Message from President West: Temporary Attendance Policy Amendments for Student-Athletes in Light of Respiratory Illness
March 4, 2020
Dear Huntingdon Family,
As you know, Huntingdon’s attendance policy states that, in order for a student-athlete to be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics, s/he must not miss more than 25% of the meetings of a particular class, regardless of the reason for missing the class. In light of the spread of respiratory illnesses during this flu season, Huntingdon College has determined that it is in the best interest of all members of the College family for students who are exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness to limit contact with others. Therefore, Huntingdon is amending the attendance policy to remove absences related to documented respiratory illness from the computation of the percentage of absences for the purpose of determining eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics.
Please note that, in order for an absence to be excused in accordance with the policy amendment, a student MUST visit the Office of Student Health Services in order to obtain or provide medical documentation. The attendance system has been updated to include a designation specific to this temporary amendment. The absence type related to respiratory illness can only be inputted by the Office of Student Health Services based on supporting documentation generated from or received by that office. If you are ill and live in campus housing, you must make an appointment with the Office of Student Health Services by emailing studenthealth@hawks.huntingdon.edu. If you are ill and you commute to campus or have returned home for the duration of your illness, you must make an appointment with the Office of Student Health Services to present documentation from your physician or clinic upon your return to campus.
In order to prevent the spread of illness, please:
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before eating, after using the bathroom, and after sneezing, blowing your nose, or coughing.
Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
Sanitize surfaces that are frequently touched in your residence hall room or common areas.
Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then discard the tissue.
Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Do not share utensils, cups, plates, and other items that can transmit saliva.
Please direct any questions to the Office of Student Health Services at studenthealth@hawks.huntingdon.edu.
Be well, Hawks!
J. Cameron West
President of the College
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