When Flu Strikes

In light of concerns about how an outbreak of the H1N1 virus on our campus might affect the educational process, CTLT has compiled the following guidelines and resources for faculty. Each is designed to support your efforts to minimize the educational effects of such a disruption.

When You Must Stay Home

When You Must Stay Home

This document offers suggestions to help you plan ahead for times when you must stay home but still feel well enough to work.

Setting up Technology to Work from Home

These instructional guides (PC version, Mac version) will show you how to

set up remote access to your office computer,
use WebVPN to access your network shares,
and create “out of office” messages for e-mail and voice mail.

Using these options will allow you to work from home if you’re feeling well enough to do so.

Emergency Blackboard Course Template

We have created a simple Blackboard course template for times when you want to continue instruction but can’t be in class. This template includes a a group of basic instructional tools and is great for those who have never used Blackboard before. It also includes instructions to help you use the tools so you can master them quickly and minimize any disruption caused by your absence. To request this emergency Blackboard course template, please contact CTLT at 438-2542 or teachtech@ilstu.edu.

Communication Tools

This document identifies other communication tools that you may want to use when it’s not possible to continue teaching face-to-face.

If You’re Too Sick to Work

Naturally, no one expects you to continue teaching if you’re just too sick to do so! Please follow established departmental procedures when you need to cancel class or arrange for a colleague to teach in your place. You may also want to create “out of office” messages for your email and voice mail. This can even be done in advance so all you have to do if you’re feeling unwell is activate the messages you’ve already created.

When Students Must Stay Home

When Students Must Stay Home

This document offers suggestions to help with planning for days when a significant number of your students are absent.

Sample Flu-friendly Attendance Policy

In September, in response to the growing concerns about a potential severe outbreak, the University issued the following guidelines for class attendance and missed work policies:

Students will not be required to obtain a doctor’s note to confirm illness or recovery.
Policies on missed classes, exams and late assignments should not prevent students from staying home when ill or prompt them to return to class or take exams while still symptomatic and potentially infectious.

These sample attendance and missed work policies are intended as starting places – you should revise as necessary to make them your own and to reflect the needs of your students, your course, and your program.