Volunteer Emergency Worker Policy
In July 2006 the State of Illinois passed the Volunteer Emergency Worker Higher Education Protection Act. This state law provides for accommodation to be made for students who volunteer to serve as emergency workers. If an absence is the result of a student's documented role as a volunteer emergency worker an instructor is required to accommodate the absence within reason. Students can appeal using the college petition process if they believe the professor has not reasonably accommodated an absence resulting from volunteer emergency work. A volunteer emergency worker is defined in the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act and in most cases would be a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical technician, ambulance attendant, or other first responder. (Source: P.A. 94 957, eff. 7 1 06.)