Smoking policy to change in 2019

Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,

I write to inform you that Skidmore will become a smoke-free campus on January 1, 2019. The new policy will apply to all members of the Skidmore Community and to guests who visit the campus.

The new policy was developed following an extensive, yearlong review of the current smoking policy by the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee's Subcommittee on Student Affairs, in collaboration with the Safety in the Workplace Committee.

The subcommittee's recommendation was based on views expressed by the campus community, which were gathered through community meetings and two surveys that had approximately 1,600 participants. In addition to reviewing Skidmore's current smoking policy, the committee also examined the smoking policies at the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the United States.

The new policy states as follows:

Purpose: The purpose of the Skidmore College Smoking Policy is to provide the community with a healthy, respectful working and learning environment by limiting the potential exposure of students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the effects of secondhand smoke and by reducing the risk of fires on campus.

Policy: Skidmore College is a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus. Smoking of any substance is prohibited on College property including grounds, enclosed bridges and walkways, sidewalks, and parking lots. Smoking of any substance is also prohibited in all owned, operated, leased, occupied, or controlled College structures and buildings including near exits, windows, or ventilation intakes. This includes, but is not limited to, indoor/outdoor classrooms, studios, balconies, rooftops, hallways, public and private offices, college vehicles, residential facilities, break rooms, restrooms, administrative buildings, dining facilities, and athletic venues. Prohibited tobacco products include, but are not limited to: cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, all smokeless tobacco products, and e-cigarettes. There are no exceptions to this policy.

The policy was unanimously approved by the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC) on November 3, 2017. An implementation working group has been formed to guide the introduction and application of the policy. The members are:

• Peter von Allmen, Professor of Economics
• Cerri Banks, Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs
• Laura Goodwin, Assistant Director for Benefits Administration, Compliance and Wellness
• Wendy LeBlanc, Managing Director of Operations and Conferences
• Diane O'Connor, Director of Campus and Media Relations
• Tayler Salvatore, President of Student Government Association
• Wendy Walker, Prevention Coordinator

Glens Falls Hospital has agreed to partner with Skidmore to implement the policy.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns please contact Dean Cerri Banks.