WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PASS A POLICY ON YOUR CAMPUS?

“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.” ~ Lewis Carroll

You can start the process of passing a tobacco free policy on your campus in just a few steps using our easy to follow tools and resources.

Step One: Conduct a policy assessment.
What information do you need to gather to determine the attitudes about tobacco use on your campus? Get a copy of your existing campus tobacco-use policy and study it closely. Use the Elements of a 100% Tobacco-free Campus Policy checklist to see if the existing polices has all the necessary components.

    • What is the campus culture/perceived notions of tobacco use?
    • What is the campus desire for tobacco usage/elimination?
    • What are relevant laws and policies on the campus and in the surrounding community? How will state tobacco policies help/hinder us?
    • Are there case studies and articles that can help guide efforts?
    • What resources do you have? What funding do we have/need to pass the policy? (school programs, departments, outside grants)

    Step Two: Find and educate allies.
    Once you have completed the policy and resource assessment, share the results with other likely allies. Recruit from a broad base. One art student, one student from the newspaper, a staff person from maintenance, a professor, an athlete, and a parent can all tap into different campus populations and spread the message more effectively. Don’t hesitate to approach people who may at first seem like an atypical candidate for tobacco prevention. Seek people who are frustrated and bothered by second hand smoke, even if they don’t think tobacco smoking in itself is a bad thing.

    Use the Potential Campus Partners checklist to help you to establish a listing of potential partners and allies.
    Don’t forget about working with community partners such as business owners, clergy and community health officials.

    Develop a Tobacco Control Student Coalition:

    • Recruit at year-round events such as new student orientations, club days and health promotion events.
    • Establish official college club recognition and gain a voice on the Student Council and representation in the collection of student club councils.
    • Create a list-serve for communication and distribution of articles and links.
    • Act as a supervisor, but allow students to take on leadership roles.

    Combine Forces for Advocacy and Education:

    • Use the developed student organization as well as your organization to implement advocacy and education campaigns on campus.
    • Participate in National events such as The Great American Smokeout and Kick Butts Day.

    Step Three: Determine culture/perceived notions of tobacco use and the desire for a tobacco free policy.
    Circulate a petition on your campus and at businesses and other public venues.

    Use this Sample Petition to help you get started.
    A petition can help underscore what statewide polling already shows - that the public overwhelmingly supports comprehensive tobacco policies.

    Use Faculty/Student Surveys to help you to determine the perceive notions of tobacco use on your campus.

    Use Faculty Senate Resolutions to show support for policy change on your campus.

    Step Four: Use our model tobacco policy to help get you started.

    • State law allows private colleges and community colleges to pass 100% tobacco-free campus policies. A comprehensive 100% tobacco-free campus policy should:
      • apply to all students, faculty, staff, visitors and contract workers.
      • apply on all campus grounds, vehicles, buildings and events.
      • have a defined start date, ideally 6-12 months from the date of passage.
      • outline implementation procedures for encouraging 100% TFC compliance.
      • outline consequences for staff non-compliance.
      • address resources for how to quit for students and staff

      Sample 100% TFC Policy for private and community colleges.

    • State law allows UNC system institutions to prohibit tobacco use within 100 linear feet of campus buildings. A comprehensive perimeter policy should:
      • apply to all students, faculty, staff, visitors and contract workers.
      • apply on all campus grounds, vehicles, buildings and events.
      • have a defined start date, ideally 6-12 months from the date of passage.
      • outline implementation procedures for encouraging 100% TFC compliance.
      • outline consequences for staff non-compliance.
      • address resources for how to quit for students and staff.

      Sample Perimeter Campus Policies for UNC system institutions.

    Step Five:  Develop an Implementation Plan:
    After you have determined the current smoking policies on campus, the current opinions on smoking policies, assess the current percentage of smokers. Use this information to develop a reasonably paced implementation plan. A plan might go as follows:

    • Educate the campus the negative health effects of smoking (for people exposed to second hand smoke especially) and if your survey reveals that there is a larger proportion of individuals who don’t smoke, use normative educational methods to inform people.
    • Creatively educate your campus about current smoking policies (for example if there is a perimeter policy in effect, measure and draw a chalk line where the perimeter is).
    • Identify possible “smoking areas” that are the most healthy for non-smokers (the least amount of second hand smoke reaching busy areas or building entrances) and the most popular and convenient for smokers.
    • Present the information from: your surveys, tobacco free commitment statements from departments/organizations, tobacco free petitions as well as possible smoking areas (mapped out, with logical explanations), health studies, examples from other schools and your desire for policy changes to your campus’s health board (or board of directors, dean of students, etc).
    • Keep pushing. Gather more information, more support, and constantly develop stricter policies for campus enforcement. A broad base of support is essential, as well as organized information and facts. Establish your credibility early and be stubborn.

    To learn more about developing an implementation plan go to: Why are the steps in tobacco-free policy implementation?

    Step Six:  Prepare for a Board of Trustees meeting.
    Once you have the model of your own draft policy, meet with members of the school administration to educate them about the benefits of a strengthened tobacco policy. It’s important to stress that this policy is something students, staff and faculty want. So use the petitions, survey results and signed resolutions to show campus support.

    Also, you should meet individually with members of the Board of Trustees to educate them about the policy and to determine their willingness to support the policy. If a member is particularly supportive in this conversation, ask him/her to sponsor the measure.

    Become familiar with the Board of Trustees’ procedure for adopting campus policies. Allies on the Board and within the administration can help provide background into board procedures and can help you gauge the level of board support.

    Remember: Timing is crucial so this must be done in advance of the school board meeting.

    Before the meeting, identify your spokespeople – students can be especially powerful advocates. Contact your community supporters to get them to attend the board presentation in support of the policy.

    Step Seven:  Present the policy proposal to the Board of Trustees.
    Make your presentation to the board concise with a mixture of factual data and personal stories. If allowed, highlight brief positive statements from different stakeholders such as students, faculty, staff and health professionals.

    In your presentation, thank board members for the work they have already done to promote campus health initiatives.

    One technique is to frame your board presentation as an opportunity to answer the arguments of those vocally opposed to the policy. For instance, if concerns about compliance have been raised, explain how easy policy implementation can be when it is communicated clearly and regularly.