BANGOR — The Maine Tobacco-Free College Network held an awards ceremony on Nov. 17 to celebrate the efforts of Maine institutions of higher education to address tobacco use on their campuses. The event featured the announcement of the 2011 Maine Tobacco-Free College Network’s Gold Star Standards of Excellence Recognition Program award winners.
All Maine institutions of higher education, including colleges, universities and technical schools, were considered in the Gold Star Standards of Excellence program. Award levels are based on criteria such as tobacco-free campus policy, tobacco cessation information availability for students, faculty and staff, prohibiting tobacco product distribution on campus and divestment of all tobacco investments. Programs recognized in the inaugural year of this annual program are:
• Seven Star Honorees — Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle; University of Maine at Machias; University of Maine at Presque Isle and University of New England;
• Eight Star Honoree — Unity College;
• Nine Star Honorees — Kennebec Valley Community College and University of Maine Hutchinson Center; and
• Ten Star Honoree — University of Maine at Orono.
