Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish restrictions on possession or carry of firearms and other weapons applicable to St. Cloud Technical & Community College, in accordance with the Minnesota Citizens’ Personal Protection Act of 2003, Minnesota Statutes section 624.714, and other applicable law.
Definitions
Employee. “Employee” means any individual employed by St. Cloud Technical & Community College, including student employees.
Student. “Student” means an individual who is:
- registered to take or is taking one or more courses, classes, or seminars, credit or noncredit, at St. Cloud Technical & Community College; or
- between terms of a continuing course of study at the College, such as summer break between spring and fall academic terms; or
- expelled or suspended from enrollment as a student at the College, during the pendency of any adjudication of the student disciplinary action.
System property. “System property” means the facilities and land owned, leased, or under the primary control of St. Cloud Technical & Community College.
Visitor. "Visitor" means any person who is on College property, but does not include (1) an employee of St. Cloud Technical & Community College, acting in the course and scope of their employment; or (2) a student, when that student is on College property.
Weapon. “Weapon” means any instruments or implements capable of inflicting serious bodily injury, and shall include but not be limited to:
- A rifle, shotgun, handgun, machine gun or other firearm, or antique firearms suitable for use; any air gun, spring gun, bb gun or implement that is not a firearm which propels a pellet of any kind with a force that can reasonably be expected to cause bodily harm; any starter pistol, flare gun, tranquilizer gun, stun gun, zip gun, spear gun, dart gun, sling shot; or ammunition of any type for weapons governed by this policy.
- Any knife with a blade larger than that of a folding pocketknife; dagger; razor or other cutting instrument, the blade of which is exposed in an automatic way by switch, push-button, spring mechanism, or otherwise.
- Any striking instrument to include clubs, truncheons, blackjacks, sandbags, metal knuckles, or sap gloves.
- Any martial arts weapons to include nunchakus, tonfas, staffs, and throwing stars.
- Any bow and arrow combination.
- Any device which discharges chemical irritant or tear gas and smoke grenades except for small canisters possessed/carried for personal protection purposes.
- Any incendiary device to include flammable liquids enclosed in readily breakable containers that can be equipped with an igniter of any type.
- Any explosive device to include hand grenades, bombs, black powder, smokeless powder, percussion caps, friction primers and pyrotechnic fuses.
- Paintball guns and paintball markers.
- Fireworks to include firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, aerials or other fireworks containing any explosive or flammable compound.
General.
No person is permitted to carry or possess a firearm or other weapon on St. Cloud Technical & Community College property except as provided in this policy.
A. Employees.
- Prohibition. Employees are prohibited from possessing or carrying a firearm or other weapon while acting in the course and scope of their employment, either on or off St. Cloud Technical & Community College property, regardless of whether the employee has a permit to carry a firearm, except as otherwise provided in this policy.
- Licensed peace officers. This policy does not apply to licensed employees who are peace officers under Minnesota Statutes section 626.84, subd.1(c), when assigned by the College to public safety duties.
- Employee reporting responsibility. An employee with a reasonable basis for believing an individual is in possession of or carrying a firearm or other weapon in violation of this policy has a responsibility to report the suspected act in a timely manner, unless doing so would subject the employee or others to physical harm. Reports should be made to the St. Cloud Police Department Emergency Number, 9-1-1 and SCTCC Security at 320-308-5700. This policy shall not prohibit prompt notification to appropriate law enforcement authorities when an immediate threat to personal safety exists. Employees shall not make reports of a suspected violation knowing they are false or in reckless disregard of the truth.
B. Students.
- Prohibition. Students are prohibited from possessing or carrying a firearm while on The St. Cloud Technical and Community College campus, regardless of whether the student has a permit to carry a firearm, except as otherwise provided in this policy.
- Licensed peace officers. This policy does not apply to students who are licensed peace officers under Minnesota Statutes section 626.84, subd.1(c).
Subpart C. Visitors.
- Prohibition. Visitors are prohibited from possessing or carrying a firearm or other weapon while on St. Cloud Technical & Community College campus, except as otherwise provided in this policy.
- Licensed peace officers. This policy does not apply to visitors who are licensed peace officers under Minnesota Statutes section 626.84, subd.1(c).
- Secondary school programs. St. Cloud Technical & Community College operates secondary school programs in rooms and facilities with other community programs. While those spaces are being operated and used by St. Cloud Technical & Community College, Minnesota Law prohibits firearms or dangerous weapons on the property.
Exceptions.
- Parking areas. This policy does not prohibit the lawful possession or carry of firearms in a parking area or parking facility.
- Tools and implements required as part of an educational program are not considered weapons unless used to inflict a bodily injury.
Authorized uses. This policy does not prohibit:
- Lawful possession or carry related to an academic use or use at a campus shooting range, such as clubs, approved in writing by the College.
- Transport of an unloaded firearm directly between a parking area or parking facility and the location authorized for its use, or transport of an unloaded firearm directly between a parking area or parking facility and a storage facility provided by the College.
- Possession or carry of a pistol by a visitor who has a lawful permit to carry a pistol pursuant to Minnesota Statutes section 624.714, subd. 1a.
Nothing in this policy requires the College to provide storage facilities for employees’ or students’ weapons.
Storage in State Vehicles Prohibited. No vehicle owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the College shall be used to store or carry a firearm or other weapon, except as authorized for purposes under part 4.B.1.
Violations. Violations of this policy by students or employees are misconduct subject to discipline, up to and including expulsion or termination.
Referral to Law Enforcement. St. Cloud Technical & Community College may refer suspected violations of law to appropriate law enforcement authorities and provide access to investigative or other data as permitted by law.
Date of Adoption: 11/21/2013
Date of Implementation: 11/21/2013
Date Repealed or Replaced: 04/07/2026