North Texas Daily

Evan McAlister | Staff Writer

@evan_McAlister

UNT’s campus carry policy is now official.

The university has a plan of action ready for the Aug. 1 start to campus carry. The Campus Carry Taskforce, which created UNT’s policy, will hold training sessions for people unsure how to deal with concealed handgun-related emergencies. Those meetings will be announced later, officials said.

Residents living on campus who have CHL and wish to store their weapon in their room will be required to live in a private dorm room. It is uncertain which residence halls will house these CHL holders.

Those students will have to carry their weapon on them at all times unless they store it in a locked container approved by the university, according to the campus carry policy.

Because there are minors living on campus during the summer semester, UNT CHL holders will not be allowed to store their weapon in the residence halls. CHL holders cannot display their weapon at any time, the policy states, unless it is revealed during storage.

The administration can amend the policy at any time to add more gun-free zones, but cannot take away established gun-free zones. The amendment has to be submitted to the Board of Regents within 90 days of any changes made on campus.

Campus carry can be suspended for seven-day periods “in order to promote safety on campus.” The police chief may also stop campus carry, though the policy does not detail a timeline on such a suspension.

Procedures

CHL holders are prohibited from openly carrying a handgun on campus. This means that handguns must be concealed at all times on public driveways, streets, sidewalks or walkways, parking lots and parking garages.

Carriers will be able to take their guns onto university buses, unless prohibited by state or federal law or by the UNT campus carry policy. CHL holders should be knowledgeable of areas where concealed carry is prohibited where notice signs are not required to be posted.

Prohibited locations and activities

CHL holders are prohibited from carrying in a location where sporting events take place, churches, synagogues or other places of religious worship. Polling places on the day of a federal, state or local election are taking place.

The Clean Room at Discovery Park is designated as a location where concealed carry is prohibited because substances present are described as “immediately dangerous to life and health.”

Locations that provide medical, health or clinical services services: Chestnut Hall, Life of Purpose in Chilton Hall, the Terrill Hall psychology clinic, Speech and Hearing Clinic in the Speech and Hearing Building and the Welch Street Complex B.

Locations where minors are present: Child and Family Resource Center in Matthews Annex, Child Development Lab, Kristin Farmer Autism Center and McConnell Hall.

Locations where special student services are provided: Goolsby Chapel and the University Union meditation room.

Large scale events: The Gateway Center ballroom and Lyceum in the Union, the Coliseum, the Auditorium building’s main auditorium, the Murchison Performing Arts Center, the theater in the Radio, TV, Film and Performing Arts Building, and the Voertman Concert Hall in the Music Building.

Activities where concealed carry is prohibited

Any intercollegiate, club or intramural athletic event on campus specifically: Apogee Stadium, Fouts Field, intramural fields, Lovelace Softball Stadium, Mean Green Village and university and high school graduations.

The university is required to provided notice at all locations and activities where concealed handguns are prohibited. The notices will be appear in contrasting colors in both English and Spanish. The signs must be clearly visible to the public and at a “sufficient” distance from the entrance to the location or activity. The policy does not state what is considered sufficient. The policy will be included in the policy manual and student handbooks annually and on a dedicated webpage to the carrying of concealed handguns on campus.

Sanctions for violating the policy

Violators are subject to trespass from campus, suspension, termination of employment or business relationship and criminal prosecution.