Faculty Beliefs, Experiences, and Interactions with Students in the Context of Campus Carry

Abstract

Although gun possession has traditionally been prohibited at higher education institutions, several states have passed legislation in recent years allowing guns to be carried on college campuses. The so-called “campus carry” policy took effect in Texas on August 1, 2016. In this dissertation, I present my research that explores the beliefs and experiences of faculty in the context of campus carry at a public university in Texas, how these beliefs and experiences about campus carry are related to faculty identity, and the ways in which faculty beliefs, experiences, and identity in this context may impact faculty-student interaction behaviors. This article-based dissertation is structured around three articles that addressed several research objectives and employed survey and interview data I collected between 2016 and 2017. In the first article in the series, survey results were analyzed to explore faculty beliefs about campus carry and investigate the impact campus carry may have on faculty student interaction behaviors using a comparative design. The second study takes a deeper dive into the same survey data, using a correlational design to model faculty responses to uncover how experiences and beliefs around campus carry influence the way faculty approach interactions with students in class, especially discussions around controversial topics. The third and final study was designed to probe beyond the statistical data to explore the individual perspectives and lived experiences of female faculty on a campus with an enacted campus carry policy through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The overarching findings of this body of work indicate that faculty have very personal and nuanced views about campus carry that are shaded by their beliefs, experiences, and personal and professional identity. Faculty beliefs, experiences, and identity in the context of campus carry also influence faculty-student interaction behaviors. While some faculty are at risk of altering their teaching practice in the context of campus carry, others may be able to adapt in ways that mitigate any negative effects of campus carry on teaching practice.