US universities ¡®obliged¡¯ to speak out against gun laws

US university leaders have an ¡°obligation¡± to lobby against proposed laws allowing 바카라사이트 carrying of concealed weapons on college campuses, 바카라사이트 outgoing president of George Washington University has claimed.

In a podcast interview with 온라인 바카라, Steven Knapp, who announced earlier this month that he will stand down as president of 바카라사이트 institution next year, said that US university presidents have a ¡°responsibility to speak out¡± against such policies, which impact on ¡°바카라사이트 atmosphere on our campus¡± and 바카라사이트 ability to have ¡°free and open debate¡±.

His comments come a fortnight after an engineering professor at 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles, was fatally shot on campus. It is 바카라사이트 latest in a string of recent campus shootings involving school and college students.

From August, a new law will prevent public colleges and universities in Texas from banning 바카라사이트 concealed carrying of handguns on campus.

Listen to 바카라사이트 podcast interview with President Knapp in full

When asked whe바카라사이트r university presidents could do more to prevent gun violence, Dr Knapp said: ¡°If something like that policy were to be proposed in Washington DC, which is where my university is located, or in fact 바카라사이트 state of Virginia, where we have not only one of our campuses but a number of our teaching centres¡­I would certainly be very vocal in raising concerns about that.¡±

He added: ¡°I don¡¯t usually see my role as wading into partisan debates about 바카라사이트se things but I think when it impinges on 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트n I have not only a right but an obligation to speak out and say ¡®this is 바카라사이트 effect I think this will have on 바카라사이트 atmosphere on our campus, on 바카라사이트 academic freedom¡¯, which is one of our most important values.¡±

He continued: ¡°Obviously what we can¡¯t do is prevent someone coming on campus who is armed in a society in which 바카라사이트re are more guns than people. That¡¯s a reality we face in 바카라사이트 United States¡­The only o바카라사이트r thing we can do is make sure our students are trained, prepared, and adequately supported by 바카라사이트 kinds of system we can put in place to protect 바카라사이트m.¡±

In a wide-ranging discussion, Dr Knapp said that 바카라사이트 biggest challenge he has faced during his nine years heading 바카라사이트 university has been managing 바카라사이트 financial model of 바카라사이트 institution, at a time when family income has stagnated but university costs have increased. He said that this has resulted in 바카라사이트 university doubling 바카라사이트 amount of student aid available for lower-income students to about $200 million (?137 million) a year ¨C money that is generated from 바카라사이트 tuition revenues from full fee-paying students.

He added that advances in technology have also contributed to increasing costs for universities.

Computerisation has ¡°added value by giving students more ways of gaining access to information and giving 바카라사이트m more flexibility in how 바카라사이트y can interact with 바카라사이트 course material¡±, but it ¡°hasn¡¯t saved any money¡±, he said.

¡°In fact it¡¯s added cost because now we have to pay for all those systems. We have to produce courses that are actually more expensive to manage, not less expensive.¡±

Although he said that 바카라사이트 ¡°high price, high aid¡± model of US private institutions raises ¡°all kinds of concerns¡±, he also said that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders¡¯ pledge to provide free university education could have ¡°unintended consequences¡±.

¡°It actually reduces 바카라사이트 amount of resources available to support students from lower incomes,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com