Dear Carroll Faculty, Staff, and Students:
You may have read in the news that Montana Governor Gianforte signed House Bill 102 into law. HB 102 expands where individuals in Montana can carry concealed firearms/guns. The bill attracted significant attention, particularly because, as written, it includes public college campuses in Montana.
I want to clarify what this means for Carroll College.
Because Carroll College is a private institution on private property, this law does not affect our ability to set policy on our campus. As has always been the case on Carroll’s campus, weapons or guns of any kind
Excerpt from our Weapons Policy:
Except as provided in this policy, employees, students, and visitors are prohibited from possessing or carrying firearms, guns, explosives, and other dangerous or illegal weapons ("Prohibited
Exceptions:
This policy does not prohibit students from transporting an unloaded firearm or hunting bow directly between a parking area and the authorized location for checking in, checking out, and storing firearms and hunting bows in accordance with the Weapon, Check-in/Check-out Procedure … This policy also does not apply to licensed law enforcement officers when on duty and performing public safety duties at the college.
Read the Weapon Check-in/Check-out Procedure and Contract.
The safety of our students and campus community is of utmost importance to us. The addition of Jason Grimmis as our new Director of Campus Security and Public Safety has allowed us to greatly enhance a number of our safety and security protocols on campus. With an extensive background in law enforcement, Jason is a highly skilled professional who understands the safe handling, storage, and managing of firearms. To improve safety measures, Jason is developing a mandatory training and education session prior to the start of each semester for any student wanting to bring a firearm to campus consistent with our existing policy.
If you have any questions about our policies on firearms and/or safety and security-related issues, you can reach Jason Grimmis at (406) 447-4404 or jgrimmis@carroll.edu. His office is located in the St. Charles Lobby, Room 023.
Sincerely,
John E. Cech, Ph.D.
President, Carroll College