Several hundred faculty, staff and students rallied in front of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center on Wednesday, expressing their support of efforts to keep guns off campus.

During the rally, Faculty Senate Chair Chuck Price released information regarding a faculty survey conducted earlier in the month about guns on campus. The survey asked faculty if they were in support of two bills currently before the Nevada State Legislature, Assembly Bill (AB)-2 and AB-148.

As proposed, AB-2 would permit possession of a firearm in either an occupied vehicle, or one that is locked, or where the gun is locked in a secured box, provided that the firearm is not visible. Currently, it is illegal to possess a firearm in a private vehicle while that vehicle is on the property of the Nevada System of Higher Education, K-12 schools, or a day care facility.

As proposed, AB-148 would allow any person with a concealed carry firearm permit to possess a firearm while on the property of the Nevada System of Higher Education, a private or public school, or a child care facility.

In remarks to those gathered on Wednesday, Price said that more than 54 percent of faculty, or more than 900 people, replied to the survey. Seventy-eight percent voted "no" regarding AB-2 while 85 percent voted "no" to AB-148.

"The clear message to share today based on the faculty survey results ... faculty do care about weapons on campus," Price said. "And, the vast majority of faculty opposes bills that would ease weapon restrictions on our campus."

Price added that the Faculty Senate would review the survey results and would consider a resolution on weapons. On Thursday, the Faculty Senate voted to approve the following resolution, which was forwarded to Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Dan Klaich, to be submitted for testimony to the Legislature:

"At the March 12, 2015 meeting of the University of Nevada, Reno Faculty Senate, the Senate authorized a survey of faculty for their opinion on Nevada Assembly Bills: AB-2 and AB-148. Faculty were given the response choice of yes/no/abstain for each of the bills.

"There were 987 faculty who participated in the survey for a 54.83% participation rate. For AB-2, 78% of faculty responded NO and for AB-148, 85% responded NO. Therefore, the following resolution was approved by the Faculty Senate on March 26, 2015.

"The University of Nevada, Reno Faculty Senate, representing all UNR Faculty, opposes any legislation that would ease current restrictions regarding weapons on the University of Nevada, Reno properties. We are deeply concerned that increasing the availability of weapons will have a chilling effect on an academic environment that promotes knowledge acquisition and the free exchange of ideas. It is not appropriate to have weapons in the hands of students, faculty, staff and visitors in any location on our campus, including classrooms, athletic venues and residence halls.

"Additionally, our campus contains many facilities for the education of pre-K through 12th grade students. These facilities include the Early Learning Center and the Child and Family Research Center in the College of Education, and the Davidson Academy in the Jot Travis Building. These centers across campus provide educational services for preschool, primary grades, middle school and high school students, and are protected "gun-free zones" under federal law.

"We support the current Board of Regents policy that allows weapons to be carried on campus only under limited and appropriate circumstances.

"Be it resolved that the UNR Faculty Senate strongly opposes any legislation that eases restrictions on current policy regarding weapons on University of Nevada, Reno properties."