Office of the Vice President for Student Services

H1N1 Virus - Plans and Precautions

Dear SUU Parents,

As you may know, a flu virus can be spread easily from person to person.  This year, considering the heightened risk of the H1N1 flu strain, we are taking steps before the winter season is upon us to prevent the spread of the flu virus at Southern Utah University. Our success largely depends upon your students, and we ask for your help in encouraging them to stay informed and act responsibly concerning health matters this school year.

Throughout the flu season, we will work closely with local and state health agencies to monitor flu conditions on campus and make decisions to keep our students, faculty and staff as healthy as circumstances allow. We will keep our community updated with pertinent information via the SUU website. In the meantime, we ask for your support as we work to keep the spread of illness from interrupting your son or daughter’s SUU experience.

We have corresponded with all students via email and the mySUU portal and have advised them of simple actions they can take to stay healthy and help stop the spread of the flu virus.  The letter to students can be found online by following on the H1N1 link found on our homepage.  If your student has not yet seen this letter, please encourage him/her to click on the homepage link and view it. We ask that you use the information contained in the letter to help you, your family and your student stay healthy this winter.

If this year’s flu season becomes more severe, we may take the following additional steps to prevent the spread of the virus:

• Allow students, faculty and staff at higher risk for complications to stay home.  These students, faculty and staff should make this decision in consultation with their health care provider.
• Find ways to increase social distances (the space between people) in classrooms such as moving desks further apart, leaving empty seats between students, holding outdoor classes, minimizing or eliminating large social gatherings and using distance learning methods. We will also be strongly encouraging self-isolation for those who exhibit symptoms.
• Extend the time sick students, faculty or staff stay home or in their residence. CDC information indicates that during severe flu conditions sick people should stay home for at least 7 days, even if they feel better sooner. Those who are still sick after 7 days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have gone away.
• Suspend classes.  This decision will be made together with local and state public health officials. The length of time classes should be suspended will depend on the goal of suspending classes as well as the severity and extent of illness. This is an unlikely scenario and one we would only consider if advised by state public health officials.

We will keep you and your students apprised of any such decisions as the need arises. If you have general questions about the steps the University is taking, please call Student Services at 435.586.7710. If you have a health-related inquiry, please refer to our H1N1 website as noted above or call the SUU Student Health Clinic at 435.586.7718.

Thank you in advance for your help and cooperation.