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Printer-Friendly ModeA mixed reaction
Students and officials comment on new smoking policy
November 12, 2007 —
Enforcement 'everyone's' duty by Sara Kitchen
After the first of the year, SVSU students, staff, faculty and visitors are expected to limit smoking to select areas on campus. And according to university officials, enforcement of the policy is everyone's responsibility.
As of Jan. 1, 2008, SVSU smokers' territory is limited to lettered and residential parking lots, with the exception of lots within 25 feet of building entrances.
Although there are no current plans for heightened enforcement, university officials have high hopes the SVSU community will collaborate in assuring the effectiveness of the new policy.
"We are proceeding on the basis that this is an important community issue, as evidenced by previous campus commentary, and all of us will see it as an individual responsibility to ensure the policy works," Vice President of Student Affairs Robert Maurovich said.
The University's decision-makers carefully considered all options when shaping the new policy.
"We did think about enforcement, but concluded that we should give self-enforcement a chance before attempting any other approach. We hope that people will respect the policy and that it will be accepted by common consent," President Eric R. Gilbertson said.
Some students are hesitant to believe self-enforcement will do the trick.
"It didn't work for the last rule of 25 feet from building entrances, so it probably won't work for the new one either," nursing junior Kelsey Mapes said.
Sophomore Michael Hart offers the perspective of an SVSU Resident Assistant.
"Smokers aren't going to enforce this themselves, so that means as an RA, I'm going to have to be a Nazi about it, which isn't exciting," the international relations major said. "It's going to take a decent amount of effort from university employees, which really means RAs since I don't know anyone else besides RAs that interact with the students outside of a classroom or office, to make sure it's obeyed."
Gilbertson says he understands the possible difficulty in enforcement of the new policy, but remains confident in the campus community's ability to do it.
"No policy can ever be enforced one-hundred percent unless we turn the campus into a police state, and even then there will be violators," he said. "But I do believe that the vast majority of people on the campus want to be responsible and courteous and will behave accordingly."
Students who reside on campus are not exempt from the implications of the new policy.
"Residential students have the same responsibilities to observe the smoking policy, as do all members of the University community or visitors to the campus," Maurovich said.
The SVSU Operations Manual contains a procedure for those who witness individuals failing to comply with the new policy, and wish to issue a formal complaint. The procedure involves requesting the violator's name and affiliation with the University, and then reporting the incident to the coordinator of the office of student conduct, provided that the witness is a Saginaw Valley student.
Employees lodging complaints should contact the staff relations director, and visitors on campus should contact University Police.
Further information pertaining to this procedure, as well as details regarding the new policy, is available at svsu.edu. A color-coded map designed by the Campus Facilities staff, indicating designated smoking lots and areas that are off limits, is also accessible online at the SVSU Web site.
University officials say they plan to deal with complications as they arise.
"If, at some point, it appears our community approach is not effective, then the administration will have to determine what next steps may be necessary." Maurovich said.
Students react to new policy by Kenneth Lange
SVSU's new smoking policy, which takes effect Jan. 1, has drawn mixed reactions from students. The policy, announced two weeks ago, restricts smoking to lettered and residential parking lots in areas at least 25 feet from any building.
Student Association helped put on the open forum that had students, faculty and staff members discuss their thoughts on the future of the policy, and developed committees that examined the policy's details.
SA President Jeremiah Stanghini, was approached by students prior to his election who expressed their concern for the university's original smoking policy.
"It was something talked about when I ran for president," he said. "They found it to be a big issue, so I took it on as one of my big issues."
The new smoking regulations will prohibit students or anyone else from smoking in areas in the front of buildings, like Science East.
"Hopefully it will remove the smoking that occurs right next to the door, which was the largest issue for most students," Stanghini said. "They didn't want to walk by students who were smoking on their way to class."
Many students oppose the policy and question why it was created in the first place. Accounting sophomore Zac Brissette expressed his concerns with the policy.
"I guess I really don't see the need for a change," he said. "I don't know what the big deal is. I think someone is trying to get a power trip out of it to be honest."
Business administration freshman Brittney Perkins also shared some concern.
"If we can be a country that's going to war, then what's a little smoke?" she asked. "I think it's a little bothersome to make smokers go to a parking lot to smoke," she said.
Nursing sophomore Jennifer Smith opposed the new regulations.
"I think we should be able to smoke whenever and wherever," she said. "It's different in a restaurant when people smoke. This is a school and it's outside."
Several students find themselves feeling indifferent about the policy. Biology senior James Gelzman said that he understood the complaints of SVSU's non-smokers.
"I have no problem with it," he said. "I know smoking is really annoying to non-smokers." Freshman Kayleigh Nelson shared her thoughts.
"I don't really care because I'm not a smoker," she said. "It doesn't bother me now."
With the university's new rules and regulations scheduled to take effect on the first of the year, some students don't think the policy is going to change much about how much people smoke on campus.
"I think people are still going to smoke on campus," freshman Brittany Macguire said. "A lot of people smoke and I don't think a lot of people will follow the rules."
Advocates of the policy argue that it will improve the condition of campus and keep everyone healthier. "I think it's a good idea," freshman Travis Nix said. "For those of us who don't smoke, it's really annoying."
Nursing junior Julie Goulet expressed support for it as well. "I'm for it. I think it's a good idea," she said. "There's a lot of people who don't smoke."
Not only students, but faculty and staff and anyone else on campus will be expected to follow the new regulations. Liz Sheltrown of Einstein's Food Court expressed how she felt about the concept. "I hate it," Sheltrown said. "They're infringing on our rights. It's just not gonna work."
Dave Salo works at Einstein's with Sheltrown. "It's taking away some rights really," Salo said. "I think a lot of people will be really angry."
Though the smoking policy has yet to take effect, there has already been an overwhelming amount of feedback from students and others. With some students strongly opposed to the idea, some advocates of it, and others apathetic about it, there is not a distinguishable majority view regarding the policy.
