As flu season reaches its peak, Elon works to perfect an emergency action plan for a potential pandemic flu outbreak.

Such an outbreak occurs when a new strand of easily transmitted flu emerges and the effected population has little to no immunity against it, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

If there were an outbreak we arent completely clueless, we have a direction to go in, said Kitty Parrish, director of health services.

Elon began planning for a pandemic outbreak last year and completed intensive work over the summer. Jana Lynn Patterson, associate dean of students, produced a 67-page document covering the student life section of the emergency plan.

Other areas considered in the action plan include human resources, physical plant, academic affairs, technology and Aramark.

Having gone to five or six meetings with neighboring institutions I feel that we are light-years ahead of them in planning, Patterson said.

One of the reasons Elon has emerged as a leader in pandemic flu planning is the large amount of students who have studied abroad and then returned back to the campus.

The impact of transportation has made it easier for germs to be transmitted quickly, Patterson said.

In the event of a flu outbreak, decisions will be made on a sliding scale of severity. One of the first steps to minimize outbreaks is to cancel major gatherings such as sporting events.

The most dramatic step is to cancel classes and send students home.

Part of the plan encourages faculty and staff to consider how to translate their courses onto blackboard or independent studies so that credit could still be extended if classes are cancelled for a long period of time.

We are just trying to avoid a situation like what happened at Tulane after Hurricane Katrina where faculty and students were given no options of continuing course work when their university was closed for an extended period of time, Patterson said.

The plan also considers how to feed and shelter students unable to evacuate the campus. The current plan would allow for three days of emergency isolation if the situation arose.

We are constantly working on updating the plan and stock piling food, Parrish said.

Student life sees preparation for an emergency situation as an important focus. Food, bottled water and flashlights are all important supplies to have on hand in case of any kind of emergency.

Student life plans to start a letter campaign to parents to encourage student preparedness.

The department of student life has participated in simulations to test and implement the plans in place. Testing the plan has been a key step in updating it.

It is important to understand that this plan is a continual work in progress that we will keep improving as we gain better insight, Patterson said.

Reporter: Caitlin Burke - 02/22/07