Carry of Concealed Handguns - UTDPP1103

Policy Statement

Sec. 1 General Policy Statement

Senate Bill 11 (SB 11) of the 84th Texas Legislature permits individuals holding concealed handgun licenses to carry their weapons onto the campus and into the general buildings of the publicly governed institutions of higher education in Texas. The fundamental goals of this policy are to ensure compliance with the spirit and letter of SB 11 in a manner consistent with other relevant laws, and to ensure the continuation of the current calm, constructive and positive social and intellectual environment that characterizes UT Dallas.

Sec. 2 Applicability

This policy applies to all persons on property owned or leased by UT Dallas and goes into effect on August 1, 2016.

Sec. 3 Responsibilities of Individuals Carrying Concealed Handguns

Sec. 3.1 Concealment: The licensed carrier of a handgun must ensure that a casual observer be unable to notice or detect that a handgun is being carried. This is a fundamental aspect of the law and of our recommended policy. Individuals who violate the condition of concealment at any time, either by deliberately or inadvertently allowing their handgun to be seen or by letting its presence be noticeable by inadequate concealment, aka "printing," are in violation of this policy and may be subject to discipline.

Sec. 3.2 Security: The licensed carrier is responsible for maintaining complete practical control of the handgun at all times, so that it is either on the licensee's person or is immediately accessible from a purse or other analogous personal accessory that is continually under the direct control of the licensee. The only alternative to these conditions is that a gun be stored appropriately, as required in Section 3.4.

Sec. 3.3 Safety: The handgun must be carried in a holster that completely covers the trigger and trigger guard area and provides sufficient adhesion on the gun so that the gun will not fall out of the holster when the gun or the carrier is subject to abrupt motions or impacts.

Sec. 3.4 Storage: The university will make no provisions for storage of handguns. Licensed carriers must have their weapons on their persons constantly or have them stored in a securely locked personal vehicle or, if they are resident in a university-owned apartment, stored in an approved storage locker.

Sec. 4 Consistency with other Laws

The operations of the university are dynamic and fluid. In most instances, buildings and rooms have different utilizations at different hours, days, weeks and semesters. It is incumbent upon licensed carriers to be informed and cognizant about the many restrictions and limitations that various laws impose upon the unrestricted carrying of concealed weapons in various situations, and that licensed carriers rigorously adhere to these conditions without being guided constantly by impractical or intrusive warnings. Some of the most important of these restrictions include:

1. Presence of School Children: The nature of our university is that school children can and will appear at unscheduled times in any almost any location, whether in groups of escorted tours, as subjects of study or treatment, in transit to childcare areas, or as visitors, alone or with families. There is no practical way to warn about or to demark areas of campus where such occurrences will or will not happen. Licensed carriers should avoid areas in which school children are present as prescribed by their training and existing law.
2. Sporting Events: The carrying of concealed weapons is prohibited at intermural, intramural, and club sporting events held on UT Dallas premises, whether held under the sponsorship of UT Dallas or of some external organization, and whether the event is ticketed or not. This is prohibition is in accord with the Texas Penal Code §46.035(b)(2). This prohibition will be noted on the tickets for ticketed events.
3. Patient Care Facilities: Various rooms and areas of university buildings function as facilities for consulting with and treating patients. Consistent with Texas Penal Code §46.035(b)(4), these areas will be marked clearly to designate their functions, and individuals carrying concealed weapons will be excluded from them.
4. Hearing Facilities: Various rooms and areas of university buildings function from time to time as facilities for disciplinary hearings or for mediation sessions. When so used, these areas will be marked clearly to designate their functions, and it is incumbent upon the individuals carrying concealed weapons not to enter these areas.

Sec. 5 Exclusion Zones

The essential core facilities of the university, including classrooms, multi-person administrative offices, multi-person faculty and staff offices, libraries, and advisement and testing facilities, will all be accessible to individuals carrying concealed weapons in accord with their licenses and the law. Various laws pertaining to concealed handguns make their presence in some university facilities intrinsically inappropriate or illegal. These facilities shall be designated as “exclusion zones.” For these buildings, entry will be forbidden to students, employees, and visitors who are carrying concealed handguns. Notice conforming to Texas Penal Code §30.06 will be provided for these "exclusion zones" as appropriate.

1. Callier Center-Dallas and Callier Center-Richardson: The predominant mission of the Callier Center is to assist and improve the functioning of pre-school and school-age children with challenges of speech, hearing, and behavior. Since licensed concealed handguns are not permitted in the vicinity of school children, and also in treatment facilities, the buildings and enclosed grounds of both facilities are to be designated as exclusion zones.
2. Center for BrainHealth: Along with research activities in neuroscience and psychology, the staff of the Center also treat patients, from school children to military veterans to the elderly. Entry into the building is by card access and is monitored by security personnel during working hours. Accordingly, the Center for BrainHealth building is to be designated as an exclusion zone.
3. Natural Science and Engineering Research Laboratory (NSERL)/Bioengineering and Sciences Building (BSB): A variety of regulations restrict the presence of firearms in the vicinities of biological agents, research animals, volatile and/or explosive agents, and elaborate, highly sensitive, large equipment installations. UT Dallas operates a large science and engineering research complex, the individual components of which are known as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Laboratory (NSERL) and the Bioengineering and Sciences Building (BSB). These buildings are contiguous and interconnected and feature badge-only access monitored by security personnel. The activities that are carried out in this complex involve one or more of the above features that are acknowledged as inimical to the discharge of a firearm. Hence, the entire, integrated, secure facility known as NSERL and BSB is to be designated as an exclusion zone.
4. Housing: UT Dallas operates two types of housing facilities for its students:
   
   Dormitories: These buildings house freshman students, whose ages range almost exclusively from 17 to 19. Other than military veterans, individuals under the age of 21 cannot be licensed handgun carriers. In keeping with this law, and to maintain equity between our under-age students and visitors, the five freshman dormitory buildings and the contiguous dining and recreational facilities are to be designated as exclusion zones.
   
   Apartments: Apartment units provide housing from one to several individuals and are occupied by upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students. Licensed handgun carriers living in these apartments are permitted to possess their handguns in the premises of their individual housing units, subject to the general restrictions on concealed carry in public areas and subject to the condition that the handguns be stored in an approved safe, personally provided by the owner when not carried on the person of the owner.

Sec. 6 Offices

The occupant of an office to which the occupant has been solely assigned and is not generally open to the public is permitted, at the occupant's discretion, to prohibit the concealed carry of a handgun in that office. An occupant who chooses to exercise this discretion must provide oral notice that the concealed carry of a handgun in the occupant's office is prohibited. In addition, if the occupant's duties ordinarily entail meeting people who may be license holders, the occupant will make reasonable arrangements to meet them in another location.

Sec. 7 Noncompliance

Failure to comply with this policy may result in criminal prosecution and discipline in accordance with applicable procedures up to and including termination of employment.

Sec. 8 Amendment of Provisions as Necessary for Campus Safety

As provided by law, the President may, at his/her discretion, amend the provisions of this policy as necessary for campus safety, which shall take effect as determined by the President unless subsequently amended by the Board of Regents.

Related Websites

UT Dallas Campus Carry Site