SGA Update: Smoking Reform and Green Knight Report
Amy Gonzo
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: News
At the two hour January meeting, the Student Assembly of the Student Government Association (SGA) met to discuss a variety of issues.
One of the topics that SGA covered at the meeting was the issue of smoking on campus. Because smoking had been discussed at length during previous semesters, the primary goal was to propose solutions.
Two suggested solutions were a campus-wide smoking ban and having Campus Safety enforce current smoking restrictions during passing time. Due to feedback from forums about smoking and results of student surveys, it was determined that there should not be a campus-wide ban on smoking. Additionally, because of the time burden it would place on Campus Safety, having them enforce policies during the day was not a viable option.
Instead, the assembly passed a resolution that will designate some outdoor areas as smoke free. This will be in addition to the campus's current smoking policies, which include a ban on smoking within 25 feet of any building
The assembly also discussed and passed a resolution that will restructure the Green Knight Report. The report is a mandatory form filled out by all campus organizations once per semester. The form asks for information regarding the organization's membership and achievements for archival purposes. The assembly suggested that the form could be reformatted to meet the specific needs of different types of groups. SGA will be working with Student Affairs to make changes.
A "green fee" was also discussed. If passed, the resolution would institute a charge on students' tuition in order to support environmental sustainability on campus. In last fall's student survey, 86 percent of students that responded said that they would support a $10 environmental fee.
Manager of Mechanical Systems Lew Pullen, who is a member of the Environmental Sustainability Advisement Committee, and sophomore Jordan Mayer, treasurer of the Environmental Club, introduced the company NatureWise to the Assembly as an option for funds. By partnering with NatureWise, SNC could purchase a portion of its energy from sustainable sources.
Due to time constraints, the issue was tabled and decisions regarding an environmental fee were postponed until the next meeting.
SGA President Peter Romenesko, a senior, encourages students who feel strongly about an issue to contact their class representatives or to contact SGA directly by emailing sga
One of the topics that SGA covered at the meeting was the issue of smoking on campus. Because smoking had been discussed at length during previous semesters, the primary goal was to propose solutions.
Two suggested solutions were a campus-wide smoking ban and having Campus Safety enforce current smoking restrictions during passing time. Due to feedback from forums about smoking and results of student surveys, it was determined that there should not be a campus-wide ban on smoking. Additionally, because of the time burden it would place on Campus Safety, having them enforce policies during the day was not a viable option.
Instead, the assembly passed a resolution that will designate some outdoor areas as smoke free. This will be in addition to the campus's current smoking policies, which include a ban on smoking within 25 feet of any building
The assembly also discussed and passed a resolution that will restructure the Green Knight Report. The report is a mandatory form filled out by all campus organizations once per semester. The form asks for information regarding the organization's membership and achievements for archival purposes. The assembly suggested that the form could be reformatted to meet the specific needs of different types of groups. SGA will be working with Student Affairs to make changes.
A "green fee" was also discussed. If passed, the resolution would institute a charge on students' tuition in order to support environmental sustainability on campus. In last fall's student survey, 86 percent of students that responded said that they would support a $10 environmental fee.
Manager of Mechanical Systems Lew Pullen, who is a member of the Environmental Sustainability Advisement Committee, and sophomore Jordan Mayer, treasurer of the Environmental Club, introduced the company NatureWise to the Assembly as an option for funds. By partnering with NatureWise, SNC could purchase a portion of its energy from sustainable sources.
Due to time constraints, the issue was tabled and decisions regarding an environmental fee were postponed until the next meeting.
SGA President Peter Romenesko, a senior, encourages students who feel strongly about an issue to contact their class representatives or to contact SGA directly by emailing sga
Be the first to comment on this story