Some Texas professors say guns in classes could chill debate

The slide gave four different instructions, including altogether dropping certain topics from the curriculum.

With the state of Texas soon to require public universities to allow concealed guns on campus, the University of Houston held a forum to counsel faculty members on how to deal with the calamity of a student legally exercising their Second Amendment right.

Twitter user Jeff posted a photo of a slide showing the suggestions, captioning it: “Slide from recent campus carry dialogue at UH, in response to faculty concerns about dangers from armed students”.

Not “go there” if you sense anger. The bottom line: “It’s in your interest and the University’s interest to be very guarded and careful about this issue”.

Jonathan Snow, president of the faculty senate at the university, has told University of Houston regents about those concerns.

“It’s a awful state of affairs”, Snow, a professor of isotope geochemistry, told the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Guns also would not be allowed at high school, collegiate and professional sporting events at the Louise Herrington Patriot Center, Citizens 1st Bank-Perkins Soccer Complex, Irwin Field, Suddenlink Field and Summers Tennis Center during high school, collegiate and professional sporting events. “We are anxious that we have to change the way we teach to accommodate this minority of potentially unsafe students”. In a time when mass shootings are becoming commonplace, the controversial legislation inspired one University of Texas at Austin professor to quit his job.

Other large private universities that have declined to allow guns on their campuses include Texas Christian and Southern Methodist. “Out of self-protection, I have chosen to spend part of next Fall at the University of Sydney, where, among other things, this risk seems lower”.

Texas colleges are beginning to grapple with the ramifications the decision may have on students and faculty.

Erich Schlegel/Getty Images Art and Diana Ramirez carry their pistols in custom-made holsters during an open-carry rally at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on January 1.

A new Texas law allowing people to carry guns on state college campuses is already putting a big chill on fiery academic debate.

According to the recommendations made by the Campus Carry Task Force, the university will not provide gun storage on either the San Marcos or Round Rock campuses.

“Let me say that I do not believe handguns belong in a university setting, in a campus environment dedicated to education and research, but nevertheless as president of a public university, I am responsible for implementing” the new law, Gregory Fenves said.

“Weapons created to end human life have no place in the academic life of the University, except when carried by duly authorized law officers”, the UH faculty senate wrote in a resolution previous year.