During public comments the GSU heard from a student, Matt, representing Wash-PIRG who came to ask the body to pass a measure in support of overturning Citizen’s United.
The GSU nominated a representative to sit on the hiring committee for the next WSA coordinator. Mara Ventura, Organizing Director at WSA, informed the body about recent budgets proposed by the governor, house, and senate. Governor Inslee’s and the House’s budgets close tax loop holes for big businesses and put some money back into higher education; however the house budget also calls for a 10% tuition increase over the next few years. The senate budget also invests in higher education but it does so by imposing a 20% surcharge on international students which the WSA opposes. The WSA has created a petition to state legislators to take higher education funding more seriously, and have set a goal of 100 signatures per campus in Washington. The next WSA meeting at Central Washington University on May 4th which will be general assembly where Evergreen will be given 4 votes to elect the next WSA president and VP’s. Mara also mentioned that the WSA is looking for a new VP of communication (no experience needed).
The GSU took up the issue of smoking and tobacco use on campus, inviting students and relevant administrators to hold an open forum to discuss the issues and possible solutions.
The GSU heard from Andrea Seabert (senior conduct administrator; campus land use committee), Sgt. Marron (TESC police; health and safety committee), Elizabeth McHugh (Director of Health and Counseling Services), and others who expressed interest in banning tobacco sale and/or use on campus for public health and environmental reasons, as well as on the ethical grounds of the tobacco industry’s use of sweatshop labor in third world countries.
The move to become tobacco-free is a step that hundreds of colleges around the nation have taken in recent years. Among them: University of Oregon in 2012, South Sound Community College in 2011, and the University of California instituted a plan to go smoke-free on all campuses over the next two years. The Health and Safety Committee is examining strategies employed by other institutions to transition into becoming tobacco/smoke-free, and is currently putting together a survey of student opinion on the topic of tobacco use on campus.
Andrea Seabert spoke on the recent move of the smoking area from in front of A-building closer to E-building explaining that smokers were not keeping to the boundaries due to the mud and that the new location is also easier to avoid for students who are bothered by second-hand smoke. Andrea also said that they do not intend to put up a cover unless students petition RAD services to do so, owing to the great amount of vandalism that normally occurs on smoking shelters.
Several students spoke vehemently in support of banning the sale of tobacco on campus primarily citing the ethical issues surrounding the tobacco industry. Students also supported a survey to get more information from students before pursuing further policy changes such as banning the use of tobacco products on campus. Enforcement continues to be a prevalent and unsolved issue and will be considered as we continue to explore these issues.
Finally, the GSU passed a resolution to ban the sale of tobacco on campus. This decision will now go to the RFP committee to be written into the food services contract with Aramark.
Campuses that have banned tobacco
1. University of Oregon (2012-): http://eugenedailynews.com/2012/10/03/university-of-oregon-smoking-ban-update/
2. South Sound CC (2011-): http://www.spscc.ctc.edu/getting-to-know-us/administration/policies/smoking-policy
3. University of California (over the next 2 years): http://www.dailycal.org/2012/01/11/all-uc-campuses-will-become-smoke-free/