Students and faculty will no longer see pets playing on the quad.
A policy released Sept. 27 bans student and faculty from bringing pets onto campus.
This includes all buildings and facilities on campus.
There are four exceptions to the policy.
Animals in an approved therapy dog program, service animals, pets belonging to permanent campus residents such as head residents and the president, and pets belonging to residents of University Manor Apartments are allowed on campus, according to the policy.
All animals included in these exceptions must be leashed with a 6-foot or shorter leash at all times.
The university reserves the right to ask anyone to remove his or her animal from the grounds at any time.
Students and faculty who fail to comply with the new policy will be subject to corrective or disciplinary action.
The policy also bans students from attracting feral or wild animals onto campus.
The new rules are to protect the students and faculty, and to provide a safe and clean environment to work in.
The policy reads issues include pet odor, allergies, excessive noise, fear of bites, and fear of certain animals in general.
Mike Manning, business junior, opposes the policy.
“Students who live off campus should be able to bring their pets to the quad,” Manning said. “It is just way more fun to watch them play.”
Students and faculty have let their animals run around on the quad for exercise and to let other members of the community play with the animals, in the past.
The full policy has been released online, and can be found at okcu.edu in “Pets on Campus.”
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