College's Concealed Carry Policy

As you are all aware, earlier this year the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a bill making it permissible for licensed individuals to carry concealed weapons. The bill goes into effect on November 1, 2011. This same law also permits colleges and universities to prohibit individuals from carrying a concealed weapon into their facilities.

After considering the comments we have received from faculty, staff and students, the Executive Team has decided that in the best interest and safety of our campus community, we will prohibit individuals from carrying weapons into all Madison College facilities. In developing our policy, we consulted with our legal counsel, the College District Board as well as Districts Mutual Insurance.

Other key provisions of the College’s policy will include:

• Employees will be prohibited from carrying weapons while acting in the course and scope of their employment or duties, whether they are on or off College property, regardless of whether the individual has a license to carry a concealed weapon.
• Signs will soon be posted at all entrances to Madison College facilities stating that weapons are prohibited.

The students and faculty of our protective services’ programs who are currently authorized to bring firearms into the facilities will continue be able to bring those firearms into our facilities.

Madison College is not alone in choosing to prohibit individuals from carrying weapons into our facilities. Nearly all of the state’s technical college districts, the entire University of Wisconsin System, Edgewood College, Marquette University and others are electing to prohibit individuals from carrying concealed weapons into their facilities.

Our goal is to ensure that all members of our college community feel safe when they are in our facilities. If you should come across a situation where you sense there is an immediate threat to public safety, call 911. If you believe an individual is carrying a weapon, but is not acting in a threatening manner, call Madison College Public Safety at (608) 243-4357.

Questions?
Contact JBottoni[at] madisoncollege [dot] org (Jim Bottoni), Director of Public Safety, at (608) 243-4552.