EAST LANSING -- Michigan State University is forming a task force to "guide the process of transitioning" the university to a tobacco-free campus, a top school official announced Wednesday.

Provost June Pierce Youatt said in a statement that the Office of the University Physician would lead the task force. The goal of the task force is to guide campus and community leaders in creating a tobacco-free policy at MSU, which could be voted on by Michigan State University trustees later on this year.

"The rationale for this move rests largely on a fundamental concern for the health of the entire campus community," Youatt said.

"Moving toward a tobacco-free policy aligns with our efforts to create the healthiest academic and workplace environment possible at MSU," she added.

A petition to ban smoking on campus started by a MSU junior last year received more than 1,500 signatures. A survey done by the MSU Anti-Cancer Society shows about one-in-four students at the East Lansing university smokes.

A survey by the MSU Office of Survey Research reported about 70 percent of students never smoked cigarettes and 20 percent of students hadn't smoked in the previous month.

There are more than 1,400 smoke-free college campuses in the U.S. and Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana and Oklahoma all have bans on smoking on the campuses of public universities. Iowa banned smoking at both public and private colleges.

In Michigan, all of the University of Michigan campuses -- in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint -- ban smoking. Central Michigan University, Michigan Technological University, Hope College, Spring Arbor University and 15 community colleges all have smoking bans on campus as well.

Michigan State does currently have a smoke-free policy inside of university buildings. Smoking is banned in any "closed space, regardless of location, except specifically designated private residential space and hotel rooms. Smoking will not be permitted near exits and entrances of buildings, except at a reasonable distance or unless otherwise designated."

Cigarettes and tobacco cannot be sold on campus, per Michigan State policy.

Anyone with concerns or questions about the task force's work can contact the University Physician's office at uphys@msu.edu.

Kyle Feldscher is the Capitol education and MSU reporter for MLive Media Group. Reach him via email at kylefeldscher@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter at @Kyle_Feldscher. Read more stories here.