Citing concerns with campus carry, professor emeritus to withdraw from University of Texas

[TexasTowelie]

Economics professor emeritus Daniel Hamermesh will withdraw from his position next fall, citing concerns with campus carry legislation.

The law will allow the concealed carry of guns in campus buildings beginning Aug. 1, 2016. Hamermesh said he is not comfortable with the risk of having a student shoot at him in class. He teaches a course with 475 students enrolled, according to a letter Hamermesh wrote Sunday to UT President Gregory Fenves.

“With a huge group of students, my perception is that the risk that a disgruntled student might bring a gun into the classroom and start shooting at me has been substantially enhanced by the concealed-carry law,” Hamermesh wrote in the letter.

Hamermesh, who said he is under contract to teach his course in fall 2016 and fall 2017, said he will complete the semester at UT and will teach at the University of Sydney next fall.

Read more: http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2015/10/07/citing-concerns-with-campus-carry-professor-emeritus-to-withdraw

[villager]

1. The next step, after faculty sensibly leaves, will be for student enrollment to drop

Maybe that will send a message to the NRA's pocket dolls.

[TexasTowelie]

2. That won't happen.

There are so many students that want to go to the University of Texas that they wouldn't have to change their admission standards by much to keep enrollment level. It used to be that if you were in the top 10% of your high school graduating class you were guaranteed acceptance and they trimmed that to the top 8%. Reverting back to that old standard would have little impact on how they are viewed from an academic perspective.

[ashling]

3. My wife teaches govt. at Tarleton

Class should be a place where students can enter into controversial discussion without feeling intimidated. Melodie should be able to lead discussions on controversial issues like abortion and capital punishment w/out getting her vehicle keyed. Campus carry is a bridge too far.

I was born and raised in Texas and have always come back here, but I am ready to leave. There are nuts everywhere, but there seems to be a bumper crop here at -what used to be - home.

The powers that be in Austin these days will be more than happy to have liberals leave higher education.

[TexasTowelie]

4. I am definitely opposed to campus carry.

I don't believe that the college classroom (or any other place on campus) is a place where guns and education should mix.