The Lane Health Clinic does not routinely provide excuses for students who miss class due to illness or injury. Students are advised to notify their faculty that they are unable to attend class.
The Health Clinic encourages students to notify their faculty that they are ill or injured and unable to attend (and follow the directions provided by the faculty member on the course syllabus.) It is the purview of the faculty to determine when or if a student will be excused from class.
This policy is consistent with our commitment to maintain confidentiality, encourage more appropriate use of health care resources, and support meaningful dialogue between teacher and student. Lane Health Clinic encourages these conversations between faculty and students as a step toward adult independence and fits our mission of helping students become better consumers of health care resources and better stewards of their own health.
It is important for students to learn self-management of colds, flus, other minor illnesses, and minor injuries. Most of these simple illnesses or injuries do not require medical attention. Legitimate reasons to stay home with viral illness include decreasing viral exposures to others in the college community and recuperation or when Public Health announces an epidemic/pandemic. Health Clinic Providers have no special knowledge, equipment, or intuition which tells us how long the student needs to be out, or what impact the illness makes on the student. Illness varies greatly among individuals. Conversations between students and faculty should identify how the student can work around the illness to best continue their academic efforts and achievements.