Section 1000: Campus Policy

Effective: July 1, 2016
Revised:  March 2016
Last Review: March 2022
Next Review: March 2024
Responsible Party: Chancellor

Scope:

This policy applies to the following MSU campuses:

MSU-Billings
MSU at Bozeman
MSU-Northern
Great Falls College MSU

100.0 Introduction and Purpose:

Tobacco use and secondhand smoke have been identified by the Surgeon General to be the cause of preventable diseases. Additionally, in 2009, the Montana legislature decreed that the "right to breath smoke-free air has priority over the desire to smoke" (§50-40-102 MCA). It is the policy of Montana State University to promote the health, wellness, and safety of all employees, students, guests, visitors, and contractors while on campus. The purpose of this policy is to create a healthier, cleaner campus living and learning environment on the campus. All college employees, students, visitors, guests, and contractors are required to comply with this policy, which shall remain in effect at all times. Refusal to comply with this policy may be cause for disciplinary action in accordance with employee and student conduct policies. Refusal to comply with the policy by visitors, guests and contractors may be grounds for removal from campus.

200.00 Policy

200.10 The use of tobacco (see section 600 for definition) by students, faculty, staff, guests, visitors, and contractors is prohibited on all properties owned or leased by MSU, including:

  1. all interior space on any MSU campus and property leased by the university, including the agricultural research centers and other remote sites;
  2. all outside property or grounds on MSU's campuses, including areas such as walkways, breezeways, parking lots, and patios; except in the designated smoking area(s)
  3. all outside property leased by MSU; unless designated otherwise;
  4. all vehicles leased or owned by MSU;
  5. all indoor and outdoor athletic facilities; unless designated otherwise.

200.20 Smoking is allowed only in designated smoking area(s), as identified in campus specific procedures.

200.30 Advertising, sale, or distribution of tobacco is prohibited on any MSU campus.

200.40 Tobacco industry and related company sponsorship of campus groups, events, individuals, and departments is prohibited. This includes scholarships, sponsorship of faculty positions, and recruiting for employment. Tobacco industry and related company sponsorship of MSU athletic events and MSU athletes is prohibited.

200.50 Littering any university property, whether owned or leased, with the remains of tobacco products is prohibited.

200.60 Organizers and attendees at public events, such as conferences, meetings, public lectures, social events, cultural events, and sporting events using MSU facilities are required to abide by MSU's tobacco-free policy. Organizers of such events are responsible for communicating the policy to attendees and for enforcing this policy.

200.70 The following exceptions exist to the policy, subject to advance approval as indicated:

  1. The use of tobacco products in laboratory and classroom instruction/experiments, or for artistic purposes. All research, educational, and/or artistic purposes that involve the use of tobacco on campus must be approved in advance by the CEO/Dean or designee. Such use must be preceded by reasonable advance notice to the public. Nothing in this policy is intended to prohibit research on tobacco companies or tobacco products.
  2. Specific activities used in connection with the practice of cultural activities by American Indians that are in accordance with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, 42 U.S.C. sections 1996 and 1996a allow for the use of ceremonial tobacco. All ceremonial use exceptions must be approved in advance by campus executive leadership.

300.00 Procedures

Individual campuses may maintain campus-specific standards of practice and procedures that implement this policy. Links to campus-specific standards and procedures, if any, are published here. Constituents are required to comply with any standards and procedures developed for their campus as well as this policy.

  • MSU-Billings
  • MSU at Bozeman*
  • MSU-Northern
  • Great Falls College MSU

*MSU agencies, MSU Extension, Montana Agricultural Experiment Stations and Gallatin College follow MSU at Bozeman campus standards of practice.

400.00 Resources

Tobacco Cessation Students and employees wanting to quit the use of tobacco can access the Montana Quit Line at 1-800-784-8669 (1-800-QUIT-NOW) or online at MT Quit Line. Other resources for cessation include Through with Chew or Quit Smokeless. Employees on the MUS medical benefits plan can also contact the MUS Employee Benefits Department at 1-877-501-1722 or visit the MUS benefits website at www.mus.edu/choices to explore eligibility for the Tobacco Cessation Benefit. See the links below for campus specific tobacco cessation information.

MSU Bozeman https://www.montana.edu/health/healthpromo/tobacco.php/

MSU Billings https://www.msubillings.edu/studenthealth/tobacco-quit.htm#oncampus

§50-40-102 MCA

500.00 References

600.00 Definitions

Enterprise Refers to any and all campuses, agencies, departments, or entities within the Montana State University.

Responsible Party Individual, title, position or group responsible for authority and review of policy or standard of practice.

Standards of Practice Rules, procedures, or guidelines developed by campus authorities to permit, restrict, or require actions within the parameters of the enterprise policy.

Tobacco Includes any tobacco product, including but not limited to, lighted or unlighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, bidi, hookah, and all forms of smokeless tobacco and any nicotine delivery device that has not been approved by the FDA for cessation.

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