Despite recent discussion nationwide about allowing licensed students to carry concealed weapons on campus, Penn does not plan on changing its existing policy.
The University is "absolutely not" looking into revisiting its policy, which prohibits faculty, staff and students from carrying weapons or firearms on campus or in any Penn building, said Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush.
The sentiment is different elsewhere. The Arizona legislature is weighing a bill that would allow students and staff with concealed-weapons permits to carry their firearms on campus at public universities, and the Cornell University student government is also considering the issue.
Jeremy Clark, a Villanova University law student, is one person pushing to change gun policies on college campuses.
The group does not have a chapter at Penn.
Clark said he works to dispel myths about concealed carry and to encourage administrations and legislatures to end bans of weapons on campus.
However, Rush caution against allowing firearms on campus.
"It is a really bad idea," Rush said.
Alison Kiss, program director echoed Security on Campus .
"Allowing untrained students to carry concealed firearms to campus could simply make campuses less safe," she said.
But Clark said allowing students who already have gun licenses and practice safe carrying to bring their guns to class will make campuses safer.
"Schools are doing a good job at security, but [campus police] can't be everywhere. In NIU the police got there in two minutes," he said, referring to last month's sh0ooting at Northern Illinois University, in which a gunman killed six people, including himself, in a lecture hall.
"But with a semi-automatic and a shotgun, two minutes is an eternity," Clark added.
However, experts are wary about having untrained students with guns.
Eighty percent of campus crimes are student-on-student, and 95 percent involve drugs or alcohol, according to Kiss.
"Adding guns to this mix is just a bad idea," she said.
According to Ann Franke, president of Wise Results, which advises colleges on legal issues and risk management, said universities are obligated to take reasonable steps to keep premises safe and ensure the safety of students.
But "reasonably safe is reasonably different than an iron-clad guarantee" Franke said. "Risks of proliferation of guns on campus pose a much greater threat to campus safety than the miniscule threat of a single shooter."
Students on campus also voiced opinions against concealed weapons.
"Students carry their own guns?" said David Klatt, a College freshman. "I think the risk of everyone having guns will outweigh the risk of one shooter."
Max Koseman, a College senior, urges those who oppose concealed carrying on campus to speak out. The senior works with Sage Communications, which represents Moms Agains t Guns.
While he acknowledges the arguments for self-defense, he said, "you cannot make the assumption that people will respond in a perfect way. There is a much stronger likelihood that it will be a frantic time - innocent bystanders will possibly get harmed."
