Harford Community College students still can't consume alcohol on campus, but they can start bringing their dogs around, with certain limitations, under policy revisions approved by the Harford Community College Board of Trustees this week.
The HCC pet policy, under which dogs – other than service animals – were barred from all campus buildings and grounds, has been revised to allow dogs on campus, but they are still not allowed on athletic fields.
HCC President Golladay said more people have been visiting the college's campus in recent years and bringing their dogs, and college staff have been "getting some pushback" when they ask dog owners to clean up after or remove dogs.
"The pets are welcome in open spaces on leashes, but not on the athletic fields – and not in my office," he said of the revised policy.
At their monthly meeting Tuesday evening, the HCC trustees passed the dog policy change 8-1. Board member Doris Carey cast the dissenting vote.
Carey asked how the revised policy would be enforced, citing her experience of seeing staff warn pet owners away from athletic fields only to meet resistance.
"They're going to take them anyway and say, 'What are you going to do about it?' " she said.
Golladay said signs will be posted to keep dogs off athletic fields, and campus public safety officers will be "a little bit more ready to intervene in these instances, and if necessary, they will contact the sheriff's department."
"We want to make it clear they're not to be on the athletic fields, and we want to be able to enforce that," he continued.
Board members unanimously approved changes to the wording of HCC's alcohol policy, although Golladay stressed that alcohol consumption is still prohibited at college-run student events which are either on or off campus.
"It doesn't really change anything in the policy," he told board members. "The wording is just a little bit more precise and does give a little bit more flexibility."
College employees cannot drink while working, but "responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages" is allowed at receptions or other cultural or corporate-sponsored events, according to the policy.