CUSG packs CU Regent meeting amidst calls on Regents to ban concealed carry on campus.

Representatives of the CU Boulder Student Government (CUSG) attended the CU Regents meeting in Denver to call on the Regents to ban concealed carry on CU campuses Thursday, Feb. 9. 

Multiple CUSG members shared personal stories and experiences with gun violence and mass shootings, and their uncomfortable feelings with the allowing of concealed weapons on CU campuses and made calls for the Regents to take action on the issue during the public open hearing section of the meeting. 

All four CU campuses permit concealed carry on campus. Nationally, only 11 states in the country allow concealed carry on campus, according to a students for concealed carry article.  Over the course of the past weeks, CUSG claims it has attempted to communicate their dissatisfaction and called on the Regents to ban concealed carry on CU campuses. 

In the Fall of 2022, one of CU Boulder’s Student Body President, Rachel Hill, introduced legislation calling on the Regents to ban concealed carry. The legislation passed unanimously in the Legislative Council of CUSG. “Banning concealed carry across all University of Colorado campuses will reaffirm past Regent policy that existed for over 40 years. Students, staff, faculty, and community members alike support this life-saving measure,” the legislation read. 

In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the Regents lacked authority to implement policies that go against Colorado’s Concealed Carry law. 

According to the legislation, “this [Supreme Court] decision resulted in widespread protest from students, staff, and faculty alike. After the decision was made, faculty hung signs on their offices indicating that they would not allow an armed student to attend office hours.” 

However, the Colorado General Assembly passed legislation in 2021 that restored the Regent’s authority to determine policies regarding firearms within CU. “The concealed carry is now squarely in the hands of the Regents,” the legislation read.

During her speech, Hill reiterated the legislation that was passed by CUSG and the importance of banning the policy. According to Hill, she sent a resolution to the Regents urging them to ban concealed carry on campus, with the support of multiple undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and staff. “The response that we received did not exemplify courage to me. We received a response that largely expressed that the Regents did not want to take on this issue out of fear of a lawsuit,” she said.

“If it saves just one life, isn’t it worth it?”

Some members from CUSG that spoke during the meeting included Quin Fellows, Bella Brown, Jess Rampersaud, Chloe Nicklas, Camden Sharkey, John Masulit, Sally Webster, Sawyer Bundgaard and Alyssa Keller. CUSG’s Student Affairs director, Jade Kelly also spoke at the meeting.

Camden Sharkey, another member of CUSG said that “college experience” should be about gaining quality education and learning about yourself, not about looking for exits in classrooms or knowing that there is a weapon in the classroom. “The students need action, the staff need action and now it is your time to take that action,” he said. 

CU President Todd Saliman, who was present at the meeting, responded to the students’ comments stating he looks forward to conversations with University Affairs. “Students do not stand alone,” Saliman said. 

The topic remains in discussion and debate with the Regents. 

CUSG claims that the Regents’ failure to listen about the necessity of removing guns from campuses puts students, staff, faculty and community members in “harm’s way,” according to a news release.