Faculty provided guidance regarding flu season
The following message was sent to OHIO faculty on Thursday, Feb. 8, by Faculty Senate Chair Joe McLaughlin and Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs.
Dear colleagues,
We want to update you on an important issue for our campus community and to ask for your help. We are in the midst of what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling a very active flu season. Each of us can do our part to help control the spread of this particularly virulent influenza and to support our colleagues and students who are affected.
The State of Ohio is currently experiencing high levels of flu activity, and hospitalizations for influenza are well above their historical average. Although flu is only one of the infections typically seen among our students, the prevalence of a relatively virulent flu strain this season makes it a good time to think about the ways that course policies can help the Ohio University community stay healthier and reduce disruptions from illness.
The Athens Campus Care clinic in Hudson Heath Center will provide documentation for students as appropriate. A blue slip from Campus Care documents that the student was seen, while a white slip both indicates that the student was seen and is potentially contagious, and includes a recommendation for when the student should return to class or work. The medical staff at Campus Care will take into consideration the student’s medical condition, treatment, and risk of spreading viral or bacterial infection. Accepting this recommendation as an excused absence from class will help protect you and other students.
When possible, we ask that you accommodate absences for illness. As noted in the Faculty Handbook, “within their established attendance policies, instructors are expected to accommodate students returning to class after a legitimate absence,” which includes illness. When students with communicable diseases feel they must attend class or work despite their illness, this can increase risk to their classmates, peers, faculty, staff, and especially those with underlying medical conditions.
We also ask you to be as clear possible about your policy on medical absences, particularly under which circumstances a student needs to present documentation that she or he was seen by a medical provider. Please do not call Campus Care for verification of student illness or for a diagnosis. Medical privacy rules in HIPAA prohibit the staff from discussing a patient without prior written consent. If you have questions about a document presented by a student, please contact Campus Care at 740.592.7100 to verify information contained on the form.
Please enjoy a safe and healthy spring semester!
Sincerely,
Joe McLaughlin
Chair, Faculty Senate
Elizabeth Sayrs
Interim Executive Vice President and Provost