SFC faculty senate puts off smoking issue

The faculty senate of Santa Fe College wants a little more time to decide whether it will support a campus-wide smoking ban.

In Tuesday's faculty senate meeting, the 29-member group voted to create a committee to take a closer look at the issue.

A majority of the faculty representatives in the meeting said they would likely oppose a ban.

In recent weeks the SFC student senate passed a resolution in opposition to making the campus tobacco-free.

Addressing the faculty senate, student senator Eric Florestan said many students polled recently would rather see campus-wide smoking huts moved to accommodate smokers rather than ban the practice all together.

Students weighing in on the issue on the SFC Student Life Facebook page, including some smokers, say they would be in favor of a smoke-free campus

The University of Florida began banning tobacco use on Nov. 1 at the Health Science Center and Shands HealthCare facilities including the new cancer center. The entire campus goes tobacco-free in July 2010.

Barbara Hirschfelder, faculty senate president, said the committee will likely not begin working until the 2010 spring semester. She said ideally there would be a recommendation by the end of the spring semester.

Contact Harriet Daniels at harriet.daniels@gvillesun.com or 338-3166.