As of July 21, the University of Utah announced that it would be following new guidelines regarding the carrying of firearms on campus. At first this policy based on Utah House Bill 128, would allow for the concealed carry of firearms, with the stipulation that the right permits must be held.
On Aug. 15, the university confirmed that anyone over the age of 18 who holds a concealed carry permit can now open carry on campus.
The U explained the original rules for firearms in an article from their official news site, @the U, on July 21 and has updated the story to include the language about open carry.
Faculty concern and Senate response
During Monday’s Academic Senate meeting, U leadership heard multiple faculty concerns about the recent concealed carry policy changes.
English professor Katharine Coles discussed uncertainty about how untrained instructors could handle tense encounters in the classroom.
“My primary concern right now is about those encounters in the classroom that may or may not be anticipated,” Coles said. “I really can’t imagine a first-year graduate student of my size facing a man with a gun and saying, ‘Oh, just hold on for a minute while I call the police and tell them to come check.’”
Other faculty raised concerns about high-risk campus environments, such as labs.
“We have laboratories with dangerous chemicals in them, explosive chemicals in them … and we’re bringing something else into that laboratory that just seems completely unsafe, and apparently there’s nothing we can do about this,” said Tom Richmond, representing the College of Science.
Campus safety officials during the meeting acknowledged faculty concerns but emphasized that their ability to regulate firearms is limited by state law.
“Only the Utah legislature has the ability to make rules or policies or guidelines concerning weapons,” said Chief Safety Officer Keith Squires. “At the present time, there are only two exceptions under the statutes for when we can exclude a weapon.”
Squires also noted that the U is working on a broader campus safety framework that includes more proactive threat assessment.
“We’ve just completed our first year of threat assessment and management … about 154 cases were reported, and just over 20% required very active engagement, following up with individuals who were fixated on violence toward others,” Squires said. “Just because someone has a concealed carry permit doesn’t mean they’re not going through some sort of crisis. This is our opportunity to identify problems beforehand and address them before someone gets hurt.”
In response to faculty concerns College of Law professor Leslie Francis moved for Squires to initiate a process to create a “mechanism” (e.g. app, physical button, hotline etc.) to help faculty or staff who may encounter weapons in the classroom.
The motion passed 75-0 with two abstentions, and Squires is expected to begin the process soon.
Student response
Katie Marumoto is a junior studying history teaching at the U. She was aware of the U’s concealed carry policy, but she explained that she does not think the university has not been communicating sufficiently.
“Honestly, with how many school shootings happen everyday, I as a student and soon-to-be teacher, have the constant fear that something will happen,” Marumoto said. “Open carrying guns makes this fear so much more realistic.”
Marumoto argued that the university should have addressed longstanding problems before turning its attention to firearms rules.
“There are so many issues with the education system that should have been addressed long before this policy was considered,” Marumoto said.
Ella Bond, a junior studying history teaching, explained that she was also aware of the U’s concealed carry policy. She heard about the change to open carry from The Chronicle.
“I think they did a good job at explaining the reasoning for the policy but I think it could be more known to all,” Bond said.
ASUU President Alex Rose brought concerns about the communication on the policy between the U and students to Monday’s academic senate meeting.
“I have talked a lot with my student leaders here in ASUU,” Rose said. “A lot of us are just concerned that the actual changing to the guidelines and the changes here on campus have not been communicated to the student body.”
Rose then questioned if the U had any plan to better communicate the changes to students. Squires said he would bring these concerns to “our communication folks.”
U official response
Since the change from concealed carry to open carry, the U has added more explanation to its original story regarding firearm policy.
The university now provides explanations for those wondering what to expect when carrying a firearm on campus.
“The University of Utah Department of Public Safety may respond and ask you to confirm whether you have a current concealed weapon permit issued by the state of Utah,” said the U in a statement.
The U says that those who are found open carrying without the proper permits can be referred for disciplinary action and a Class A misdemeanor. This type of misdemeanor is the most serious type of misdemeanor offense, as it can result in up to one year in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.
“We’re aware of the alarm that this can cause if somebody sees a firearm, and we just want to make sure that everybody understands that the best course of action is to call us,” Jason Hinojosa, captain of the University of Utah Police Department said.
Hinojosa explained that U Police is open to questions and concerns regarding the topic of concealed and open carry on campus.
Other universities
The state of Utah as a whole has a long history of gun ownership. The most recent implementation of Second Amendment rights has been these changes regarding constitutional carry. In H.B. 128, the state allows universities to permit open carry.
Other Utah schools that allow open carry include Weber State, Utah Valley University and Southern Utah University. Brigham Young University and Westminster University do not allow the carrying of firearms on their campuses.
mike barrett | Sep 1, 2025 at 4:21 pm
Any trained and competent person with a concealed carry permit will tell you that open carry in a crowded public area is a bad idea.
(1) It scares people;
(2) It elicits aggression from some people; and
(3) It invites “gun grabs” by the emotionally unstable.
Bottom line: Keep that firearm properly covered.