The current implementation of the tobacco- and smoke-free policy on campus demonstrates the unequal nature of the policy, and clearly shows how unfair the disciplinary process is.
To prevent staff and faculty from smoking on campus, both groups receive varying levels of warning, but with different outcomes. Faculty members caught smoking outside of the designated areas receive an oral warning the first time and are reported in writing the second time, according to the AU faculty manual. This warning will stay with the faculty member for as long as they are employed by AU. However, their job is not at risk.
Staff members are not as lucky. If a staff member is caught smoking on campus, they get three warnings and can be fired after the fourth violation.
While staff and faculty members serve different purposes, they are equally as important to how the University functions. If either AU faculty or staff were to quit tomorrow, the University would have to shut down.
There is no reason that staff should be held to higher standards than the faculty. Through these regulations, AU fails to treat its workers with the respect they deserve.
Instead of threatening staff with unemployment because of violating the tobacco- and smoke-free policy, AU should suspend staff members or take away a day’s pay as a punishment. This method would motivate AU staff to follow tobacco- and smoke-free regulations, but not put them at an unfair disadvantage in respect to University faculty.
Both faculty and staff make valuable contributions to the University every day, and they both should be treated with the same respect. -E
