Introduction

The Communicable Disease Plan of Surry Community College is an effort to ensure the health and safety of all employees and students. Communicable diseases include, but are not limited to:

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS),
• Chicken Pox,
• Hepatitis A, B, and D,
• Measles,
• Tuberculosis,
• Meningitis,
• Mononucleosis,
• Whooping Cough,
• Conjunctivitis,
• Influenza,
• Positive HIV Antibody Status, and
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Faculty, staff, students, and employees of contractors or contracted services infected with a communicable disease have the responsibility of reporting this fact to the Vice President of Administrative Services, the Vice President for Student Development Services, the Vice President for Curriculum Programs, or the Vice President of Corporate and Continuing Education.

Procedures

• Persons who know or have a reasonable basis for believing that they are infected with a communicable disease have an ethical and legal obligation to conduct themselves in accordance with such knowledge to protect themselves and others.

• Faculty, staff, and students are urged to report information to the appropriate vice president. All information shall remain confidential.

• Only persons who need to know in order to maintain the systematic administration of the Surry Community College will be informed, and only with the direct knowledge of the employee or student.

• Surry Community College will make every effort to respond to the health and educational needs of persons who have or may have a communicable disease.

• Persons infected with a communicable disease shall not be excluded from enrollment or employment or restricted in their access to Surry Community College’s services or facilities, unless medically-based judgments in individual cases establish that exclusion or restriction is necessary to assure the protection and welfare of the individual or other members of the college community.

• The assessment of action concerning a college employee or employee of a contractor or contracted services with a suspected communicable disease and the final determination of that employee’s remaining on the job shall be made by the President based upon recommendations from the local health authorities and after consultation with the appropriate school official.

• If an employee or employee of a contractor or contracted services is found to have a communicable disease, the President, upon recommendation from health authorities, may prohibit attendance or participation in work at the college until a letter or certificate is obtained from one or more licensed physicians and/or public health officials stating that the attendance of the person no longer constitutes a health risk to that employee, other employees, and students at the college.

• If a student is found to have a communicable disease, the President may prohibit attendance at the college until a letter or certificate is obtained from one or more licensed physicians and/or public health officials stating that the attendance of the student no longer constitutes a health risk to that student, other students, and employees at the college.

• No person, group, agency, insurer, employer, or institution should be provided any medical information without the prior specific written consent of a student or employee unless required by state and/or federal law. Furthermore, all medical information relating to the communicable diseases of students and employees will be kept confidential according to the state and federal law.