Elliot Golan / Roundup
The Academic Senate voted unanimously Monday in favor of making Pierce College a smoke-free campus, effective no later than Fall 2010.
Under this policy, smoking would be relegated to certain parking lots on the edge of campus.
Bob Martinez, vice president of academic affairs and member of the Work Environment Committee (WEC), was very pleased with the decision.
“It speaks that we value the health of all students,” Martinez said.
“It probably is ultimately up to me,” said Interim Pierce President Joy McCaslin, PhD, who was not at the meeting at the time of the announcement.
“I concur with this idea of removing smoking and moving it to the parking lots,” she said.
Though many parties will contribute to the planning of the guidelines for smoking, Martinez said, “The (Pierce) president will make the ultimate decision (abou which lots smoking will be allowed in).”
Senators cited the lack of adherence to the current policy as their motivation. Several members even claimed students had been rude in the past when attempting to enforce the current policy.
“They don’t care about me. Why should I care about them?” said Sharon Levick, vice president of curriculum/ accreditation coordinator.
The ability of students to kick their addiction was a cause of concern among members.
Beth Benne, director of the Student Health Center, spoke about a program on campus designed to help students quit.
The program has 15 students currently enrolled and includes 8 to 10 counseling sessions.
Senate President Tom Rosdahl, whose younger brother died at the age of 46 due to mouth cancer, was very aware of the health risks smoking can cause.
“For one year I watched him degenerate and die,” Rosdahl said. “I’d give nicotine patches to all smokers and flush all their cigarettes down the toilet,” he continued.
There are currently 12 smoke-free campuses in the state and 16 more that restrict smoking to parking lots, including nearby Moorpark College.
According to McCaslin, Pierce will become a smoke free campus by fall 2010.
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Tom Rosdahl, president of the Academic Senate, counts votes Monday as committee members decide on wait list and smoking policy issues. (Louie Heredia / Roundup)
