Cedars, September 2017

September 2017 8 CAMPUS Editor’s note: This is an updated version of the story that was published online at ReadCedars.com on May 9. by Callahan Jones C edarville University’s board of trust- ees approved a new concealed carry policy during its summer meetings. The policy, a first among Ohio colleges, “authorizes the President to grant permis- sion to faculty, staff, and trustees with con- cealed carry licenses to carry a concealed handgun on campus under approved terms and/or conditions consistent with state law.” In March, Ohio became one of 24 states to allow universities to decide whether con- cealed carry permits should be allowed on campus. The policy was finalized over the summer by the university president and board of trustees and went into effect on Aug. 1. “The process to bring a concealed carry proposal to our board for consideration was handled carefully, with significant input and dialogue, and always keeping the safety of our campus community as the highest pri- ority,” Dr. Thomas White, Cedarville Uni- versity’s president, said in a statement. “We weighed all of the issues very carefully to ensure we were moving in the best direction for Cedarville.” To receive permission to conceal car- ry on campus, a full-time faculty or staff member of the school must go through an application process which includes proving ownership of an Ohio concealed carry li- cense. If approved, the applicant must then go through orientation and further training conducted by Cedarville’s Campus Safety and must sign a special agreement with the school in order to carry. Students of the university are not allowed to carry concealed weapons at any time unless they are also full-time faculty or staff. The concealed carry discussion began in Feb. 2016 when the Ohio House began talks of allowing campuses to make their own decision concerning concealed carry on their campuses. When the corresponding bill was signed into law by Gov. John Kasich in December, the process intensified. “The board discussed this matter, and in our determination, we believed it was important to allow our conscientious facul- ty and staff to have the opportunity to exer- cise their second amendment rights, and, if necessary, to defend themselves should an incident arise in the future,” Board of Trust- ees Chairman Chip Bernhard said in a state- ment. “It is our prayer, of course, that no one is ever forced to take this type of action.” Cedarville’s president and trustees em- phasized their care in forming the policy, which included consultations with law en- forcement, legal counsel and insurance rep- resentatives. The administration also held a town hall meeting for university faculty and staff and conducted two campus-wide surveys of faculty and staff. The surveys revealed eight percent of the faculty and staff on campus were against the potential policy. Cedars conducted a student-wide sur- vey in March to see how students felt about the possibility of the concealed carry policy changing on campus. Thirty-five percent of students re- sponded to the survey. Of those who re- sponded, 51.3 percent favored concealed carry on campus, 11.3 percent did not favor it and 36 percent said they would approve it with limitations. When asked who should be permitted if a concealed carry policy was adopted, 50.8 percent said administration, faculty and staff only, 43 percent said anyone with a permit in- cluding students and 6.2 percent said no one. In the faculty and staff survey, 73.5 per- cent of the 347 respondents were in agree- ment that concealed carry should be per- mitted among administration, faculty and staff. A fourth of them said they possess a concealed carry permit. Many other colleges in Ohio have de- clined to make concealed carry available on their campuses. Dr. Patrick Oliver, associate professor of criminal justice and former chief of po- lice in Cleveland, Fairborn and Grandview Heights, Ohio, contributed to the policy’s development. “From my perspective as a peace officer in the state of Ohio,” he said in a statement, “I believe the decision to allow law-abiding faculty and staff to conceal carry on campus is strategically beneficial given the growing safety concerns among institutions of high- er education.” Callahan Jones is a junior journalism ma- jor and the Digital and Design editor for Cedars. In his free time, he enjoys making coffee, collecting headphones and playing games with friends. Trustees Approve Concealed Carry Policy (937) 766-9852 105 W Xenia Ave, Cedarville, OH 45314 From oil changes to brake jobs we have proudly served the Cedarville community for over ten years. Free shuttle service for University students! iStockphoto.com