Today’s shooting at Mississippi’s
Delta State University is only the latest in a long list of incidents of gun
violence on America’s college campuses. The
American Association of State colleges and Universities (AASCU) extends heartfelt
condolences to the family of Professor Ethan Schmidt, and we extend our support to Delta
State President Bill LaForge and the broader Delta State University community.
During the past three years, deadly
incidents of gun violence have taken place at several AASCU member campuses including
Savannah State University, Texas Southern University, Delaware State
University, Chicago State University, and now Delta State University.
AASCU remains deeply
concerned with numerous attempts—at both the state and federal level—to strip
colleges and universities from establishing campus-wide weapons policies. These
attempts continue in the face of overwhelming support from law enforcement,
college officials, and student and parent groups to curb access to guns on
campus.
Students
and faculty should be able to go to school without the threat of gun violence. AASCU
stands ready to serve as a resource in our collective quest to ensure that
America’s public college and university campuses remain among the safest
sanctuaries in society. Not one more student or professor should have their
lives taken because they simply went to school.
For
more information about AASCU’s commitment to keep guns off campus, visit http://www.aascu.org/MAP/PublicPurpose/2015/Spring/CounteringGuns/.
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The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of more than 400 public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a
historic commitment to underserved student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.