Board of Trustees encourages state colleges and universities to consider more restrictions on tobacco use
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities passed a resolution today encouraging each college and university to consult with students, faculty and staff about further restricting tobacco use on the system’s 54 campuses.
While all the state colleges and universities conform to the Minnesota’s Clean Indoor Air Act, which prohibits smoking in public buildings, some institutions have placed additional restrictions on tobacco use. At least nine colleges and universities have adopted tobacco-free policies. Often, these policies have been adopted at the urging of students.
In presenting the resolution to the board, Trustee Christine Rice, who chairs the board’s Advancement Committee, said, “This is an important step. It sends a clear signal to our campuses that while we value these decisions being made at the local level, we also encourage them to help advance the health and safety of everyone on campus with this well-documented risk,” Rice said.
The resolution calls on the colleges and universities to consult with their students and employees about additional steps that their institutions can take. These include educating employees and students about the danger of tobacco use to themselves and others, providing information to employees and students about smoking cessation resources and further restricting tobacco use on campuses.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 260,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 164,000 students in non-credit courses.