CU’s Board of Regents heard presentations and public comments regarding a possible concealed carry ban during their meeting on April 18.
Earlier this semester, CU Boulder’s student government passed a resolution calling on the Regents to ban concealed carry on CU campuses. The Regents heard from students and discussed the possible ban at their Feb. 9 meeting. This discussion continued during their April 18 meeting.
Per Policy 14.I, the Board of Regents recognizes the right to carry a concealed weapon with a permit on CU campuses.
According to Secretary of the Board of Regents Jeremy Hueth, “In 2012, the Colorado Supreme Court determined that the Concealed Carry Act applied to all of our campuses.”
However, in June 2021, the Colorado Senate passed SB21-256, which allows higher education institutions to prohibit concealed carry on campus.
The Board of Regents heard presentations from police chiefs on each of the CU campuses. UCCS’ Chief of Police, Dewayne McCarver, gave a brief presentation on campus culture and the history of gun-related incidents on or near the UCCS campus.
According to McCarver, there have been three gun-related incidents on or near UCCS’ campus since 1994. One incident involved a report of a person carrying a gun on campus, but the person was gone by the time the police arrived. The other two incidents were not connected to UCCS but occurred on or near campus.
McCarver also said that there has never been an incident involving concealed carry at UCCS. He listed ways in which UCCS students and staff can communicate with the UCCS police, including through Safe2Tell and the Rave Guardian app.
Following the presentations by each of the campus police departments, Regent Callie Rennison opened the floor for public comment. Public comments were made both for and against the proposed ban.
CU Boulder’s student government president, Rachel Hill, spoke on behalf of the student body. “Students are scared. They’re scared of gun violence, and gun violence keeps happening no matter what. Gun violence is on the rise, and right now the Board of Regents has the chance to make a change,” Hill said.
Hill, who spoke in support of the ban, then emphasized the importance a change like this could make.
“Do you think that this change could save someone’s life? Because I do. It’s not going to prevent the next mass shooting, we know that, but I think this change holds the power to help someone,” Hill said.
UCCS Senator-at-Large, Amanda Ford, spoke out against the ban.
“I want to note that the UCCS student government and the UCCS student body have been largely excluded from the discussion pushing for a ban that would debatably affect our school the most out of the four CU system institutions,” Ford said.
The meeting concluded following the public comment session, and a decision has not yet been reached regarding the ban.
The Board of Regents is made up of nine members that focus on general supervision of each of the CU campuses, which includes property and facility management and in turn weapons control and banning. Students can learn more about the Regents and stay up to date on their concealed carry decision by visiting the Board of Regents website.