I am going to try to start a university marksmanship club at the Universty of West Florida in Pensacola. Does anyone here have experience with starting such a club? Ideas for sponsorships? Things I can expect the university to throw at me? Amount for dues/expenses?

One problem I have already run into is where students living in the dorms can store their firearms since weapons in the dorms are prohibited.

Any help/advice is appreciated!

Well, here at Penn State (or rather, at Main Campus), Campus Security has their own gun locker.

They will store your firearms for you, and they say that, since there is a duty officer 24-7, that you can come and get your firearms 24-7.

There's also a range on campus.

must be nice to have a range on campus. Our campus is on a nature preserve so I doubt the tree huggers would allow a range. Do you have a link to Penn State's marksmanship club?

Quoted: must be nice to have a range on campus. Our campus is on a nature preserve so I doubt the tree huggers would allow a range. Do you have a link to Penn State's marksmanship club?

PSU Rifle Team: www.clubs.psu.edu/rifleteam/

They shoot .22 and air rifle.

Hello from elsewhere in the panhandle.

A friend of mine was having problems with an ex once and was worried she might steal his guns. Turns out the Coast Gaurd let him store his firearms there for safekeeping. Might try contacting them if you have trouble storing them on campus. I also heard the Escambia gun club has some descent facilities.

I am the advisor for a university rifle and pistol club. All I can say is good luck.  

Sponsorships?  Well, you can ask but don't hold your breath.  University support?  Don't expect any.  They closed our range down four years ago when somebody else needed the space.  Support from student government?  Don't even go there.  Road blocks?  Plenty.  Somebody will no doubt mention insurance and liability.  Where will you shoot?  How will you store firearms?   And all of this is at a university that I would not consider a hot bed of liberal activism.  

Figure on raising all of the money yourself.  And you will need a lot.  Firearms.  Targets.  Tools.  Ammo.  A safe.  

We've been in existence for 20 plus years.  I can't imagine how we would start from scratch today.

Good Luck.

Here is a suggestion you might want to try.  Try contacting the local ROTC officer and see if they have an on campus range.  They might be hiding it from you.

You're talking about a club and not a team, right?  I'd imagine a college would want you to be able to accomodate any and every possible member.  Diversity is the big buzz word, and it's the 21st century after all, no big deal, right?  They might require you to supply equipment to facilitate members with disabilites that do not hinder their ability to shoot.  This may include anything from furnishing special shooting platforms to requiring the range you shoot at have a paved path of a certain width the distance to the target, or even purchase special weapons for those who join, but do not own personal firearms.  Those could be major funding issues.  They might even ask you what you'd do if someone who's legally blind wants to join.

Purdue has one and they are using the Armory range (22LR only).  That Armory range is basically a bullet trap on a reinforced wall.  The range is huge, at least 2 bball courts long.

Purdue Rifle and Pistol Club

Quoted: They might even ask you what you'd do if someone who's legally blind wants to join.

That one's pretty easy.  The person could join, but would be precluded from firing a weapon on obvious safety, and perhaps legal grounds.