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The cost of a sustainable campus environment
26 September 2009
A key committee within the University comprising around 20 heads of academic and administrative areas is the Senior Staff Advisory Committee. It meets monthly and discusses and advises the Vice-Chancellor on major policy and strategic issues facing the University.
In reviewing some key policies, the topic of our ‘Smoking Policy’ arose this week, and in the ensuing debate there was a divergence of views on allowing or banning smoking on campus.
At present, smokers must move 10 meters away from buildings, and a not insignificant proportion of our staff, as well as domestic and international students smoke.
A number of universities overseas have moved to being smoke-free campuses.
Some universities within Australia are either considering such a move, or are effecting the transition, with leaflets being widely distributed to alert staff and students of those universities’ intention to be smoke-free within a specified timeframe.
At USC, quite apart from the health issues associated with smoking itself, there is also the passive impact on non-smokers, as well as the huge litter problems associated with smoking. Many smokers are quite irresponsible and seemingly unconcerned about litter.
Does a university take a moral and health-related stand on the issue, in addition to reducing cleaning costs, or do we in the process inadvertently demonise smokers and reduce personal freedoms unacceptably.
The debate, whilst covering the spectrum, did conclude by advocating that the university spend more monies on education and quit campaigns, ahead of any firm decision in the near future.
But the litter issue of course goes wider than smokers, and as we grow, so a significant proportion of people who access the campus show their unconcern about litter, and the cost of cleaning escalates, particularly in car parks, diverting monies from academic concerns.
Even engagement activities we sponsor such as sports carnivals, cultural festival, and even environment day, always create extra costs to the University, with clean-up taking as much as a week.
It is hoped that people will increasingly appreciate and respect the fragility of this beautiful campus, and presumably that is going to require more education campaigns, and hopefully a heightened sense of responsibility from some campus users.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of the Sunshine Coast.