For the purposes of "faculty and staff" for the campus carry law, are Graduate students who are paid by the university and teach labs conicdered staff?

Might depend on WHICH college.  Here at UT, you must be FULL TIME 40 hours/week staff...

Safety Policy 0875 addresses how UT applies the many different state laws regarding firearms and clarifies when an employee may and may not legally carry a handgun on University property.

The policy, which also takes effect July 1, expands on the following key provisions of state law:

Full-time UT employees with valid Tennessee handgun-carry permits may carry handguns on UT property, if:
They are not enrolled as students; and
They notify the law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over the UT property on which they will be carrying a handgun
Employees must display their handgun-carry permits on request of law enforcement officers
Employees must not:
Carry a weapon other than a handgun
Carry a handgun openly or in any other manner in which the handgun is visible to ordinary observation
Carry a handgun at certain times and locations, such as:
Stadiums, gymnasiums or auditoriums where University-sponsored events are in progress
In meetings regarding disciplinary matters or tenure

From the statute:

"Employee" includes all faculty, staff, and other persons who are employed on a full-time basis by a public institution of higher education; and

"Employee" does not include a person who is enrolled as a student at a public institution of higher education, regardless of whether the person is also an employee;

Since you also have to register with the appropriate gendarmes with authority over the campus, they'll likely suss out those qualifications for ya.  

- OS

UT's rules differ a little from TBR,


but in this case, OS is right. If you can be considered a student, you aren't eligible.