When students return to class at Dakota County Technical College Jan. 11, they should leave one provision behind.

Effective Jan. 1, the use of any tobacco product by employees, students or visitors is prohibited on college property.

The Rosemount facility joins a growing list of higher education institutions in the state that have gone tobacco-free. There are currently 14, from other technical colleges like Northwest in Bemidji to the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Former Student Senate President Jenny Anderson of Rosemount initiated the policy at DCTC after attending a statewide student association conference in December 2008.

"It really got me interested because I learned we were one of the few schools that had not had a smoking ban in place yet," said Anderson, who graduated in December with a degree in exercise and sport science.

She brought the idea back to student leadership, which recommended a tobacco-free policy to college administration.

Anderson said cigarette smoke had become a nuisance on campus. DCTC allowed smoking only in two designated areas - shelters near the east and west entrances to the school.

"No matter how you enter the school you're breathing in second-hand smoke," said Anderson. "Depending on how many people are out there, it can be really bad."

In an online survey of just over 400 campus community members last March, 47 percent said they were in favor of the ban. Another 18 percent said they supported moving the smoking shelters while 32 percent said they favored leaving the policy as-is.

Of those survey takers, which included DCTC staff, students and staff at Intermediate School District 917 located on the DCTC campus, 79 percent identified themselves as non-smokers while 15 percent said they used tobacco.

College President Ron Thomas signed off on the new tobacco-free policy in August.

"There's been a lot of positive and some negative of course, which is to be expected," said Human Resources Director Sue Raddatz, who was on the team that wrote the official policy language.

Anderson said many students were upset about the change.

"People were furious," said Anderson. "They thought we should be focusing on other things, not a smoking ban. But in my opinion we're trying to make DCTC a healthier, cleaner campus."

Among those unhappy is Jerry DeBoer, a second-year bio-med student from Faribault. He was on campus working Tuesday, Dec. 29. During a cigarette break at the building's west entrance, DeBoer called the new policy unfair.

"They should have put it up to a vote for the whole school," he said.

DeBoer said he learned about the policy through signs on campus about two months ago but said he hadn't yet decided if he'd leave campus to smoke.

"I guess I'll probably just smoke in my car," he said.

The smoking shelters were set to be removed from campus over winter break and cigarette disposal containers will be moved away from school doors to the parking lot during a transition period. Eventually they'll be eliminated all together.

Old signs indicating smoking was allowed only in designated areas will be removed and replaced with signs promoting the school's tobacco-free policy.

"We wanted one semester to prepare everyone," said Raddatz. "We didn't want students showing up in the fall to be surprised. A mid-year start made sense."

When asked if she expected students would walk to 145th Street in front of the college or drive off campus in cars to smoke, Raddatz said, "Hopefully it'll be something other than our property."

The policy includes enforcement measures. Raddatz said guidelines are already in place to deal with violations of any policy. For students, they are governed by the code of conduct. Employees could face disciplinary actions in accordance with their bargaining agreement or plan.

Raddatz said first violations would receive verbal warnings and harsher punishment would come only after repeated issues. Even then members of the campus community likely would not be fired or expelled, she said.

"We are encouraging peer-to-peer enforcement," said Student Life Director Nicole Meulemans, who is working with the Student Senate to promote the tobacco-free policy.

As part of its effort, DCTC will provide cessation information to tobacco-users who want to quit. Resources will include referrals to QUITPLAN, the state's free program paid for with Minnesota Tobacco Settlement money, as well as information on hypnotism and other methods, said Meulemans.

The school is also partnering with Dakota County Public Health to post signs around campus announcing the tobacco-free policy.

Anderson said her intent was not to take away tobacco from campus users, but to help all find a healthier environment.

"People can smoke but it's also everybody else's right to be able to breath and that's the issue," said Anderson.

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