Communicable Diseases and Viruses

Purpose:

To mitigate the spread of communicable diseases at the college.

Definitions:

Communicable disease: an infectious disease and/or virus that is spread from person to person through casual contact or respiratory droplets, which may lead to an epidemic or pandemic situation and threaten the health of the campus community. These diseases include but are not limited to tuberculosis (TB), measles or German measles (rubella), certain strains of hepatitis and meningitis as well as SARS, COVID-19 and certain strains of influenza. Other potentially less serious infectious diseases, such as chicken pox and pneumonia, will be addressed on a case-bycase basis.

Communicable disease of public health threat: an illness of public health significance, as determined by the State Health Commissioner, caused by a specific or suspected infectious agent that may be transmitted directly or indirectly from one individual to another.

Pandemic: an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population.

Policy:

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) is committed to providing, to the extent possible, a healthy and safe educational environment for all students and employees. Decisions involving persons who have communicable diseases shall be based on current and well-informed medical judgments concerning the disease, the risks of transmitting the illness to others, the symptoms and special circumstances of each individual who has a communicable disease, and a careful weighing of the identified risks and the available alternative for responding to a student or employee with a communicable disease. As such, the college sets forth the following parameters and procedures in order to ensure the health and safety of the community.

Students

1. Students who know or suspect that they are, or that another member of the community is infected with a contagious disease, must notify the Office of Student Affairs.

2. The dean of students or his/her designee(s) may require that the student stays home in order to prevent the spread of the contagious disease.

3. Students will need to meet with a physician or the Virginia Department of Health in order to determine a diagnosis and recommended courses of action. Documentation from the physician or Department of Health must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs confirming that the student may return to campus before the student is allowed to return to classes.

4. The Office of Student Affairs will work with all faculty to ensure that the student will have the benefit of completing assignments and exams during the time missed due to illness.

5. In the event that a student must refrain from attending classes for the term, he/she will have to comply with the applicable policies, which include Reynolds Policy 1-02, Tuition Refunds; Reynolds Policy 1-07, Incomplete “I” Grade; and/or Reynolds Policy 1-10, Student Initiated Withdrawal from a Course(s). The appeal of grade decisions shall be made in compliance with Reynolds Policy 1-12, Student Appeal of Academic and/or Administrative Decisions.

6. Failure to comply with the provisions of this policy may subject the student to Reynolds Policy 1-35, Student Conduct.

7. Student records related to the incident shall be protected under Reynolds Policy 1-26, Student Privacy and Release of Student Information.

Faculty and staff

1. Full-time or part-time faculty and/or staff members who know or suspect that they are infected with a contagious disease must immediately notify their supervisor and the Office of Human Resources of the illness.

2. Before returning to the college, the faculty or staff member must present written documentation from his/her treating physician or primary care provider indicating that he/she is medically cleared (i.e., is no longer infectious to others) and is able to return to work as of a specified date. This information must be presented to the Office of Human Resources and the respective supervisor.

3. Faculty and staff members must follow all policies and procedures pertaining to sick leave and supervisor notification with regard to their status.

4. Supervisors have the authority to send employees home if they do not comply with this policy. Employees will be required to use their personal leave balances if they are sent home. Failure to follow a supervisor’s directive is considered insubordination and is subject to formal disciplinary action under Department of Human Resource Management’s (DHRM) Policy 1.60, Standards of Conduct; or VCCS Policy 3.12, Faculty Sanctions.

5. In accordance with DHRM Policy 4.52, Public Health Emergency Leave, if the State Health Commissioner and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia declare a communicable disease of public health threat, the policy permits or requires faculty and staff to attend to the medical needs of themselves and immediate family members, and up to eighty (80) hours of paid leave, per leave year, may be used.

6. The faculty or staff’s supervisor should immediately contact the director of facilities or the manager of facilities to determine whether the impacted area is to be cleaned/treated or needs specialized cleaning.

7. Faculty or staff who fail to follow this policy may be subject to formal disciplinary action.

Other provisions

1. In the event of a pandemic, the college will follow the Academic Plan for the Continuity of Instruction in the Event of a Pandemic. The college will inform the community of all steps to take through its Crisis Communication Plan.

2. All medical information relating to contagious diseases of students, employees, or other college community members will be kept confidential, in accordance with applicable state and federal law. Medical information relating to contagious diseases of persons within the college community will only be disclosed to responsible college officials on a need-to-know basis.

Procedures:

N/A

Other Information:

VCCS Policy 3.12, Faculty Sanctions

DHRM Policy 1.60, Standards of Conduct

DHRM Policy 4.52, Public Health Emergency Leave

Academic Plan for the Continuity of Instruction in the Event of a Pandemic

Crisis Communication Plan

Reynolds Policy 1-02, Tuition Refunds

Reynolds Policy 1-07, Incomplete “I” Grade

Reynolds Policy 1-10, Student Initiated Withdrawal from a Course(s)

Reynolds Policy 1-12, Student Appeal of Academic and/or Administrative Decisions

Reynolds Policy 1-26, Student Privacy and Release of Student Information

Reynolds Policy 1-35, Student Conduct