Cases of the flu continue to be reported in North Texas, including at SMU. Most reported cases have been mild.

Vaccines for novel H1N1 flu are not expected to be allocated to Dallas County universities, including SMU, until at least January 2010. SMU remains in close contact with local, state and national health authorities, and will alert the campus community by email and on the SMU flu website when vaccines are available.

SMU encourages its students, especially at-risk students, to obtain the H1N1 vaccine from local pharmacies or physicians, or from a family physician during Thanksgiving or winter break. The Dallas County Health Department has an updated list of local pharmacies that have received limited supplies of the H1N1 vaccine, including the Tom Thumb at 7000 Snider Plaza near campus. (Read more about participating pharmacies in The Dallas Morning News.)

Vaccines for seasonal flu are available on campus, as well as from local pharmacies and physicians. Students may go to the SMU Health Center during immunization vaccine hours for a seasonal flu shot:

• 1:30-3 p.m. Tuesdays
• 9-11 a.m. Wednesdays
• 1:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays

No appointment is necessary. Seasonal flu vaccine will be available while supplies last. The cost for a seasonal flu vaccine is $25; for students insured with Aetna student insurance program, the cost is $5.

Novel H1N1 flu and seasonal flu are different; it is possible to catch both this season. The seasonal vaccine is recommended by the Health Center and other health agencies. In addition, seasonal flu vaccines administered before September 2009 will not provide protection for the upcoming flu season.

For 24-hour medical advice, students can call SMU's Health Center at 214-768-2141.

• Read a letter to parents about the flu from SMU President R. Gerald Turner.

• Read a letter to students, faculty and staff from President Turner.

• Watch a video on common flu questions with the Health Center's Dr. Peter Davis.

SMU is committed to students' health and well-being. The University requires all domestic students taking nine credit hours or more and all international students taking one credit hour or more to maintain health insurance as a condition of enrollment.

SMU's mandatory health insurance policy requires undergraduate and graduate students to either provide documentation of private insurance coverage or to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).

Students who do not elect or waive SHIP by January 25, 2010, will be enrolled automatically in the plan, and their student account will be billed a $669 spring premium.

To elect or waive coverage: When students enroll for Spring 2010, a "Health Insurance" button will appear in their Student Center in Access.SMU. Clicking on this button will start the process by which students will be able to either elect or waive SHIP.

For more information on how to waive or elect coverage, please visit smu.edu/healthinsurance.

Student leaders are seeking "Mustangs Who Care."

The program, launching Thursday, October 1, encourages students to act responsibly in social settings and trains them to intervene when someone is misusing alcohol or drugs and needs help.

" 'Mustangs Who Care' is about students watching out for their fellow students," says Patrick Kobler, student body president. "It's a way for SMU students to show that we can be responsible for ourselves."

Kobler, a senior political science major, developed the program with Student Senate members and the SMU Circle of Trust chapter, a partner of the Gordie Foundation.

SMU is committed to fostering a safe learning and working environment for our campus community. As part of that commitment, the SMU Police Department prepares and distributes an annual security report for the University's main campus, the SMU-in-Plano campus and the SMU-in-Taos campus in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

These reports, published by October 1 each year and posted online at smu.edu/pd, contain three calendar years of crime statistics, including incidents occurring on campus, at public areas adjacent to campus and at certain non-campus facilities, including Greek houses and remote classrooms.

The University's Commission on Substance Abuse Prevention and Education has issued its first annual report, based on the recommendations of the 2007-2008 President's Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention.

The report focuses on the implementation of programs and efforts in the areas of health, enforcement, academics, social life, communication and parent partnerships.

In its report, the Commission, which meets monthly to assess the progress of the various efforts, provided an analysis of the implementation of the Task Force recommendations and recommended new efforts for the 2009-10 academic year.

SMU is committed to providing its students with an educational environment in which healthy lifestyle choices can be made. As part of its ongoing efforts to foster substance abuse education and prevention, SMU President R. Gerald Turner created the permanent Commission on Substance Abuse Prevent, an outgrowth of its Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention.

Read more about the report, and find resources for students and parents, on the Live Responsibly site.

Cases of influenza continue to be reported in North Texas this summer, and the Dallas County Health Department has confirmed one case of H1N1 flu in a middle school student who recently attended a summer camp at SMU. There are no known H1N1 cases among other SMU summer campers or among SMU students, faculty or staff.

