Staff HR Policy D-705.00
Institutional Effectiveness Criterion: Culture

Communicable Diseases Policy

It is the policy of Northwestern Michigan College to provide awareness and education to students, faculty, and staff regarding serious communicable diseases. Further it shall be institutional policy to analyze and respond to each case as required by its own particular facts.

1. The president or the president's designee, acting under the guidelines of the Department of Public Health and the appropriate Federal guidelines, will take any necessary action in dealing with a serious communicable disease that threatens to affect the Northwestern Michigan College community.
2. In the event that a student and/or employee contracts an infectious disease, it is the intent of the College to strike a balance between the right of a student and/or employee having an infectious disease to an education and/or continued employment and the right of students and College employees to be free from the risk of exposure to an infectious disease which may affect their health, safety and/or welfare.
3. When a student, faculty, or staff member becomes aware that there is someone attending or employed at NMC who has a communicable disease that poses a health hazard to others, that person will immediately report this to Student Health Services, or Human Resources as appropriate, and/or the appropriate supervisor. Confidentiality and privacy rights will be respected. Student Health Services will report the communicable disease to the County Health Department in compliance with Michigan Public Health Code Section 333.5111 (1)b and Administrative Rules R 325.173.
4. Student Health Services or Human Resources may appoint an ad hoc advisory committee to review and recommend courses of action. This advisory committee may consist of the following:
   1. NMC Health Services physician
   2. Coordinator-Student Health Services
   3. Director of Public Relations
   4. Coordinator-Student Life/Campus Security (if applicable to Housing)
   5. Faculty member appointed by Faculty Council
   6. NMC Counselor
   7. Director of Human Resources
   The district health department physician and a physician with expertise in infectious diseases may also serve as ad hoc members of this committee.
5. Northwestern Michigan College complies with the "Privacy Rights of Parents and Students Act" as stated in the College catalog, as well as the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996. Therefore, persons involved in the review process will treat all proceedings, deliberations, personally identifiable health information, and documents as strictly confidential.
6. Student Health Services and the office of Human Resources will provide current educational materials regarding serious communicable diseases to faculty, staff and students.
7. The Director of Public Relations will be the College spokesperson in handling public information about serious communicable disease-related issues.  This spokesperson, in consultation with the College legal counsel, Student Health Services and the office of Human Resources, will determine what information is appropriate for public dissemination.
8. For guidelines from Michigan Industrial Occupational Safety & Health Administration, (MIOSHA) go to:
   http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/0,1607,7-154-11407_30453-93831--,00.html. For guidelines from Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (OSHA) go to https://www.osha.gov/.
9. Contact Human Resources for guidance on employment procedures related to this policy. Contact Student Health Services for guidance on student procedures related to this policy.

Student Health Services or Human Resources, in conjunction with the appropriate faculty and staff, will be responsible for the development and publication of any procedures or guidelines that may be necessary to administer this policy effectively.

If any provision(s) of this policy or set of bylaws conflicts with laws applicable to Northwestern Michigan College, including the Community College Act of 1966, the Freedom of Information Act, or the Open Meetings Act, as each may be amended from time to time, such laws shall control and supersede such provision(s).