Clarification needed on administration’s emails? Let us break it down for you
Worried about whether you will be penalized for missing class? Worried that you’ll catch something due to coming to class since you are worried about possible deductions? Here are the valid reasons your absences will be excused. We would like to reiterate that this information is available in emails sent to your @wcsu.edu accounts as well as in the Emergency Management updates located on WCSU’s website.
How to Properly Excuse your Absence
- Identify whether you are experiencing any symptom listed below regardless of whether you are diagnosed or not
- Email your Professor(s) as soon as possible about your absence
- Include Provost Alexander’s email which states to stay home and inform Health Services (copy of email is at the end of this post)
Absence Not Excused?
- Follow up with your professor(s) with the reason for not excusing your absence
- If absence is unexcused for lack of documentation or classroom absence policy, contact your department chair
- If the department chair does not yield results, follow up with contacting in the following order: Dean of Academic School and then Provost
- If you are still concerned, contact SGA President, Paul Horkan, at sgapres@wcsu.edu
Symptoms
| COVID-19 | Flu |
| – Fever* or feeling feverish/chills – Cough – Shortness of breath | – Fever* or feeling feverish/chills – Cough – Sore throat – Runny or stuffy nose – Muscle or body aches – Headaches – Fatigue (tiredness) – Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults. |
*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
Reporting your Symptoms
If you have flu-like symptoms, you should not come to campus. This is instruction from Provost Alexander. Email Dawn Lipke of WCSU Health Services (lipked@wcsu.edu).
Provost Alexander’s Email:
Dear WCSU Community,
In our earlier message regarding preparing for COVID-19, we asked that if you have flu-like symptoms you a) stay home and b) inform us. Today, we would like to clarify that process.
First, the regular flu (not COVID-19) is still in full swing in our area.
Typical symptoms of the regular flu include:
Fever and/or chills, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Not everyone experiences all symptoms, but these are typical. Here is the link to the CDC page to help you distinguish the flu from a cold. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/symptoms.htm
We will be hosting a flu clinic on March 10, 2020, from 1:00-2:30 in Health Services, if you have not gotten a vaccine already.
Symptoms for COVID-19 typically include:
Fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
There is not yet a vaccine or any treatment of this. It should be noted that, so far, it does not seem to show up like a cold or allergies. The main impact seems to be in the lungs. Here is the link to the CDC page for more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html.
For colds, flu, and COVID-19, the best practices are the same:
Stay home if you have a fever, wash your hands with soap frequently, use an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer if you cannot wash your hands, and cover your mouth with a tissue or your sleeve if you need to cough or sneeze.
Reporting process:
If you have flu-like symptoms, faculty, staff, and students should not come to campus. We ask that you do stay home, but also do let us know if you have flu-like symptoms. For WCSU employees, please inform Fred Cratty (crattyf@wcsu.edu) in Human Resources. For students, please inform WCSU Health Services (lipked@wcsu.edu). When you send us an email, we will send you a brief questionnaire so we can monitor any emerging trends, and provide additional instruction as needed.
Thank you all for your attention. Let’s stay healthy,
Missy Alexander, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Keith Betts, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Affairs