The Board of Trustees at Texas Christian University voted to opt out of the campus carry law on Friday.
The Senate Bill 11, more commonly known as campus carry, amends the government and penal code to allow handgun license owners to carry a concealed gun on college and university campuses.
However, private universities, such as TCU, may choose to opt out after input from the campus community.
Following a series of debates, open forums and surveys, the board made its decision.
“It was quite clear that no matter which side of the issue each person felt was best, all cared deeply about the safety of the community,” Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Kathy Cavins-Tull said in a statement.
As a result of this vote, TCU's policy prohibiting guns on campus remains in effect.
Back in June, Southern Methodist University confirmed they would opt out of campus carry.
TCU SAFETY POLICY
- The TCU Police Department patrols the campus 24 hours a day. There are 28 licensed and trained police officers on staff, 22 of who are former Fort Worth police officers. Additionally, TCU employs 13 security guards to support its police force.
- The per capita ratio of TCU police officers to faculty/staff/students is 2.25:1,000, similar to the city of Fort Worth and other public and private universities in North Central Texas.
- The TCU Police Department actively trains with the Fort Worth Police Department, and the FWPD substation is on TCU’s campus.
- TCU will address opportunities for improvement in our physical facilities, police coverage and additional training moving forward.
- TCU utilizes a host of security and emergency notification systems, including emergency call stations throughout campus (blue light call boxes), computerized notification systems (call, text and email services), on-campus loudspeakers, Froggie 5-0 (a door-to-door campus transportation service), 24-hour campus shuttles and police escorts.
- Emergency call stations are checked weekly to ensure proper function.
- Mass notification systems are tested on a small scale monthly.
- Mass notification systems, including loudspeakers, are tested campus wide each semester.
- TCU conducts regular emergency preparedness and safety courses and educational/instructional videos are accessible on TCU’s YouTube channel and the University’s emergency website, tcuemergency.tcu.edu.
- The University offers complimentary self-defense classes for women and men.
- All academic and administrative buildings on campus have restricted access entries that coincide with their respective business hours; residence halls are secured 24 hours a day. Many perimeter administration buildings have additional buzz-in entry systems.
- More than 2,000 cameras on campus help deter and solve crimes.
- TCU encourages students, faculty and staff to report any suspicious behavior they witness to Campus Life or TCU Police.
