gun friendly colleges?

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Tenn870

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I am looking for a college to transfer to next year, my plans are to enlist in the marines (reserves) and go to boot camp this following summer (i am a sophomore in college), should I do MOS the first semester or wait and do it the following summer? also I am looking at colleges in Tennessee, UT knoxville, UT chattanooga are either of these gun friendly colleges? when i turn 21 I am definitely getting my CCW and since TN is MUCH more friendly than MD I am hoping that I could carry on campus

I am hoping that some on this forum have experience with Marine Reserve and enlistment things that could help me out (I dont trust recruiters), and that some of you tennessee guys could fill me in about those colleges

thanks guys
 
You can't carry on any campus I know of. But a lot of schools are pretty gun friendly. The state school I went to had a shooting club.

I'd put you in touch with my friend who is a 1st LT in the marines, he went to West Point. But he is going to be on a ship in the middle of the ocean for the next few months.
 
TN law lists among the places you CAN'T carry:

· Any public or private school building or bus, on any public or private school campus, grounds, recreation area, athletic field or any other property owned, used or operated by any board of education, school, college or university board of trustees, regents or directors for the administration of any public or private educational institution.

· It is not an offense for a nonstudent adult to possess a firearm, if such firearm is contained within a private vehicle operated by the adult and is not handled by such adult, or by any other person acting with the expresses or implied consent of such adult, while such vehicle is on school property.
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So, it looks like campus carry is not simply a school issue, but is against state law.

You can alwasys check www.handgunlaw.us for these kinds of questions.
 
OP - are you looking for schools that are ok with CCW, or the gun culture?

FWIW, my school (The University of Northern Iowa) is pretty friendly with the culture - in my experience at least. We even have a trap and skeet club.
 
I believe Utah state law allows concealed-carry on all college campuses there - I don't know if the colleges are allowed to forbid guns or not.

Liberty University in Virginia does not allow concealed carry, but students are allowed to store their guns with the campus police (instead of in the dorms) and retrieve them for hunting whenever they want.
 
Only Utah and Colorado allow campus carry TMK. I could be wrong though.

I live in Knoxville and attend school here as well. I can assure you that there's no gun friendly campuses in this town.
 
Hold on, guys. He's looking at colleges in Tennesee.

Unless he says specifically that he's willing to change directions and move an additional 1,600 miles west, I don't think giving him info on UT, etc, is helpful. (Tenn870, correct me if I'm wrong...)

College and military service are both important -- and temporary (usually ;)) -- situations which should be undertaken with much serious thought and weighing of benefits. It is perfectly reasonable to make your ability to carry to class or on campus subordinate to obtaining the education you want at the institution that offers you the most for your time and money. Of course, you certainly WON'T be carrying a personal sidearm any time you're in uniform as a U.S. serviceman, which will include significant portions of your life for the next half-decade if you do enter the service.
 
well i think ill still go to one of those universities, also lookng at virginia schools, JMU and george mason, I believe they are private colleges, any luck there?

not interested in army rotc I know i wanna go to boot soon and i dont want to enlist as an officer, thought i do want to become one after i get my degree but i would like to start as a private
 
Colorado State University, have a lot of friends who go there. Great school. I go to UCCS so unfortunately I can't carry.
 
Probably won't help in your case, but the MOST gun friendly campus in the world is the University of the Arctic on Svalbard Island, Norway. You are not ALLOWED off the campus without a rifle. Polar Bears are a problem there and they have several maulings a year. Shooting is part of your orientation in Survival 101 which is a mandatory class for new students.
 
also lookng at virginia schools, JMU and george mason, I believe they are private colleges, any luck there?
Click to expand...
George Mason and VCU are both a NO by law.

Virginia Commonwealth University (8VAC90-10-50)
George Mason University buildings (8VAC35-60-20)

Think those are the only 2 that are a NO by law-the rest are set by school policy.
 
George Mason and VCU are both a NO by law.

Virginia Commonwealth University (8VAC90-10-50)
George Mason University buildings (8VAC35-60-20)

Think those are the only 2 that are a NO by law-the rest are set by school policy.
Click to expand...

You should note that Virginia Administrative Code is not Criminal Code. The penalties for carrying (as a student or faculty) on VCU or GMU are referral to the Honor Committee, not criminal charges. Most universities have a similar policy, GMU and VCU just managed to slip it into the VAC.

