Trustees at a small private university near Dayton have approved allowing faculty and staff with permits to carry concealed weapons on campus.
Cedarville University, a private Christian university with about 3,300 students, will become the first college in Ohio to allow concealed weapons on campus. The new policy will take effect in August.
Board president Reverend Chip Bernhard says faculty and staff have a right to defend themselves and others should an incident arise.
"It’s our prayer that no one is ever forced to take this type of action," Bernhard says.
A new Ohio law signed by Governor Kasich in December allows college boards of trustees to decide whether to allow concealed weapons on campus. Before Monday, no Ohio colleges had opted to allow concealed guns.
Cedarville's president says he doesn't consider the move to be groundbreaking. He says school leaders looked at concealed weapons policies from colleges in Texas, Kansas and Virginia.
They moved forward with the plan after a town hall forum and discussions with legal, law enforcement and insurance representatives. A survey found that only 8 percent of respondents opposed the concealed carry option.
