Tobacco-Free, Smoke-Free Campus

Effective August 11, 2014, Baylor University — with the support of the Faculty Senate, Staff Council and Student Senate — became a tobacco-free, smoke-free campus. The use of any form of tobacco is strictly prohibited in and outside of all University-owned buildings, including those located on campus, in Waco and other cities, as well as parking lots, garages and sidewalks. The policies can be found on the University Policies & Procedures or Student Smoking Policy websites.

Since the mid-1980s, Baylor has restricted smoking in all of its facilities as part of the University's ongoing commitment to encourage and support healthy lifestyles among faculty, staff and students. This year, growing interest by students, faculty and staff in a tobacco-free, smoke-free campus led to the articulation of official support for the policy by each group's leadership organization.

The expanded policy also will help preserve funding for the University's cancer research through the Cancer Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). As a premier research institution, this funding is vital to the core mission of our University and is only awarded to grant recipients that have established tobacco-free policies.

Baylor will strive to enforce the new policy regulations in a non-threatening way. The University is not requiring that students and staff stop using tobacco products, however, assistance is being offered to those who would like to quit.

The expectation is that persons will voluntarily comply with the policy. It is the responsibility of everyone on campus to inform others of the new policy and ask that they extinguish their cigarette and/or refrain from using tobacco products on campus.

Campus signage is currently in place, as well as University publications, and University-wide announcements to remind students, staff, faculty and administrators of the new tobacco-free, smoke-free policy now in effect.