Safety Measures | Classroom Space | Instruction | Student Organizations | Studying Options | Law Library
These FAQs are a work in progress and will be updated throughout the summer as the public health situation and our plans evolve. Please check back periodically for updated information.
Oregon Law is committed to helping our incoming and all our students launch their legal careers, make progress toward their law degree, and take one big step toward their future professional goals.
With that in mind, here are the steps we are taking as a law school to ensure our students health and safety and to deliver an outstanding educational experience in fall 2020 for all of our students during the pandemic.
Safety Measures
The UO is developing strategies and plans to reduce the likelihood of illness spreading on campus.
| ► | We will have increased cleaning protocols. |
| ► | Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes will be available throughout the building. |
| ► | There will be signage designating traffic flow. |
| ► | Classrooms and meeting spaces will be adjusted to meet physical distancing requirements. |
| ► | Face coverings are now required in all campus buildings, as well as outdoors on UO property if physical distancing expectations cannot be met. |
| ► | The university will be providing two cloth masks to every student, faculty member, and staff member. |
| ► | Students, faculty, and staff are expected to self-monitor for symptoms of Covid-19 and not come to the law school if they have symptoms. |
Classroom space
Given physical distancing requirements, our 1L instruction will be different this fall compared to past years.
| ► | We have arranged the schedule so that our 1L students will be able to sit in classrooms for each of their classes, even those where the instructor will teach from another location. |
| ► | Our facilities managers have developed spatial configuration guidelines for each classroom on campus. |
| ► | Students will be assigned to subsections, and the students in those subsections will have the opportunity to attend many of their classes together in the same classrooms. Our hope is that these subsections will help facilitate community-building among the incoming 1L class, while also ensuring that the 1L subsection assigned to any given classroom will remain a small enough group to comply with health and safety guidelines. |
Instruction Methods
Remote Instruction | |
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| ► | As you no doubt are aware, there has been a dramatic upsurge in Covid-19 infections in the past few weeks across the country. In order to best protect the health and safety of all community members, and given the constraints of physical distancing on our classroom space, it is unavoidable that most of the 1L courses will take place on Zoom. |
| ► | Even for the classes where faculty lead via an online platform, students can be in a physical classroom, in the Knight Law Center, watching and participating in class sessions with their classmates. Many on the faculty taught remotely in the spring, and the faculty has continued this summer developing and sharing best practices for teaching remotely. |
In-person instruction | |
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| ► | At this time, we are planning for Civil Procedure to be a hybrid course—partly remote and partly in person. More details coming soon. |
Student Organizations
We have a number of vibrant student organizations that will welcome your interest and participation.
| ► | We are encouraging all student organizations to plan their fall meetings remotely. |
| ► | However, we will also work on accommodating requests by student organizations to use the building in accordance with all applicable health and safety guidelines. |
Studying Options
at the School | |
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| ► | The library will be open to students, faculty, and staff. See the Law Library Fall 2020 page. |
| ► | Capacity will be determined by physical distancing requirements. More info, study hours, and accessiblity. |
| ► | We also are working on a plan to secure classroom space for studying outside of class hours. |
at home | |
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| ► | We recommend that all students prioritize securing high-speed internet at their home and prepare a space to study and attend courses remotely. |
| ► | We have outstanding tech support at the law school, and we will help you work through the various applications and learning platforms that you’ll need in your first semester. |
| ► | Moreover, we are requiring our faculty to make their classes—even in-person classes—accessible to students attending remotely. This hybrid approach will allow students to take all their classes remotely in the fall if that is their preference. |
| ► | For those who plan to attend classes in-person, this approach will also allow you to keep learning with minimal disruption even if the public health situation worsens or you need to self-quarantine in the middle of the semester. |
| ► | The Law Library offers remote services and curbside pick-up. |
Law Library
The law library is currently closed. We are planning to reopen Monday, August 24. | |
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| ► | Once we have reopened, students will be able to reserve spaces to study in the library. Shifts will be limited to one 3-hour shift per student per week. Students are expected to clean their chair and table surfaces before leaving. Self-service supply stations will be provided. In addition to daily cleaning by facilities staff, library staff will clean study areas in between reservations. Seats will be available in two shifts:
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| ► | You must wear a mask at all times in the library. Please contact Assistant Dean Nicole Commissiong if you need an accommodation. |
| ► | The Law Library will continue to offer remote services and curbside pick-up. View the Law Library's Fall 2020 plans for more information. |
Last updated: August 10, 2020