AY23 Academic Catalog/Handbook

Tobacco-Free Campus

Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) prohibits the use of tobacco products on any property owned, leased, or controlled by OFTC.

Technical College System of Georgia Tobacco-Free Policy: Tobacco use causes enormous financial, social and public health harm to the citizens of Georgia. Accordingly, tobacco* use is prohibited within the System Office, all technical colleges and within all other facilities under the supervision or control of TCSG.

*(Prohibited tobacco products include e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, dip, snuff, vaping and any other form of tobacco product.)

Because of the deleterious effects of tobacco use, OFTC has committed to tobacco-free campuses for the purpose of promoting a healthy environment for all persons, including faculty, students, staff, visitors, and others who come on campus at any of our locations.

All OFTC campuses are tobacco-free environments. Tobacco use is prohibited inside and outside all buildings and parking lots and within any College vehicle or any vehicle operated by the College. This procedure applies to all persons while on campus. The above may not use tobacco products to include cigarettes, e-cigarettes/vaping, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco (dip/snuff), or any other form of tobacco product. Campus sidewalks, streets, and adjacent neighboring property are not to be used as tobacco use areas.

Procedure: Student

The following process will be used when dealing with student infractions of Oconee Fall Line Technical College’s (OFTC) Smoking/Smokeless Tobacco Procedure:

  1. Any OFTC employee may politely inform the student that he/she may not use tobacco on the OFTC campus/property, etc. After delivering a verbal warning, the student will be asked for their student identification. The employee will report the student to the director of student affairs.
  2. If the director of student affairs identifies a student who has violated this procedure twice, the director of student affairs will send the student a written warning that if the problem continues, the student will be in danger of being dismissed from the college.
  3. If the director of student affairs identifies a student who has violated this procedure for a third time, the director of student affiars will refer the student for a student hearing through the student disciplinary process. The hearing body will determine the sanctions that will be imposed.

Procedure: Employees

The following process shall be used when dealing with employee infractions of this procedure:

  1. It is the responsibility of each OFTC employee to support and comply fully with the tobacco-free policy. If employees observe anyone using tobacco while on campus, he/she should politely inform the user of the tobacco-free procedure. If the tobacco user is an employee and refuses to comply with the procedure, the employee’s supervisor will be notified.
  2. Failure of an employee to comply will result in progressive disciplinary action.

Procedure: Others (Not Students or Employees)

Visitors, vendors, contractors, and others not covered above will be reported to the department responsible for their presence on campus. Attempts should be made to remedy violations prior to contacting OFTC Security. In circumstances where departmental leadership is unable to get the offender to comply with this procedure, OFTC Security will be contacted for assistance.