HARRISBURG — Grabbing a quick smoke between classes has become impossible for Lock Haven University political science professor Robert Storch.

An indoor and outdoor smoking ban imposed at Pennsylvania's state university system in September means Storch must walk off campus whenever he craves nicotine — a 20-minute roundtrip excursion that he cannot cram into a 15-minute break between classes.

"I find it ridiculous," Storch told a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board hearing examiner Tuesday. "You feel like a leper anyway. It's really very demeaning."

Storch was among a handful of professors at the 14 universities who testified about the smoking ban during a hearing on an unfair labor practice complaint filed by the State System of Higher Education's faculty union. A ruling is not expected before February.

The 5,900-member Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties wants the ban rescinded. The new policy was imposed with virtually no warning, and APSCUF argues that any changes should have been negotiated with the union first.

The complete ban on smoking at the universities came as a new state law banning indoor smoking in most places, including educational facilities, took effect. The schools enroll more than 112,500 students and employ roughly 13,000.

Chancellor John Cavanaugh has said the state law leaves his schools no choice. He interprets the law to extend beyond the universities' indoor facilities and include all campus grounds — particularly because some classes are held outside. The system previously gave individual schools the latitude to set their own policies on smoking outdoors.