POSTED BY THE AAUP

Gun violence is not a problem limited to high schools. Colleges and universities have been sites of mass shootings since the 1960s. The mere presence of guns on campus or in the classroom limits academic freedom, potentially affecting the choice of course materials, how far faculty members should press students to wrestle with unsettling ideas, and how trenchantly and forthrightly they can evaluate student work. In light of the recent shootings, the AAUP joins others in calling for sensible gun control measures. Add your name and comments now.

The AAUP has long opposed, and continues to oppose unequivocally any legislation or policy that would compel colleges and universities to permit firearms, concealed or openly carried, on campus.

Given the widespread availability of the most deadly weaponry and the growing number of instances in which such weapons have wreaked havoc, however, it is not sufficient only to champion the right of colleges and universities to bar their presence. To ensure the safety of our students, of our faculties, and of all those who work at or visit our campuses, we must also speak out in support of broader sensible gun control measures like those proposed by the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Specifically, we call on AAUP members and all faculty and students, on college and university administrators and trustees, and most of all on our political leaders to support the following.

• a total ban on the sale and possession of military-style assault weapons, designed solely to kill human beings, and on high-capacity magazines and bump stocks;
• comprehensive background checks for all who purchase firearms, whether in a gun store or at a gun show, with reasonable restrictions on access to weapons for those with diagnosed mental illness or with a history of violence, including domestic violence;
• a complete universal database of those banned from buying firearms;
• raising the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21.

We therefore also endorse the March 24 March for Our Lives in Washington, DC, as well as the efforts of students to protest gun violence with peaceful walkouts on March 14 and April 20.

To read the AAUP’s full statement in support of gun control measures, click here.