Will guns on Georgia’s campuses drive off faculty?

A noted Georgia State University business school professor says the possibility of guns in his classroom contributed to his decision to retire.

Writing on the AJC Get Schooled blog about leaving GSU after 33 years, C. S. Thachenkary, an associate professor in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, said: "A significant factor that hastened my decision was the impending House Bill 859. "

Thachenkary questions several aspects of HB 859, better known as the campus carry bill, including the prohibition against guns in dorms. Under the bill passed by the General Assembly, students on public college campuses in Georgia can bring their guns to class, but not to residence halls.

The professor asks. “After walking around campus all day with a concealed weapon, where would a student who lives on campus in a dormitory check-in his weapon for the night? And, where would non-resident students store their guns, if not driving to or from campus?”

Gov. Nathan Deal has not yet signed the campus carry bill, expressing concerns about the bill’s failure to outlaw guns from childcare centers on the state’s public campuses. Deal has also expressed concerns about guns in classrooms increasingly attended by younger teens through Georgia’s dual enrollment program, which allows high school students to enroll in college classes.

To read more about this issue, go the Get Schooled blog on MyAJC.com