On July 1, the university exemption to the Kansas Personal and Family Protection Act expires, mandating that all state universities allow concealed carry of handguns and prohibit possession of other weapons and open carry of firearms.

Safety is the No. 1 priority at Wichita State University, and our goal is to work together to ensure that the entire campus community has the tools necessary to understand the law and how to maintain responsibility and personal safety.

The leadership at Wichita State is devoted to a shared goal of students, faculty, staff, parents, industry partners and visitors in addressing concerns for safety while still respecting the right of individuals to carry a handgun as permitted by Kansas state law.

With education of WSU policy as a key starting point, university officials began a series of 16 campus forums this past year and created a website linking to information about the state law, WSU and Kansas Board of Regents policy and to gather feedback from the university community. There is also a video of one of the public forums on the website, and more forums and educational opportunities may be held in the future.

Basic information

The new WSU weapons policy, which becomes effective July 1, can be seen in its entirety at wichita.edu/weaponspolicy.

Some main points of the policy and state law to keep in mind:

An individual must be 21 years old or older to be lawfully eligible to carry a concealed handgun in Kansas.

Individuals lawfully possessing a handgun, pursuant to this policy, should keep it completely concealed on or about their person at all times, maintain it within their immediate control and custody and not brandish or intentionally display the handgun except when lawfully using the handgun in self-defense or when to transfer to safe storage.

Concealed carry of handguns is allowed in all WSU buildings, except beyond the University Police Department lobby, unless adequate security measures (detectors and armed personnel) are provided at all public entrances to the space.

Individuals may not carry a firearm of any type in locations where the university provides adequate security measures. WSU may designate a specific location as temporarily gun-free. An example would be at athletics or commencement events where attendance is more than 5,000.

Each individual who lawfully possesses a handgun on campus shall be wholly and solely responsible for carrying, storing and using that handgun in a safe manner and in accordance with the law, Board of Regents policy and university policy. Nothing in this policy shall be interpreted to require individuals who lawfully possess a handgun to use it in defense of others.

The open carry of any weapon, including a handgun, is prohibited anywhere on campus.

Personal safety tips

It’s always suggested that members of the campus community practice personal safety techniques. That includes being aware at all times of your surroundings, programming the University Police Department’s number into your phone (978-3450), making note of the nearly two dozen emergency phones located around campus and downloading the Guardian Mobile Safety App to your phone.

Remember, Wichita State is patrolled around the clock by university police, and anyone is welcome to call for a safety escort and auto assist. All members of the University Police Department are educated about the concealed carry gun law, and officers are required to take Racial or Other Biased-based Policing training yearly.

Learn more about WSU police.

Frequently asked questions

We know there are many questions from the WSU community about the new concealed carry law. We've developed, and will continue to update, a Weapons Policy FAQ at wichita.edu/weaponsfaq.

Anyone with questions or comments about the policy can fill out the WSU weapons policy feedback form at http://bit.ly/2rS56Fw.