University of Texas in Austin will allow concealed guns in classrooms

President Gregory Fenves approved the new measures on Wednesday

University of Texas President Gregory Fenves reluctantly approved a measure to allow licensed concealed weapons in his campus classrooms (Ralph Barrera/Austin American-Statesman/Associated Press)

Guns will be allowed in classrooms at the University of Texas in Austin this summer after President Gregory Fenves approved the new measures on Wednesday.

“I do not believe handguns belong on a university campus, so this decision has been the greatest challenge of my presidency to date,” he said in a statement.

The Republican dominated legislature voted in 2015 to allow concealed handguns on campus. The measure will go into effect on August 1, 2016 allowing people 21-years-old and up to carry handguns on campus.

However, President Fenves managed to add restrictions to the “campus carry” laws. Guns will be restricted in dorms, with the exceptions of common areas such as dining halls and lounges.

The Statesman reports that all private colleges have the option to opt out the campus carry initiative and virtually all institutions are expected to do so.

“Many parents of current and prospective students have communicated to me their grave concerns about allowing handguns on the UT Austin campus, especially in university housing and classrooms,” President Fenves wrote in a letter to faculty.

“As president of The University of Texas at Austin, I am responsible for adhering to the requirements of SB 11,” he continued, however he admitted that he has “significant concerns about how the law will affect our ability to recruit and retain faculty members and students.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has defended the new legislation arguing that the measure could prevent mass shootings.

Last October, hundreds of students strapped dildos to their backpacks to protest the campus carry initiative with the slogan “Cocks Not Glocks.”

The University of Texas is one of the largest higher university systems in America enrolling more than 200,000 students.