Guns on campus: campus carry and instructor–student communication

Students’ concealed carry of guns is now legally allowed at many instructors’ places of employment, representing an influential and understudied message. Therefore, using Emotional Response Theory and the chilling effect, the purpose of this study was to examine how college instructors perceived the legal presence of guns on campus influenced their instructional communication. Utilizing qualitative methods, interviews highlighted how instructors viewed the interaction of power, their role as an instructor, communication with students, and the dynamic created by campus carry. For participants, campus carry impacted their communication in one of three ways: by causing them to reframe, refocus, or resign in their communication with students. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.