With The Placement Exchange and NASPA conference being only two hours from my campus this month, I had an easy excuse to drive to Chicago and visit with those who came to town. I carved time away from campus to have coffee with my grad school mentor. I spent hours with the student affairs community from Twitter, with whom I’ve only recently connected, but can’t imagine not having in my life. I crossed paths with a beloved faculty member from my graduate program. I visited with friends from GLACUHO. I met James, the voice behind the ACUHO-I Twitter account, who has provided me with a new tool for professional development via this blog.

In coincidental timing, a colleague from my first professional position is coming to visit this weekend. My enthusiasm, which is generally above average, is skyrocketing at this opportunity to reunite with the person I consider my best friend in the field.

I once asked a supervisor how she stays connected with her professional colleagues from her career path. Her answer was simple: She doesn’t. I was shocked. I can’t imagine not having this network for challenging discussion, for providing feedback, for providing raw enthusiasm that keeps me motivated on days when I feel isolated.

For a field that places people and connections at its center, we often neglect to maintain these relationships ourselves. How do you stay connected with colleagues personally and professionally outside of conferences?

Increasing numbers of students have been arriving on college campuses with food allergies they are unable–or perhaps, unwilling–to manage by themselves. Perhaps their parents had done most of the work of coordinating doctors’ appointments, medications and keeping the illicit ingredient out of the way.  Despite the parent’s best intentions, their child arrives at college with limited ability to cope with their own condition. Some students may be reluctant to admit that their allergy limits them in any way. Some have never had a very severe reaction, and regard their allergy as a mere annoyance, rather than something that could be life-threatening.

The situation is difficult for dining halls as well; ensuring that adequate meals are created without allergens and making students aware of the ingredients of each dish, all the while creating delicious meals that appeal to everyone, providing a welcoming environment, and hopefully making a profit, or at least breaking even. Some institutions have opened special allergy-free kitchens and refrigerators to deal with the issue. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network introduced its College Network in 2009, a resource for students on institutions that can accommodate their diets.

Despite an institution’s best efforts, however, there’s no way of preventing an allergic student from eating an off-limits food, unknowingly or otherwise. And these are the sorts of things that keep administrators awake in the wee hours.

How has your institution dealt with this issue? Have food allergies affected the residence halls? Does a student who keeps a jar of peanut butter handy find it hard to live with a roommate who must avoid the stuff? Have allergies affected how the vending machines are stocked? Have you had to confront a student who is eating dangerously? Let us know.

Many institutions limit on-campus housing to full-time students because allowing part-time students to live in campus might lead to other issues: people who are mostly non-students taking advantage of the low rental rates on campus; students with too much free time. However, this sort of policy excludes students such as Fialka-Feldman, who are part-time for other reasons. Students with varying disabilities (diagnosed or otherwise) make managing the living environment more challenging. On the other hand, students who drink too much, who violate the community rules or who avoid participating in community gatherings, also make it harder to nurture a cohesive and safe community. Not all disruptive factors can be controlled, and at what cost? Have you encountered similar issues on your campus? How have you dealt with them?

This may be an inadvertent mistake, and representatives of the American College Health Association have written to Senators requesting clarification.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that, in 2007, 67% of college students 18-23 received health insurance through employer-provided plans (likely their parents’ plans); 6% used Medicaid and the like; 20% were uninsured, and 7% had insurance through another private plan, such as an college-issued program.

Student insurance plans were offered at 71% of private institutions, 82% of public institutions and 29% of two-year public institutions in 2008, reported the GAO.

ACUHO-I has covered H1N1 in depth here on the blog (view stories in the “Health” category or search for the H1N1 tag), and also has established a resource page on our Web site for further information. ACUHO-I members are also encouraged to visit the Health & Safety forum on the ACUHO-I network to post questions for other members.

As stories continue to come out, we will utilize the “sticky” tag to keep this post at the top of our blog feed and simply update the post as necessary. Click on the link to read more of this post and look for updates.Here are some links to resources to get you up-to-speed on the issue.

• ACUHO-I Campus Housing Guidelines for Pandemic Planning (PDF)
• United States Department of Health and Human Services
• United States Government Pandemic Planning
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

All times are EST.

UPDATE, 9-8-09, 11:50 AM: Two student deaths linked to H1N1.

UPDATE, 9-10-09, 11:40 AM: 72% of surveyed institutions report H1N1 cases; most are minor.

UPDATE, 9-17-09, 1:15 PM:  American College Health Association updates survey findings. 83 percent of 253 participating campuses report cases of H1N1.

UPDATE, 9-17-09, 3:15 PM: Colleges Face Swine Flu Challenge as Number of Sick Students Surges. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

UPDATE, 9-29-09, 12 PM: Miami University (Ohio) student dies after contracting H1N1.

UPDATE, 10-14-09, 11 AM: Young Women More Susceptible to Swine Flu; Students Getting H1N1 Vaccine on College Campuses; RPI Warns Beer Pong Spreads H1N1.

UPDATE, 10-26-09, 11:35 AM: Why the H1N1 Vaccine Taking So Long, and How A Virus Takes Over.

UPDATE, 10-29-09, 11:45 AM: Fresh Surge of Flu Cases and Vaccine Shortages Raise Anxiety on Campuses.

Swine Flu

Some institutions have had more sickness than others; the University of Kansas had 319 affected students at one point, but that number is now decreasing. The institution has 30,000 students, so while the illnesses are disconcerting, they represent just over 1 percent of the student population. Colleges and universities nationwide are urging students to protect themselves from infection and offering instructions for ill students.

You will all be surely comforted, however, that this valiant crusader is on your side against H1N1.

The exception is the United States Military Academy, where going home isn’t an option. Incoming cadets who have had recent contact with a flu victim were tested for the virus, and personel switched to elbow bumps rather than handshakes for a while, to slow the spread of the virus. Only six cadets have gotten the flu, so their strategies are apparently working.