Skip to content
Texas A&M University Logo - aTm

Campus Safety & Emergency Procedures

Influenza Information

For Deans and Department Heads

Message to Department Heads - September 24, 2009

September 10, 2009

To: Deans and Department Heads

We are entering what is expected to be a very active flu season. Tomorrow, I will be sending an email message to all faculty members providing some principles for how faculty members can best prepare for the flu season and associated possible disruption of instruction.

I am emailing you to ask that you begin thinking about how your college or department will meet the challenges posed by a significant outbreak of flu on the Texas A&M campus. Here are a few items I would like you to consider.

  • We may not be able to follow established rules for excused absences. The CDC is advising universities to instruct students not to attend class if they experience symptoms, such as fever, a cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, or fatigue. However, the strategy of isolation presents problems when it comes to students being able to obtain verification of a medical absence. As an option, Student Health Services is posting a form on its website, titled "Explanatory Statement for Absence from Class for Influenza-like Illness." (PDF) This form will be considered as sufficient documentation for class absences related to influenza-like illness. If you would like to use this form as documentation, you may direct your students to the Student Health Services website at http://shs.tamu.edu/. Students need to know that they will not be penalized if they act responsibly. Because the self-isolation period should be 3-5 days, most students will be able to make up the work missed.
  • We have been asked to keep track of the number of absences attributed to flu. Please devise a system for your faculty members to report absences to departmental administration. We are developing a process for collecting this information from the departments and will communicate that process to you as soon as possible.
  • Urge your faculty to consider how they can best help students make-up missed classes, exams, or assignments.
  • Faculty and staff who experience flu symptoms will be encouraged not to come to work. You may already have a plan on how to cover teaching responsibilities, but you might consider expanding it to cover the contingency of having more than one instructor absent at the same time. Similarly, planning for the absence of critical staff would be advisable.
  • Faculty who have vital facilities or research work that could be affected by a decision to ask staff and faculty to remain at home need to review their contingency protocols and emergency plans.
  • Make a point of being informed about flu-related developments on campus and be familiar with the resources that exist to help students and their parents. Regular communication on the status of H1N1 flu will be posted on the university's emergency preparedness website at http://www.tamu.edu/emergency/procedures/flu.html.

In addition to the CDC recommendations, you may want to look at some recent articles that provide information about how influenza planning is proceeding at other institutions.

Your assistance in helping the university to prepare for a possible flu outbreak is greatly appreciated.

Karan L. Watson
Interim Provost and
Executive Vice President for Academics