Serious Disease Policy and Procedure

Summary

This policy outlines the University's guidelines and procedures for handling students or employees with infectious, long-term, life-threatening, or other serious diseases.

Employees or students with infectious, long-term, life-threatening, or other serious diseases may continue their work at Maryville as long as they are physically and mentally able to perform the duties of their job or meet their academic responsibilities without undue risk to their own health or the health of other employees or students.

Serious diseases for the purposes of this policy include, but are not limited to, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The University will support, where feasible and practical, educational programs to enhance employee and student awareness and understanding of serious diseases.

The mere diagnosis of HIV, AIDS, AIDS-Related Complex (ARC), or AIDS virus antibodies, or any other serious communicable disease is not, in itself, sufficient basis for imposing limitations, exclusions or dismissal. Harassment of individuals with or suspected of being infected is not acceptable behavior at Maryville University and will be strictly censored. The diagnosis of the condition, as any other medical information, is confidential.

In working with employees or students diagnosed with HIV, AIDS or any other serious communicable disease, the University will proceed on a case-by-case basis, with the advice of medical professionals.

Factors to be considered include:

The condition of the person involved and the person’s ability to perform job duties or academic responsibilities;
The probability of infection of co-worker’s or other members of the University community based on the expected interaction of the person in the University setting;
The possible consequences to co-workers and other members of the University community, if infected;
Possible reasonable accommodations and modifications to the individual’s job or other obligations to take account of the condition;
Risk to the person’s health from remaining on the job or in the University community; and
Other appropriate factors.

Any determination with respect to an employee or student will be made following consultation with the affected employee or student, the employee or student’s treating physician (if available), and such other persons as need to be involved in such a situation.

Disclosure will take place only if deemed medically advisable and legally permissible. The County Health Department will be informed of all cases of diseases required to be reported under State or Federal Law.