As it did this spring when flu-like symptoms were reported on campus, SMU has increased the frequency of sanitation procedures and encourages vigilance regarding personal hygiene and health habits. Students, faculty and staff should:

• Wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after touching common surfaces (door handles, railings, etc.).
• Cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing with either a disposable tissue or a sleeve.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.

The 2009-10 Student Health Insurance Plan is available for students to enroll and purchase for summer or fall. Students may enroll, waive and view benefits online.

SMU requires all domestic students taking nine credit hours or more and all international students taking one credit hour or more to maintain health insurance as a condition of enrollment.

With cases of swine flu confirmed in Mexico and the United States, including Texas, officials at SMU and Dallas County Health and Human Services are monitoring the situation to detect any cases locally.

• Flu preparedness at SMU.

Parents and students who have questions regarding the suspension of the Beta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order at SMU can see an interview conducted with Lori White, the University's Vice President for Student Affairs.

The interview, which is in two parts, may be seen by clicking Part 1 and Part 2.

Even after a mild autumn, a North Texas winter can bring dangerous conditions.

SMU aims to remain open - but when nature attacks, the University has procedures in place to ensure faculty, staff and students know where to go for information about school closings and delays.

Find more at the University's Inclement Weather Policy page.

SMU subscribes to Student Health 101, offering tips on living healthier lifestyles through college and beyond. Read and print them online at the following links:

Student edition: December 2008
Parent edition: December 2008

As part of the SMU Aware campus preparedness campaign, students, faculty and staff in November learned the four steps to take in the event of an active shooter or other violence on campus:

• Hide under furniture, turn out lights, close blinds, and barricade or lock doors.
• Spread out on the floor, stay away from windows.
• Warn others: Call 911.
• Wait for "all clear" by police.

• Watch a video on the lockdown event and evacuation.
• Learn more about emergency preparedness and "What to Do"

SMU subscribes to Student Health 101, offering tips on living healthier lifestyles through college and beyond. Read and print them online at the following links:

Student edition: November 2008
Parent edition: November 2008

SMU's Memorial Health Center is now open overnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

These hours are in addition to the regular and new extended daytime Health Center hours.

A paramedic and an emergency medical technician will be at the Center during the new night hours. In addition, a mobile intensive care unit will be parked behind the Center on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to provide immediate transport to area hospitals if needed.

These new hours and services, which are the result of a recommendation by the President's Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention but apply to those seeking medical attention for any reason, will be available whenever school is in session during the fall and spring semesters.

The SMU Police Department prepares and distributes an annual security report for the University's main campus, the SMU-in-Legacy campus and the SMU-in-Taos campus in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

These reports, published by October 1 each year, contain three calendar years' worth of crime statistics, including incidents occurring on campus, public areas adjacent to campus, and certain non-campus facilities including Greek houses and remote classrooms.

Statistics are also gathered from the University Park Police Department, Highland Park Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Plano Police Department, Taos County Sheriff's Department in New Mexico and other University officials who have significant responsibility for students and campus activities.

The SMU Police Department makes these reports available at no cost via the following web pages (PDF format):

• SMU Main Campus
• SMU-in-Legacy Campus
• SMU-in-Taos Campus

SMU subscribes to Student Health 101, offering tips on living healthier lifestyles through college and beyond. Read and print them online at the following links:

• Student edition: October 2008
• Parent edition: October 2008

Does your student know what to do in the event of an emergency inside or near a campus building?

Comedic skits on campus October 1 demonstrated the four steps required by students, faculty and staff during an evacuation:

- Leave the building (don't use elevators).
- Assist the disabled.
- Take valuables and cell phones with you.
- Proceed to an assembly area outside.

Flu season is approaching - and your students can get the protection they need without even leaving campus. Flu shots are now available at SMU's Memorial Health Center and other convenient campus locations. The inoculations are $25, and no appointment is necessary. Find the University's 2008 flu shot clinic schedule and a list of other available immunizations at the Memorial Health Center homepage.

SMU has implemented numerous recommendations made by President R. Gerald Turner's University Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention.

The recommendations are intended to strengthen a culture of personal responsibility and academic achievement, while helping to build a community in which students are encouraged to make the best use of resources, programs and assistance. Also, some actions are intended to help the campus become a center of activity and social life for students.

Highlights of new programs and policies include the "Call for Help" program, social event registration process and late-night events on campus.

• What parents should know.
• From Deanie Kepler: A message to SMU Parents.