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This email was received at 9:22am this morning:
Dear SOU Faculty, Staff, and Students:
On March 2, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education approved a policy on firearms for the Oregon University System, including SOU. Since questions have been coming forward about what this means for us, I am providing some answers here.
The policy forbids students, employees, individuals with a business interest with the campus (such as vendors and contractors), event attendees, those who rent or lease university property and campus visitors from carrying a firearm on Board-owned or controlled property. That property includes all OUS campus buildings, sports or performance venues, and workplaces. The prohibition is effective whether or not an individual holds a concealed handgun license.
The policy also authorizes several exceptions to the firearms prohibition, including on-duty law enforcement officers and public safety personnel, military program participants (such as ROTC), and residents of a family housing dwelling. The latter specifically does not include residence halls, where the policy bans possession of firearms.
SOU students who violate the policy will be held accountable under our student conduct code. Employees who violate the policy will be held accountable under SOU employment policies.
Contractors, vendors, event attendees, those who rent or lease university property, and other visitors to SOU will be subject to exclusion from campus.
The new policy was created following an Oregon Court of Appeals decision last fall ruling that the Board lacked the authority to regulate guns through use of an administrative rule. Yet, at the time, the Court also recognized that the Board has been granted by the Oregon Legislature broad policy control over OUS property. Thus, the Board created this policy.
SOU supports this policy, as well as the Boards recognition of its obligation to provide a safe environment to its students, employees, visitors, vendors and patrons, as stated by the Boards memorandum on the new policy.
If you have questions regarding the policy or its enforcement at SOU, please contact Campus Public Safety Co-Directors Rich Walsh ([email protected]) or Steve Ross ([email protected]).
Mary Cullinan
President
Dear SOU Faculty, Staff, and Students:
On March 2, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education approved a policy on firearms for the Oregon University System, including SOU. Since questions have been coming forward about what this means for us, I am providing some answers here.
The policy forbids students, employees, individuals with a business interest with the campus (such as vendors and contractors), event attendees, those who rent or lease university property and campus visitors from carrying a firearm on Board-owned or controlled property. That property includes all OUS campus buildings, sports or performance venues, and workplaces. The prohibition is effective whether or not an individual holds a concealed handgun license.
The policy also authorizes several exceptions to the firearms prohibition, including on-duty law enforcement officers and public safety personnel, military program participants (such as ROTC), and residents of a family housing dwelling. The latter specifically does not include residence halls, where the policy bans possession of firearms.
SOU students who violate the policy will be held accountable under our student conduct code. Employees who violate the policy will be held accountable under SOU employment policies.
Contractors, vendors, event attendees, those who rent or lease university property, and other visitors to SOU will be subject to exclusion from campus.
The new policy was created following an Oregon Court of Appeals decision last fall ruling that the Board lacked the authority to regulate guns through use of an administrative rule. Yet, at the time, the Court also recognized that the Board has been granted by the Oregon Legislature broad policy control over OUS property. Thus, the Board created this policy.
SOU supports this policy, as well as the Boards recognition of its obligation to provide a safe environment to its students, employees, visitors, vendors and patrons, as stated by the Boards memorandum on the new policy.
If you have questions regarding the policy or its enforcement at SOU, please contact Campus Public Safety Co-Directors Rich Walsh ([email protected]) or Steve Ross ([email protected]).
Mary Cullinan
President