Robert Carrasco
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Members of Texas A&M University-San Antonio administration have formed a Campus Carry committee and will meet on Monday, Nov. 9, campus administration confirmed.
A Texas A&M System directive requires each member of the public university system to form a Campus Carry committee, according to Lori Webb, faculty senate president.
“The main discussion will probably be on deciding what areas on campus the committee plans to restrict for carrying handguns,” said committee member Durant Frantzen, associate professor of criminology.
Governor Greg Abbott signed Campus Carry Senate Bill 11 in June. The law, which will legally allow students to carry handguns on campus, will go into effect August 1, 2016. The senate bill has garnered both support and heated opposition from faculty, staff and students at area institutions, including the University of Texas at San Antonio.
President Cynthia Teniente-Matson formed a committee tasked with meeting in order to gain feedback from all stakeholders on campus.
“I request that the task force develop recommendations that will uphold the integrity of the law, ensure the safety and security of everyone on campus and foster a climate of mutual respect to create the most supportive learning environment possible,” Matson said in an Oct. 28 email statement to The Mesquite.
The university, she said, will implement and enforce any law passed by State Legislature.
The A&M-San Antonio Campus Carry Committee was a directive from the A&M System, she explained, “to collect suggestions regarding rules for the carry of concealed handguns, by licensed holders, on campus.”
She said, “The goal is to implement the law in a manner consistent with the Legislature’s intent and that enhances the safety and well-being of everyone on the Texas A&M-San Antonio campus.”
Committee co-chair Darrell Morrison, CFO, said the committee is charged with bringing its recommendation for campus carry to the A&M system by Feb. 1, 2016.
This campus’ committee includes co-chairs Melissa Mahan, vice president of student affairs, and Darrell Morrison, vice president of business affairs and chief financial officer; Chief Ronald Davidson of the A&M-San Antonio police department; two faculty members; and a representative from Student Government Association.
Faculty and Student Campus Carry Committee Members:
- Allison Garcia, student government president
- Durant Frantzen, associate professor of criminology
- Karen Kalmbach, assistant professor of psychology
Requests for information on requirements for Campus Carry committees were made to the Texas A&M System, but calls were not returned.
Some members of the A&M system have active task forces or committees including West Texas A&M, which has a website dedicated to campus carry including documentation from the institution’s president which lists what committee members need to accomplish.
