Jefferson
H1N1 Influenza Information for Faculty
For Students
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For Parents
As an institution dedicated to healthcare, Thomas Jefferson University must be at the forefront of prevention while it remains at the vanguard of education. H1N1 influenza promises to provide a unique challenge to our campus this semester. As you know, the H1N1 virus will likely affect more people than the seasonal flu and may lead to disruptions in teaching and research on campus. Widespread illness on campus may prevent us from fulfilling our mission as easily as we have in the past. It is important that you follow some common sense practices.
If You Become Ill
The first step in fighting the flu is for you, if you become ill with flu-like symptoms, to stay at home. Do not return to work or other public places until you are fever free (without medications) for more than 24 hours. (Caregivers are being advised by the CDC to stay home for seven days.) If you feel well enough to work, you should do so from home, using Blackboard tools to communicate with students in their classes and/or to conduct classes remotely.
Plan Ahead!
Create a plan to limit disruption of classes if you develop influenza-like illness, if many students are absent from class, miss an exam, or if classes must be cancelled in the event of a severe outbreak. Develop plans to manage your laboratory or office if you or your staff becomes ill.
Student Illnesses & Absences
Consider altering policies on missed classes, examinations and late assignments so that students’ academic concerns will not prompt them to return to class or take examinations while still symptomatic and potentially infectious. Requesting notification of absence prior to the missed class is still appropriate. Of course, students must complete all course requirements in order to receive course credit. As student absences warrant, please consider the ways that sick students will be able to complete the semester’s work.
Students who develop flu-like illness will be told by University Health Service (UHS) not to attend class or exams and to contact instructors to make arrangements to make up all course work. Students advised by UHS to stay home will be given a note to present to their instructors for an excused absence. This note will identify the date that the student was seen and the estimated time away from class.
Students who miss class for more than a week will be told to contact their school or program advising office.
Your Research
To maintain continuity in your research, you should make plans in the event you were unavailable to direct a research project for a significant period of time, if graduate students or staff were unavailable, or if essential equipment were inoperative due to the absence of key members of the research team.
In the Event of Severe Pandemic
At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health are not recommending that educational institutions suspend classes or cancel events. However, it is possible that public health officials will recommend that Jefferson suspend normal operations in order to limit the spread of influenza.
If normal operations are suspended, we will notify you of this change via our Intranet sites, e-mail and JeffALERT our Emergency Notification System that can send out alerts through text messaging, voicemail and e-mail to numerous devices such as cellular phones, landline phones, and PDAs. University faculty can visit our JeffALERT web site to learn how to update your contact information so you can receive these communications.
You may also check the University’s Operational Status by viewing this site’s home page on the top right hand column.
Latest Info
UNIVERSITY STATUS
The University is open and operating normally.
All students, faculty and staff with flu-like symptoms are urged to remain out of class, the library, offices and other public places. You may resume normal activity only after being fever free for 24 hours (without medication). This applies to those WITHOUT patient care responsibilities.
For up-to-the-minute information about influenza, please see the Centers for Disease Control web site.
For up-to-the-minute information about the Philadelphia area please see the Philadelphia Department of Public Health web site.
For the latest case count in Pennsylvania, please visit the PA Department of Health web site.
STAFF & FACULTY
Inquiries about international travel should be directed to the Office of International Affairs at (215) 503-4335.
