So WAC does not hold force of law?

It's an administrative code, not a criminal code. WAC holds the weight of rules that are adopted by state agencies. If you are a college student, and there is a WAC against carrying a firearm (but not an RCW), then they can expel you from school. But since there is no RCW, then they cannot go after you criminally.

So, if I am NOT a student, the WAC won't apply to me.

Correct, it's university policy not state law. And if you look into it, like all gun control, it's creation was racially motivated. Black students brought guns on campus elsewhere, so universities across the country banned guns any way they could - even the hyper liberal UW.

Any sources? I'd be interested to read up on that a bit

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/200 ... era-change

http://guides.library.cornell.edu/wshtakeover





They key to this whole incident is that up to this point guns were fairly common on college campuses for ROTC or student rifle clubs/leagues (not very many pistols and I doubt many were carried concealed given that many states did not yet have "shall issue" carry permit laws). Anyway, the Black students took over this building (unarmed, which was typical of college protests of the era) and then some white students ran off to grab rifles from their frat houses and vehicles. From the research I've done on the incident, a sympathetic white student heard about this, told the Black students and helped them bring rifles into the building to defend themselves.

As a result, New York was first to ban guns from college campuses: http://cdsun.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bi ... ---------#

There's another article behind the NY Times' paywall titled "Campus Violence Spurs New Laws Across Nation.” (New York Times, September 1, 1969, p. 1.) and it talks about the numerous states (including many states that are typically considered very conservative/pro-2A) that have passed or are considering legislation to ban guns from campuses. Ultimately, it was okay when white students had guns on campus and could do whatever they wanted with them - but once Black students armed themselves, it was deemed unacceptable...which totally parallels the longer racist history/political economy of gun laws in the US.

It's been quite a while since many of these policies and laws came into play but I am really glad to see the pendulum beginning to swing back the other way.