Wellness Days at the College of Law -- A message from Marc Miller & Sarah Myers

Dear Arizona Law Community, 

We know that furthering your education during a global pandemic poses challenges and great uncertainty.  We also understand the importance of maintaining mental and physical health during these difficult times.   

In order to keep our community healthy, the University has replaced its traditional spring break with a series of “Reading Days” spread throughout the semester.  The intention is to reduce the possibility of students traveling, congregating, and increasing the risk of transmission.  For law students in particular, these Reading Days may feel more like additional school days rather than a much-needed break. 

Students look forward to spring break for a number of reasons: to recuperate, visit with friends, take care of family, travel, and catch up on sleep.  While preventing travel during a pandemic is an understandable goal furthered by this change, we recognize that you will miss the mental health benefits of a week-long break.  

For that reason, we (the Dean's office and the Student Bar Association) have partnered to rebrand “Reading Days'' as “Wellness Days.”  As law students, you know that every day is a reading day.  We want to eliminate any pressure to use these vacation days to study or engage in school activities.  Rather, we encourage you to view your Wellness Days as a break from school work.  In accordance with this change, faculty has been asked to refrain from assigning additional work during these days.  

On your Wellness Days, we encourage everyone to take a step back from school-related responsibilities and enjoy a much-needed break from “logging in.”  It is a time for self-care, and rest, and recovery, in whatever ways you achieve those goals.  

Marc Miller and Sarah Myers