Correction appended
This post was written by Hatchet reporters Allison Kowalski and Chloe Sorvino.
The Faculty Senate’s executive committee heard plans last week to ban smoking within 25 feet of campus buildings and in all public spaces, like Kogan Plaza and University Yard.
“This is really an initiative stemming from the students, not from the administration or the [Faculty Senate] pushing down onto the student body,” said Kimberly Acquaviva, director of Faculty Affairs and a professor in the School of Nursing.
Several administrators cited concerns last year that enforcing the ban would be difficult, and Acquaviva said the committee had “no desire to create a culture where people are busted for smoking.” She said the ban will “create a safer environment.”
Students who violate the policy will be referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, while faculty and staff will be referred to Human Resources, according to planning documents. When asked what consequences students could face from the disciplinary office, its director Gabriel Slifka deferred to University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard, who said GW was not ready to comment on specifics.
The plans, vetted by the Board of Trustees last month, come after four years of lobbying by the graduate student organization Colonials for Clean Air. More than 66 percent of voters in last year’s Student Association election backed a ballot initiative to create a smoke-free barrier around campus buildings. But less than 20 percent of the student body weighed in on the online ballot.
Acquaviva said she knows that GW, as an urban campus, “can never truly be a 100 percent smoke-free campus because of the people walking through, but we can certainly do our best.” Buildings managers in D.C. are permitted by law to implement smoking bans up to 25 feet from a building.
Nearby schools – Catholic, Gallaudet, Georgetown, Marymount and Trinity Washington universities, all ban smoking within 25 feet of their buildings. The University of Maryland will become smoke-free by next summer, joining 825 other campuses around the country.
GW will formally announce the new policy Nov. 15, coinciding with the annual Great American Smokeout, hosted by the American Cancer Society. University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said the review of the smoking policy is part of the Healthy Campus program, which noted that a healthier pool of faculty could save GW $3.5 million in healthcare costs.
Julien Guttman, a graduate student and member of Colonials for Clean Air, said she was thrilled about the policy. She said the group has worked hard to get it approved since 2008 – distributing petitions, meeting with faculty and educating the community about the dangers of secondhand smoke.
“It’s a dream come true for us,” Guttman said.
The University also unveiled an anti-smoking campaign in February 2011, offering resources and counseling to smokers looking to ditch the habit.
This post was updated Nov. 8, 2012 to reflect the following:
The Hatchet reported that the Faculty Senate’s executive committee approved smoking ban plans. The committee heard plans but did not take a vote.
