Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Campus Tobacco Use
Committee Description
This Committee was charged to examine the existing regulations regarding tobacco use on campus and to make a report to the Academic Senate and the University Board of Trustees no later than July I, 2017 with recommendations on whether any changes to the existing regulations should be adopted. The Committee was established, in part, as a result of a previous Smoke Free Campus Task Force that recommended the University become a tobacco free campus. The Committee, among other things, undertook the following activities:
- Gathered information regarding tobacco-use regulations at other Utah System of Higher Education institutions;
- Surveyed faculty, staff, students and other University stakeholders on the existing regulations and on support for a tobacco free campus;
- Examined the possibility of the designation of tobacco-use tolerance zones at University campus locations convenient for students, employees, and visitors;
- Held three 60-90 minute town hall presentations at different venues across campus, collecting comments and recommendations
- Met with directors of public facilities (e.g. Red Butte, athletics, etc.)
- Conducted a facilitated meeting with all supervisors in Facilities Management in attendance
- Met with the Chief of Police, Head of Security and General Counsel
- Contacted wellness officers at other universities both in-state and out of state and benched marked best practices at peer institutions
- Conducted a telephone survey of campus employees who were known smokers
- Issued press releases and monitored social media for comment
- Provided interim reports to the Senate Executive Committee.
The Committee made numerous recommendations, which resulted in modifying the existing rule establishing the University of Utah as a tobacco free campus, by making the primary focus of the rule on education and not sanctions for violations. University Rule 3-300A was ultimately adopted by the Senate with an effective date of July 1, 2017 as to the Rule and with an effective date of enforcement of July 1, 2018.
Membership
- Jan Lovett: Staff Council Past President
- Gavin Gough: Athletics (designee of Chris Hill)
- Marty Schaub: Director of Operations & Logistics
- Robin Marcus: Chief Wellness Officer
- Lori McDonald: Ex Officio Administration Liaison
- John Sweetenham: HCI
- Chris Bone: Director, Employee Relations
- Tek Kilgore: Student Health & Career-line Faculty
- Rob Kistler: Hospital Staff
- Jim Anderson: Faculty member
- Rob Warren: Staff, self-identified smoker from @theU posting
- Lori Maness: Staff, former smoker
- Matt Miller: Graduate student
- Alyssa Meredith: Undergraduate student