Influenza:
Dr. Vanessa Britto, the Health Service Director, and Catherine Collins, Director of Health Promotion, gave an update on the H1N1 virus on campus and gave recommendations for student self-care. Presence of the H1N1 influenza virus is indicated by a body temperature greater than 100 degrees farenheit in addition to sore throat, stuffy nose, and body aches. There is no completely reliable test for the virus.
The Center for Disease Control recommends that testing not be done but presence of the virus must be presumed when individuals fill the stated criteria. When a student on campus is a presumed case, they are asked to self-isolate and wear a surgical mask when leaving their room. Isolation helps students focus on getting better and will hopefully minimize the spread of the virus. Health Services is talking with distributors about getting vaccines for both the H1N1 flu virus as well as the other, seasonal influenza strain. They hope to be able to offer the vaccines for free. Students are reminded to take care of themselves by getting plenty of sleep, eating well, drinking fluids, and allowing themselves time to pause during the day.
Self-Scheduled Exams:
It is currently still being determined which courses will be offering scheduled exams and who will be administering the exams. Students expressed concern because some people have already scheduled plane tickets home and scheduled exams might not fit into their schedule. It was also expressed that some students see the greater number of scheduled exams as an example of budget cuts entering into academics and this worries them. It appears that the student body supports keeping self-scheduled exams as they have been in the past, and that many professors support the continuing existence of self-scheduled exams. Dean John O'Keefe reported that one current idea is that if a professor chooses to give a self-scheduled exam that they commit to helping to make that possible.
Political Science Majors' Council:
The Political Science Majors' Council (PSMC) serves as a liaison between students and faculty members. They organize events for Political Science majors and for those interested in political science and national affairs. Currently the council is focused on helping students to get to know professors which they will do in the future with an evening event at the pub. They are also spreading information about the "Wintersession in Washington" program from Jan. 13 to Jan. 22 of 2010 in Washington, DC.
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