Additional guidance, information, and planning

Dear Colleagues,

We hope you are enjoying the long weekend -- and staying safe!

As in previous weeks, below you will find the email the New Safe Return Committee sent today to our students following two Town Halls we hosted for them on Tuesday. Our students are eager to start or continue their legal education yet expressed an array of concerns which we tried to address amidst so much uncertainty. 

We would also like to share with you this additional information:

1. UArizona has issued final guidance for supervisors when a colleague tests positive for COVID-19, comes into close contact with someone who has tested positive, or is exhibiting symptoms. We encourage everyone, not just supervisors, to read this guidance so that we all understand the procedure.
2. Supervisors, if you have not already done so, please submit your draft unit plan to Karen Kowalski as soon as possible as we try to reach our goal of no more than 25-50% occupancy once we are officially back on campus. Please see Sec. 5.1.2 of the draft Plan for further guidance regarding reducing density.
3. The Workforce and Communications working groups have developed a Faculty and Staff FAQ from many of the questions and concerns that have been submitted to the virtual Suggestion Box. You can find the FAQ on the Arizona Law Faculty and Staff COVID web page. We will update the FAQ as we receive more questions from you and more information.
4. We are closely monitoring the situation here in Arizona, as we know you are as well. We are attaching today’s report from Dr. Joe Gerald of UA’s Zuckerman College of Public Health that we think you will find helpful. There is a particular focus on Pima County in his analysis. 
5. The CDC updated (June 25) their guidance for People Who are at Increased Risk for Severe Illness with COVID-19. Please review the information carefully. 

We hope you have a relaxing and safe holiday weekend. 

 

Marc, Bernadette, and Teresa

on behalf of the

New Safe Return Committee

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Dear Students,

Many thanks to those who participated in our Town Halls on Tuesday, and to everyone who has submitted comments and concerns to the Student Suggestion Box. 

The New Safe Return Committee is acting on your suggestions, comments, and questions as we make revisions to the plan. Please refer to our FAQ for Students, especially if you were unable to attend one of the Town Halls. You can find the FAQ on the Arizona Law Current Student COVID Information webpage and the Incoming Students COVID Information webpage. We will keep the FAQ updated as we receive more questions from you and more information. 

If you have additional questions, please submit them to the Student Suggestion Box and we will try to address them. We know there are still many uncertainties, most pressingly whether we will have an opportunity to return to campus next month. We will keep you advised as we learn more. 

Grading

Based on the many requests we have received to reinstate pass/fail grading for the fall despite having returned to traditional grading for summer classes, the faculty will review our grading policy and consider the best course in light of current circumstances. We invite you to submit your thoughts to the Student Suggestion Box if you have not done so already. We will share your views (anonymously if you submitted your name) with the faculty who will decide how to proceed in conjunction with UArizona administration. We cannot make this decision in isolation as we are part of a larger university. 

Information

We want to share some resources to help you think about your return to campus. The current growth in Covid-19 cases in Arizona is being widely reported in both technical and general news sites. That includes stories on increasing pressure on hospitals and ICUs. The ability of UArizona and the College of Law to open with in-person activities will require a reversal in this trend, and confidence about available resources to support and protect the health and safety of the university community.

• UA Zuckerman College of Public Health
  We are fortunate to have a renowned School of Public Health on campus that is monitoring the situation in Arizona for us. You an access a plethora of information on their website, and we have attached the most recent report from one of their experts, Dr. Joe Gerald.
• UA Press Briefings
  There was no press briefing this week. If you have not done so, it is worth watching the previous weekly briefings on the UA Campus Re-entry Plan. You can access all UArizona briefings here: https://www.youtube.com/c/universityofarizona/featured.
• Pima County Health Data
  Updated daily, Pima County provides COVID-19 progress reports and more on their dedicated COVID page. 

Student Support

Finally, we want to remind you that 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 are on the same team. We appreciate your support and we value your feedback as we continue to plan for the fall semester.

Sincerely,

Marc, Bernadette, and Teresa

on behalf of the

New Safe Return Committee