Dear Akron Law students,
I hope you are all keeping yourselves and your families safe and well during these challenging times.
I’m writing to update you on some important policy changes and other developments as we make the move to all-online classes and deal with the ongoing challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. We’ll be holding a Virtual Town Hall this coming Monday, March 30th, at 5:30 pm to discuss these issues and answer questions. More information about the Virtual Town Hall appears below.
First, pursuant to a faculty vote yesterday, all School of Law classes this semester will be graded on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) basis. I have attached the policy, which I think is mostly self-explanatory, although I’m sure many of you will have questions. We’ll do our best to answer those questions on Monday. For now, please know that the faculty adopted this policy following extensive deliberation, after considering multiple options and monitoring other law schools’ actions, and with the active participation of student SBA representatives. We believe that in a world of suboptimal alternatives, this policy represents the best balancing of the many values in play.
Second, I have attached a statement regarding attendance of online classes that has been shared with the faculty. All of us agree on the need to require regular attendance and participation in online classes while allowing for the exigent circumstances that many students will face. As the statement notes, faculty will be asked to take attendance to the extent feasible while also recording online lectures for future viewing by students who are unable to attend the live session. These students will be given attendance credit for watching the recorded lectures. In appropriate cases, we will work with faculty to accommodate students who have to miss multiple classes.
Third, we anticipate that many students will need special assistance in dealing with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 crisis, particularly as they impact the educational environment. These may take the form of technology difficulties impeding your online learning (hardware or software problems, internet connectivity issues); of personal commitments that draw you or your attention away from your studies; of financial challenges that have arisen as a result of the crisis; or of health issues that you or family members are facing, among other obstacles. I want to strongly encourage you to reach out to one of us (Dean Oldfield, Dean Janoski-Haehlen, myself, or any other member of the administration or faculty) if you need help. At times like these we are all family, and there is no shame in asking a family member for assistance. While we may not be able to solve every problem, we do have some resources available to help students in times of need.
I know that many of you will have questions about these issues and other issues you’d like to discuss. So I invite you to join me, Dean Janoski-Haehlen, and Dean Oldfield for a Virtual Town Hall on Monday, March 30, 2020, at 5:30 p.m., EDT.
We will discuss:
- Credit/No Credit Grading Policy
- The Final Exam Schedule
- The July Bar Exam
- Summer Classes
- Resources for Student Assistance
- Q&A
Instructions for participating in the Virtual Town Hall appear below.
As we prepare for online learning beginning on Monday, I want to thank each of you for your amazing patience and perseverance as all of us try to deal with facts that change daily. We will need to rely on each other to thrive over the next few months. But we will get through this together. And our communities will still need well-trained, talented, ethical lawyers when the current crisis has passed – perhaps more than ever.
Stay healthy, stay strong, and please reach out to us if you might need our help.
Here is how you can participate in the Virtual Town Hall:
Topic: The University of Akron: School of Law Town Hall 3/30/20
Date: Monday, March 30, 2020
Time: 5:30 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Session number: 612 018 777
Session password: AkronLaw
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To join the training session
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1. Go to https://uakron.webex.com/uakron/k2/j.php?MTID=td7c81805a455740d2f187b7006a5ea72
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the session password: AkronLaw
4. Click “Join Now”.
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
To view in other time zones or languages, please click the link
https://uakron.webex.com/uakron/k2/j.php?MTID=t9ce6879e2f82cdf517b856c165223123
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To join the session by phone only
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US TOLL:+1-415-655-0003
Access code: 612 018 777
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For assistance
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You can contact:
law-support@uakron.edu
1-3309725119
Can’t join the session?
https://collaborationhelp.cisco.com/article/qg8vzfb
To add this session to your calendar program (for example Microsoft Outlook), click this link:
https://uakron.webex.com/uakron/k2/j.php?MTID=t4114a3ee8e648c045d0cc930164a4429