Date of Award

2023

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Stella Ann Burns

Abstract

An ultimate goal of American universities is to provide a safe and secure environment for all who attend and operate there, but what safety looks and feels like to the individual can vary to a great degree. There are many factors that campus safety departments consider when designing their campus safety policies and regulations. One way universities in the U.S. have chosen to regulate campus safety is by allowing concealed carry (CC) on their campuses. No evidence was found in the state of Kentucky that explains if a CC policy is warranted or being pursued by faculty, staff and students however a recent KY House Bill 542 (2023) would have made it unconstitutional to not allow CC on Kentucky college campuses. Without gauging the culture and opinions of all three populations on a college campus, research cannot improve upon current policy or affect change in a positive direction. Through a campus-wide anonymous survey instrument designed for this study and for a particular Kentucky university campus, results show that there are in fact strong opinions about personal safety, perceptions of campus safety and campus carry with variations among the three groups surveyed. The quantitative method of study was utilized and the instrument was uniquely designed in Qualtrics for accuracy.

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