As a non-student carrying on these two campuses the potential penalty seems to be limited to expulsion from campus. There is no criminal law under which you could be prosecuted. A lawsuit against GMU on this subject is heading to the Va. Supreme Court, and the outlook is positive.

Liberty University also allows students to use their campus police firing range at no charge... the only school I know of in the nation which offers this sort of facility.
 
Sam1911 is definatly right on target about college being a temporary situation. If I was in your position, I would look at the schools more for the educational benifit.
Just a side note, you do realise moving to the comissioned officer side would require you to make Corpral at the very least? I can appriciate that you want to start out from the bottom, but the pay difference alone is worth reconsidering. That, coupled with the living standards that officers have, it is WELL worth skipping the enlisted ranks alltogether.
 
Believe it or not, Virginia Tech is somewhat gun friendly. They allow you to keep firearms at the police station, and retrieve them when you want to go shooting. Obviously, this precludes a no tolerance policy as you would have to have a firearm in your possession on campus at some point. They also have an active clay target shooting team. On top of that, there is a public shooting range just outside town. There is also an Izaak Walton, that you could join and shoot at that is 20 minutes from campus. Also plenty of public hunting land around (national forest).
 
You need to look closely at the gun laws for the state that your college is in.

Here in Michigan we are specifically not allowed to carry concealed in any school. However, an older law stated that only those with a concealed carry permit could carry on school grounds. The end result of these two when they mix together is that only people with a CPL can carry in a school BUT the pistol cannot be concealed, so if you want to carry your pistol at a school when you pick up your kid you have to open carry once you leave your vehicle...but only if you have a CPL.

I thought that such being the case I was cleared to carry at my school (University Of Michigan). Not so.

After asking around a bit more I found that in the fallout of surrounding the establishment of a new medical school at the University Of Michigan over 50 years ago, the State Supreme Court at the time ruled that state universities are "separate constitutional entities" and that the Regent's Directives (or whatever they are called) are actually laws in and of themselves.

In the end, the laws that govern the rest of the state do not (as of yet) apply to the University unless they want them to. So while I can carry pretty much everywhere else in the state by switching from open to concealed carry then back again based on the situation, I can go to jail for carrying on campus at all.

You can see why you might need to dig deeper before you carry on campus as these types of twists and turns are not readily evident at a cursory glance.
 
Texas A&M

Very conservative, gun-friendly atmosphere. Look at the Corps of Cadets depending on how many years you have left.
 
I believe you are out of luck at UT Chattanooga and UT Knoxville as far as legal carry of firearms by a student. Both have nice campuses. As you know, you have to be 21 to get the Handgun Carry Permit in TN also, but it is a very good permit valid in many states if you are a TN Resident.
 
Tenn870 said:
well i think ill still go to one of those universities, also lookng at virginia schools, JMU and george mason, I believe they are private colleges, any luck there?
Click to expand...
JMU and GMU are both VA state schools. They can make carry against school rules per a VA AG ruling a few years ago, but it is not illegal to carry on campus.

Governing boards of Virginia’s public colleges and universities may not impose general prohibition on carrying of concealed weapons by permitted individuals. Pursuant to specific grants of statutory authority, however, colleges and universities may regulate conduct of students and employees to prohibit them from carrying concealed weapons on campus.
Click to expand...

I'm a JMU alumnus (class of '03) and, though I only got into guns after college, my impression is that there are many gun-friendly students there. There are also a lot who are likely to be anti-gun (ie young women from New Jersey aren't likely to be in favor of concealed carry).
 
Considered getting the college degree online (assuming it's offered) at an accredited University?

I got my 1st degree the "regular" way. Drive to class, pay to park, sit through class, suffer through those last mintue questions people ask that could wait till after class, drive home... extremely time consuming. :barf:

I'm now working on another degree (masters) and this one is online at an accredited state university. I MUCH prefer the online method. Needless to say I can carry during online class if I want to. ;) :cool: :)
 
Why don't you worry about the best education you can get and not whether you can legally carry. What is better, a mediocre education and a concealed firearm or a great education? Look to your education first, then when you get a great job because of your education you can buy lots more guns.
Don't let being able to carry or not be a deal breaker. If you get into a great college that you can carry in that is super. But don't downgrade your education.
 
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