Guidance for Faculty 

What should I do if one of my students reports symptoms of COVID-19, is visibly ill or reports a positive test result that was done in the past 10 days? 

  • If the student came to class, send the student home to isolate. 

  • Instruct the student to report their illness using this form. 
  • If you are concerned that the student did not complete the form contact the COVID-19 hotline at covid@health.isu.edu or (208) 282-2705. 

  • Do not notify the class or other students about a suspected illness without direction from the health committee. The health committee will work with the faculty members, the local health district to conduct contact tracing and follow up notification for any colleagues, students, or other individuals who may have had close contact and therefore need to take additional measures.

  • The faculty member should email the following information to covid@health.isu.edu.
  • Prepare a list of the other people in your classroom or learning environment who had close contact with the ill individual for the time period including 72 hours before symptoms onset up to the last day in the classroom. 
  • Close contact is interaction within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for at least 10 minutes whether or not they had symptoms. 
  • The faculty member should email this information to covid@health.isu.edu. 
  • The health team will reach out to provide additional next steps and guidance. 

  • If the student was in class, close the workspace and contact Facilities Services for cleaning and disinfection.  

  • Encourage the student to contact their primary care provider via phone to determine the need for testing for COVID-19. If the student does not have a primary care provider they can contact University Health at (208) 282-2330 (Idaho Falls, Pocatello or Twin Falls) or Unity Health (208) 895-6729 (Meridian)

  • Encourage the student to follow the recommendations of a medical professional for testing and treatment. If the medical professional’s advice and recommendations differ from these guidelines or you have questions, contact covid@health.isu.edu for assistance.   

When can a student return to activities on campus?

Symptomatic 
(Positive or no COVID-19 Test) 
Maintain Isolation Until:
at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared 
AND
3 days with no fever 
AND 
respiratory symptoms have markedly improved (e.g. cough, shortness of breath) 

Asymptomatic 
(Positive COVID-19 Test) 
Maintain Isolation Until:
10 days have passed since the test was performed

What should I do if one of my students reports an exposure?

If the student had close contact with an individual with known or probable COVID-19 they are considered a primary contact and should: 

  • Stay home until 14 days after last exposure and maintain social distance (at least 6 feet) from all others during that time.

  • Encourage the student to self-report their exposure using this form.

  • Self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 by checking temperature twice a day, and watching for fever (100.4 ℉ or higher), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms using the CDC Self-Checker Tool found at the CDC Symptoms of Coronavirus link. 



  • Contact their primary care provider via phone, to determine if they should be tested. If the student does not have a primary care provider they can contact University Health at (208) 282-2330 (Idaho Falls, Pocatello or Twin Falls) or Unity Health (208) 895-6729 (Meridian).

What if a student had close contact with person A who had close contact with person B who has COVID-19?

Person A is a primary contact. The student is considered a secondary contact. Secondary contacts may continue usual activities with strict adherence to basic COVID-19 prevention measures including strict mask wearing, physical distancing, and hand washing. Secondary contacts should closely monitor for any symptoms. If Person A develops symptoms, the student is now a primary contact and needs to quarantine. If the student develops any symptoms of COVID-19, the student should immediately self-isolate and seek medical care.

Example: Sally attended an outdoor barbeque on Friday with Fred. Sally spent 20 minutes standing next to Fred helping him with dishes after the barbeque (i.e. close contact with Fred). Fred learned on Saturday that his friend Mary has COVID-19. Fred had close contact with Mary on Thursday. Sally had no contact with Mary at any time. Fred is a primary contact and needs to quarantine for 14 days. Sally is a secondary contact and needs to monitor for symptoms and wait to learn if Fred develops symptoms or tests positive. She may continue usual activities with strict adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures. If Fred develops symptoms within 72 hours of the barbeque, Sally should then follow guidelines because she is now a primary contact.  

How should I modify my attendance policies during COVID-19? 

Faculty should develop attendance policies that allow students to be physically absent from class when they are exposed or ill or when household members are ill without fear of academic repercussions. This does not mean, however, that students be excused from completing work missed while ill or under quarantine. 

What if an ill or exposed student refuses to follow guidance? 

Contact Student Affairs for assistance at (208) 282-2794. The Health Committee will work directly with the Dean of Students to coordinate opportunities for student education.

What if a student refuses to wear a facial covering during class?

Faculty should communicate that wearing a face covering is a requirement for class and part of our shared duty to keep campus as safe as possible. If the student refuses, faculty may ask the student to leave the classroom. If the student refuses to leave the classroom and/or there is ongoing lack of adherence to protocols in the course, faculty may choose to revert the in-person class session/exercises to a distance/online format for that day. The faculty member should report classroom disruptions resulting from a student or students who are unwilling to wear a face covering to Student Affairs at (208) 282-2794. Faculty can reference the Face Covering Toolkit for Faculty document for guidance.

What if a student is unable to wear a facial covering for medical reasons or presents a note from a medical provider?

The faculty member should connect the student with Disability Services. Disability Services has alternatives to face coverings on hand and can work with the students to meet their needs. Disability Services can be contacted at(208) 282-3599.