While students at the University of Texas at Austin clash over carrying handguns on campus, St. Edward’s University plans to opt out of the new campus carry law, according to SEU’s police department website.

“The intent is to opt out, but we also have to figure out how we go about doing that. We know from the bill that we need to have consultations with faculty, staff, students: our community … I wouldn’t say that a decision has been made, but the intent is to opt out,” said Interim Dean of Students Steven Pinkenburg.

The law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, allows registered students and faculty to carry a concealed handgun anywhere on public university campuses in Texas. Private universities on the other hand are allowed to opt out of the campus carry bill. The law will go into effect in September 2016.

Concealed carry on public university campuses had previously only been allowed outside of buildings. Now it will be allowed inside buildings including dorms, classrooms and offices.

The law allows flexibility for each university to establish rules for gun safety for their own needs.

Legislators originally intended for private universities to allow handguns on campus. It was taken out to protect private property rights, according to The Texas Tribune. 

The law requires each university to hold consultations before creating official campus carry policy. What the consultations will look like is still to be determined. St. Edward’s is still waiting to hear from the Independent College and Universities in Texas, which provides legislative guidance to private universities and colleges in Texas.

The university is concerned about how concealed firearms might make some people nervous, especially if they are not used to them. On the other hand, the university also wants to see how the St. Edward’s community feels about the law before making any new regulations, Pinkenburg said.

The university is also participating in a Deans of the Corridor meeting, which consists of deans from large state schools and small private schools in Texas.

“All the deans tend to get together to talk about what’s big, what’s new, what’s going on,” Pinkenburg said. “At that time we’ll be able to hear what are [the] concerns from different universities, what direction [they are] going.”

Police Chief Rudolph Rendon said he is against firearms on-campus in a Sept. 9 interview with Hilltop Views.

“I understand the right to bear arms, and I do understand that people feel safe when they’re able to protect themselves, I’m all for that,” Rendon said. “But you have to look at the responding agencies that are here and trained to respond to emergencies while you’re in school. And if I’m entering a classroom, I’m looking for the first person I see with a firearm.”

The current gun policy at St. Edward’s is restricted to only licensed police officers. If an individual is licensed for concealed carry he or she is only allowed to keep their gun locked in their vehicle, according to the St. Edward’s Code of Conduct.

“The law applies to everyone, it will just vary on how they respond to it,” Pinkenburg said.

Down Congress Avenue at UT, President Gregory Fenves sent out an email about the new legislation at the start of the school year and the university is working to put together working groups for their consultations. The working groups consist of faculty, staff, students and alumni.

In a statement issued by Fenves, he says that he will be working with the UT police department, students, staff and faculty to prepare a protocol to present to the Board of Regents by Aug. 1, 2016. 

“We will strive to create policies that conform with the new law, protect the rights of citizens — and ensure the safety and security of our entire campus community,” Fenves said in the statement.

The working groups have already held two public forums on Sept. 30 and Oct. 5 to gather comments from the community. 

Gun Free UT rally

The organization Gun Free UT made up of both faculty and students hosted a rally against campus carry on the West Mall of the UT campus on Oct. 1.

Gun Free UT organized speakers ranging from concerned faculty to the leader of the Austin branch of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to speak about their frustration with campus carry.

“I know faculty that would never have come if they knew this would happen to their beautiful campus,” Bryan Jones, professor in the government department, said in his speech.

Tempers ran high at the rally for both sides of the issue. Participants against campus carry wore bright orange shirts and chanted, “gun free UT,” while proponents of campus carry held signs and booed the speakers.

Two counter-protesters were arrested for trespassing on the area that Gun Free UT had reserved for the rally; only members or participants were allowed in the area. Neither of the arrestees were students.

Allison Peregory, chairman of the Young Conservatives of Texas UT chapter, stood with other group members at the back of the rally. They were one of the counter-protest groups that did not try to interrupt the rally and only held signs.

“We’re here to support campus carry here at UT,” Peregory said.

Gun Free UT hopes that the support will help change administrator’s minds about the legislation.

One of the organizers of the event Joan Neuberger, professor of history at UT, said that Gun Free UT will continue to hold more demonstrations and be involved in the public forums hosted by the university.

“The administration here is not our enemy, it is the legislator. We feel they have imposed this law on us in the face of, and despite, strong oppositions,” Neuberger said.

Over 3,500 people have signed a Change.org petition against campus carry at UT and over 160 faculty members have said that they will not allow guns into their classrooms and offices when the law goes into effect.

“Those are people that say they will refuse to have guns in their classrooms. That raises some legal issues, so we don’t really know what we’re going to do until they decide. We’re hoping that the working group decides, and the UT president decides, no guns in classrooms so we don’t have to engage in civil disobedience,” Neuberger said.

During the time of the rally was held, there was a mass shooting on the campus of Umpqua Community College in Oregon.

Additional reporting conducted by Jacob Rogers.