ON I I I UNI1) 1 I \I-'1'l\) N Y \(SOF1110)I T\t I,! LI O I
Ann Arbor, Michigan
CAMPUS POLICIES
Smoke-free
policy works,
officials say
Thursday, September 13, 2012
michigandaily.com
One year after
0 implementation,
number of smokers
has decreased
By KATIE SYZMANSKI
Daily StaffReporter
Since the University banned
smoking on campus in July 2011,
officials say they have seen a
decrease in smoking among stu-
dents, faculty and staff, and a
generally cleaner and healthier
campus environment.
Robert Winfield, co-chair
of the Smoke-Free University
Steering Committee and the
University's chief health officer,
said he has noticed a decrease
in smoking on campus since the
smoke-free policy was enacted
last summer.
Winfield referenced the Uni-
versity's annual Student Life
0 Survey -,which -collects data
through the Substance Abuse
Research Center - to solid-
ify the claim that smoking is
decreasing on campus as a result
of the ban.
The most recent data from
2011 indicates a drop in self-
reported tobacco use, from 14
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Drops in
rankings
not bad,
'U' says
Latest U.S. News
and World Report
list ranks 'U' at
29th
By TUI RADEMAKER
Daily StaffReporter
U.S. News and World Report's
popular college rankings were
released Wednesday, with the
University of Michigan placed at
29th, down one spot from 28th
last year.
still, the Universityhas kept its
place as fourth among public uni-
versities for the fifth consecutive
year. The University of Califor-
nia, Berkeley tops the list of pub-
lic universities, with University of
California, Los Angeles and Uni-
versity of Virginia trailing as sec-
ond and third.
University spokesman Rick
Fitzgerald said the place drop
* from 28th to 29th is nothing to be
concerned about, and should be
seen as another school moving up
in the rankings as opposed to the
University moving down.
"We're still -the number four
public university in the U.S. News
See RANKINGS, Page SA
percent before the policy to 9.2
percent afterward. According
to Winfield, a separate survey
following a cohort of faculty
from 2009 to 2011 indicates that
smoking percentages have
dropped from 6.2 percent in
2009 to 4.6 percent in 2011.
Smoking is only allowed on
sidewalks next to public roads,
on University owned roads that
the public funds and in privately
owned vehicles.
As of July 2012, 774 colleges
and universities in the United
States have also banned smok-
ing, according to a report from
the Americans for Non-Smok-
ers' Rights website. The report
further indicates that the num-
ber of smoke-free campuses
increased from 420 in July 2010
to 530 in July 2011.
Winfield said the on-campus
transition has gone relatively
smoothly, largely because it
shied away from aggressive
enforcement and has focused
more on lifestyle changes.
"Overall, I would say this has
been successful," he said. "What
I think is special about it is that
we have chosen to not have a
heavy hand in enforcement.
We're working hard to try and
make sure that there's a high
See SMOKE-FREE, Page 5A
Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh speaks Wednesday at the School of Public Health.
Feds launch ationwid
anti-tobacco campaign
Initiative aims tiative dedicated to expanding and living environments. around the country.
tobacco-free living at campuses University officials, students "We are here to thank you for
to eliminate across the country. and community members gath- your leadership, recognize your
At an event at the School of ered to hear Koh's announce- leadership, and say that your
smoking on college Public Health on Wednesday ment, as well as to listen to actions last year have already
afternoon, Howard Koh, assis- speeches from University Presi- had a significant impact on the
campuses tant secretary for health at the dent Mary Sue Coleman and health of your students, faculty,
U.S. Department of Health a panel that featured Robert employees and staff," Koh said.
