Archives
People etc.
Smoke-free student housing sought
SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan has directed the Office of University Life and the Student Life Committee of the SUNY Board of Trustees to develop an implementation plan to prohibit smoking in all residential facilities operated by and for SUNY, beginning with the Fall 2007 semester.
Smoking currently is allowed in 13 percent of state-operated residential facilities. UB initiated a strict smoke-free policy in August 1994. Smoking is prohibited in all university-owned and operated buildings, including in stadiums and at outdoor events, and in all vehicles owned and operated by the university. Doorway areas and loading docks are considered part of the building. Smoking only is allowed in six specially designated outdoor sites on the North and South campuses.
"We need to make this (smoke-free policy in residential facilities) 100 percent," Ryan told the board of trustees at its June 27 meeting. "Smoking is not only a health risk, but also a safety risk as cigarettes serve ignition sources that result in fires. Our job is not just to educate students, but also to keep or start them on a path towards a healthy lifestyle."
The plan, said Ryan, would be limited to residential facilities, while the remainder of the campus would be subject to the Clean Indoor Air Act, which prohibits smoking in public facilities, as well as local campus rules, which may restrict this activity further.
During the legislative session, the state Senate and Assembly were considering a proposal to prohibit smoking in residential facilities at SUNY, CUNY and the private college campuses throughout New York State. Ryan encouraged the board of trustees to take the lead on the issue and ban smoking in all residential facilities operated for and by the state university. Under Ryan's leadership, SUNY has implemented smoke-free policies in residential facilities at two colleges.
New topic set for Aug. 10 UBThisSummer lecture
The topic of the Aug. 10 lecture in the UBThisSummer Lecture Series has been changed due to the death of scheduled lecturer Paul Senese, associate professor of political science.
The new lecture for that date is entitled "From Caring to Care-giving: How Families Cope with Chronic Illness," and will be presented by Deborah P. Waldrop, associate professor, School of Social Work.
As with all UBThisSummer lectures, the program will begin at 4 p.m. in 201 Natural Sciences Complex, North Campus.
An abstract of Waldrop's lecture and all lectures in the series can be found on the UBThisSummer Web site at http:// ubthissummer.buffalo.edu/lectures2.html.
No lecture will be presented today due to the July 4 holiday. The series will continue on July 13 with a lecture entitled "Culture and Disability." It will be presented by John H. Stone, clinical associate professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science, School of Public Health and Health Professions, and director of the Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE).