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Title: Public Health Protection
Subject: Student Life
Policy No: SL: 2016:10
Applies: University-Wide
Issuing Authority: President
Responsible Officer: Vice President for Student Affairs
Adopted: 08/01/2016
Last Revision: 08/01/2019
Last Reviewed: 08/01/2019

I.    PURPOSE

 The purpose of this policy is to describe health and safety measures in place to protect the Rowan University community and prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

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1. HIV/AIDS
   1. Public health officials state that there is no risk created by sharing living space, being coughed or sneezed upon, kissing casually, or swimming in the same pool with an HIV positive person. Healthcare personnel are instructed in the use of Universal Precautions, a method of practice to prevent the transmission of HIV in the clinical setting. No medical justification exists for restricting access of those who have HIV disease from the student center, theaters, restaurants, cafeterias, snack bars, gymnasiums, swimming pools, saunas, recreational facilities, or other common areas.
   2. Consideration of the existence of a positive HIV-antibody test will not be part of the admission/employment decision of those applying to attend or to work at the University.
   3. University community members are encouraged to disclose to campus health authorities if they are HIV positive so that the institution can provide supportive medical care and peer education.
   4. This, like all medical information, is strictly confidential and will be handled according to procedures and requirements in effect at Rowan. The University will not undertake programs to screen newly admitted or current students or employees or prospective employees for anyone inquiring about HIV testing may be referred, at no cost to the consumer, to the Gloucester County Department of Health for confidential counseling and testing. Residential Learning & University Housing decisions about residence housing for students with HIV disease will be made on a case-by-case basis.
   5. The Americans with Disabilities Act provides equal access to housing to those with HIV/AIDS. The best currently available medical information does not support the existence of a risk to those sharing residences with infected individuals. There may be, however, in some circumstances, reasonable concern for the health of those with HIV/AIDS who might be exposed to certain communicable diseases (e.g. measles, chicken pox) in a close-living situation. Precautions to protect the health of immunologically compromised individuals are considered during periods of prevalence of contagious diseases.
   6. The University may choose to provide private rooms and recommend that a student with HIV/AIDS be assigned to them to protect their This action must be requested by the student through Academic Success.
2. INFECTIOUS DISEASE TRANSMISSION
   1. The Rowan University Student Health Services (SHS) maintains an internal policy to address Highly Infectious Disease Response. This policy provides guidance for reducing or minimizing person-to-person spread of disease by implementing community containment, surveillance and prophylactic medication dispensing. This policy addresses the overall guidance for all Immediately Reportable diseases including highly infectious, virulent diseases like Meningococcal Meningitis, Measles and Hepatitis A.
   2. All reportable diseases will be submitted to the Gloucester County Department of Health, the student's local Health Department or NJDHSS in accordance with reporting mandates. SHS will investigate and provide a response in coordination with the Gloucester County Department of Health for any outbreak or diagnosis of a highly infectious communicable disease. Any community response efforts will be coordinated through the SHS in partnership with supporting agencies.
3.  RESPONSIBILITIES
   1. HIV/AIDS
      1. The University will comply with standards of Occupational Safety and Health guidelines and the Center for Disease Control in the handling of blood and body fluids of all persons as a precaution against the spread of blood-borne pathogens. Safety guidelines will be followed for the handling of blood and body fluids of all persons in educationally related settings, including off- campus locations used for placements or internships. Teaching-context laboratories, such as those required in biology courses, will adopt and implement procedures for cleaning and disinfecting.
      2. Positive tests performed by SHS for HIV must be reported to the New Jersey Department of Health. Given the possibility of unintended or accidental compromise of the confidentiality of information, health officers should carefully weigh the importance of including any specific information about the existence of known HIV infection in an ordinary record except when mandated by medical necessity. At minimum, the inclusion of any information regarding HIV infection in a medical record should be discussed with the patient prior to its entry.
   2. INFECTIOUS DISEASE TRANSMISSION
      1. SHS in collaboration with Residential Learning & University Housing will enforce health codes for the protection of the Rowan community, including the removal of contagious students for a duration appropriate with the transmission period of a communicable disease. Every effort will be made to support the ill student including possible temporary housing, arrangement for temporary food services, academic accommodations, rapid diagnosis and treatment, or transportation to local health resource.