Guidelines on Communicable Diseases

Juniata College will make decisions regarding communicable diseases based on the best available information and professional judgment on a case-by-case basis. The College remains open to re-examination of the issues as more information becomes available.

The following will guide decisions for persons who have contracted a communicable disease:

1. A team of College administrators, directed by the Dean of Students, shall be responsible for institutional decisions relative to any person with a communicable disease who is known to us and is part of, or has applied to become part of, the College community. This group shall rely heavily on advice and information from the Disease Control Center.
   
2. "Current knowledge indicates that students or employees with AIDS, ARC, or a positive HIV antibody test do not pose a health risk to other students or employees in an academic setting (AIDS on the College Campus, 1986, p. 2)." Therefore, as a general rule, such persons should not be segregated from their normal involvement in the College community.
   
3. Decisions about housing students with HIV infection will be made on a case-by-case basis.
   
   "The best currently available medical information does not indicate any risk to those sharing residence with infected individuals. There may, however, be in some circumstances reasonable concern for the health of students with immune deficiencies (of any origin) when those students might be exposed to certain contagious diseases (e.g. measles or chickenpox) in a close living situation" (AIDS on the College Campus Update, 1988).
   

   *The College reserves the right to assign students with immune deficiencies to private rooms in order to protect the health of the immune deficient students not necessarily to protect other students from them
   
   

4. Such persons may be required to submit to regular monitoring and medical attention to maintain an up-to-date record of their condition.
   

5. Such persons' names shall not be disclosed to the public unless it is the desire of the person to have such information known.
   
6. The College may require, in certain circumstances, that such persons disclose his or her medical condition to others with whom he or she might have especially close contact (e.g. residence hall roommate).
   
7. The College shall provide to the College community up-to-date information and educational programming with regards to the AIDS virus.
   
8. In certain situations, Juniata may find it necessary to separate an affected student from the College in order to protect the health and safety of the College community.
   These guidelines will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to assure information and procedures are kept current.