August 25, 2020
Support and guidance for students with COVID-19-related absences
Submitted by Office of Student Life
Students who are in isolation or quarantine due to COVID-related illness or exposure are required to contact the Office of Student Life. This is necessary for students who want to receive critical support and a university-excused absence by faculty. This includes students on travel-related quarantine.
Faculty members who are contacted by students regarding a need for isolation or quarantine must send students through the proper process. Using the established processes streamlines the notification of a student’s faculty members, who will receive verification their absence is a university excused absence. The student life professionals also provide direct student support, including information about campus and community resources.
To facilitate the notification of faculty and receive additional support, students are required to contact the university to explain their situation and ask for assistance with instructor notifications and questions about class absences.
- Manhattan campus — Complete the form on the Office of Student Life website or contact them at 785-532-6432 or stulife@k-state.edu.
- Polytechnic campus — Complete the form on the Polytechnic website or contact Polytechnic Student Life at 785-488-8821 or kchamberlin5@k-state.edu.
- Olathe campus — Kimberly Ramacciotti at 913-307-7313 or kramacciotti@k-state.edu.
The Office of Student Life or student life contact will verify and document the absence and notify all instructors via email. Students who reach out to faculty to report their isolation or quarantine should be directed to contact OSL.
As per guidance from the Provost and the University Excused Absence Policy, COVID-19-related absences are university excused absences, and faculty are required to accommodate students who may miss class due to COVID-19-related illness, isolation or quarantine with proper notification through OSL. Suggestions for faculty on how to accommodate student absences and clarification on the types of absences available are detailed on the OSL’s COVID-19 absence website.
It is important to remember, you cannot "test your way out of quarantine." If required to complete a 14 day quarantine period due to close contact with a positive case, a person cannot end the quarantine period, even if they test negative.
Student Life staff will be communicating regularly with students who are absent due to COVID-19, and will work with them closely to find solutions should their absences be longer than anticipated or their health worsens.
Questions may be directed to Manhattan campus Office of Student Life at 785-532-6432 or stulife@k-state.edu, Polytechnic campus student life contact at 785-488-8821 or kchamberlin5@k-state.edu, and the Olathe campus student life contact at 913-307-7313 or kramacciotti@k-state.edu.