I. INTRODUCTION

The increase of communicable diseases in American society is a well-recognized phenomenon of recent times. Concerns are high with regard to AIDS, various sexually-transmitted diseases, and other debilitating communicable diseases. In great measure, the increase of such diseases is due to an increase of sin in society.

The mission of Regent University is to train leaders who will prepare the world for the coming of Jesus Christ. In this context, the university seeks to carry out its mission faithfully and responsibly while ministering to its students, faculty and staff.

To appropriately minister to the community requires recognizing and responding to the fact that members of the community may be afflicted with the lingering effects of past sin and/or by the impact of sin existing in society at large.

Debilitation derived specifically from communicable diseases may directly affect the members of the university community. This impairment may be medical, psychological, social, and/or spiritual.

The University must anticipate that people with communicable diseases may, from time to time, seek admission to the university community. The University must also acknowledge that while a part of the community, those afflicted with communicable diseases may also need medical treatment. Others already in the community may, through their own sin or via events beyond their control, become afflicted or infected with communicable diseases.

Regent University, therefore, responds in this document to possibilities regarding communicable diseases as they relate to the university community. The University will respond in two ways:

1. It defines a pastoral policy aimed at providing sound scriptural and spiritual counseling and promoting community love toward those afflicted by or infected with communicable disease, and others affected by it, and
2. It defines a health policy aimed at protecting the members of the community from the medical dangers of communicable disease.

The framework for the communicable disease policy of Regent University consists of the following foundational principles, held in common by the university community:

1. The university community lives in submission to scriptural teaching on all matters of faith and conduct. The Bible constitutes God's truth in His special revelation.
2. The university community is knowledgeable of, accepts, and responds appropriately to the verified findings of medical science concerning communicable diseases. Such findings are a part of God's truth in His general revelation.
3. Matters of public health are a community concern and responsibility, and are not solely a private concern and responsibility. In the Christian community comprising Regent University, which is alive by the Holy Spirit, members are sensitive to one another, and honesty and mutual concern are paramount. Individual health problems of any degree of seriousness affect the whole community and, thus, are the legitimate concern of all.
   At the same time, suitable safeguards are needed to protect an individual's accountability to God for matters of mind and heart. Furthermore, Proverbs 25:2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter." This indicates that appropriate levels of privacy over individual health concerns should be maintained.
4. Individual participation in the mission and activities of Regent University is contingent on the absence of disease-associated impairing disease factors which would preclude fulfillment of the mission either by the individual or by the community in its response to the individual.

In dealing with diseased people, we must be as Christ-like in our response as in any other circumstance, such as poverty or mourning. Jesus was not afraid to help a person that suffered from a communicable disease. For example, He dared to lay hands on a man with leprosy, a person with a fever, and a dead child without any concern for the nature of their illnesses. His demonstration of compassion was consistent to all those who came to Him for help.

At the same time, Jesus did not ignore or repeal guidelines given by God to Moses. These guidelines permitted a person with a communicable disease to return into the community only after careful examination by qualified people and only after a specified period of time to assure that healing was complete (Leviticus 14).

Jesus was not judgmental in His approach to those in need of help. He knew that "He was not sent into this world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him" (John 3:17). He cautioned His disciples to not routinely suspect sin to be the cause of suffering (John 9:2-4). At the same time, He admonished the sick and suffering "to sin no more" or pronounced forgiveness of their sins before they were helped (Mark 5:20).

Sometimes natural barriers may stand in the way of extending the ministries of Christ to people, such as fear of contracting a disease, or disapproval of the lifestyle of those people afflicted. However, a Regent University policy that deals with people in need must never be based on such inclinations. Instead, compassion and a determination to extend every help possible must compel us when setting guidelines, keeping in mind both the individual and the community at large.

In order to fulfill our responsibility to the university community, sufficient information on the nature and dangers of communicable diseases must be given to the university community. This will be accomplished through several avenues including, the Graduate Success Series, university meetings, and through one-on-one counseling. Also, the deans of the colleges will be encouraged to include information on this matter in the curriculum wherever appropriate.

The elders of the university will always be available for ministry to the sick and to the community as a whole, praying for those in need through the laying on of hands and the anointing with oil in accordance with scriptural principles.

May the Lord Jesus Christ give us wisdom and grace to minister in this way to the needs of society.

