To Arm or Not to Arm -- The Divergence of Policy from Opinion on Arming Faculty and Staff on U.S. College Campuses

We gauged public opinion concerning firearms on college campuses, specifically whether instructors and staff should be permitted to carry weapons in academic spaces, through a 20-question, online survey of college students, instructors and staff at institutions across the United States from September to November 2016. We performed logistic regression to predict support for arming staff and faculty based on responses. Of 483 respondents, only 26 percent thought instructors and staff members should be armed while working or instructing. Being male, nonwhite and of college age were significant predictors of support for arming faculty and staff. We conclude that despite the spread of “campus carry” legislation, public opinion on college campuses remains overwhelmingly opposed to firearms in academic settings. This suggests a significant disconnect between policymakers pressing for more permissive handgun regulations and those most affected by their decision-making.