Indiana State University would go smoke-free July 1, 2009, based on a recommendation that will go to the board of trustees on Friday.
The administration is making the recommendation, and trustees would have to approve the smoke-free policy.
ISU's current policy prohibits smoking inside all university facilities except for designated smoking floors in residence halls. Smoking is allowed outdoors at a minimum of 15 feet away from building entrances, but that's frequently violated, students have said.
"I'm thrilled," said Teddy Lenderman, ISU coordinator of special events, reacting to the possibility of a smoke-free campus. "I think it's a no-brainer. It's not good for you, it's not good for the environment and it's not good for me." Lenderman has asthma.
Diana Kemp, an ISU staff member who smokes, said, "I'm not surprised by it. That seems to be the trend everywhere. I'm saddened."
She was hoping the proposal would include designated smoking areas on campus. Kemp doesn't anticipate she'll quit. "The only thing that would make me stop is if I couldn't afford them," Kemp said.
In January, ISU President Lloyd Benjamin appointed a smoking policy review committee to collect information and data regarding smoking policies at other colleges as well as ISU and to provide a report to campus.
The report does not include a recommendation, but the president, and his cabinet, considered the report when making a recommendation to trustees.
"The smoking policy review committee did an excellent job reviewing our policy as well as those at many other institutions nationally and the impact these policies have," Benjamin said in a prepared statement. "With the increasing concern regarding the documented health risks created by exposure to secondhand smoke, I feel this is the right move for our campus."
If approved, an implementation committee will be appointed to address issues surrounding this change, including access and awareness of smoking cessation programs, enforcement of the policy, sale of tobacco products on campus and other issues, the president said.
According to information presented to trustees, "In Indiana, many of ISU's sister institutions have recently moved to completely restrict smoking on their campuses in order to protect non-smokers from the health issues created by secondhand smoke."
Michael Cook, an ISU student and member of the smoking policy review committee, was pleased with the administration's smoke-free campus recommendation.
"I was a little bit surprised, but I'm pretty excited about it," said Cook, a member of the Student Senate. "I didn't think we'd make the huge jump forward" to a smoke-free campus, he said.
He said he looks forward to spending the next year making the transition as smooth as possible.
The university does provide programs to help smokers quit. It recently added the Express Health Wellness Program, available to all benefit-eligible employees and their dependents at no charge.
Through the program, participants can sign up with a personal health coach to achieve their goal, which could include smoking cessation.
Also, ISU's Office of Student Health Promotions offers free smoking cessation classes to students.
Michael Scott, newly elected president of the Student Government Association, said his only concern about the smoke-free recommendation is that "I don't feel as if a strong enough effort was made to reach out to students in getting their opinion on the issue."
ISU did have two open forums to receive feedback on the issue and it had a Web-based survey.
The two forums took place when many students were in class, Scott said. "My concern is there was no dialogue between students and the committee," Scott said.
One of his other concerns is how the new policy, if approved, would be enforced.
Scott did say that many students he's talked to do support a move to a smoke-free campus. "They feel that the time has come for it," Scott said.
The board of trustees will meet at 9 a.m. Friday in Tirey Hall.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com. To see more of The Tribune-Star or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tribstar.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.