It has been approximately one month since North Central College became a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. In this time, the Student Governing Association and the administration have made efforts to make sure this transition happens as seamlessly as possible.
Phil Norris (’16), student body president, shares, “it’s going to take time for people to get used to.” But it seems that all parties involved have taken steps to assure that our students and staff are informed. Specifically, a portion of North Central College’s website has been dedicated to answering frequently asked questions about the policy, explaining it in its full detail and even providing locations near campus in which smoking and tobacco are acceptable.
One question that is extremely common amongst students and faculty members on campus is: How will this policy be enforced? For the time being, Norris states that, “we don’t ticket for it.” The idea behind that is to avoid making the NCC community feel like this decision is being forced upon them, but rather have them come together to make this change.
Another statement made on this section of the website is that, “all members of the College community are encouraged to share the responsibility for bringing this policy to the attention of students, staff, faculty and visitors.”
Although this decision might be difficult for smokers, some, including Steve Pulaski (’18), feel like it is a move in the right direction. Pulaski also shares that he saw this decision coming and felt that, “it was bound to happen, even on a private campus.”
Even though it seems like this is a change that many students and staff were on board with, there are still difficulties to be faced.
Due to the fact that the enforcement of this policy is still in its early stages, there may be some confusion and frustration.
“It starts to get kind of jumbled and confused,” says Norris when discussing what is allowed and isn’t allowed regarding cigarette smoking and other forms of tobacco use. The NCC community should expect that, “signage will be up when the snow thaws,” and “there will be stickers on doors.”
Norris was eager to mention that there is currently no signage due to the fact that the policy went into effect as soon as the snow began to fall in December.
“North Central College is committed to providing a healthy, sustainable environment in which to learn, work and live,” shares the main page of the new section of our website. As the year progresses it is the hope of SGA and the administration that the students and staff will grow accustomed to the policy and see it as a part of the culture.
