This fall, students attending Liberty University—a private Christian university in Lynchburg, Va., with an enrollment of about 80,000—will be allowed to store their firearms in their dorm rooms, provided they have a concealed-carry permit. The policy change, which could affect as many as 200 students, was finalized by President Jerry Falwell and the university’s board of trustees last week. Under the new policy, eligible students can apply for permission to keep their guns in their dorm rooms; if approved, the school will provide the student a gun safe. Students will then be required to store the gun in the safe while he or she is inside the building.
Liberty has been committed to expanding students’ Second Amendment-protected rights since at least 2011, when it became the only area college to allow concealed firearms in outdoor areas of the campus. The policy was expanded in 2013 to allow concealed carry in all campus facilities except residence halls.
