UIW Smoke and Tobacco Free Policy

Effective Date : August 1, 2018

Contact: Sam McDaniel

Purpose

University of the Incarnate Work smoke and tobacco free policy purpose is (1) to protect the public health and welfare by prohibiting smoking and the use of tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, on all University of the Incarnate Word campuses and (2) to encourage a healthier, more productive living/learning environment for all members of our campus community

Scope

Unless otherwise noted in this policy and within a specific policy, all references to “UIW” in the policies and in this document are applicable to and inclusive of Incarnate Word High School (IWHS) and St. Anthony Catholic High School (SACHS).

Definitions

A. “Campus” means all domestic (United States) UIW facilities, property, and vehicles, owned or leased, regardless of location and the Skybridge pedestrian bridge over US 281.

B. “Electronic Smoking Device” means any product containing or delivering nicotine or any other substance intended for human consumption that can be used by a person in any manner for inhaling vapor or aerosol from the product. The term includes any such device, whether manufactured, distributed, marketed, or sold as an e-cigarette, e-cigar, e-pipe, e-hookah, or vape pen, or under any other product name or descriptor.

C. “Hookah” means a water pipe and any associated products and devices that are used to produce fumes, smoke, and/or vapor from the burning of material including, but not limited to, tobacco, shisha, or other plant matter.

D. “Smoking” means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, or pipe, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation, including hookahs and marijuana, whether natural or synthetic, in any manner or in any form. “Smoking” also includes the use of an electronic smoking device that creates an aerosol or vapor, in any manner or in any form, or the use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking in this Article.

E. “Tobacco Product” means any substance containing tobacco leaf, including but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco, bidis, blunts, clove cigarettes, or any other preparation of tobacco; and any product or formulation of matter containing biologically active amounts of nicotine that is manufactured, sold, offered for sale, or otherwise distributed with the expectation that the product or matter will be introduced into the human body by inhalation; but does not include any cessation product specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in treating nicotine or tobacco dependence

Policy

Smoking and the use of tobacco products shall not be permitted on UIW campuses in any enclosed place, including, but not limited to, all offices, classrooms, hallways, waiting rooms, restrooms, meeting rooms, community areas, performance venues and private residential space housing. Smoking and the use of tobacco products shall also be prohibited outdoors on all campus property, including, but not limited to, parking lots, sidewalks, paths, fields, sports/recreational areas, and stadiums, as well as in all personal vehicles while on campus. This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff, and other persons on campus, regardless of the purpose for their visit.

Compliance

1. UIW expects that all employees, students, volunteers, contractors, or other persons performing services on behalf of the university, visitors or others on the campus for any reason who use tobacco products to comply with this policy.

2. Students who violate this policy will be subject to the UIW student code of conduct disciplinary processes as defined in the Student Handbook.

3. Employees who violate this policy shall be subject to disciplinary procedures up to and including dismissal as outlined in the Employee Handbook, Chapters 7 and 11.

4. Visitors, volunteers, contractors or other service providers who violate this policy shall be asked to leave campus and/or may be prohibited from returning to campus.

Oversight Responsibilities for this Policy

1. Oversight of this policy is assigned to the Vice-President for Business and Finance.

2. The policy will be published on UIW's public web resources.

3. UIW Vice-Presidents will assure its compliance, and report results through the President's Advisory Council.

4. This policy will be reviewed at least every three years for possible updates.

First Approved:

Revised: