Jun 20, 2016 06:44 AM EDT By Vinay Patel, UniversityHerald Reporter

George Washington University President Steven Knapp recently announced his decision to throw in the towel and step down from his position in summer next year as soon as he finishes a duty-bounded decade in the District of Columbia's largest institution of higher education.

According to George Washington University's departing president, those at the helm of US University have an obligation to oppose laws permitting the bearing of concealed weapons on college dorms.

Knapp emphasized that US university presidents should lobby against such policies that upsets the campus' environment, during a podcast interview with Times Higher Education. He stressed on the need for having a "free and open" debate.

His comments come in the wake of an engineer professor at the University of California in Los Angeles being fatally shot on campus. There have been a slew of similar cases of campus shooting that involved college and school students.

A new law slated to take effect from August will prohibit all Texas-based colleges and universities from banning the concealed carrying of handguns on campus. Dr Knapp noted if a similar policy were to be suggested in Washington DC, where his university is situated, or even Virginia that homes several teaching centers, he would not back out from raising concerns over this.

Noting that very little can be done to curb armed individuals from coming on campus. Dr Knapp said the least a university can do is ensure their students are not only prepared and trained but are also aptly supported by a system designed particularly to keep them safe.

Under his tenure, Dr. Knapp, the 16th president of George Washington University, has overseen an eventful eon for the acclaimed private research university that is situated in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington, D.C.

Housing 25,600 students, GWU, under Dr. Knapp guidance built a mammoth science and engineering hall that enabled the school to compete with other acclaimed institutions. In addition, with Dr. Knapp at the helm, GWU discontinued its stipulation that required freshman applicants to hand in their SAT or ACT admission test scores, The Washington Post reported.

Citing Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' guarantee to offer free university education, Dr. Knapp noted that it could result in an unexpected outcome.

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