Smoking policy enacted

By Josh Rutenberg     9/2/10 7:00pm

No butts about it. A policy signed by President David Leebron last month officially restricts where students can smoke on campus. Rice University Policy No. 839, signed by Leebron on Aug. 3, adopted a formalized nonsmoking policy that complies with the city of Houston's nonsmoking ordinance. Prior to Aug. 3, Rice defaulted to the city of Houston's ordinance, Business Process Consultant Daniel Fu said.

"The main change is formally expressing a smoke-free environment across campus," Fu said.

The policy states that students may not smoke in any academic areas, such as classrooms, libraries and research laboratories; public common areas; faculty, staff or club offices; student housing and dining areas; university-owned or -leased motor vehicles; outdoor areas that present a fire or safety risk; outdoor stadiums and events and within 25 feet of all doorways and operable windows. Smoking will still be allowed for artists and actors whose performances require smoking as an integral part of the production.

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Colleges may designate smoking areas that do not conflict with the areas prohibited in the nonsmoking policy.

Fu said that the administration enacted the policy primarily as a health and wellness initiative.

"It's been long overdue at Rice," Fu said. "We've been able to develop a process and understand what our peer [institutions] are doing and put together a nonsmoking policy that works for Rice."

Fu said that the policy will also define a framework for the enforcement of the nonsmoking policy. College governments will enforce rules for students, academic departments will handle faculty issues and the administration will handle compliance of the policy for staff, Associate Dean of Undergraduates Matt Taylor said.

"If there's a grievance or complaint at a college, then the college is responsible to respond to that grievance or complaint," Taylor said.

For visitors to campus, Taylor said the Rice University Police Department will be in charge of enforcing the policy.

"A lot of this will depend on people being educated about [the policy]," Fu said. "The intent is not to have a judicial system in place. The intent is to have an understanding that allows people to go where they need to go to smoke or to not be exposed to secondhand smoke."

Martel College senior Erik Tanner, a regular smoker, said the policy will not change where he chooses to smoke.

"This isn't going to change my lifestyle in the least," Tanner said. "I think they're just trying to keep up with appearances."

Taylor said the issue first surfaced last fall, when McMurtry College students were developing rules for the new residential college. After conversations between McMurtry students, masters and Housing and Dining, the issue was brought before Taylor and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduates. Taylor said that he contacted Fu at the Office of the Vice President, who had concurrently researched nonsmoking policies at other universities. Taylor and Fu consulted college presidents before drafting the issue last spring.

Fu said that the Office of the Vice President and Office of Dean of Undergraduates decided to not make the entire campus smoke-free to allow flexibility for people who smoke, and instead offer them cessation programs through the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center.

Wellness Center Director Emily Page said the policy represents a progression toward healthier students.

"A smoke-free policy is a step in the right direction toward a healthier campus," Page said. "It's an opportunity to encourage students who smoke to reduce or quit smoking."

Page said the Wellness Center offers a Fresh Start program for individuals who are ready to quit smoking.

"We want to reach out to students and offer them resources," Page said.

Fu said that the policy was ultimately about implementing a good health policy.

"The reason for the policy is to promote health and wellness on campus," Fu said. "It really is a stance on promoting a healthy and safe environment for everybody.

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