The USM Board of Regents has required all USM institutions, including UMBC, to provide a healthy, smoke-free environment for all faculty, staff, students, contractors, and visitors by July 1, 2013. In response, a Smoke-Free Campus Task Force was appointed – with representatives from UMBC’s shared governance organizations, including students, faculty, and staff members – to make recommendations about how best to implement this policy on our campus. After working throughout the spring semester, the task force has recommended that smoking be allowed in two designated areas removed from major pedestrian traffic, in order to provide a safe space for any students, faculty, or staff who may …