The project team writing the tobacco ban policy established three temporary designated smoking zones that will be in effect from Aug. 15 through Dec. 24.
The areas are:
behind the Kay Spiritual Life Center and the Kogod building;
between the Beeghly and Osborn buildings;
the walkway between the School of International Service building and Roper Hall.
AU will implement a three-step discipline program to enforce the smoking ban, according to Dean of Students Rob Hradsky.
On the first offense, students who do not obey the ban will be asked to move to another location.
On the second offense, they will be given a letter with a description of the policy.
A third offense will result in a code of conduct violation.
Paid part-time staff and volunteer ambassadors will enforce the policy, according to a town hall held the night the policy was released.
Smoking addressed at Town Hall
Hradsky, a co-chair of the committee on the smoking ban, and other administrators faced questions from students indicating skepticism about the strength of the enforcement policy and objecting to the ban itself at a town hall on March 27.
Even some who expressed support for limiting smoking asked questions. What AU would do with students who did not plan to quit smoking and how the surrounding community would handle an increase in sidewalk smoking were among the topics.
“I respect one’s right to choose, but we want to keep it off of campus property,” Hradsky said after the meeting.
Hradsky hopes to create a culture of not using tobacco products on campus would make heavy enforcement of the policy unnecessary, he said.
“Our goal is not be this heavy-handed authority,” he said.
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