Health Requirements
All full-time residential students, athletes, nursing students, doctor of physical therapy students, and international students are required to maintain current health insurance; must present proof of health insurance to the university; are required to have physical examinations; and must provide an updated health history and immunization records. All other undergraduate students, both new and returning, are required to have updated health history and immunization records on file. Anyone requesting an exception to these health policies should contact the Director of Residence Life.
As per State of Kansas House Bill No. 2396 and its substitute by the Committee on Health and Human Services (3-10), all students to the university who reside in student housing must be vaccinated for meningitis. Additionally, the immunization portion of the University of Saint Mary medical record requires the following: two measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines (persons born before 1957 are considered immune), HIB, tetanus/diphtheria vaccine (within 10 years), and completion of the Tuberculosis Screening questionnaire or proof of a current (within one year) negative tuberculosis (PPD Mantoux) skin test or chest x-ray.
A physician or other health care provider satisfactory to the university must validate the immunization record. For those who will not or cannot be immunized for medical, religious, or other reasons, the University will engage in dialogue with the student to reach a reasonable accommodation.
For each individual’s protection, it is highly recommended that vaccination also be obtained for hepatitis B, chicken pox, and polio. The University of Saint Mary, its employees and administration, will not be held liable should a vaccine-preventable disease be contracted on campus. In the event of a disease outbreak on campus, those individuals who have elected not to be immunized will be treated as susceptible to the disease and may be barred from campus (no library access, no residence halls, no classes, no sporting events, no food services, etc.) and from other university owned or leased facilities until such time specified by the Leavenworth County Health Department. Experience from around the country indicates that the time away from campus could be as great as three months. A disruption of this magnitude would impact the pace of studies, and tuition or other costs will not be refunded on this basis. Of course, the impact on students’ health is our primary concern.