

BURNING QUESTION: Should smoking be allowed where these men stand in front of UALR entrance sign?

Blog reader Joe Arnold passes along communication with UALR about his complaint about smoking at the entrance to the campus on University Avenue — on the sidewalk right of way between the street and the fence that encircles the campus. (Smoking is now banned on all public college campuses in Arkansas.) He took the photo and supplied his letter and a university response. He also provided photos of the butts littered around the campus entry sign.

LETTER FROM ARNOLD TO UALR CHANCELLOR:

Today there were four smokers in front of the UALR sign at the main entrance. I called campus police. The dispatcher told me the property between the fence and university avenue was not campus property. In the past I have been told that this is campus property and that UALR refused to enforce the law. Could you clear this up for me please?

LETTER FROM UALR VICE CHANCELLOR BOB ADAMS


The UALR property line is somewhere between our fence and the right of way for the street. We have decided it is impractical and dangerous for campus police to try to address smoking on the outside of our fence. If a smoker is on the outside of the fence, we do not attempt to intervene. For safety reasons we do not want to have students standing right on the curb in order to smoke or adding to the number that would try to cross busy university avenue unnecessarily. I hope this helps clear up your questions about how we address smoking on the exterior of the campus fencing.

And the people’s court says ….?