Is UHCL blowing smoke about the smoking policy?

The University Life Committee (ULC) wrote a proposal in February to change the current smoking policy and have the campus become a tobacco and smoke-free campus.

The ULC was asked to talk to their constituents to gather their opinions on the potential policy change. Members of ULC who are supposed to ask for feedback on the change include:

• Associate Vice President (AVP), Student Services
• Executive Director of Human Resources
• Office of the President Representative
• University Computing and Telecommunication (UCT) Representative
• Faculty (6 from the Faculty Senate with at least one from each college)
• Library Representative
• Student Representatives (1 graduate and 1 undergraduate)
• Professional and Administrative Staff Association (PASA) Representative
• Support Staff Association (SSA) Representative

However, it is unclear whether the members have asked the students for their opinions.

The Student Government Association (SGA) did take a vote at the March 21 meeting. The straw vote had a result of 28 people in favor of UHCL becoming a smoke-free campus and 13 people against the change. No alternative options such as keeping the current smoking policy and relocating the smoking areas, or removing a couple of the designated areas, were mentioned.

Some of the students at UHCL have not been notified of the potential policy change.

Michele Gibson, communication major, said she was shocked to not have received an email about the smoking policy.

“The school likes to spam emails and I check my email everyday so I know about events occurring on campus,” Gibson said. “Honestly, I am surprised if there have been complaints about the smoking because there is designated smoking areas that are away from where people study or eat.”

Angela Zwolinski, communication major, was also surprised UHCL did not send an email.

“I didn’t know that they were changing the policy, which is weird, because they normally send out emails or surveys,” Zwolinski said.

Neil LeBoy, literature major, thinks the vote that was taken by SGA does not represent the whole UHCL population.

“People our age want to have a voice, and if you try to rob that voice you’re just going to create problems and not solve any,” LeBoy said. “I would suggest having a required survey for every student. If that many people on campus want to get rid of the smoking areas, then that would be fair. If I saw that most of the student population said they do not want smoking on campus that would be fine because that’s the students’ opinion.”