The College is committed to providing a healthful environment for all students and employees. In fulfilling that commitment, the institution shall continue to seek the guidance of appropriate medical, legal, and governmental authorities when addressing concerns and issues of communicable diseases.

Communicable diseases include, but are not limited to, measles, influenza, viral hepatitis-A (infectious hepatitis), viral hepatitis-B (serum hepatitis), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection), sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis. For the purposes of this policy, the term “HIV infection” shall include AIDS-Related Complex (ARC), and a positive test for the antibody to human immunodeficiency virus.

The College’s 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 alternatives for responding to a student or employee with a communicable disease.

The College shall not discriminate in employment or enrollment against any employee or student solely on the grounds that the employee or student has a communicable disease. The College reserves the right to exclude a person with a communicable disease from College facilities, programs, and functions, if the College determines that the restriction is necessary for the welfare of the person who has the communicable disease and/or the welfare of the other members of the College’s community.

The College shall comply with all pertinent statutes and regulations which protect the privacy of persons in the College community who have a communicable disease. The College shall ensure that procedural safeguards sufficient to maintain the strictest confidence about persons who have HIV infection are in effect in all offices of the College.

At the time it is deemed necessary, a campus communicable disease task force shall gather the latest information and develop and maintain a comprehensive education program about the issue for members of the College community. Any program shall address, among other things, current medical opinions about the nature of the issue and its symptoms, methods of transmission, types of behavior which increase the risk of transmission, and preventive measures for avoiding infection. 

The task force membership shall include but is not limited to the following positions:

• Vice President for Student Services,
• Student Health Services Manager,
• The College microbiology instructor,
• Director of Counseling,
• Custodial Grounds Supervisor,
• Vice President for College Relations,
• Student Senate President.

I. Communicable Disease Procedure
The purpose of this document is to outline how individually identified cases of communicable diseases shall be evaluated and handled.

1. Case Evaluations

1. 1. The Vice President for Administrative Services and Finance (for staff), Vice President for Academic Affairs (for faculty), or the Vice President for Student Services (for students) may require a medical release from a physician, if an employee or student is suspected of having a communicable disease.
   2. Each case of a communicable disease shall be evaluated individually by the person’s private physician.
   3. Class or work attendance shall not be limited, as long as the person’s attending physician determines that he or she is physically able to continue attendance and does not pose an active threat to other students and employees.
   4. Recommendations concerning continued enrollment of students, or employment of employees, shall be made by the physician to the College President.
   5. Appeals shall be governed by the formal grievance procedure.
   6. All inquiries from the media shall be referred to the Vice President for College Relations.

Adopted 10/10/1988
Revised & Adopted 03/11/2013