The College of Staten Island is committed to the safety, health, and wellness of all its members. Our team of administrators and health professionals has been working closely with CUNY all summer to plan for the upcoming flu season, including the H1N1 flu virus.
CSI is purchasing and will install hand sanitizing dispensers in buildings throughout campus, including all classrooms and computer labs. In addition, sanitizing wipes will be made available in each computer lab for wiping down keyboards.
There are also some basic hygiene practices that health officials urge everyone to practice:
· Good hand hygiene
· Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze
· Cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder if you do not have a tissue
· Throw used tissues in the trash can
· Stay home when you are sick
· Avoid contact with sick persons
According to health officials, most individuals who are sick with an influenza virus will not need to see a doctor. Those who are ill with flu should remain home for 24 hours after they have had no fever and have not taken any medication that lowered their temperature.
Seasonal Flu
A faculty and staff seasonal flu vaccine clinic will be available on Thursday, Oct. 8 at the CSI Health Center (Campus Center [Building 1C], Room 112) from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Through the Visiting Nurses’ Association Corporate Flu and Pneumonia Prevention Program, nurses will be administering the flu and pneumonia vaccines to all interested faculty and staff. The cost of the seasonal flu vaccine is $30 and the cost of the pneumonia vaccine is $40. Medicare-eligible persons can present the Medicare Part B card as payment. Non-Medicare-eligible persons must pay the fee either with cash or by check. Please contact the Health Center at 718.982.3045 to reserve your seasonal flu vaccine and/or pneumonia dose.
H1N1
While the H1N1 virus appears no more severe than most seasonal flu, it is particularly easy to transmit and does seem to occur more frequently in children and young adults. The vaccine for H1N1 is not yet available–the FDA is currently working with manufacturers, international partners, and other government agencies to facilitate the availability of a safe and effective vaccine against the H1N1 influenza virus. Click Here to visit the CSI Website for updates.
Flu-Related Practices (for all staff and faculty members)
If you are suffering from the flu or flu-like symptoms, please do not come to work.
For CSI Faculty
Affected faculty members should contact their department chair to see if their classes can be covered. Alternative means of communication with students may be necessary. Those faculty who are using Blackboard will be able to continue using it as a means of communication with their students. For those faculty who are not using Blackboard, please think of other ways to facilitate exchanges with students–for example, sending materials and assignments to students via email. Faculty should discuss this possibility with their classes and ask students to submit an email address at which they can be contacted, should the situation arise.
Please inform students if they are suffering from flu or flu-like symptoms that they are to stay home. If students appear to be suffering from flu or flu-like symptoms, please ask them to go home. This may require faculty members to be flexible with attendance policies, missed quizzes and exams, and other deadlines. While we do not want to penalize students for exercising good judgment by staying home, they should be instructed to let their instructors know that they will miss an exam or other assignment at the earliest possible time, prior to the due date whenever possible.
Health organizations are currently not recommending that individuals with the flu seek out a doctor’s care unless the symptoms are severe or persist for more than five days. Thus, if a student has missed class because of the flu, please realize that requiring a doctor’s note from the student upon his/her return may be unrealistic.
The challenges that this flu season may present can create a situation that is not an ideal for any instructor. It requires sensitivity to both academic standards and to issues impacting the health and well-being of you, your students, and the campus community. I appreciate your cooperation and dedication during what may be a difficult set of circumstances. Collegiality and effective communication will see us through these times.
For more information, please contact the Health Center at 718.982.3045 or Click Here to visit the CDC Website.
