A graduate assistant at the University of Utah has been reassigned from teaching a class this semester after handing out a syllabus that said bringing a concealed carry gun to class “is absurd, antisocial, and frightening behavior” and that any of her students who have one — even if permitted — would be forced to stand in a “3x3 taped square” in the back of the classroom.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2018/08/21/university-utah/
State law allows permitted gun owners to have their guns on campus.
There are a lot of things that would make me uncomfortable if I was teaching a class. Guns in the classroom is one of them.
However, if I were a TA (or way back when I was a TA), there is no way that I would start a class by listing the various things that would make me uncomfortable and trying to prohibit them. If nothing else, this would just encourage some student to bring one of those things to class to test me.
If you don’t like the conditions of employment, you can work somewhere else. I worked where the rule was the opposite, that even if you had a permit you couldn’t have a gun on the premises. If I wanted to bring a gun to work, I needed another job. Many of the surrounding states (Colorado, Wyoming) have the opposite rule, that you cannot have a gun, even permitted, in a classroom.
Utah made a decision to allow guns in state buildings. The TA doesn’t have a right to restrict that, only the right not to teach under those conditions.
I don’t agree with the law, only recognizing that it IS the law.
If the other students don’t care to be in a classroom with guns…they can all leave…if enough students leave, maybe the school /laws will think differently
There was an econ prof at UT-Austin who stopped teaching his large intro class in response to his concerns about students bringing a gun to his class. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/10/08/u-texas-professor-emeritus-will-leave-teaching-job-over-campus-carry-law
guns frighten me incredibly, and i would never ever want to be in school or workplace where they would be permitted. I get this TA’s thoughts. Yet, i guess its the law in Utah. ugh. what a dilemma. i hope it gets figured out; not sure TA handled it the right way.
last year we were traveling through iowa, ordered take out while we were at our hotel, and the delivery guy had a very visible gun showing when he dropped off our order. It scared me to no end as i had never seen someone with a permit to carry unconcealed before. i gave a much bigger tip than i had planned on.
If I ever end up delivering pizzas I’ll remember that tip thing…
The bigger problem is graduate students teaching classes in the first place.
I am not a fan of guns but I also live in a place where schools close for the opening of deer hunting season. One son went to a college where rifles (for hunting) were allowed. I have learned to tolerate rifles around me but I have no space in my mind for handguns and assault rifles and I can’t think of one reason anyone “needs” them in a classroom.
I imagine delivery people are exposed to many dangers and hope carrying a gun may be a deterrent. It could be the weapon that is grabbed from the delivery person and used on him or her tho. I prefer no guns around, period. That seems safer for all, especially innocent bystanders.
I think the TA may need to find a different state for her grad work or an online degree.
My daughter goes to school in AZ and there are many buildings and businesses that have “no guns” signs (it’s a graphic like for no smoking). So, the school can’t decide to have it’s own policy if the state says so? There’s a difference between “may” have a weapon and “must” be allowed to have a weapon. Just wondering…
Obviously, the TA can’t make that decision for the whole building but can they do that for the class that they teach? It’s an interesting case, but the taped 3 x 3 area doesn’t make sense.
I LOVE teaching as a graduate student. One of my biggest fears is a kid bringing a gun.
I’ve had entitled white boys explode on me when they earned their first ever B grade. No way in hell do I want to add a gun to that mix.
@muad_dib I highly disagree but don’t think that’s relevant to this story.
@momofthreeboys - you hope it never happens, but there are certainly times when you need the ability to defend yourself, even in a classroom. People should take into account how others feel about guns though and keep them concealed.
No more reason than one would need them in a grocery store or at a park or working in a building, but with the right permits, people are allowed to have them in Utah.
Colorado state law is actually ‘open carry’ but almost every city and county has a restriction on open carry so a concealed carry permit is needed if you want to be anywhere public. Then the universities further restrict it to not on campus or in any of their buildings or meetings or classes. Utah has chosen not to further restrict guns (properly permitted) in state owned buildings. My daughter goes to school in Wyoming and no guns are allowed on campus, in cars parked on campus, in dorms or classrooms. Students have to check them in with the university police dept.
This TA chose to make an issue of it and I doubt she was surprised that it became an issue.
The TA’s statement is too judgmental. Maybe if she banned it from class without passing the judgement, I may be more sympathetic.
The University did not allow the T.A. to teach the class. Good for them - there’s hope after all.
^^or having the taped off punishment area for them to stand in.
If it’s legal, like in Utah, then a student could bring a gun into class. If a student was legally carrying concealed, how would the teacher even know? If the teacher is afraid of a nutcase student in the class with a gun who might start shooting, well again, how would the teacher know until it is too late? So when student #1 starts shooting, do you want noone else in the room to have a gun, or might you be better off if 1 or 2 other students were legally carrying? (I don’t like this type of hypothetical scenario building)
This is not relevant to the TA post, but last year we had power outages from an ice storm and electricians were called in from oos to help, my worker waltzed right in my home with a big gun strapped to his hip, I was terrified but couldn’t say anything as to not let him know that I have a gun free home.
The sight of guns whether in school, restaurants or the grocery store cause a lot of anxiety. I now drop everything and leave.
I really don’t know how I would react as a teacher where guns are permissible by law.