Today, Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 10, the Campus Self-Defense Act, which will allow those with a valid license to carry a concealed weapon in certain areas on our campuses and centers starting July 1, 2024.
We understand that individuals, on both sides of this issue, are passionate and we believe that all views are important and should be heard. The Marshall administration has been engaged, consistent and transparent in our concerns that this bill impedes local control for our campuses and centers.
We attended committee meetings, met with legislative members and sent our statement to government leaders throughout this process, sharing that we believe that local control is the best method for leading our campuses and centers.
However, now that this bill has been signed into law, we must come together as a community and work through the implications as they relate to the overall safety of our campuses and centers.
Campus safety has been, and will continue to be, our top priority for the Marshall community. I’m sure that many of you have questions about how this new law will be implemented and probably have concerns and perhaps even apprehension.
In terms of the university’s preparation, since January our Division of Operations has led an ad hoc committee to develop recommendations for implementation of the then-possible legislation. Working with the Higher Education Policy Commission and other colleges/ universities across the state, the group will deliver its final recommendations relating to our overall campus safety prior to the implementation date. Information from this group will be shared via e-mails, We Are … Marshall, Herd Happenings and other internal channels.
As we move forward, we will continue our prioritized focus of safety for all of us–students, faculty, staff, visitors and community members. That has always been, and will remain, our utmost priority.
Sincerely,
Brad D. Smith
President, Marshall University