Flu Season, Disability, and Attendance Policies

As flu and COVID-19 season continue, I am trying to navigate in-person classroom proceedings as someone with a compromised immune system. This week, I want to compare two of my professor's attendance policies to highlight the importance of staying home when sick.

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At the beginning of the semester, my classes talked about the attendance policies for the semester. Both of my non-thesis-related classes meet mostly in person throughout the semester and require regular attendance. In each of the syllabi, there is an acknowledgment of attendance and attendance expectations. In this blog, I want to argue why it is important for flexible attendance by highlighting two very different attendance philosophies.

1: Professor One has a syllabus that notes that it is important you come to class regularly on days that class is scheduled. While the professor can plan the course around her travel schedule, students are expected to come regardless of holidays like Rosh Hashanah or illness because there is no mention of any exceptions in the syllabus. At the end of the semester, students grade themselves based on participation and engagement in the course. In practical application, Professor One has already shown up to class sick twice with regular coughing, not covered by an elbow, mask, or even a hand. Students are all expected to sit close together to engage in discussions, so keeping a distance is not possible. I am currently in some ways immunocompromised. I don't get sick very often, but when I do, I am sick for a long time and experience long-term side effects. In this dynamic, I am already having to choose between my health and my grades, and it is only week 4. So far, I have picked my grades. But I have an exciting speaking opportunity approaching, and I do not want to risk getting sick as it approaches. This has left me worried because I am not sure I am protected under my university disability services for accommodations around a professor choosing to attend their own class sick. Now, it is on me as the disabled student to make a choice that is not fair to make.

2: Professor Two has an outline in their syllabus that highlights the importance of not coming to class sick. Students who are sick can choose to join class via Zoom, or they can miss class to rest and recover. A Zoom link is provided for students to use for days when class is in person and students cannot attend. This policy limits exposure for other students and emphasizes rest and recovery. Students are given the opportunity to assess their own health and make choices based on personal needs. As a disabled student who worries about catching illnesses, I trust that my classroom community will not endanger me because we can all miss class without fearing consequences. By being treated as adults, we can foster mutual respect for personal health beyond academic material. Already in practice, one student missed class due to illness and returned the following week with ease. This policy greatly contrasts with Professor One's policy because there is no pressure to endanger your health.

When we talk about accessibility, immunity is often ignored. In my major, colds are a badge of honor while working with young students before teachers' immune systems become stronger. But K-12 teachers are not the only ones in this program. I am not working to become a K-12 teacher, and I will not build that type of immune system. What can I do as a student who needs to avoid illness due to long-term effects? I still have consequences from the first time I had Covid-19 in 2021. How can I, as a student with a compromised immune system, protect my health without facing a fear of backlash? Professor One teaches in special education, but immune systems are not considered in the attendance policy. While I have reached out to my disability services office, there is not much that can be done, even if I am allowed to miss class, because then I miss vital information. I urge you, if you are economically able to do so, to stay home when sick, so those of us with compromised immune systems do not need to choose between health and access.

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Thank you for reading about flu season, disability, and attendance policies. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!