Policy on Documenting Student Illness

The Student Health Center is the main source of health care for most HSU students and is busy every day attending to the needs of ill or injured students. When students present with the need for a note to document illness as the reason for a visit, it displaces another student who may have a true health care need. The true cost of each visit is about $150. Therefore, in an effort to preserve resources and to treat students as adults, it is current policy that no notes for absence or illness will be written with the very specific exception of withdrawal situations under specific circumstances. This policy also applies to notes requested to refund money from paid activities due to illness or notes requested regarding illness and campus employment.

We encourage faculty to set their attendance and examination policies with this in mind.

It is developmentally appropriate for students to learn self-management of colds, flu, and other minor illnesses and injuries. Most of these uncomplicated illnesses or injuries do not require medical attention. Legitimate reasons to stay home with infectious illness include decreasing exposure to others in the community and recuperation. Even trained health care professionals have a difficult time determining how different people are impacted by illness because of significant variation. Conversations about how a student can work around an illness are best conducted between student and faculty.

Sick notes that are work related are handled on a case by case basis by medical providers and in no cases are notes written for illness not diagnosed or treated at the Student Health Center.