Public health experts predict that the highly contagious H1N1 virus will re-emerge this fall, with cases occurring as early as September in the U.S. Students and other young people - those age 24 and under - are especially susceptible to contracting H1N1. While most people who have been sick have recovered without needing medical treatment, hospitalizations and deaths from H1N1 have occurred. Our goal, aligned with public health recommendations, is to do everything possible to minimize the impact of a public health emergency on campus.

Course instructors this fall are strongly encouraged to implement the following recommendations regarding H1N1 influenza:

  1. Incorporate reasonable and flexible policies regarding student absences (due to illness) from classes, labs, or studio courses. The university will encourage students who are experiencing flu symptoms to stay home and follow the CDC's self-isolation guidelines. The CDC currently recommends that people with flu-like illness remain at home at least 24 hours after they are fever-free (without the aid of fever-reducing medications). A fever is defined as 100 degrees F or higher. In most cases, that means an absence of three to five days.
  2. Establish and announce reasonable policies, timelines, and mechanisms through which students can inform you that they are experiencing flu symptoms without the potentially infected student visiting you personally because of the contagious nature of the virus.
  3. Provide students with a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work to enable them to complete a successful semester.
  4. Do not expect to receive a health care provider's certification that a student has had the flu. It is impractical and unreasonable to expect that health care resources can be devoted to providing such documentation.
  5. Consider augmenting in-class presentations with web-based resources that can provide valuable learning enhancements for all students and that will be available to students who are unable to attend class because of flu symptoms.
  6. Instructors who are experiencing flu symptoms should also follow the CDC's self-isolation guidelines and should not be present in their classrooms, labs, studios, or offices during their illness. It is best to rest and stay home, away from others, if you are ill.
  7. Make a systematic effort to be well informed regarding the occurrence and status of H1N1 influenza on our campus and be responsive to recommendations that are provided as the semester progresses. Because no one yet knows how virulent the H1N1 virus will be this fall, and because public health recommendations are subject to change, we ask that you watch for H1N1 information and updates on the ISU website or refer to the Thielen Student Health Center page at http://www.health.iastate.edu/.

    We recognize that widespread flu on our campus has the potential to create significant stress among our students, faculty, and staff. We request that you make reasonable efforts to enable students to successfully complete their classes this semester while also encouraging appropriate personal measures to help minimize the spread of the disease.

    Thus far most cases of H1N1 influenza have been mild and the duration of illness has been relatively short. We hope that will continue to be the case at ISU this fall, and that your personal and our institutional efforts to mitigate the impact of the disease will be effective.