PROHIBITION OF WEAPONS ON CAMPUS

To the extent allowed by law and except as otherwise provided herein, weapons are prohibited on the campus of Valparaiso University or at any University sponsored event.  Nothing in this section shall be read to prohibit weapons on campus to the extent necessary to conduct University approved academic programs, activities, construction projects, or by University police or security officers while acting within the scope of their employment. For the purpose of this policy, "weapons" mean:

1. Any object or device which will, is designed to, or may be readily converted to expel a bullet, shot or shell by the action of an explosive or other propellant and has the propensity to pose a reasonable apprehension of fear to another when expelled;
2. Any handgun, pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun or other firearm of any nature and ammunition for any firearm of any nature but nothing herein shall prohibit a student from properly storing a legally owned firearm or ammunition with the University police pursuant to other University policies and procedures;
3. Any BB gun, pellet gun, air/C'02 gun, stun gun or blow gun;
4. Any explosive, incendiary or poison gas bomb, mine, grenade, rocket or missile;
5. Any incendiary or explosive material, liquid, solid or mixture equipped with a fuse, wick or other detonating device;
6. Any tear gas bomb or smoke bomb; however, personal self-defense items containing mace or pepper spray shall not be deemed to be a weapon for the purposes of this policy;
7. Any knife, commonly referred to as a switch-blade, which has a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife, or any knife having a blade that opens or falls or is ejected into position by the force of gravity or by an outward, downward or centrifugal thrust or movement;
8. Any straight-blade knife of four inches or more such as a dagger, dirk, dangerous knife or stiletto; except that an ordinary pocket knife or culinary knife designed for the preparation or service of food or a supervisor approved cutting object used within the scope of an employee’s employment shall not be construed to be a weapon for the purposes of this policy;
9. Any martial arts weapon such as nunchucks or throwing stars;
10. Any longbow, crossbow and arrows or other projectile that could cause serious harm to any person; or
11. Any other object designed to perform essentially the same function or reasonably appear to perform essentially the same function as any of the prohibited objects above. 

Approved  May 10, 2010