We, the undersigned faculty, stand resolutely against arming the campus police force. We agree wholeheartedly with the opinion expressed by the Eagle editorial board that those guns will endanger the lives of students, faculty, and staff. We share the students’ concern that bringing guns onto the campus will adversely impact students from minority groups who already deal with racial profiling.
Given that the arming of the campus police force impacts the safety of every member of the university community, the decision must not be made unilaterally. The AAUP’s stance on this issue is part of our larger efforts to urge the American University administration to avoid top-down decision making, in which consultation with faculty, students, and staff is often merely performative. To avoid performative consultation, the input of all the university community must be sought and integrated into any decision the administration makes. The administration also needs to engage the university’s brain trust: faculty who specialize in studying the impact of different forms of policing on social equity. Groups who might be adversely affected by changes in campus security policy should also be consulted.
We furthermore stand in solidarity with the students’ concerns around inadequate campus safety, particularly the documented nonfunctional “blue light” towers. These towers exist for students in distress to directly contact campus safety. The Administration should prioritize the restoration of functional towers and other nonlethal campus safety measures rather than arming the campus police force.
Signed by the American University Chapter of the AAUP
Additional Faculty Signatures:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18b4S7ac_7IyQNZRF-B71bAs9r3eS8T4ToAeZd7rL2FE/edit?usp=sharing
To sign this statement, click here:
https://forms.gle/xGyZNz1mJqKGdpYh6
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American University AAUP Chapter 
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