2008 Woodie Awards
Residence Halls to Be Smoke Free
Beginning Fall 2005 Smoking Will Be Banned in All Facilities
Lisa Sharp
Issue date: 12/9/04 Section: News
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"Beginning fall 2005, all of our residential facilities will be non-smoking spaces," said Director of Residence Life Regina Sargent. "We have experienced an increased demand for non-smoking spaces over the past several years due to students who may have respiratory problems."
According to the Montclair State University Resident Handbook distributed by the Office of Residence Life, smoking is not permitted if a student's roommate is a non-smoker and does not consent to smoking within the room. Preferences of a non-smoker take precedence over all other requests.
"I think [the policy] is fair," said junior broadcasting major Nicole Teel, a smoking resident of Webster Hall who lives with a non-smoking roommate. "If one roommate smokes and the other doesn't, this policy is an easy way to settle the disagreement between roommates."
The ban is not a fire safety issue. It is purely a Residence Life decision, said MSU Fire Safety Compliance Coordinator Robert Ferrara. Out of the 14 state colleges in New Jersey, 12 do not allow smoking in the dorms or any other building on campus. The two that do are Kean College and The College of New Jersey.
The change has been primarily centered around health issues, but a change in our current policy would certainly promote fire prevention and facilities upkeep, said Sargent.
The University of Massachusetts' health report states that smoking leads to significant smoke-related damages, from extra cleaning to fires. These damages harm property and cost the school money, the University Health Council reports.
According to MSU Director of Judicial Affairs Byron McCrae, other state universities usually provide students in violation of the smoking policy with a warning, or place a violator on probation.
"At some institutions, a second violation will result in housing termination. We will collect information about the enforcement protocols from other similar institutions and craft sanctioning guidelines that fit MSU," McCrae said.
According to the Montclair State University Resident Handbook distributed by the Office of Residence Life, smoking is not permitted if a student's roommate is a non-smoker and does not consent to smoking within the room. Preferences of a non-smoker take precedence over all other requests.
"I think [the policy] is fair," said junior broadcasting major Nicole Teel, a smoking resident of Webster Hall who lives with a non-smoking roommate. "If one roommate smokes and the other doesn't, this policy is an easy way to settle the disagreement between roommates."
The ban is not a fire safety issue. It is purely a Residence Life decision, said MSU Fire Safety Compliance Coordinator Robert Ferrara. Out of the 14 state colleges in New Jersey, 12 do not allow smoking in the dorms or any other building on campus. The two that do are Kean College and The College of New Jersey.
The change has been primarily centered around health issues, but a change in our current policy would certainly promote fire prevention and facilities upkeep, said Sargent.
The University of Massachusetts' health report states that smoking leads to significant smoke-related damages, from extra cleaning to fires. These damages harm property and cost the school money, the University Health Council reports.
According to MSU Director of Judicial Affairs Byron McCrae, other state universities usually provide students in violation of the smoking policy with a warning, or place a violator on probation.
"At some institutions, a second violation will result in housing termination. We will collect information about the enforcement protocols from other similar institutions and craft sanctioning guidelines that fit MSU," McCrae said.