President's Message

St. Mary's H1N1 (Swine) Flu Preparedness

• H1N1 (Swine) Flu Response Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4
  
• St. Mary's Current Plan of Action
  
• Pastoral Precautions
  
• St. Mary's Emergency Notification Procedures
  

The safety and well-being of your child remains our highest priority at St. Mary's University. To that end, the St. Mary's Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) continues to meet regularly to monitor the H1N1 (Swine) Flu situation, especially in light of the World Health Organization's June 11, 2009 declaration of a Swine Flu Pandemic.

We will continue to post updates and recommendations related to the Swine Flu Pandemic on the St. Mary's website at www.stmarytx.edu (click on the "Flu Advisory" button). If any changes should occur, updates will be posted immediately; your child will be notified of new information immediately as well.

Please help to reduce the potential for spreading the Swine Flu by encouraging your child to practice safe habits related to hygiene and exposure (read more about the Swine Flu and ways to minimize its spread on the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu). Some of these precautions include frequent hand-washing and staying at home and away from large crowds if your child is feeling ill with flu-like symptoms. In addition, the University will continue to be vigilant with its cleaning and sanitation of critical areas on campus.

We are assuring students that, should they become ill with flu, they may work out appropriate accommodations for completion of missed coursework or exams with their respective dean.

The Student Health Center is available to all students however due to the H1N1 (Swine) Flu pandemic that has created heavy patient-loads in medical facilities, even at St. Mary's, attention will be given to individuals who are at high risk of complications from the flu or have severe flu-like symptoms.

Other students with flu-like illness should self-treat and self-isolate by staying at home or in their room until they are without fever for 24 hours while not using fever-reducing medications.

Students who have the flu should not be attending classes and may report their illness by completing the "Flu Self-Reporting Form" on Gateway under the Student tab. The completed form will be sent electronically to the following: to The Student Health Center; Tim Bessler, Ed.D., Dean of Students; James Villarreal, Director of Residence Life; and Victoria Mather, J.D., Law Dean of Students (law students only).

The Student Health Center will track student absences; the deans will help students inform professors of their absences; and the Residence Life Office will provide students living on campus with flu food kits during the isolation period.

It is our hope that St. Mary's H1N1 (Swine) Flu Preparedness plan will thwart a serious outbreak of Swine Flu at St. Mary's. We encourage parents to check St. Mary's website frequently as it is the best place for the latest information and updates related to this matter.

If you have pressing individual questions, please e-mail the Dean of Students, Timothy Bessler, Ed.D., at deanofstudents@stmarytx.edu. He may also be reached at 210-436-3714. If other offices need to be contacted, the Dean's Office will make proper referrals. Parents of students involved in varsity sports at St. Mary's may want to contact the Office of Athletics directly at 210-436-3528.

St. Mary's leadership will remain diligent in its monitoring of the Swine Flu Pandemic and in its planning for any and all contingencies. Again, your child's safety and health remains our utmost concern and we are taking all steps necessary to ensure their well-being.