Prevention and Control
“Communicable disease” means an infectious disease that is spread from person to person through casual contact, exposure to body fluids, or respiratory droplets. Examples of communicable diseases include, but are not limited to: tuberculosis (TB), measles, German measles (rubella), hepatitis, meningitis, influenza, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), norovirus, human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and exotic pathogens (e.g., Ebola and certain strains of influenza).
Students with communicable diseases may pose a threat to the health and safety of students and staff. In responding to such threats, the college will strive to maintain a balance between the need to control communicable diseases and the need to protect students’ legal rights. No student or employee shall knowingly expose students or other employees to a communicable disease.
Decisions regarding the educational status of students with communicable diseases generally will be made on a case-by-case basis in accordance with this policy and its administrative regulation. For all designated communicable diseases, the college will fully comply with all reporting, exclusion, and contact control measures required by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Navajo and Apache County Health Departments.
When college officials have sufficient reason to believe that a student or employee has contracted a communicable disease and that through transmission, there is potential harm and/or risk to other students and employees, the student or employee will be required to be evaluated by medical professionals at their expense within a designated time frame. Should the student or employee not follow through with a medical evaluation within the designated time frame, they will be removed from all college activities/responsibilities until medical evaluation is attained.
Students or employees who have a communicable disease shall be excluded from the college only if he or she presents a direct threat to the health or safety of others as determined by a medical evaluation, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and as required by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Navajo and Apache County Health Departments. Reasonable accommodation will be utilized when there is medical justification that the transmission of the disease is highly doubtful and/or the risk of further exposure or injury to other students and employees is improbable.
The right to privacy and confidentiality of any student or employee who has contracted a communicable disease will be respected. Employees and students must maintain the confidentiality of medical records and medical information pursuant to state and federal law. Disclosure of medical condition will only occur to the extent required to minimize the health risks to other students and employees. The President or designee will determine appropriate disclosure of information.
