Ohio's Cedarville University nears decision on campus carry

According to a statement released by Cedarville University, a decision on whether to allow concealed carry on the campus is expected to be made in May.

The Board of Trustees took up the proposal after students and faculty expressed support through a campus survey and town hall meeting.

From coverage in Cedars, the campus newspaper:

Cedars conducted a student-wide survey to see how students felt about the possibility of the concealed carry policy changing on campus. The administration also conducted a survey among faculty and staff to gather their opinions. The majority opinion of both surveys was in favor of concealed carry permits on campus in a limited capacity.

Initial discussions seem to be focused around the idea of allowing faculty and staff and administration to carry, but not students.

University president Dr. Thomas White highlighted the main reasons that students may not be permitted to carry: storage and safety issues in the dormitory and liability issues with insurance.

Dr. Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Cedarville trustee, stated he requires his vice presidents, deans and at least three people in every building to carry at Southwestern in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I think it is incumbent upon the school in this kind of a day when you can have a shooter — even as unlikely as it is as they would find Cedarville, Ohio,” he said. “It could even happen here, and you must have protection.”

Before implementation of Senate Bill 199, which was signed into law last December, state law denied colleges and universities the right to choose to allow students of faculty the right to carry on campus.

As of March 21, 2017, colleges and universities are now permitted to make the choice to allow concealed carry on campus.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.