By now you have all seen the University’s announcement that remote instruction will continue until the end of the semester and that all in-person Fordham events are cancelled until May 11th due to continuing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. Our focus now is on planning how we as a community, can best get through the next two months.Before turning to that set of issues, I want to note that I have been in touch with many of you this past week and I know we are all disappointed that this semester has not come off as we all anticipated. For example, fascinating symposia and conferences are cancelled, student trips for service and educational purposes will not happen, our competition teams will not travel the country and the world – despite months of preparation – and the Barrister’s Ball will not be held in April. I know that all of this collectively is a big, irreplaceable loss. We are all also anxious about the health and safety of loved ones and of ourselves. Additionally, many of you are international students for whom the coronavirus poses additional challenges.
In the face of all this, our community is resilient and strong. Our administrators and faculty will be focusing our work on the essentials, the core of what we do – providing the legal education that all of you have sought in coming to Fordham Law. That means prioritizing our classes and enabling you to earn degrees, sit for the bar exam and remain on track in launching careers.
The following things are central to the achievement of this goal:
- We will resume remote classes after spring break. I have been encouraged by much of what I have heard about our first week of remote instruction, but it is a work in progress. I ask that you give us feedback and input on what works to meet your needs and what doesn’t via this feedback form I sent to you yesterday. Please fill it out as soon as you are able so that we may understand your experiences and consider your suggestions.
- We are developing protocols for the administration of examinations remotely. You will not return to campus for exams. It will take some time to work through the issues involved and we will communicate information as we have it.
- Students in Fordham housing who cannot vacate in accordance with the University’s March 20 date, should contact Assistant Dean Kimathi Gordon-Somers at [email protected] to discuss their situations and how we can help.
- Students with connectivity issues should also reach out to Assistant Dean Gordon-Somers.
- We are working through issues relating to clinics and externships. Please contact your clinical instructor if you have questions about a clinic and Professor Ron Lazebnik [email protected] on externships.
- Staff and faculty have largely transitioned to working remotely. We anticipate remote work plans will remain in effect through the end of the semester.
- We are determining what library hours will be after spring break. However, we urge students to work remotely if at all possible.
- We will be in touch regarding graduation, summer abroad, and summer courses. Summer courses will definitely be offered, though we do not yet know if they will be provided in person or online. We hope to communicate more regarding graduation by April 8th.