This message was emailed to students, faculty, and staff on behalf of Vice President for Student Life Sarah Moschenross, Provost Laura McGrane, and Dean of Advising and Co-Curricular Programs Tim Cox.
Dear Lafayette Community,
We write to inform you of a recent surge in student illness on campus and to ask for the assistance of faculty and students in addressing it.
Cases of serious respiratory infections, especially influenza, are on the rise. As always, the staff at Bailey Health Center prioritizes patient care above administrative responsibilities during these busy periods of the semester. Therefore, we ask for help in tackling this situation as a community.
For faculty: Bailey Health Center will continue to issue a Dean’s Excuse for hospital admissions, surgery, missed exams, missed labs, and extended absences of three or more days. We ask faculty members who require Dean’s Excuses for all other health-related absences to suspend that practice until the end of the month. Faculty members maintain their attendance and participatory requirements in their course(s), and they have the authority to excuse a student for absences necessitated by sickness or emergencies if they so choose. Those who have significant concerns about a student’s absence should submit a Dean’s Review Form to the Office of Advising & Co-Curricular Programs. You can also reach out to Tim Cox or the Class Deans with further questions.
For students: Please use the good public health behaviors we all know well, taking special care to wash your hands frequently and use optional masking. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Student Life or other support systems as needed. We also ask that if students are unable to get a prompt appointment at Bailey Health Center they then temporarily seek support from other places. Local alternative resources include St. Luke’s Care Now, Patient First, Lehigh Valley Health Network, as well as personal insurance telehealth. St. Luke’s University Hospital offers virtual visits. In the event of an emergency, please call Public Safety.
We expect the surge in cases of influenza and other common respiratory infections to abate in the coming weeks, and we will resume normal protocols for communicating absence from classes when that occurs.
We thank you all for your flexibility and understanding as we get through this surge; these efforts have been tremendously helpful to Bailey Health Center and our students in the past.
Kind regards,
Sarah Moschenross, Vice President for Student Life
Laura McGrane, Provost
Tim Cox, Dean of Advising and Co-Curricular Programs