Campus Carry

Message from Del Mar College President Dr. Mark Escamilla

In 2015, the Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 11 that requires all public community colleges to allow concealed handguns to be carried on College property by licensed individuals beginning August 1, 2017. The state law requires Del Mar College to allow concealed handguns to be carried on campus and in campus facilities, except in limited, designated areas.

While the law allows some latitude in determining parts of the campus where handguns will not be allowed, legislative directives prohibit a campus-wide ban on concealed carry. Open carry of weapons, carrying a weapon easily visible, remains a violation of state law and Del Mar College policy.

License Holders are prohibited from carrying concealed handguns in these locations:

1. Lichtenstein Center for Early Childhood Development building and school play yard.
2. Labs, storage rooms, mechanical rooms or IT server rooms {those with dangerous chemicals/combustible gas/toxic biologic agents or where equipment failure would cause a catastrophic event resulting in the college's inability to operate}.
3. Physical activity courses and events such as: swimming, tennis, basketball, racquetball, dance, intramural sports, club sports.
4. Locations used for formal adjudicatory proceedings (student or employees).
5. Locations used for counseling by Licensed Professional Counselors employed by the Counseling Center {TPC 46.03; 46.035}.
6. Testing centers administering nationally sanctioned tests (ACT, SAT, TOEFL, CLEP, IBT) prohibit the carrying of a firearm under the rules of the testing organization.
7. In College owned or leased passenger transportation unless granted written permission from the president or president's designee.
8. Classrooms and other locations that are specified for exclusive use by Collegiate High School.
9. Locations where a high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event or interscholastic (UIL) or similarly sponsored interscholastic events are occurring. (This provision does not apply to intramural games or impromptu "pickup" games.)
10. Any campus locations where Pre-K through Grade 12 youth camps, academies, and UIL competitions are occurring.
11. Any room used by a government entity for a duly-posted meeting in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
12. Locations used as a polling place during early voting or on the day of election.
13. Other areas where handguns are not permitted:

1. Where alcohol is served at events held on DMC property.
2. Any DMC property that is rented on a temporary basis by outside entities.
3. Any locations where the college, as directed or approved by the president as necessary for campus safety, gives effective notice on a temporary basis pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code. For this rule, the term "owner of the property" in Section 30.06(b), Penal Code, means the president of the college. No college employee is "someone with apparent authority to act for the owner" for purposes of Section 30.06(b), Penal Code. All notices under Section 30.06, Penal Code, will be institutional notice, conform to Sections 46.03 and 46.035, Penal Code, and apply equally to all handgun license holders.

A listing of identified campus locations can be found here: Prohibited Campus Locations

Please carefully consider the provisions of these changes. Our goal, as a campus community, will be to comply with state law and provide a safe learning environment for all students, employees and guests.

Campus Carry Information

• Policy: Carrying Handguns on Campus by License Holder
• Prohibited Locations on Del Mar College Campuses
• Frequently Asked Questions
• "Firearms on Community College Campuses" from the Texas Association of School Boards