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Administrative policy regarding epidemic, pandemic and community health requirements
- Purpose. This policy is intended to provide Kent state university with the ability to take certain community health measures to respond to a public health emergency related to a transmittable disease, epidemic, and/or pandemic that may affect the health and safety of persons associated with Kent state university.
- Scope. This policy applies to all faculty, staff, students and student organizations while conducting any activities on or off campus (鈥渃ommunity members鈥) and to visitors of Kent state university while present at any university location.
- Implementation.
- Authority to establish health requirements. The president, in consultation with the university chief physician (鈥楿CP鈥), shall hold the authority to establish specific health requirements for community members and/or visitors appropriate to community health risks as recommended by the United States department of health and human services centers for disease control and prevention (鈥楥DC鈥) or the Ohio department of health. All community members of any campus of Kent state university shall be required to comply with all specific health requirements promulgated under this policy as may be prescribed by the president pursuant to an identified community health risk. The president will communicate via electronic mail to community members all specific health requirements promulgated under this policy. All specific health requirements will also be posted on the Kent state university website to provide notice to visitors of the specific health requirements that are applicable to their visit.
- Modifications or rescission of specific health requirements. The president shall hold the authority to modify or rescind any previously established specific health requirements for community members and/or visitors. The president or the UCP will communicate any modifications or rescissions of all specific health requirements promulgated under this policy via electronic mail to Kent state university faculty, staff, and students. Modifications and rescissions will also be posted on the Kent state university website to provide notice to visitors of the specific health requirements that are applicable to their visit.
- Public health orders. In the event that the Ohio department of health or other authorities with jurisdiction under Ohio law issue orders, directives or other mandatory guidance (for example, public health orders signed by the director of the Ohio department of health) that imposes restrictions upon or mandates certain actions by members of the university community and/or visitors that are similar to the matters addressed or promulgated by this policy, it is the intention of this policy that the more stringent restriction or requirement apply. To the extent that there is a conflict between a public health order and any provision of this policy, the public health order will control.
- Actions. Each person within the Kent state university community shall be required to comply with this policy and all specific health requirements promulgated under this policy. Failure of community members to comply with this policy and established requirements may result in disciplinary action under the code of student conduct or the employee disciplinary process, as may be applicable. Visitors found in noncompliance with this policy may be prohibited from remaining on or returning to campus.
- Exemptions. All requests for exemptions from this policy must be in writing and provided to the appropriate office as provided herein.
- Medical exemption from the temporary health requirement may be granted upon submission to university health services of a licensed physician鈥檚 statement that the community member has a valid contraindication to the health requirement.
- Religious exemption from the health requirement may be granted if a student aged eighteen or older (or parent/guardian if student is under eighteen years of age), submits a signed religious exemption form to university health services.
Policy Effective Date:
Jul 01, 2021
Policy Prior Effective Dates:
11/1/2020