Wednesday, April 04, 2007

UND going smoke free


According to President Kupchella, the University of North Dakota is going smoke free as of October 5. (Herald story)

In my opinion, this is great news.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's not often that I give UND an A+ on any issue, but as an alumnus, I'm proud that they took the lead on this.

Anonymous said...

Smoke free is a good thing, but I felt that what UND was currently doing (smoke free in all buildings and 50 feet from building entrances)was sufficient. In my opinion, including the campus grounds with that is a little extreme. Good thing about it per Dr. Kupchella, is that it will not be enforced, it will be on an honor system.

dvjs said...

it's about time as i have been wanting a zima not emphysema.

Anonymous said...

I agree with parttime. If you have no smoking in the buildings and away from the doors [the current rule, but not strictly enforced], that should be fine. Since the current proposal will not be enforced [not even supposed to smoke in your own car in a UND parking lot?], it seems to me to be just a big publicity stunt. If the University wants to encourage current smokers to stop and support that actively [classes, kits, etc] that's great, but going totally smoke-free with no teeth is just silly in my opinion. Currently there are receptacles for cigarette butts near entrances. When smoke-free kicks in, will these disappear? If so, I predict there will much littering of butts around the grounds. I have never smoked and don't like smoking, but I'd rather have outdoor smokers who can dispose of their butts easily than 'smoke- free' grounds littered with butts!

Anonymous said...

Like most university bureaucrats, Kupcehlla is good at superficial, feel-good, PR ploys to make things appear rosy. Meanwhile, as the education mission at UND dies, the Communication program continues unaccredited for over a decade, and faculty salaries rank last in the country, he sits on his hands.

Anonymous said...

The mission of a university is not education, it is research. Education is reserved for non-universitied colleges.

As for the smoking 20 feet from the building (not 50 feet as previously stated), it is not enforced or even encouraged to be upheld, especially when the butt receptacles are located immediately by the doors.

Great PR loy, Chuckie!

Anonymous said...

For some reason, my account isn't logging in. That anonymous was me, Jeni. Sorry (I hate leaving anonymous messages).

Anonymous said...

"The mission of a university is not education, it is research. Education is reserved for non-universitied colleges."

Then somebody should tell all the students there they're getting snookered.

Anonymous said...

jr, you're exactly right.

~ Jeni

Anonymous said...

At first I was puzzled why, as a lame duck president, Kupchella would push for such controversial moves as a smoking ban and Division I athletic status. Then it came to me: this is his way of exacting revenge on UND for all the hits he took there. He's going to dump all the consequences of these measures on his successor, while he enjoys retirement.

Anonymous said...

I really don't get it. This isn't going to get people to stop smoking, and will only end up pissing a lot of people off. I no longer smoke, but when I did and was in the dorms, I can tell you that probably close to 50% of the people in my building did, as well. And now they're taking the privilege away.

People will choose not to live on campus because of this decision, whereas I'm almost positive no one stayed away from the dorms because people were allowed to smoke outside. Stupid, stupid idea. Kupchella is an idiot.

Matt BK said...

The mission of a university is not education, it is research. Education is reserved for non-universitied colleges.

I guess we should just stop teaching classes then, it's not helping our research a wit.

Anonymous said...

Listen, people who complain about second hand smoke from 20 feet away, while in a building, with the windows and doors closed, are not human beings. Do you not understand that people who smoke either want to smoke or they are addicted. So if you take away the smoke, people will move out of the university and it will lose alot of money due to not having its 300 bucks or so a month per person who smokes, all because some very intolerant people cant handle a sniff or two of air. Cars on university probably do more harm, now you wont be able to drive a car on univeristy, then the next thing you know you wont be able to ride a bicycle due to the oil on the chain may drip on the street, and the next thing you know they will kick humans off of university to make sure the animals dont get scared away from their nests,homes,etc. so please just allow the 20 foot rule to continue, and if theres still problems make it 30 or more feet.

STEVE