Approved by the Board of Trustees of Rockland Community College on February 17, 1994. Reaffirmed on October, 2000. Amended on March 19, 2009, June 1, 2012, and September 30, 2015.

As an institution of higher education, Rockland Community College, State University of New York recognizes its responsibility to provide education to our students on matters of good health. Consequently, upon the recommendation of the RCC Faculty Senate and the RCC Student Government Association, effective September 1, 2009, the entire campus environment was designated as Smoke-Free to thereby provide a healthier environment for the college community. The College has decided to treat tobacco products consistently since all tobacco products are addictive and harmful. Additionally, the College wants to address concerns that a prohibition solely on smoking may potentially encourage students to use more smokeless tobacco. Therefore, effective January 1, 2016, the entire campus environment is designated as Smoke-Free/Tobacco-Free.

A Smoke-Free campus is one in which the inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying of any lighted or heated cigar, pipe, or cigarette, including, but not limited to, traditional or electronic cigarettes, hookah pipe, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation is prohibited. A Tobacco-Free campus is one in which any substance (tobacco product) containing tobacco leaf, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco, bidis, blunts, clove cigarettes, or any other preparation of tobacco, not including any cessation product specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in treating nicotine or tobacco dependence, is prohibited.

Effective January 1, 2016, smoking and other uses of tobacco products are prohibited on all College premises, which are defined as all buildings, facilities, and grounds owned, used, leased, operated, controlled, or supervised by the College. This includes, but is not limited to, parking lots and adjacent areas such as the cemeteries. Smoking and other uses of tobacco products are also prohibited in College vehicles and equipment owned, leased or operated by the College.

This policy, which applies to all faculty, staff, students and visitors at RCC, will be enforced by the Public Safety Office.

• Student: Students violating this policy will be considered to be violating the Student Code of Conduct and shall be subject to disciplinary action. Disciplinary action for students range from a warning, monetary fines, referral for an appropriate assistance program, confiscation, suspension, dismissal, up to and including expulsion.
• Employees:  Employees violating this policy shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements. Disciplinary action for employees include, but are not limited to, an oral or written reprimand, suspension, up to and including termination from employment, and referral for an appropriate assistance program. Employees should refer to the collective bargaining agreement, if any, to which they are subject for additional prohibitions, penalties/sanctions and assistance information.
• Visitors: Visitors violating this policy shall be subject to having his/her authorization to remain upon the campus or other property withdrawn and shall be directed to leave the premises.  In the event he/she fails or refused to leave the campus or other property when directed to do so, he/she shall be subject to ejection.