'No Guns on Campus': 1,787 UT Grad Students Sign Petition

Aa group of graduate students at the University of Texas are the latest of speak out against the campus carry law passed by the Texas State Legislature.

Senate Bill 11, also known as the campus carry law, would allow concealed carry holders to bring guns into campus buildings starting in August of 2016. On Tuesday, a petition with the signatures of 1,787 UT graduate students was sent to Gregory Fenves, UT-Austin’s president, stating their disapproval of allowing guns in classrooms.

Students from 18 different colleges of the university, spanning 132 graduate programs signed the petition, which was created by an organization called Gun-Free UT.

“As students, staff, faculty,alumni and parents of the University of Texas, we call upon UT President Fenves to declare all of our classrooms, offices, and dormitories off limits to guns,” says Gun-Free UT’s website.

The organization’s mission is to protect the safety, learning environment and freedom of speech of UT students and faculty.

It is currently legal for permit holders to carry concealed weapons on campus, but not in university buildings such as dorms and classrooms. Senate Bill 11 will allow guns in those types of buildings, unless administrators designate them as gun-free zones.

University of Texas faculty and staff have already spoken out against the implementation of SB 11. More than 1,300 faculty have spoke out against campus carry and 36 UT departments have release statements of opposition.