Fall Return Planning Continues

Dear Colleagues,

Everyone was cc’d on the note we sent to students on Friday so that you would know what we are sharing with students, and so that you would be updated on the progress of the New Safe Return Committee.

We also want to thank you again for your active participation in our Town Halls and your support for this Committee’s work. Your feedback resulted in several changes to the draft Plan we submitted to the Provost a few days ago, including new guidance for student workers (section 5.1), a more elaborate Daily Questionnaire (4.4.1), and an equitable approach to all students who may have classes or work at the College of Law (4.2, 6.7).

We still have circumstances to consider and details to work out, so please continue submitting your questions, suggestions, and concerns into our virtual suggestion box or contact a member of the Committee directly. UArizona guidance continues to evolve, and we are incorporating those minor changes, too. (Please do not share this draft Executive Summary and Plan outside the College of Law community as it is still evolving.)

As you can see from our note to students, we are actively engaging them while crafting this Plan. We are seeking their feedback and fielding their questions and concerns. We launched a student suggestion box last week, we shared the draft Executive Summary and Plan with them on Friday, and we will host two Town Halls specifically for students on June 30. We also have two students serving on the NSR Committee as we continue to plan for the fall semester. As you teach, meet, and work with our students, please encourage them to read the draft and participate in this process. We are all in this together!

We hope you are having a relaxing weekend.

Marc, Bernadette & Teresa

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Dear Students, 

First and foremost, we hope that everyone is well, healthy, and safe.

Today should have kicked-off Tucson’s 50th anniversary of Juneteenth festivities (postponed to 2021).  Instead, this has been another challenging week amidst rapid increases in the number of COVID infections and deaths in Arizona and the world; further tragedies as a result of racial and social injustice in the U.S.; and a wildfire ravaging our majestic Catalinas here in Tucson, jeopardizing lives and homes.

Still, we push on and bear down as we participate in summer classes, prepare for the fall semester, and take care of each other and our community. 

President Robbins will make a final decision whether we will have the option to return for live classes for the fall semester by July 24.  Please understand that whether we return for in-person classes is not a decision Arizona Law can make independently of the University.  We follow UArizona’s guidance and direction in this respect and in our overall planning while tailoring our Plan to our unique College of Law community and campus.

DRAFT Plan to Return to Campus

On behalf of the New Safe Return Committee, we want to share with you a draft-draft-draft of our dynamic Executive Summary and Plan to return to the College of Law campus in August.  You will see that we are aligned with UArizona guidance, and go a step further to keep our community as safe as possible while still delivering a high-quality legal education.

We want and need your feedback, which is why we are sending it to you now, well in advance of our Town Halls on June 30 (see below).  You are welcome to give us feedback immediately through the Student Suggestion Box to which so many of you have already shared your questions, concerns, and suggestions.  We have been considering your feedback as we continually revise this Plan. (Please do not share this draft Executive Summary and Plan outside the College of Law community as it is still evolving.)

Town Halls

We have scheduled two Town Halls for Tuesday, June 30. You are welcome to attend either, but the first will focus on incoming students (12 noon - 1pm) and the second on returning students (4 - 5pm). We hope that most international students will find one of these sessions convenient in their respective time zones. We will follow-up with Zoom information shortly. 

Face Coverings & UA Guidance

The University announced on Tuesday that face coverings are now required on campus. The City of Tucson made the same Proclamation effective tomorrow, June 20. We posted signage around the College of Law last week when we announced mandatory face coverings in College of Law buildings.         

If you come to campus, please wear a face covering and keep it on while you are in the College of Law, including in the Law Library. 

University administration is hosting weekly briefings on the Campus Re-entry Plan. This week, President Robbins and campus leaders had a wide-ranging discussion on incident command, a partnership with Covid Watch (an app for exposure notifications, i.e. contact tracing), housing for sick students (Babcock Hall), and mandatory face coverings on campus and in Tucson. You can access all UArizona briefings here: http://go.arizona.edu/yt-subscribe.

Student Support

Finally, we want to remind you there is an Emergency Fund for students who are struggling financially. There is also a UA Campus Pantry where any member of our community can pop in for free groceries. Please take advantage of these services. 

We are in this together.  We appreciate your support and we value your feedback as we work through our planning for the fall semester.

Sincerely,

Marc, Bernadette & Teresa