Not an answer to the original question (Are there any colleges that allow concealed carry?) - Just my input as to whether or not lawful concealed carry should be permitted at public colleges.
Crime does occur on or near college campuses, sometimes very serious crime.
Licensed Concealed Carry should be permitted. The individual with this license still has to meet the same legal requirements the rest of us do to obtain our concealed carry permit/license, and in most states that is: Be a t least 21 years of age, meet the training requirements, and pass a background check. As long as the firearm is lawfully concealed and handled properly on campus I don't see an issue. If the valid CHL holder lives in an on-campus dormitory, and as long as the firearm is safely stored and handled properly in the dormitory, I still don't have a problem. I don't have a problem with the rest of us carrying under these conditions in our day-to-day activities (our home, place of business, the store, the park, etc…), so why should I with someone whose day-to-day activities happen to include going to college?
Not all college students are under 21; many are older, and a fair number much older than that; some have honorable military or law enforcement experience; and some may have more shooting experience and/or training than some in the military or law enforcement do.
Open carry, on the other hand (even though I believe open carry should be lawful and generally accepted) is another problem. There are just too many folks that are too upset when they see a gun. This creates a disruption to the academic environment that makes it difficult for too many staff, faculty, students and visitors to feel comfortable about being on campus where guns are displayed. My wish may be that this "upset" was not so, but the reality is - it is so. Lawfully concealed is the way to go – out of sight, out of mind.
And this above opinion is from a Sergeant for a College Department of Public Safety. This college's district covers 1500 square miles and there are approximately 100,000 currently registered students (making it the largest college in this state and, last I heard, the 14th largest in the nation). There are already valid CHL holders attending this college (whether we know of them or not), and there have been zero issues so far from these CHL holders, but there have been issues with those unlawfully carrying who couldn't qualify for a CHL even if they tried.
This college does not specifically permit/allow carry on campus. The rule is that weapons are prohibited on college property, except as provided by law or for sanctioned college activities/use. If someone is carrying on campus concealed, and does not do something to draw our attention, how would we know it anyway?
It's not the ones with a CHL that concern me, it's the others. The CHL holders have already demonstrated reasonable responsibility by going through the licensing process; the others show their lack of reasonable responsibility by failing to do so or in spite of the law/rule.
Peace,
