Monday, February 18, 2008
Cough, cough. Sniffle, sniffle. Then one wipe of the hand on the desk, and the next person is sick. Then the next one, and so on, until the entire University of Kansas is sick.
If the University had a better policy for sick days for students, the University officials never would’ve had to send out a memo to students begging them to stay home.
In bold and underlined, the memo said, “Those who have been diagnosed with influenza should avoid close contact with others and remain in their residence hall, apartment or home until free of fever for 24 hours.”
Professors should be more lenient in their policies and allow more sick days. This way when students get sick, they can take one or two days off to get better and then go back to class. They wouldn’t keep going to school for fear of missing points or getting a bad grade, and in return spread their sickness to everyone else.
The flu and a strong viral infection have been spreading throughout campus in the past few weeks. I am one of the students who suffered from both. I got the viral infection about a week ago. My doctor said drinking water and resting were the only ways I would get better.
One of my professors, Doug Ward, said his policy regarding sick days is for the student to just e-mail him and let him know they won’t be in class. He said he prefers to have a smaller class, which allows him to be more lenient in his policy making because he knows each student. He said his policy is based more on trust, but he understands how larger classes run into problems.
Ward is one of my more understanding professors.
But I’ve been unfortunate enough to get two not-so-understanding professors this semester. Both stated on the first day of class that if you get sick, don’t bother e-mailing them. This may have everything to do with the size of the classes, which have 150 to 300 students.
Talking to my professors, I found that professors teaching larger classes are stricter because some students abuse the system. In a large class, anonymity is a problem because professors can’t get to know every student and don’t know when a student skips, let alone the reason why. There is no trust between student and professor.
One of my professors gives us two free sick days, which means the points we miss on those days won’t count against us. But if we miss anymore than two days, we begin to lose points.
But two days isn’t enough for most students. I get sick at least three or four times each semester, especially in the winter months. I have been told by my doctor that I have a lower immune system, and I can’t fight off infections that most people can fight off. This means I’m usually sick for weeks at a time because I never get better, just progressively worse until I finally go to the doctor to discover my viral infection has turned into strep or the flu. Every time there is an illness spreading throughout campus, I catch it.
Students who are sick to their stomach, throwing up and running a fever are braving the cold weather in order to get to class and not miss those points. At this rate, with 55 school days left and zero sick days left, it will be a miracle if I make it.
Earles is an Olathe senior in journalism.
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Earles: Sick day policy keeps ill students on campus
when your sick stay home get better
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