In creating a healthier University environment, UniSQ encourages all staff, students and visitors to be part of a positive culture change and to have respectful conversations to students and staff smoking on campus in reference to the smoke-free policy to improve the overall quality of life for everyone.
We believe that implementing this policy is everyone's responsibility. Transitioning to a smoke-free campus requires respect for others - both non-smokers and smokers. You are encouraged to respectfully and politely remind smokers that they must go off-campus if they wish to smoke. This can be a difficult conversation to have. If you're unsure how to have the conversation with someone smoking, you can refer to the signs on campus, or use the following tips to guide you:
- always remember that smoking is an addiction; sometimes smoking is associated to stress or an addiction to nicotine so it's important to be mindful of this when explaining the policy;
- always assume the person does not know the change to being a smoke-free campus;
- smile, introduce yourself and politely tell the person that the University has gone smoke-free;
- respectfully request the smoker to either put out the cigarette or move off campus if they wish to keep smoking; and
- If the person complies, remember to thank them. If the person becomes angry or confrontational, excuse yourself and report the incident to security.
If you have a regular issue with smoking at a particular location:
Persistent student offenders can be reported under the UniSQ Student Code of Conduct Policy as per the UniSQ Student General Misconduct Procedure
Persistent employee offenders can be reported under the Code of Conduct Policy under the relevant HR policy and procedure and employment contracts as applicable.