The Undergraduate Student Government discussed its tobacco-free survey results at its meeting Sunday.

Out of 923 respondents, 52 percent of students supported either a tobacco-free campus or smoke-free campus option. But 42 percent of respondents said they would not support either option.

“A significant amount that’s against the initiative, and that’s something important that we want to take a look at as a student government,” said Mike Orth, sophomore class president and head of the committee studying the smoke-free initiative.

“We certainly don’t want a student government that is going against 40 percent of the student body in an issue,” he said.

Thirty-two percent of respondents said they used tobacco products. This number is greater than the number of students who smoke at St. Thomas according to the Wellness Center’s study. That study found that about 17 percent of students use tobacco.

“We realize that sending out an unscientific survey affects results like that,” Orth said. “But all in all, we’re happy with the survey and the amount of people we had respond.”

USG might rethink initiative because of survey results

The smoke-free initiative committee will continue to look at the results and meet during January term, Orth said.

After getting the survey results, Orth proposed to change the committee’s name to the USG tobacco policy review committee “to reflect the fact that we are trying to decide where we want to go with this initiative.’

‘Now after getting survey results, it may not necessarily be a smoke or tobacco-free campus,” he added.

The committee “will report to USG whether we want to keep our initiative or scale it down, so I think it’s something we can discuss and come to a consensus about what we want to do for next semester,” he said. He said It is possible that USG will conduct another student survey in the spring.

Speaker series to focus on finances after graduation

Health advisory councils at the Wellness Center are looking to sponsor a speaker series for seniors to talk about financial issues after graduation, said Greg Scharine, USG vice president of financial affairs.

The series would bring in professionals to talk about money management, budgeting, investment, insurance and other financial situations students will face in the “real world,” Scharine said. The speaker series would begin next semester, and he said more information will be coming soon.

Business school explores new club council

Scharine said he met with treasurers and presidents from most St. Thomas business clubs on campus and some business college administrators last week. The group is working to make a college of business advisory board during J-term and the spring semester, Scharine said.

“Basically what they found out in a recent survey is only about 400 students in the College of Business are involved in business clubs on campus, where there are almost 2,000 students enrolled in the College of Business,” Scharine said.

The committee would open up more leadership positions for students and research the disconnect between the number of students enrolled in the College of Business and the number of students actually in on-campus business clubs, Scharine said.

Scharine said students who are interested in the committee should look for e-mails and fliers about it in the spring semester.

Theresa Malloy can be reached at mall5754@stthomas.edu.