Notice of Student Need to Be Absent from Class Per University Public Health Guidelines

August 24, 2020

As of August 24, 2020, the Dean of Students Office - Office of Student Assistance, will be providing notice to relevant faculty of students who need to be absent from class per university public health guidelines. Such notice will be provided when: (1) a student in the faculty member’s class tests positive for COVID-19 and needs to follow CDC guidelines for isolation and (2) a student in the faculty member’s class is notified through contact tracing of exposure to a positive COVID-19 case and needs to follow CDC guidelines for quarantine.

This notification is considered private and confidential. Only university officials with a legitimate need to know this information will receive such notice. Faculty and university officials shall not forward, disclose, or otherwise disseminate this information. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Student Assistance.     

This notification process is not being utilized in cases where a student is directed not to attend class based on his/her/their responses to the ISU Symptom Checker or in cases where the student determines that they are not feeling well and will miss class. As explained more fully in August 5 and July 22 correspondence, in addition to supporting students who miss class due to the pandemic, faculty should actively encourage students who are not feeling well, or who are self-isolating, to stay home without penalty for their absence.

For the fall semester, compliance with public health recommendations (including self-isolating because of a positive COVID-19 test; waiting for a test result; or experiencing possible COVID-19 symptoms) will be considered a university excused absence. In some cases, students may need to temporarily leave the university for medical reasons to focus on their health. Department chairs and program directors should work with faculty to discuss and develop temporary approaches related to failing students who have accumulated significant absences. If students share any concerns with the Dean of Students Office or other office regarding absences or penalties for absences, they will be directed to the Academic Grievance process.