December 2, 2010
TO: Senators
FROM: Tom Mathewson
ABOUT: The revised smoking policy resolution and related documents
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Here is the revised smoking policy resolution, which is on the agenda for action on Friday, in two presentations:
1. the plain resolution, and
2. A version showing additions made since the November 12 plenary in italics and a deletion in brackets.
The revised resolution proposes 20 feet as the appropriate application of the “consistent distance” rule—that is, the minimum distance that smokers must be from campus buildings. At the last plenary the “consistent distance” under discussion was 50 feet. This and other changes since November 12 will be discussed at the meeting on Friday.
Also attached are maps showing a 50-foot buffer and a 20-foot buffer separating smokers from all campus buildings, a Spectator article from Tuesday about a proposed full-campus smoking ban at Barnard, and a copy of the home page for the CUMC smoke-free campus policy.
A link to the full report of the Tobacco Work Group is available on the online agenda, at www.columbia.edu/cu/senate.
University Senate
Proposed: December 3, 2010
Adopted:
REVISED RESOLUTION TO APPROVE
A NEW SMOKING POLICYFOR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S MORNINGSIDE CAMPUS
WHEREAS a working group on tobacco policy was created by Vice President for Campus Services Scott Wright in 2008 and charged to review Columbia’s many smoking policies and to make its own policy recommendations for review by the University Senate, and
WHEREAS the Tobacco Work Group, a broadly representative panel of students and staff drawn from a dozen Columbia schools and administrative departments, has conducted a thorough review over the last two years, studying local laws, policies of peer institutions, and current scholarly literature on tobacco and its long-term effects, and
WHEREAS the Work Group solicited the opinion of the Columbia community both electronically and in a series of live forums, including the Senate plenary meeting of November 13, 2009, and two subsequent meetings of the Senate External Relations Committee, and
WHEREAS the Work Group gave serious consideration to policies ranging from the status quo to a campus-wide ban on all smoking, indoors and outdoors, of the kind adopted by the Columbia University Medical Center in 2009, and
WHEREAS the Work Group, seeking an equitable balance between the rights and interests of smokers and non-smokers, has ultimately recommended a “consistent distance” rule, and
WHEREAS following due deliberation with the University Senate, Vice President Wright has recommended 20 feet as an appropriate application of the “consistent distance” rule, and
WHEREAS the Senate External Relations Committee, having satisfied itself that the Work Group’s main Policy recommendation is sound, has forwarded it to the Senate for action;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the University Senate approve a new policy for Columbia’s Morningside campus allowing smoking no closer than 20 feet from all campus buildings;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University Senate reaffirm the importance of providing smoking cessation education and resources to the Columbia community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a designated authority shall be empowered to enforce this resolution through appropriate action; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate External Relations Committee will review the new policy in two years, with particular attention to possible enforcement issues, to the idea of building designated sheltered smoking areas, and to the continuing need to provide positive reinforcement for the struggle to quit smoking.
Proponent:
External Relations Committee
University Senate
Proposed: December 3, 2010
Adopted:
REVISED RESOLUTION TO APPROVE
A NEW SMOKING POLICY FOR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S MORNINGSIDE CAMPUS
WHEREAS a working group on tobacco policy was created by Vice President for Campus Services Scott Wright in 2008 and charged to review Columbia’s many smoking policies and to make its own policy recommendations for review by the University Senate, and
WHEREAS the Tobacco Work Group, a broadly representative panel of students and staff drawn from a dozen Columbia schools and administrative departments, has conducted a thorough review over the last two years, studying local laws, policies of peer institutions, and current scholarly literature on tobacco and its long-term effects, and
WHEREAS the Work Group solicited the opinion of the Columbia community both electronically and in a series of live forums, including the Senate plenary meeting of November 13, 2009, and two subsequent meetings of the Senate External Relations Committee, and
WHEREAS the Work Group gave serious consideration to policies ranging from the status quo to a campus-wide ban on all smoking, indoors and outdoors, of the kind adopted by the Columbia University Medical Center in 2009, and
WHEREAS the Work Group, seeking an equitable balance between the rights and interests of smokers and non-smokers, has ultimately recommended a “consistent distance” rule, and
WHEREAS following due deliberation with the University Senate, Vice President Wright has recommended 20 feet as an appropriate application of the “consistent distance” rule, and
WHEREAS the Senate External Relations Committee, having satisfied itself that the Work Group’s main Policy recommendation is sound, has forwarded it to the Senate for action;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the University Senate approve a new policy for Columbia’s Morningside campus allowing smoking no closer than 20 feet from all campus buildings;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University Senate reaffirm the importance of providing smoking cessation education and resources to the Columbia community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a designated authority shall be empowered to enforce this resolution through appropriate action; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate External Relations Committee will review the new policy in two years, with particular attention to possible enforcement issues, to the idea of building designated sheltered smoking areas, and to the continuing need to provide positive reinforcement for the struggle to quit smoking [, through cessation programs and other means].
Proponent:
External Relations Committee