By BETHANY BIRON and Human Services, officially Winfield, the University's chief Koh emphasized smoking's
Managing News Editor announced the Tobacco-Free health officer. role as the leading preventable
College Campus Initiative. The During his speech, Koh laud- cause of death in the country,
More than a year after the program aims to increase the ed the University - officially with projected numbers reach-
implementation of its smoke- number of college campuses smoke free since July 1, 2011 - ing one billion smoking-related
free campus policy, the Uni- with tobacco-free policies - cur- for its dedication to instilling an deaths in the 21st century. He
versity became the site of the rently at 17 percent nationally - anti-tobacco culture and becom- added that though the country
official launch of a national ini- and promote healthier learning ing an inspiration for colleges See EFFORT, Page 5A
UNION FRESH
ELECTION 2012
Regent candidate
canvasses the state in
The Bernstein Bus
AUSTEN HUFFORD/Daily
Christopher Carr, the director of University Union Catering, creates a Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil & Goat Cheese Salad dur-
ing a Eat Smarter Chef Demonstration on Wednesday in the Michigan Union.
GRADUATE EMPLOYEEES ORGANIZATION
House GOP critical of unions
Democrat Mark
Bernstein uses
school bus to help
tout campaign
By CHANNING ROBINSON
Daily StaffReporter
Elections for University
governing boards are typically
low-profile races, but Mark
Bernstein, a Democratic can-
didate for University regent,
has drawn attention to himself
by traversing the state in the
Bernstein Bus.
To inform voters about his
policies, Bernstein has trav-
eled everywhere from Ann
Arbor to the Upper Peninsula
in a school bus covered in
logos such as "Keep College
Affordable" and "Higher Edu-
cation, Lower Cost" designed
to promote himself to pro-
spective voters.
Bernstein said the bus has
drawn the interest of many
Michigan residents.
"I thought the bus was
going to be good, but it has far
exceeded my expectations,"
Bernstein said. "I expected
the bus to be a home run and
it's been a grand slam. The bus
is proving to be an extremely
effective vehicle to communi-
cate the primary message of
our campaign ... we are run-
ning to protect the promise of
public education and public
university."
Regents serve eight-year
terms at the University. While
all members were eligible
for re-election, two seats on
the board will be open, as
incumbents S. Martin Tay-
lor (D-Grosse Pointe Farms)
and Olivia Maynard (D-Ann
Arbor) decided not to run in
November. In February, Taylor
and Maynard told The Michi-
gan Daily that they plan to
reallocate their time to family
affairs and community work.
"It was wonderful to have
served and I think (the Univer-
sity) is being left in even better
shape," Taylor said in Febru-
ary.
Bernstein is one of two
Democrats vying for the open
regents seats, after officially
being nominated at Michi-
gan's state convention Sept.
8-9, along with Shauna Ryder
Diggs, a dermatologist and
University alum.
They willbe running against
GOP candidates Rob Steele,
a University alum and cardi-
ologist and Dan Horning, who
previously served on the board
from 1994 to 2002.
Michigan is one of only
See BERNSTEIN, Page SA
Subcommittees
decry graduate
student
unionization
By AUSTEN HUFFORD
Daily StaffReporter
Congressional Republicans
were highly critical of efforts at
Universities across the country
to organize graduate students as
two subcommittees held hear-
ings on the subject Wednesday.
The House Higher Educa-
tion and Workforce Training
subcommittee and the House
Health, Employment, Labor,
and Pensions subcommittee dis-
cussed cases pending before the
National Labor Relations Board.
Deans from two universities
and an AFL-CIO representative
also spoke at the hearing as wit-
nesses.
The NLRB is currently recon-
sidering its 2004 ruling which
deemed graduate students at
private universities unable to
unionize.
U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.),
chairman of the health sub-
committee, said the NLRB is
essentially controlled by large
unions, and thus biased in favor
of unionization.
"The NLRB is utterly deter-
mined to advance a culture of
union favoritism," Roe said.
He continued to condemn
the NLRB's role in higher edu-
cation, adding that he believes
there could be "significant
changes" to the college system
if the NLRB allowed for union-
ization.
The NLRB ruled in 2004 that
See UNIONS, Page SA
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