Student or Family Illness Due to COVID-19

How do I handle a student illness due to COVID-19 pandemic?

Find guidance for instructors to be flexible in requesting documentation for a student absence when students are ill.

Due to COVID-19 and the impact on students and families, we continue to ask instructors to be flexible in requesting documentation around student absences when a student is ill and also apply that same flexibility in other academic situations. For example, when students request an incomplete for extenuating circumstances, they also need to provide appropriate documentation; however, appropriate documentation is at the discretion of the instructor and academic unit, and an email from the student or the student’s caregiver may be sufficient in most situations.

What Do I Do If Students Are Too Sick to Participate?

Flexibility will be key in helping students while the campus is closed and/or classes are remote. Even though the student does not have to physically come to class, they still may be too ill to fully participate in the virtual class.

Student illness should be handled according to existing university policy, with the acknowledgment that this is an extraordinary event and additional consideration may be warranted. Visits to the doctor to get documentation may be difficult to obtain. You may want to consider changing, delaying or even canceling some assignments and/or tests.

How Should Instructors Work With Student Requests to Stay Home from Class Due to a Minor Illness?

Instructors are encouraged to use flexibility and judgment when considering whether to request documentation when students indicate they have the flu or a virus. Find information from the Center for Teaching and Learning related to how to handle student absences due to a minor illness.

What if a student indicates they have to take care of a family member due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this affects classwork?

Due to COVID-19 and the impact on students and families, we continue to ask instructors to be flexible in requesting documentation around student absences and also consider the impact that other family responsibilities may have. For example, K-12 and daycare closings and family illnesses may have a negative impact on students. Instructors should apply flexibility in other academic situations. When students request an incomplete for extenuating circumstances, they also need to provide appropriate documentation; however, appropriate documentation is at the discretion of the instructor and academic unit, and an email from the student may be sufficient in most situations.

Additional Information

Find information about COVID Response Team occurrences, reporting and testing at Kent State.