TexasCHLforum.com

Flightmare wrote:Did anyone else read question 7 on page 4?

“I have on several occasions seen students openly carrying guns on campus and in the workplace. It is always a shock and makes me feel unsafe."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the belief that campus carry was concealed only. Something here does not sound right.

I can only think the respondent witnessed some of the Corps guys jogging with fake rifles, which makes the respondent really, really ignorant.

Back in April, the Workplace Climate and Diversity Committee of the TAMU Faculty Senate sent out a survey of faculty regarding potential workplace climate issues related to SB11. The questions focused on any changes to teaching style, office hours, and solicited reports of "incidents".

A summary of the questions and results can be found here http://facultysenate.tamu.edu/FacultySe ... Survey.pdf .

Long story short, there doesn't appear to be a problem.

JMod45 wrote:

J.R.@A&M wrote: No, a department cannot do that, by my understanding of the TAMUS rules. They have put the burden on those making prohibition requests, on a room by room basis. It's beautiful :)

J.R.@A&M, did you go to, or watch the campus carry presentation at Annenberg today?

I don't remember the guys name, but towards the end of Q&A, he told everyone, (I'm paraphrasing from memory) "It has been legal to purchase a firearm for anyone over the age of 21 for a long time. If any of those people want to do harm to somebody, these signs aren't going to stop them"
It was in response to a question regarding one of the campus shootings that happened.

I have never heard such common sense being stated in a meeting. It was wonderful. Now if only people would understand that.

No, I attended one of the first ones in Rudder. But I was likewise impressed with the common sense expressed by some supportive faculty/staff, as well as from the veteran UPD who was making the presentation.

JMod45 wrote: Can a department tell their employees that they are not allowed to carry? I know private companies can make such a rule, so would the same thing be a possibility?

No, a department cannot do that, by my understanding of the TAMUS rules. They have put the burden on those making prohibition requests, on a room by room basis. It's beautiful :)

I attended a non-mandatory training today about campus carry implementation, presented by Administration and UPD. They basically went over the proposed rules and took questions. The latter included quite a few from folks who still want to try and get their offices prohibited, but that sounds unlikely as the University has set that bar pretty high. The administrator/presenter indicated that their decision to raise the justification for prohibiting individual offices was in response to push back by their legal department.

The UPD presenter was a veteran who pointed out that campus carry was nothing new to them since it was legal outside the buildings since 1995. He said they already have to deal with issues of inadvertant un-concealment (outside of buildings), and gave practical advice about folks being responsible for securing and concealing their weapons. He also emphasized that in they still advise the same thing in active shooter situations (get out, hide, fight), and advised using a weapon in that context, i.e., defensively.

techguy85 wrote:

J.R.@A&M wrote:So the most interesting thing to me is the proposed option by individual faculty/staff to request a carve-out for their own office space:

Assigned employee offices for which the employee has demonstrated that the carrying of a concealed handgun by a license holder in the office presents a significant risk of substantial harm due to a negligent discharge of the handgun, and the president/CEO has approved the employee’s request that the office be designated as an area where licensed concealed carry of a handgun is not permitted

There are no labs or hearing rooms or any other potential carve outs in my building. But if individual offices are somehow posted, then if I had to visit their office, I would have to disarm in my own office and lock up my firearm. Would that even be allowed? For all I know, they are filming me in my office :)

I found this entire discussion really interesting.
Since I might be taking a job at TAMU I decided to come and look around to see what the score on campus cary would be come August.
How many offices do you suppose will be granted this exception?

I would think few. Hopefully too few for me to worry about.

Board of Regents made no changes. https://www.texastribune.org/2016/04/27 ... rooms-and/

" "You can't simply say, 'I don't like guns, so I am going to ban them in my office,'" said A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. "

So the most interesting thing to me is the proposed option by individual faculty/staff to request a carve-out for their own office space:

Assigned employee offices for which the employee has demonstrated that the carrying of a concealed handgun by a license holder in the office presents a significant risk of substantial harm due to a negligent discharge of the handgun, and the president/CEO has approved the employee’s request that the office be designated as an area where licensed concealed carry of a handgun is not permitted

There are no labs or hearing rooms or any other potential carve outs in my building. But if individual offices are somehow posted, then if I had to visit their office, I would have to disarm in my own office and lock up my firearm. Would that even be allowed? For all I know, they are filming me in my office :)

This just out...

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT ––––––––––––––––
MICHAEL K. YOUNG
PRESIDENT
April 13, 2016

To the Texas A&M University community:

As you know, the 84th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 11, which is effective August 1, 2016, and expands the areas on public university campuses where those with appropriate licenses are authorized to carry concealed handguns. As President of Texas A&M, I am deeply committed to creating the optimal environment for learning, discovery and work. At the same time, as a state institution, we are subject to the demands of the law and will necessarily comply.

After considerable efforts to engage the broad university community and gather feedback regarding the unique culture at Texas A&M, and with concern for safety and security guiding their decisions, members of the Campus Carry Policy Task Force comprising students, faculty and staff have made 14 recommendations, all of which I am pleased to fully endorse and almost all of which I have adopted intact and submitted to The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. However, after discussion with A&M System legal counsel, as well as advice from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, I modified the recommended rule related to campus carry in private offices. That proposed rule, as well as the other proposed rules can be viewed at http://www.tamus.edu/proposed-campus-carry-rules/.

