public university colleagues in opposing this bill. As a Catholic Benedictine institution, we oppose any use of violence that demeans the dignity of the human person and we promote peaceful resolution of conflict.”
Chancellor of Higher Education Glen Johnson said all 25 college and university officials in the state oppose guns on campus and believe it would make their campuses more dangerous.
But the bill’s author, Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, said the measure would provide a way for college professors and administrators to protect themselves and others during campus violence like the mass shootings in 2007 at Virginia Tech and 2008 at Northern Illinois.
The measure, similar to a bill pending in the Senate, would authorize faculty and administrators who have state-issued concealed handgun permits to carry firearms on campus. Terrill said colleges and universities will still be able to issue campus-wide bans on handguns under the bill.
Clary, who said students already undergo a tremendous amount of personal development during their college years, said guns shouldn’t be in that mix.
“They are learning how to manage emotions, develop mature relationships, deal with stress, and resolve conflict. Adding weapons to a university environment would serve as an accelerant for conflict, not a deterrent,” Clary said. “If the bill were to pass, we would evaluate our policies accordingly and consult with our private university colleagues in order to provide a safe learning environment for our students.”
Lana Reynolds, SSC vice president, said an online campus survey about guns on campus shows most students there oppose guns on their campus.
That survey showed 71 percent of the 565 student respondents oppose guns on campus, while 29 percent were in favor of such legislation. The SSC Faculty Senate has passed a resolution opposing guns on campus.
It appears the proposal also concerns law enforcement. Shawnee Police Chief Russell Frantz said the intentions of the bill may be good, but in reality, it could provide confusion for officers in the event of an active shooter incident on a college campus.
Frantz said if a police officer responding to a shooting scene sees someone with a gun, that officer isn’t going to know if that person is a college professor holding a shooting suspect at bay, or if that person is indeed the suspect in whatever has taken place.
“It can put law enforcement into an awkward situation,” Frantz said. “We don’t want to cause unecessary confusion.”
The chief mentioned the recent shooting of an Arizona U.S. Congresswoman as an example. In that incident, he said a person with a concealed carry permit was trying to help but almost got shot by a responding law enforcement officer.
And while Frantz said he may be familiar with many of the faculty members on area campuses, all of his officers wouldn’t be in such a situation.
Watch for updates.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A House bill that would allow licensed faculty and administrators to have firearms on college campuses has advanced from a legislative panel to the full House of Representatives, but college administrators oppose the bill, which also concerns law enforcement.
While such a measure likely wouldn’t affect Shawnee’s two private colleges, it would impact Seminole State College.
SSC President Dr. Jim Utterback said the faculty and administration there, “Stand united in opposing any legislation which would allow more guns on campus.”
“Studies show that during the past 15 years, people have been 60 times less likely to be murdered on a college campus than in society as a whole,” Utterback said. “Those odds are less than one in a million. You are much more likely to be hit by lightning than murdered on a college campus. Yet, some of our legislators want to fix this by adding guns to campus. In my opinion, it is ludicrous.”
It appears St. Gregory’s University and Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee would likely not be impacted if the measure does become law.
“As a private institution, St. Gregory’s University would not fall under the direct jurisdiction of the proposed bill allowing concealed weapons on college campuses,” said Joshua R. Clary, dean of students at SGU. “However, we join with our public university colleagues in opposing this bill. As a Catholic Benedictine institution, we oppose any use of violence that demeans the dignity of the human person and we promote peaceful resolution of conflict.”
Chancellor of Higher Education Glen Johnson said all 25 college and university officials in the state oppose guns on campus and believe it would make their campuses more dangerous.
But the bill’s author, Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, said the measure would provide a way for college professors and administrators to protect themselves and others during campus violence like the mass shootings in 2007 at Virginia Tech and 2008 at Northern Illinois.
The measure, similar to a bill pending in the Senate, would authorize faculty and administrators who have state-issued concealed handgun permits to carry firearms on campus. Terrill said colleges and universities will still be able to issue campus-wide bans on handguns under the bill.
Clary, who said students already undergo a tremendous amount of personal development during their college years, said guns shouldn’t be in that mix.
“They are learning how to manage emotions, develop mature relationships, deal with stress, and resolve conflict. Adding weapons to a university environment would serve as an accelerant for conflict, not a deterrent,” Clary said. “If the bill were to pass, we would evaluate our policies accordingly and consult with our private university colleagues in order to provide a safe learning environment for our students.”
Lana Reynolds, SSC vice president, said an online campus survey about guns on campus shows most students there oppose guns on their campus.
That survey showed 71 percent of the 565 student respondents oppose guns on campus, while 29 percent were in favor of such legislation. The SSC Faculty Senate has passed a resolution opposing guns on campus.
It appears the proposal also concerns law enforcement. Shawnee Police Chief Russell Frantz said the intentions of the bill may be good, but in reality, it could provide confusion for officers in the event of an active shooter incident on a college campus.
Frantz said if a police officer responding to a shooting scene sees someone with a gun, that officer isn’t going to know if that person is a college professor holding a shooting suspect at bay, or if that person is indeed the suspect in whatever has taken place.
“It can put law enforcement into an awkward situation,” Frantz said. “We don’t want to cause unecessary confusion.”
The chief mentioned the recent shooting of an Arizona U.S. Congresswoman as an example. In that incident, he said a person with a concealed carry permit was trying to help but almost got shot by a responding law enforcement officer.
And while Frantz said he may be familiar with many of the faculty members on area campuses, all of his officers wouldn’t be in such a situation.
Watch for updates.
———
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
