Colleges in North Carolina may begin to reject students based on the physical threat they pose to the institution under a proposal from a statewide organization. 

The State Board of Community Colleges for North Carolina amended its open-admissions policy, now allowing them to bar students who pose safety or health threats to the college.

The change will allow the 58 colleges to refuse admission to prospective students who may present “an articulable, imminent and significant threat,” the amendment said.

The health and safety policy change will go before the state Rules Review Commission and could take effect as early as Apr. 1 if it is approved, Megen Hoenk, spokesperson for the board said.

Hoenk said the amendment was proposed because of concerns about safety issues at the colleges.

“This amendment is a proactive step to provide the colleges with the tools to protect their students, faculty and staff,” Hoenk said.

She said the community colleges have a student code of conduct, but new applicants are not technically students and those rules currently do not apply to them. This amendment addresses that situation.

Stuart Fountain, a board member, said he was in favor of the amendment.

“The key thing provided in this is a balance between an open-door policy and an element of safety,” Fountain said.

He said everyone who understands the background behind the decision is in favor of it.

However, there are those who do not have a full understanding of why it is being done and are worried about discrimination, Fountain added.

Fountain said while the amendment is not specifically tied to any incident, it was brought to the attention of the board after incidents like the Virginia Tech shooting.

Worries arose that a student could be kicked out for threatening behavior at one school and then go apply to one nearby, Fountain said.

“It is appropriate to provide safety to students who are at college for their education,” Fountain said.

Donald Downs, a University of Wisconsin political science professor, said this policy could infringe on a student’s individual rights depending on how they define a student as dangerous.

He said if admissions can prove the applicant is a risk, the process it is not a bad idea.

“So long as they have demonstrative evidence that the person is a danger, is threatening or has threatened violent crimes the colleges have the right to protect themselves and their students,” said Downs, who serves as an adviser to the Board of Directors of The Badger Herald.

Downs said even at UW there are people who have threatened the campus and have been denied access or given restraining orders in order to protect students and staff.

Associate Dean of Students Kevin Helmkamp said UW does not have anything on its admissions application that inquires about a person’s criminal background.

He added the application does not require students to report any disciplinary actions taken against them at another institution.

Downs did say, however, that if this process is misapplied, it would be very possible to infringe on civil liberties.

“We have to be careful about overreacting on these kinds of issues, because we tend to do that,” Downs said.