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Printer-Friendly ModeNew smoking policy to take effect in winter semester
New rules eliminate smoking around buildings, including dorms and athletic fields; 'everyone' expected to enforce
October 29, 2007 —
The ongoing debate as to whether smoking should or should not be allowed on campus has finally reached its end. After two online discussions and a student forum regarding the smoking policy, SVSU has decided to tell everyone to take it to the parking lots.
Beginning Jan. 1 of 2008, the University prohibits smoking on campus except for in residential and lettered parking lots. The rule of staying 25 feet away from all buildings is also still in effect. The above map of designated areas is available on the SVSU Web site.
"We think this will be a significant improvement," President Eric R. Gilbertson said at Wednesday's President's Open Forum, where he publicly announced the smoking policy would in fact change.
Students had multiple chances to voice their opinion on the smoking issue. In August, the first online forum open to students was announced and students could register opinions there. The discussion board closed Sept. 10 with 402 replies but yielded no resolution on the issue.
A student forum was held after for students to come together and speak face-to-face about the issue. Finally, a second online forum was announced as one last attempt to come to a conclusion. This forum declared that after the last comments were taken into consideration, a new policy would be rendered by Nov. 2.
Ninety additional comments were made, and ideas ranging from banning smoking completely to constructing smoking shelters were proposed.
Marketing sophomore Randi Anklam is a non-smoker and agrees with the new smoking policy.
"I think it was a good choice because I hate walking to my classes and having five people standing outside smoking," she said. "Then I have to walk through their clouds of smoke and walk into my class smelling of cigarette smoke."
Not all students are happy with the policy, though. Art senior and non-smoker Libby Booth feels the new policy has limited the number of designated smoking areas too much.
"I understand why the policy was made," she said. "I just think it would have been a little more effective if they compromised, maybe put a couple designated areas on campus. That seems harmless."
Gilbertson said he believes the decision to keep smoking in the parking lots is a fair one.
"The campus is ringed by parking lots," he said. "It's not wildly unreasonable to ban smoking from the center of the campus."
Student Association Speaker of the House Barb Gordon was present at the President's Forum and agrees with Gilbertson on the issue.
"As a non-smoker I feel the new smoking policy is fair," she said. "Those that want to smoke are able to do so and those that don't are able to walk to class without walking through smoke."
The formal smoking policy change was announced Friday and stated that the enforcement of the University's smoking policy is viewed as a responsibility of everyone on campus. A referral system for reporting violations is outlined in the University Operations Manual, which can be found at www.svsu.edu/operationsmanual.
