Faculty & Staff Resources: Student Absences
How will I know if a student is really sick with H1N1 if the student doesn’t visit the Health Center?
Please read the information available in the Health Center Advisory Memo #1 which identifies the unified SUS response by Health Center Directors to that question. The University is working on a system to utilize Blackboard during this situation. Students will sign a release of information from Thagard Student Health Center with an electronic signature. This will allow the Dean of Students to notify faculty members while maintaining a student's medical information in a secure and protected site. When it is ready to be activated you will receive another Health Advisory from Thagard by email.
Can I ask a student to leave class if they appear to be sick?
No. A student cannot be removed from class after arriving ill, but you can encourage them to go home, take care of themselves, and return 24 hours after their fever drops below 100 degrees.
Why aren’t students being isolated at the Health Center? Why aren’t students being isolated in a Residence Hall?
The anticipated number of ill students makes an isolation strategy impossible. Housing is at 100% capacity and Thagard Student Health Center does not have available beds to isolate the numbers we anticipate.
What changes can I make to my course structure to minimize the impact of the widespread absences that are predicted this fall?
Instructors should try to place as much course content as possible, including assignments and lecture outlines, on their class website. In addition, some instructors are attempting to schedule important in-class assessments and presentations outside the time frame in which the infection rate is expected to surge: mid-September through the end of October.
Shouldn’t students just drop my class if they get the flu?
Most students will be able to make up the work missed because of a bout with the H1N1 virus, typically 3-4 days. Students must consider a wide range of academic and financial issues as they decide whether to drop a course or withdraw from the entire semester. New legislation requires students to pay back any portion of their tuition that was covered by the Bright Futures scholarship when they drop a course or withdraw. Instead of advising students to drop a course, faculty should advise students to see an advisor before making decisions regarding course drops and withdrawals.
What should I do if I get ill?
Click on Faculty Staff Absences for more information
Some faculty members fall into an age group (those born before 1957) that seem to have some immunity to the H1N1 virus. Faculty Handbook guidelines regarding faculty absences are as follows:
For unanticipated absences such as illness or family emergency, instructors must notify the program or department chair or academic dean as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made regarding classes and other scheduled activities.
Having information regarding your course on a course website will help to keep the course running smoothly if you need to be replaced for a few days. Academic departments should devise and distribute a plan for how the unit will cope with a higher-than-normal number of instructor absences this fall. |