The proposed policy bans "deadly or offensive weapons" in "sensitive areas" on campus.
No one who wrote in or spoke during an hourlong hearing today on a draft weapons policy for Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities liked the proposal.
Gun rights proponents felt it infringes on the Second Amendment right to bear arms and argued gun control won't prevent a person intent on mass murder. Meanwhile, professors, students and parents expressed concern about allowing weapons anywhere on campus.
The proposed policy bans "deadly or offensive weapons" in "sensitive areas" on campus, including dorms, student union buildings, cafeterias and other indoor and outdoor venues where large groups gather, such as sports stadiums.
The policy strives to comply with state and federal law and to continue the history of safe campuses, said Peter Garland, system executive vice chancellor and moderator.
Drafted by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education's public safety and security committee, the policy was to go before the higher education system's Board of Governors later this month. But officials announced before the hearing today that the policy would be subject to further review.
The 14 campuses that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are safe places, reporting 70 percent fewer serious crimes than the state average and few crimes involving firearms, Garland said.
No current law
Pennsylvania has no law about weapons on college campuses and there's no case law to rely on, Garland said. Legally, a total ban is not defensible, he said.
This proposed ban in certain spaces would apply to holders of concealed-carry permits. Violators would be asked to leave or remove the weapon, Garland said, and a violation could result in sanctions.
In New Jersey, anyone who carries a gun onto the campus of a college or university, without authorization from the institution, can be charged with a third-degree crime, regardless of whether he or she has a permit to carry or a firearms purchaser identification card, according to state law.
Kutztown University made headlines last May when it announced it was allowing licensed gun owners to carry them in open spaces of campus. Officials at the time said the decision was based on legal advice.
"The fear of a lawsuit shouldn't be the motivation," Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFirePA, said during today's hearing. "Guns really don't make campuses safer."
System officials say that prior to 2012, individual university weapon policies varied greatly from school to school. Between April 2012 and April 2013, eight universities developed new weapons policies and they closely mirror the draft plan being considered.
Since implementing the new policies, those eight campuses have not seen any related crime trend changes, according to the higher education system.
Jack Lee, president of the Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association, wrote in a letter shared at the meeting that common sense speaks to the fallacy of gun free zones: A criminal or mentally deranged person would not follow such a rule.
Students feel left out
Bethlehem native Justin Amann, who is president of the East Stroudsburg University Student Senate and president of the higher education system's Board of Student Government Presidents, said students feel efforts to involve them have been disingenuous. Students only received a draft of the policy last week.
Student safety should be the top priority and students are concerned about the proposal, Amann said. Who will be stopping students from entering the field house with a gun, he asked.
"I firmly believe this policy raises more questions than answers," Amann said.
Faculty union President Steve Hicks said the only acceptable policy is one that bans the carrying of guns in all areas unless by a security officer. A flexible weapons policy is virtually impossible to enforce, said Hicks, with the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties.
Professors evaluate students in a very personalized and individualized environment and that dynamic could change if faculty suspect a student has a weapon, Hicks said.
Ken Mash, vice president of the faculties organization, said the policy is unconstitutionally vague and has no support on campuses.
West Chester University Professor Lisa Millhous, who is president of that university's union, said the proposal harms a teacher's ability to provide a safe learning environment. Milhous pointed out that students sometimes have to be removed from class and she doesn't want a student waiting outside the building with a weapon.
If people think the state schools aren't safe, they will lose faculty and students, Millhous said.