In the meantime we have moved, as has the University of Arizona and many if not most educational institutions, to delivering our courses fully online.
If you had asked most students, faculty, or IT professionals (or anyone else, for that matter) if our college, or our country, could move online in a matter of days, I suspect the answer would previously have been "that is unimaginable."
But we now know that what is unimaginable is not impossible.
To make this shift we, like so many others, need to rely on the grace and adaptability of students and faculty, and the support of our IT and online education teams.
We have already seen the emergence of new virtual gatherings. With more to come.
Changes to graduation and other adjustments
We have also confronted some inevitable disappointments, where gathering in person is not only tradition, but very special. So, for example, looking forward as we must, both the university and the College of Law have had to cancel in-person graduation ceremonies this spring. (
See message from UA President Robbins regarding graduation.)
This is sad. But we will continue our never-ending search for solutions, and support. We are likely to do some kind of virtual recognition in May, and once it is safe we will gather in person to celebrate the accomplishments and hard work of our graduates.
Looking a little way down the road, we foresee a national conversation about the bar exam in July, and impacts on summer legal employment. We will do everything we can to help our students and new graduates navigate these issues.
We are also doing what we can to sustain our full support of students beyond courses and office hours. Dean JC and I have been able to hold call-in hours to answer student questions. Remote writing center appointments and library support are up and running smoothly.