Student Sick in Class? The Faculty Member’s Role in Reporting
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Thursday, September 24, 2020
A Message from Amy Bosley, Vice President, Organizational Development and Human Resources
You think a student in your in-person class may be ill or came in contact with someone who is ill. What should you do? As a faculty member, you play an important role in ensuring Valencia College’s protocols for illness reporting are followed in order to keep you and our students safe.
When Should an Illness Be Reported?
An illness must be reported to Valencia College’s COVID-19 case manager if:
- The daily health assessment indicates the student should stay home or seek medical care;
- A student tests positive for COVID-19;
- A student comes into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus; or
- A student is providing care for someone with COVID-19.
If you become aware of one of the situations above, immediately ask the student to leave campus and email Valencia College’s COVID-19 Case Manager Tanya Mahan at COVIDillness@valenciacollege.edu.
Your Role in Reporting the Student’s Illness
Once the student departs the classroom, your role is not complete. Next — even if the student reports — please contact Valencia College’s COVID-19 Case Manager Tanya Mahan with the student’s name at COVIDillness@valenciacollege.edu or 407-582-3047.
What Happens Next?
After reporting the illness, the COVID-19 case manager, with the support of Organizational Development and Human Resources, will direct the person who is ill on quarantine or isolation procedures as needed, as well as connect him or her with additional resources and support services.
The College has resources in place to support students, including COVID-19 testing and S.O.S. mini-grants to assist those with food insecurity due to a Valencia-recommended quarantine. As these mini-grants are usually only available once in a student’s time at Valencia, in this case, students would be eligible for one additional S.O.S. mini-grant.
Following the initial contact with the COVID-19 case manager and the student, contact-tracing protocols will initiate based on when the person was on campus, what activities the person participated in, who was in close contact with the individual and what rooms or spaces the person visited.
Returning to Campus
The COVID-19 case manager will provide authorization and clearance for the student to return to campus and notify faculty members and deans when the student is able to return to campus for in-person instruction and on the proper protocols.
Working together, we can have a safe and successful on-campus experience for our students and employees.
For questions on illness reporting and contact-tracing, click here. For additional questions on COVID-19 and COVID-19 procedures, please email COVIDillness@valenciacollege.edu or contact Tanya Mahan at 407-582-3047.
