Argument Essay
In the fall of 2007, the University of Mississippi adopted the “Tobacco Use Policy”. This policy was designed to limit the use of tobacco products on the Ole Miss campus to “designated tobacco-use areas.” It became evident over time that the policy was not effective and added to the growing concerns on campus over continuing exposure to second hand smoke. This led to discussions between students and faculty and staff alike about becoming a smoke free campus. In the early fall of 2011, the Vice Chancellor’s Office for Student Affairs began to solicit feedback from various constituencies on campus to determine whether or not there was broad support for such an effort. During the following fall semester, a proposal for a smoke-free campus received support from the Provost’s Office, the Academic Deans, all 14 departments within the Division of Student Affairs, The Executive Director of the Alumni Association, the ASB Senate, and the ASB President. In the spring of 2012, the proposal received support from the Faculty Senate and the Staff Council. During the spring semester, the ASB Senate passed a formal resolution supporting the implementation of a Smoke-Free Policy on the Ole Miss campus. With such campus wide support evident, Chancellor Dan Jones asked Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Larry Ridgeway to call together a “Smoke-Free Campus Policy Implementation Committee”. The committee convened for the first time on May 7, 2012 and met regularly throughout that summer. By the end of July 2012, the committee had refined the policy to its current form and presented it to the Chancellor for approval, which was received. The University’s new Smoke-Free Policy began with soft implementation on August 1, 2012, without citations for infractions, and included an aggressive public information campaign as well as introducing cessation support programs for