Virginia Tech, as is now well known, was a gun-free zone. It wasn't required by law, but imposed by University officials.

Many states have what are called preemption clauses, whereby state law can preempt localities from imposing a law that is at variance (usually stricter) with the state's law on a certain issue, in this case firearms. It would seem to me that it would be appropriate for the the state of Virginia, should it so desire, to preempt all public universities in Virginia from arbitrarily imposing restrictions on guns that are more punitive than state law. Lawmakers should decide whether students, staff and faculty can or cannot carry deadly weapons on campus, not college officials.