Dear students,
We will soon be (back) together in-person and virtually to kick off the fall semester. At the law school we have been working hard to welcome you for the fall term, which, of course, will be unlike any other term in the school’s history. I am writing to you today to highlight important components of our plan, which aims to provide a high-level educational experience while observing rigorous health and safety precautions.
The law school faculty and staff listened to feedback from the rising 2L and 3L classes on spring semester, we have been working hard to adapt the fall schedule and law school life to the extraordinary circumstances we’re living. I am proud of what we have accomplished in such a short time so you can take the courses you need and connect meaningfully with your professors and peers.
As you prepare for the start of classes, please take note of the following:
- Before returning to campus, all students must complete the COVID-19 Basic Awareness and Safety Training through Canvas and commit to follow CU Boulder and public health guidelines—including restrictions on large gatherings—to support the health and safety of our campus and the Boulder community.
- Each day before coming to campus, all students must complete the daily health form.
- Access to the law school building will require your Buff OneCard. New students will receive one during the orientation process.
- Everyone on campus is required to wear a face covering indoors and outdoors while on campus, consistent with state and county health orders. All students will be provided two cloth face coverings.
- Remote work for most noncritical and professional staff will continue until further notice. In-person staff support will be very limited, but all student services staff continue to work normal hours during their physical absence from the building and are available to students. The law school’s COVID logistics committee carefully reviewed all potential on-campus needs and made difficult determinations as to what rises to the level of appropriate on-campus work during this time. Very few of our staff will be permitted to work in-person this fall, and most of those whose work requires them to come to the building will do so only for short periods of time.
- Meetings, counseling sessions, and office hours with faculty and staff will be conducted remotely using Zoom in most cases, except for meetings held in outdoor areas.
- Career Development Office events, including mock interviews, Morning Coffee series, and weekday panel discussions, will be held virtually.
- There will be far fewer students than usual in the building, as required by safety protocols. Ten non-law class sections of under 23 students each (rotating in-person), eight of them undergraduate classes, will be held in our building, due to the shortage in campus classroom space on the campus because of the reduced capacity in all classrooms. These non-law classes will all be held on Mondays or Wednesdays after 4:30 p.m., or on Fridays, when there are few law classes.
- Tents will be available in the courtyard for studying and study groups on a first-come, first-seated basis.
We are working on a process for scheduling in-person and remote participation within courses whose enrollment exceeds classroom capacity and allocating study space based on student needs, and will be communicating how to request study space for specific times as soon as possible. In addition to space in the library, we also will have some classroom spaces available so students in some of the larger hybrid classes can be together in a room while participating in class remotely.
As the chancellor wrote in his message on July 31, we have worked tirelessly with our own faculty experts in environmental engineering, epidemiology, public health, and bioscience research to develop and implement countless strategies for the healthiest and safest return possible. Some of the changes you will see to the law school when you return include:
- Redesigned classrooms, common areas, and study spaces to support physical distancing and reduce density. Seats are designated for use/non-use to ensure distancing.
- Upgraded classroom technology in the Wittemyer and Carrigan courtrooms, Garden Level Conference Room, and nine classrooms to support a hybrid teaching model. This refit includes in-room cameras, ceiling microphones, and LED TVs added to the front and rear of classrooms so that in-person faculty and students can see those who are participating remotely.
- A virtual reception desk in the foyer on the first floor of the law school building to answer your questions and provide live assistance. Beginning Aug. 24, students can talk live with a member of the Colorado Law staff.
- New signage and flow diagrams inside the building.
- Sanitizing stations and plexiglass barriers throughout the building.
- Disinfecting wipes provided in all classrooms. Students will be responsible for cleaning their table surface in between classes.
- To prevent the removal of masks, eating in classrooms will not be permitted.
Ultimately, we cannot return in the fall without your help. To protect the work we have done so you can get back to learning this fall, it is critical that you continue to monitor email communications, be aware of any changes in protocols, and continue to take the daily actions we are all responsible for taking to care for ourselves, our loved ones, and our Colorado Law community.
If you have other questions, please refer to this updated guide on the law school website.
The faculty, staff, and I are all committed to providing you with the best that Colorado Law has to offer. I look forward to welcoming you back soon and wish you the best for the remainder of your summer.
Sincerely,
S. James Anaya
Dean and University Distinguished Professor