Based on the above principles, the Regent University community abides by the following procedures:

1. All of its members should be in compliance with medically advised immunization schedules.
2. As a responsible member of this Christian community, it is expected that each member will inform the administration in the event that he/she is found to carry a deadly communicable disease agent. "Deadly" is defined as leading to a premature death unless treated.
3. An individual within Regent University who has or is reasonably suspected of being infected with a deadly communicable disease may attend class or perform duties at the University under the condition that his/her presence does not pose a danger to that individual or other persons within the university community, or a substantial threat to the academic process.
4. An employee may be granted medical leave when, through exposure to contagious disease, their presence at work could jeopardize the health of others. Employees with chronic and life-threatening illness may be afforded reasonable accommodations such as reduced work hours, if able to handle the responsibilities of the job, and no known risk of transmission of the illness to co-workers by casual contact exists. These employees are eligible for all benefits, including the medical disability plan.
5. Whether a student or employee who suffers from a deadly communicable disease should attend school or work shall be determined by the Vice President for Academic Affairs or Vice President for Human Resources on a case-by-case basis. The Vice President shall seek a unanimous recommendation from the Communicable Disease Review Panel to assist him or her in making this determination. In the event that the Review Panel deems that the individual poses no health threat, the Vice President may permit the student or employee to temporarily return to their duties.
6. Pending the recommendation of the Communicable Disease Review Panel, as is the case with any contagious or communicable disease, the provost may temporarily remove any individual suspected of posing a risk of transmission of disease within the university community. The employee will retain full pay and benefits during any such temporary removal.
7. The individual's rights to confidentiality shall be upheld as required by law.
8. No person, without his/her consent, shall be assigned to a specific living unit in university housing, or held to a housing contract in university housing for a specific living unit, in which is domiciled another person known to be infected with a communicable disease.

1. Regent University will cooperate with public health authorities in efforts of prevention, control, and containment of communicable disease in schools. In particular, Regent University will adhere to the Code of Virginia, Section 32 (Health) and State Board of Health Regulations for Disease Reporting and Control.
2. The president of Regent University shall be the chief public health officer of the University.
3. A decision to close the University, consequent to communicable disease outbreaks, shall be made at the discretion of the president of Regent University, except as otherwise required by laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Consultation on such a decision will be sought from medical personnel associated with Regent University and the Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., from the Virginia Beach Health Department, and/or from the Communicable Disease Review Panel (Review Panel is defined in section VI).
4. The decision to quarantine a member of the university community who carries a communicable disease, or to require a member of the community submit to approved medical treatment under threat of dismissal, shall be made by and at the discretion of the president of Regent University, except as otherwise required by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Consultation on such decisions will be sought from medical personnel associated with the university and from the Communicable Disease Review Panel.
5. The president shall call meetings of the Review Panel as needed to investigate and consider individual cases involving faculty, staff, or students. Information leading to a presidential decision to call Review Panel meetings may be forwarded to the president by any member of the community, but if possible, such meetings should be routed via the director of student development, the Vice President for Human Resources, or any academic dean, as appropriate.
6. Medical information pertaining to identified individual faculty, staff, or students shall be held in confidence by those receiving it, except for warranted transmittal to the president as provided in Item #5 above, and except for placement in authorized medical records of the Academic Services Department and the Human Resources Department. Authorized medical records in the case of communicable diseases shall be open only to the president, the Review Panel, or those otherwise authorized by the president for access.
   
   Medical statistics for the university devoid of individual identifications shall be made available in full to the Communicable Disease Policy Committee, described below, and shall be made available in summary form to the university community via staff meetings and student convocations.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE POLICY COMMITTEE

A Communicable Disease Policy Committee is established. The tasks of the committee are as follows:

1. Develop and maintain an appropriate immunization schedule based on public health standards in the Commonwealth of Virginia;
2. Review at meetings in November and April any actions taken in the previous six months by the Vice President for Academic Affairs or Vice President for Human Resources involving incidents of communicable disease or regulations and policies related thereto;
3. Review the Sections IV-V yearly and recommend revisions as needed, if any, to the President's Cabinet by May 1 of each calendar year; and,
4. Select and make available appropriate educational material to students, staff and faculty concerning communicable diseases. Such material shall be publicly available in the Office of Student Development and in the Human Resources Department.

The president shall appoint the following as members of the Communicable Disease Policy Committee:

1. Director of Student Development - member and chairman
2. Vice President for Human Resources - permanent member.
3. Faculty member - two-year term.
4. Student Member - one-year term.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE REVIEW PANEL

A Communicable Disease Review Panel is established. The tasks of the panel are as follows:

1. Whenever called into session by the Vice President for Academic Affairs or Vice President for Human Resources, to recommend depositions in specific communicable disease cases; and,
2. To explore concerns and make recommendations regarding epidemic control of any communicable disease occurrences.

The president shall appoint the following as members of the Communicable Disease Review Panel:

1. Director of Student Development - permanent member and chairman.
2. The dean of the college or school of the affected student or faculty member, or the Vice President for Human Resources or the appropriate department head of the affected staff person.
3. Director of Counseling - permanent member.

The responsibilities for the committee are as follows:

1. The chairman is responsible for just and fair hearings.
2. A secretary appointed by the chairman from the Panel members shall record the proceedings.
3. Depositions and recommendations shall be written for the Review Panel by a member designated by the chairman.
4. The investigation of a case outside Panel meetings may be conducted by a case coordinator appointed by the chairman from the members.
5. The chairman may invite affected person(s), a physician, a public health officer, and/or other appropriate people to address the panel.
6. The work of each case shall be completed with all reasonable dispatch.
7. The chairman shall send the written report and recommendations on each case to the Vice President for Academic Affairs or Vice President for Human Resources.