Collecting Data on Campus

Collecting data and setting goals is an important part of policy implementation and maintenance. Baseline data needs to be collected before a new policy is launched. You need to know where you started so that you can set goals and so that you can know if your new policy has made any difference on your campus.

Counting the number of cigarette butts found littered on a campus can be a good proxy to how many people are smoking on campus, but with the rise in popularity of vaping devices, spending some time counting the number of people you see vaping around campus within a certain period of time is also a good idea.

Pick and choose from the data collection options below. To help you decide which type of data to collect, think about how much time and staff help you have. Think too about the most salient reasons that your campus wanted to adopt a tobacco-free policy and collect data that will show if your campus is reaching those goals. See the Tobacco-Free Rationale Document for a list of reasons why campuses go tobacco-free.

Data Collection Forms and Protocols

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Campus Observation Form

Use this observational survey to track signage, ashcans, cigarette butts, and smoking hot spots around campus.

Campus Survey

This survey can be distributed to your campus community by paper or online. It assess knowledge and support for a tobacco-free policy.

5-Question Campus Survey

This is a shortened campus survey that assesses student’s perceptions of the % of their peers that use tobacco.

Cigarette Butt Pickup Event Protocol

Follow the same protocol each time to conduct a cigarette butt pickup event to ensure that you can compare the number of butts you find year over year.

Hot Spot Tracker

This simple form can help you keep track of smoking hot spots, how large they are, and how close to buildings they are.

Community College Questions for Decision Makers

This guide is for advocates who plan to interview decision makers within the California Community College system to find out how to adopt a tobacco-free policy within a California Community College district.