Monday will be the first day on which Texas Tech students or staff - and those at many universities across the state - could have a concealed weapon in class.

Staff, students and faculty in possession of a concealed handgun license will be legally allowed to carry their firearms into most of the university's buildings after Tech's Board of Regents this spring OK'd plans to implement the state's new campus carry law on Tech system campuses, including the Health Sciences Centers and Angelo State University.

But Provost Lawrence Schovanec - who will also officially take over as university president on Monday - said no one should see any real changes at the university, where fall classes start Aug. 29.

As provost, Schovanec was the chairman of the campus carry task force at Tech last school year after the Texas Legislature in 2015 passed Senate Bill 11 requiring public colleges and universities to allow the concealed carry of handguns on campuses. The law allows private universities to opt out, and leaders at Lubbock Christian and Wayland Baptist universities announced this year that they would not allow campus carry.

Because no one is required to declare they have a gun, and because open carry is still prohibited on campus, Schovanec said, "I wouldn't expect when you walk on campus, you're going to discern any major difference, other than the signage that tells you where there are exclusionary zones."

He and Texas Tech HSC President Dr. Tedd Mitchell both said their campuses are ready to move forward with the new policy while a leader at South Plains College - where, along with other junior colleges, campus carry does not take effect for another year - said they're still forming a plan.

Campus carry at Tech

On the main Tech campus, there will be zones where guns are still not allowed. Those include any high school, collegiate or professional sport events or interscholastic events; UIL sanctioned competition areas; Board of Regents meetings; the Office of Student Conduct; areas where any official governmental meetings or judicial proceedings are taking place; and election polls.

Other areas that will be off-limits to firearms include the Student Recreation Center; Kent R. Hance Chapel; counseling centers, including Family Counseling Center, Burkhart Autism Center, Student Wellness Center, Psychology Counseling Center, Child Development Research Center and Center for Study of Addiction and Recovery; designated research laboratories that hold hazardous chemicals; any university event where alcohol is being served by an organization under Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission rules; and performance venues and locations during ticketed events on a case-by-case basis if a temporary designation is obtained from the president.

The university president can also declare other specific premises or venues to be off-limits, but requests for exclusion must be provided in writing 90 days prior to the event.

Any premises in which a program, activity or camp is conducted for minors are excluded from concealed carry.

Most of the Tech residence halls will also be excluded, except individually assigned rooms in suite- and apartment-style housing in Carpenter/Wells, Murray, Talkington and West Village Residence Hall. Students assigned to dorm rooms where a firearm is stored can request a transfer to another room.

"You can carry into the library. You can carry into the Student Union Building, most any classroom and also faculty offices, which was a point of contention," Schovanec said.

In the campus carry task force's original recommendations to former Tech President M. Duane Nellis, faculty members would have been able to designate their offices as off-limits.

"Based on the attorney general's opinion and the recommendation of counsel, we felt that wouldn't be consistent with the intent of the law," Schovanec said.

The University of Texas at Austin is allowing faculty to declare their offices off-limits, he said, and Tech will be watching to see if there is litigation about that exemption and what the courts would say if there is a lawsuit.

"This is going to be an evolving process," Schovanec said.

A lot of planning went into the process of complying with SB 11, Schovanec said.

"We've done a lot, but we still have more to do," he said.

Students, staff and faculty will be able to learn more about the rules regarding campus carry during education sessions the university will offer, Schovanec said. The chief of police has been speaking at Red Raider orientation about campus carry, and there will be a whole schedule of events during the first week of school regarding safety that will offer information on campus carry.

"I think it is important to be emphasized that we're going to have to follow through on a number of educational programs that will inform the community on how to react to certain situations," Schovanec said.

The university must be sensitive in balancing the rights to carry weapons with faculty and students who may not be comfortable that there are people carrying weapons on campus, he said.

Campus carry at TTUHSC

Mitchell said there is a difference between Texas Tech's main campus and the HSC.

While many campuses were concerned about laboratory safety with campus carry, Mitchell said at a medical school, there are also patients who have mental or behavioral problems, as well as patients who must disrobe to be examined.

"If you have a patient coming in to see a physician and they have to disrobe in a certain area, they no longer have a concealed weapon," Mitchell said.

The TTUHSC building is also physically tied to University Medical Center, where concealed carry is not allowed.

Mitchell said there are already lockers for students in the TTUHSC campus, but they will be adding places for licensed carriers to store their weapons.

"Logistically, on our side, it's a little more difficult," Mitchell said.

Whether it's a lab or an examination area, Mitchell said areas within TTUHSC will be clearly marked with signage if weapons are off-limits within.

Other area colleges

Community colleges have another year before Senate Bill 11 goes into effect, so campus carry will not be allowed as of Monday at South Plains College.

"We're actually still in the process of developing a policy," Dane Dewbre, associate dean of marketing and recruitment at SPC, said on Friday.

Senate Bill 11 contains a provision allowing private universities the ability to opt out of campus carry because private schools are located on private property, not state property.

At Lubbock Christian University, the Board of Trustees voted to opt out of Senate Bill 11 in May.

LCU will continue to deploy armed officers on campus, and will work in close cooperation with local law enforcement.

According to a news release from LCU, the university may designate select members of the faculty and staff who possess a license to carry on campus "as deemed necessary and appropriate." Those individuals would receive additional training, but their identities would not be publicly disclosed.

Wayland Baptist University's Board of Trustees also voted unanimously to opt out of campus carry.

Wayland prohibits individuals from carrying firearms on campus, but does allow students, staff and faculty to store firearms in their vehicles.