Absent further action by the A&M System Board of Regents, which will review these rules in April 2016, these rules will go into effect on August 1, 2016. The Task Force report is available at http://www.tamu.edu/statements/campus-carry.html.

The task force recommendations were formulated based on several key factors: results of the campus-wide survey of students, faculty and staff conducted last fall; feedback from individuals who might be directly affected by the legislation; careful review and analysis of the text of Senate Bill 11; legislative intent of the law; the 2015 Attorney General Opinions; January 26, 2016, discussions between members of the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs and University System Chancellors; as well as recommendations from other public institutions of higher education.

I am confident that the real concern expressed throughout the process is reflected in the task force's recommendations, which are tailored specifically to the needs of our campuses, and are the most appropriate way to fully implement the new law at Texas A&M. Key recommendations include adoption of governing factors and principles; establishment of a working group to address implementation and ongoing issues; identification of specific license holder responsibilities; guidelines for campus community outreach and education; and regulations specific to residence halls; prohibition of handguns in compliance with existing federal and state statutes; and prohibition of concealed handguns in particular locations, events and situations on campus. Such exclusions to the law include individual private offices, as approved by me in light of the standard articulated in the rules, child care facilities, youth camps, counseling centers, legal clinics, clinical care facilities, research laboratories, maritime vessels, sporting venues and events, and premises where administrative investigations are conducted.

I am immensely grateful to the 22-member Campus Carry Policy Task Force and its chair, Assistant Vice President for Safety and Security Chris Meyer, for their thorough review of all aspects of upholding and implementing the new law and their commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. My position on these issues is a matter of public record from the time I served as President of the University of Utah, but, as President of Texas A&M, I am committed to ensuring Texas A&M University is in compliance with the law and intend to implement this law and related university rules as efficiently and smoothly as possible.

Michael K. Young
President

ELB wrote:

J.R.@A&M wrote:...
To my knowledge the only A&M System entities that have drafted rules are the AgriLife Extension and Research Agencies -- none of the schools (College Station, Laredo, Kingsville, Commerce, Canyon, etc.)

So if they don't do anything, the concealed carry is legal everywhere on campus, no? Too much to hope for, I suppose.

Sort of like letting a bill become law by executive inaction (not vetoing or signing it). SB11 411.2031.d-1 says the university ***may*** establish reasonable rules bla bla bla, but it doesn't say "must establish". However, subsections d-2 and d-4 imply that something must be submitted to the Board of Regents and to the Legislature, respectively. If there were no additional rules, then wouldn't that just leave unfettered 4.11.2031.b (no prohibition) and .c (shall make no rules prohibiting).

First news in a while, and still waiting (until April, they say). http://www.kagstv.com/News/KAGSNews/ID/ ... y-in-April

To my knowledge the only A&M System entities that have drafted rules are the AgriLife Extension and Research Agencies -- none of the schools (College Station, Laredo, Kingsville, Commerce, Canyon, etc.)

J.R.@A&M wrote:I have more encouraging signs in the form of some draft rules by two institutions of higher learning within the Texas A&M University System (AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension). These agencies are separate from Texas A&M University (i.e., they have separate state budgets and separate CEOs). Anyway, the draft rules for these agencies look good -- unfettered licensed concealed carry on agency property (buildings and vehicles -- no restrictions on laboratories, etc). Since I drive to and visit these facilities, these rules are a specific benefit to me. But I hope they are indications of the how administration throughout the System is viewing implementation of SB11.

One more bit of information that I previously missed. The memo that came with the draft rules included this:

Prior to preparing these draft rules, representatives from AgriLife met with an A&M System attorney and the A&M police chief. A few points from this meeting for you to consider:

· Concealed handguns are already legally carried elsewhere in public; this law will extend where they can be legally carried.

· To completely restrict concealed weapons at an off-campus AgriLife Research and Extension facility or activity will require strong justification and it will have to be something greater than simply trying to avoid someone getting hurt.

The second bullet looks like a favorable reading of the law's intent on the part of A&M administration.

ELB wrote:I'm baffled by the "metal detectors" too; I've been around the campus at College Station a bit, and never saw any. ?? And I could quibble with the nonsense about being "comfortable", but overall I like his statement about concealed carry. I read it as telling the staff "look, concealed carry is not a problem, it's really in your head, deal with it" in polite university speak. At least hope that's what he meant.

The only metal detectors I have ever seen on the A&M campus are the ones at Easterwood Airport (which technically is a campus building, I think).

I have more encouraging signs in the form of some draft rules by two institutions of higher learning within the Texas A&M University System (AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension). These agencies are separate from Texas A&M University (i.e., they have separate state budgets and separate CEOs). Anyway, the draft rules for these agencies look good -- unfettered licensed concealed carry on agency property (buildings and vehicles -- no restrictions on laboratories, etc). Since I drive to and visit these facilities, these rules are a specific benefit to me. But I hope they are indications of the how administration throughout the System is viewing implementation of SB11.

The survey itself is brief and fairly straightforward (see an inactive pdf of them https://tamu.qualtrics.com/CP/File.php? ... RTdgMYA8lf ). I suppose if anybody outside the university wanted to give their feedback, they could email their responses to the task force at campuscarry@tamu.edu .