College of Charleston Smoking Policy

The College of Charleston has the inherent power to protect itself and its property and to control and manage its buildings as a state institution.* Consistent with the powers granted by General Assembly to the Board of Trustees and the President to appropriately protect the College and its property, and to expect students to adhere to generally accepted standards of conduct, the following policy concerning smoking on campus is adopted:

Purpose:
The College of Charleston promotes a safe, clean and healthy environment on all its property and prohibits smoking inside and at all designated smoke-free entranceways to College facilities.

Designated Smoking Areas
Faculty, staff and students who wish to smoke may do so outside at the designated smoking areas where proper ash receptacles exist. Smokers must properly dispose of cigarette/cigar remains in designated receptacles.

View a map of Smoking Policy Designated Locations at http://www.cofc.edu/studentaffairs/pdf/smoking_areas.pdf

Restricted Areas
Smoking is prohibited inside and near** the designated smoke-free entrances to all College buildings.

College/State Vehicles
Smoking is prohibited in all College and state vehicles.

Educational Programs
Stop-smoking classes and seminars will be planned and implemented, as resources permit, to assist faculty, staff and students interested in ceasing to smoke. Student Affairs is responsible for developing such programs for employees and students.

Monitoring the College's Smoking Policy
Residence Life and Housing will implement, monitor and enforce all aspects of this policy for the residential living buildings and areas.

Public Safety will advise individuals who are not in compliance with the College’s no smoking policy of the outdoor smoking areas. Any College employees and students also may take the initiative to inform individuals of the outdoor policy and ask for their compliance. Supervisors will instruct their employees in the policy and should they view an employee, whom they supervise, in a non-designated area--will instruct them as to the location of the designated area(s). Employees and students with concerns should follow the appropriate College grievance procedure. Any disruptions related to the smoking regulations should be reported immediately to the Dean of Students when students are involved and to the supervisor when employees are involved.

*Informal Opinion, Office of the Attorney General State of South Carolina, February 2, 1998, 1998 WL 115506 (S.C.A.G.)

**The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends a ban of 25 feet around a building entrance.