Mount Holyoke: A Smoke-Free Campus
The officers of the College have decided to adopt a 100 percent smoke-free campus policy by June 2020.
Dear members of the Mount Holyoke community,
After careful consideration, the officers of the College have decided to adopt a 100 percent smoke-free campus policy by June 2020.
Last year, a group of faculty, students and staff came together as a task force to investigate the question of whether Mount Holyoke should adopt such a policy. In spring 2018, the task force delivered a thoughtful and balanced report to the senior leadership team, outlining several recommendations, including a two-year time horizon to assess and review the actions needed to become a smoke- or tobacco-free campus.
In the interest of the continued health of our campus community, the officers have decided to accelerate this effort by setting a firm goal of becoming a smoke-free campus by June 2020. I am very grateful to both the members of the task force and to the officers for the time they took to research and discuss this important issue, and for their thoughtfulness, commitment and attention to detail in all of their deliberations.
To help us reach the goal of becoming a smoke-free campus, the College has received a $20,000 grant from the Truth Initiative, a leading national smoke-free advocacy organization. By setting this goal, we are joining many peer liberal arts institutions which have already become or are well on their way to becoming, smoke- or tobacco-free.
This effort also aligns with the larger Be Well initiative and other wellness programs on campus, which aim to engage the entire community in physical, social and emotional wellbeing. You will be hearing more in the coming weeks from campus leaders about the important steps we will take toward achieving this goal.
Sincerely,
Sonya Stephens
President
Special Thanks to the Smoke/Tobacco-Free Task Force:
Co-Chairs
Rachel Alldis, Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Residential Life
Heidi Friedman, Associate Vice President of Human Resources
Cindy Legare, Benefits Manager, Human Resources
Arsim Abdullahu, Kitchen Assistant, Dining Services
Kellie Buck, Benefits Administrator, Human Resources
Karen Carey, Senior Accounting Specialist, Financial Services
Krista Denno, Office Manager, LITS
Maddie Desfosses, Class of 2021
Kayla Hinkson-Grant, Class of 2021
Karen Jacobus, Coordinator of Health Education, Health Services
Liz Laird, Assistant Director for Assessment, Institutional Research
Ryan Lewis, National Fellowships Advisor, Student Success and Advising
Lynn Morgan, Mary E. Woolley Professor of Anthropology
Lili Paxton, Class of 2021
Andy Reiter, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations
Marion Wolloch, Class of 2021