May 9, 2003

TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Dear Colleagues:

The general public has grown increasingly concerned about the health risks associated with SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and our campus community is no exception. I want to assure you that UCSB places the highest priority on protecting the health and well-being of our community. I also would like to share with you some information about steps that the University of California system and our own campus are taking to try to ensure the health and safety of all members of our community.

Because of concerns about potential health risks, the UC Office of the President has today issued systemwide guidelines pertaining to SARS. Our campus is following these guidelines, which can be found in the file attached to this message as well as on the Student Health Service web site at http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/studenthealth/  You will also find UCSB’s own SARS Safety Recommendations on that site.

Should a case of suspected SARS be identified in the campus community, UCSB has procedures in place to manage infection control (following guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The campus currently recommends that travel to countries that carry SARS travel advisories from the CDC be postponed or cancelled. This recommendation may change as the epidemic evolves.

Dr. Cynthia Bowers, University Physician and Director of the Student Health Service, is the primary point of contact for information concerning the campus’s response to SARS. She can be reached at 893-2251 or via e-mail at bowers-c@sa.ucsb.edu  Students as well as staff or faculty members who are returning from or have traveled through a SARS-affected area should contact Dr. Bowers for consultation regarding health monitoring and infection-control measures prior to returning to the campus. Members of the campus community who are expecting visitors from a SARS-affected area or are organizing a program or event that might bring to campus individuals or groups from a SARS-affected area should immediately consult with Dr. Bowers about such plans.

Further recommendations specific to UCSB may be issued as more information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor