The Daily Bulletin Archive

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Buffalo State College’s emergency response planning group is closely monitoring reports of human cases ofinfluenza A (H1N1). Classes and activities will go on as scheduled this semester. Interim President Ponton, in consultation with the provost and vice presidents, will make any decisions regarding the cancellation of classes or campus activities should the need arise. Any such decision will be communicated broadly to faculty, staff, and students through e-mail and other communications.

Any decision regarding attendance by faculty and staff will be made based on input from Human Resource Management, SUNY, and the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations.

Recommendations to Faculty and Students
Those with flu-like illnesses are being advised to stay away from classes and limit interactions with other people (except to seek medical care) for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines.

Faculty are asked to consider altering policies on missed classes and examinations and late assignments so that students’ academic concerns do not prevent them from staying home when ill or prompt them to return to class or take examinations while still symptomatic and potentially infectious.

Similarly, faculty members are asked to consider revising student absenteeism policies that make it difficult for students to stay home to care for an ill family member.

Faculty members are asked to be flexible about requiring a doctor’s note to confirm illness or recovery. Doctor’s offices may be very busy and may not be able to provide such documentation in a timely way.

Distance learning or Web-based learning may help students maintain their academic work during the recommended period of self-separation.

Students are encouraged to establish a “flu buddy” system in which students pair up to care for each other if one or the other becomes ill. Additionally, staff can make daily contact by e-mail, text messaging, phone calls, or other methods with any students ill with the flu.

More information on the H1N1 virus is available from theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention and these Web sites:

www.ready.gov
www.pandemicflu.gov
www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html
www.acha.org/info_resources/pandemic_flu.cfm
www.buffalostate.edu/erpg/x457.xml
www.buffalostate.edu/weigel/x1935.xml
www.suny.edu/swineflu

Additional information is available from the New York State Department of Health hotline: (800) 808-1987.