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thewichitan.com — your campus / your news
Wednesday — October 10, 2012
SMOKE from pg. 1 Freshman Kyle Litteken said he did not like the policy and did not feel that he should have to comply with these new rules. He said he understood the health aspects, but he wished for there to at least be a designated smoking area. “I didn’t really like the policy, and I continued to smoke anyway when walking to class,” Litteken said. Police are not involved in the enforcement of being a tobaccofree campus. Within policy revisions, Greenwood said campus police may assist with the enforcement by ticketing violators. These tickets will be given out at the officers’ discretion. Once or twice a semester enforcement will focus on citations for any violations of the policy. “Most people tend to ignore it more than anything. Overall, most people respect the policy,” said Dan Williams, who has been the chief of police for two years. In the 2009 Administrative Council proposal, the ban also extends to the use of any tobacco product, which would include smokeless tobacco, and would currently include the use of electronic cigarettes which many smokers now use to curb nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Faculty and staff are affected under the same smoking ban, and run the risk of receiving a write-up if they do not adhere to the rules. According to Killingsworth custodian, Vinita Bohenkamp, she has, surprisingly, not noticed any increase in trash (cigarette butts) on campus since the ban went into effect in 2009. In fact, Bohenkamp stated that in 2009, students initially
complained about the ban, but now, they still smoke in the same amount of numbers. “There appears to be more smokers this year than last year,” Bohenkamp said. “I think it would definitely help keep the campus cleaner, and decrease the staff workload if MSU simply designated smoking areas.” According to Bohenkamp’s own observations, it takes roughly four years for a cigarette butt to biodegrade. However, Bohenkamp said she believes MSU students have a right to tobacco use if they wish, because they pay tuition to go to school here. “MSU workers are here for about nine hours a day,” she said,” so it is not a big deal for us to go off-campus to smoke.” Greenwood said he realizes there are still issues with tobacco use on campus since the implementation of the policy. He and his colleagues are continuing to work on this policy and said communication is key when trying to get this message across. There have been signs placed at every campus entrance stating that MSU is tobacco free. Greenwood said informational cards will be passed out around campus and placed in all high traffic student areas such as Clark Student Center, making people more aware of the policy. The card includes the website to the policy. The website includes all the aspects of the policy, frequently asked questions, and help for those who want to quit smoking. “We anticipated we may have to revisit the enforcement issue, but I am not sure what will change. I don’t know what the cure-all is,” Greenwood said.
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Tobacco users living in residential halls and apartments are required to find alternative places to use tobacco. Residential Hall Director Claudio Rodriguez enforces the tobacco policy in the residential areas. He said there have not been major problems with students adhering to the policy, but the problem is residents smoking near the entrances of buildings. Rodriguez said violators may be subject to disciplinary action by housing administrators as indicated in the Residence Life Handbook. “The university is in the process of reinforcing it with the wellness programs and tobaccofree campaigns in the dorms by putting sign in common areas where smokers congregate,” he said. “We are trying to encourage students to quit smoking for health reasons, and we plan on programming heavily and enforcing this policy.” Hannah Jones, a junior accounting major, said people who make the decision not to consume tobacco products should not have to compromise their heath by breathing in secondhand smoke. “Everybody makes a choice whether or not to be a tobacco user. Tobacco is not healthy in any way you put it, and those who choose not to shouldn’t have to be surrounded by it,” Jones said. Ann Medford, program chair for the Department of Respiratory Care, said she was in favor of the tobacco-free policy on campus. Medford is an active supporter in the smoking cessation classes and respiratory care program on campus. She said she believes in educating students about the risks of smoking. She said this helps
ROGERS from pg. 1 people in making the decision to not smoke or to quit smoking. “If people know what they are doing to their body they would want to stop. The more they know and the better educated they are, the more likely they are not to start smoking or stop smoking,” Medford said. Senior Tiffanee Awbrey has endured the whirlwind of wrath of smokers that congregate outside of buildings, such as Bolin, for her entire college career. “I support the smoking ban,” Awbrey said. “It literally infuriates me when I have to walk through smoke when I take the time to smell and look nice for my day.” Awbrey said she understands that students have the right to smoke, but the location of smokers is paramount to the happiness and well-being of other students. “It’s everyone’s personal choice to char their lungs, but the plumes of smoke just outside the doors are a huge slap-in-the-face to those of us who don’t want to smell like smoke,” she said. “I will literally hold my breath when I enter a building where smokers have gathered outside.” Even with all the notices distributed to dorm residents and general emails that are sent out to the student body and faculty, according to Elizabeth Calloway, 21, some students don’t even know that there is a smoking ban in place until someone tells them. “It seems that most students just don’t care about the smoking ban,” Calloway said. “Even if a student is a non-smoker, most of us are not going to tell someone else what they can and cannot do to their own bodies.”
the Senate Executive Committee.” Both the president and provost have been willing to address concerns with the Senate, Bultena said. said. “I believe faculty must participate in the process of change we are facing,” Bultena said. “We are far more likely to success by expressing faculty concerns and solving problems in partnership with Dr. Rogers and the administration than we are in opposition – to be part of the solution, not the problem.” Another faculty member who took the Wichitan survey, which allowed for anonymous comments, said the university does have a morale issue. “Professionals all seem to have an opinion,” the faculty member said. “Many times you find it’s not really based on substantive evidence.” During the university’s time of financial struggle, not all faculty has criticized Rogers. “Dr. Rogers has show time and again that he is committed to the betterment of this university and to its future,” one faculty member wrote. “He is very open with the faculty regarding the university’s financial situation, going into detail during faculty meetings regarding various funding, shortfalls and possibilities for increased income.” Even though over half of the faculty surveyed said they found working at MSU enjoyable, one faculty member who filled out the survey said each faculty member, regardless of rank, is an essential component in accomplishing the
university’s mission of education our students. “Respect for teaching excellence, regardless of rank or tenure, needs to be an integral part of MSU’s culture,” one faculty member said. “I actually feel more respect and appreciation for the good work that I do from the administration than I do with my fellow, higher-ranking, faculty members.” Another faculty member wrote the administration sees itself as separate from, and superior to, the faculty. “They don’t realize that they’re actually highly overpaid support staff or should be,” they wrote. Rogers said the faculty hasn’t had a raise in a year, but it is because the university’s lost $12 million in the last two years. “I don’t believe you can take mediocre staff or faculty and pay them to be good, but I do believe I have obligation to show them this university’s appreciation to keep the morale up,” Rogers said. “There is no better way to do that than giving a bonus.” Last week, Rogers announced a one-time 2 percent faculty and staff-salary boost. “It is the board’s responsibility to see that we take soft money – money that has been given to us for just a couple years – and take from that a two percent boost,” he said. “It really is a message to the faculty and staff that I know what you’re doing and I appreciate what you are doing.”