EVERETT — As a history instructor at Everett Community College for more than 33 years, Tom Gaskin has witnessed his share of hot-button issues on campus.
In hard times, there are budget cuts; in good times, salary increases and, just about any time, smoking and parking top the list of concerns.
In the next few months, the college plans to tackle the smoking issue head-on.
It will decide whether to ban smoking on the campus in north Everett or continue to allow smoking in designated outdoor areas.
“It’s hard to tell what will happen,” Gaskin said.
The college recently conducted a survey of faculty, staff and students. The results show nearly 60 percent of the more than 800 respondents favor a smoking ban on campus. Students, at 61 percent, were the most in favor of a ban.
EvCC would not be the first community college to ban smoking in Washington. Clark College in Vancouver has been smoke-free since April 2006, and Everett officials have been in contact with the southwest Washington school to learn more.
“I think they have a good model to follow if that is the direction the college decides to head,” said Patrick Sisneros, EvCC’s vice president of college services. “We need more conversation with our faculty, staff and students.”
Sisneros said the college has been in “a fact-finding mode” and a decision could take several months. The issue has been discussed for more than a year with some students concerned about second-hand smoke.
It would take a vote of the EvCC Board of Trustees to change the college’s smoking policy.
Gaskin, who is president of the college’s faculty union, said he believes such a change also would need to be negotiated as part of the labor contract that doesn’t expire until June 2011.
Gaskin, a non-smoker, said one concern he hopes will be addressed is what happens if smokers fan out just beyond the edge of campus, which could bother neighbors.
Brent Thompson, the EvCC student body president, said the student Senate chose in the fall to make smoking an issue to try to resolve this year. Part of the problem is some people smoke outside of the designated areas, he said.
Thompson said it is too early to know what the ultimate policy decision will be.
He said he visited the designated smoking areas to inform students and staff about the survey so their opinions could be heard.
“I anticipate a lively discussion and I’m okay with it,” Thompson said. “I’m actually excited for it.”
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
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