Boyd School of Law Reopening Protocols (6/19/2020)

Dear Boyd Community,

I want to thank you for all you’ve done to support the law school and each other during these difficult times. I know you are all eager to know what the fall semester will look like at the law school, and I always welcome your questions and input. Even as much is fluid and uncertain, I wanted to write to provide information for the careful and gradual resumption of normal operations. One of the great characteristics of Boyd is that we take care of one another, and we will need to work together in new and challenging times.

Earlier this summer, I appointed a Reopening Committee (RC) to help the law school, in collaboration with the UNLV central administration, to prepare for the phased reopening of Boyd for the rest of the summer and the start of the fall semester. We are subject to direction from NSHE, the University, and the Governor. The members of the RC are listed below.

We are working now on the fall schedule of course, which we expect will be released sometime the week of June 29. While we will offer as many in-person courses as possible, under social distancing protocols, we anticipate that many courses will continue to be offered online this fall.
 
We will work closely with the central administration and we will follow UNLV’s Best Practices for Reopening, posted and updated on the university website here. We will always seek student input, and will consult with the Student Advisory Committee (SAC). This 10-member committee is composed of the Student Bar Association executive board and students recommended by faculty. The SAC may be reached at sac@law.unlv.edu. 
 
Here are some organizing principles:

• The health and safety of Boyd community members is paramount.
• There will be a “new normal” in what we do and how we conduct ourselves when we return to our facility.
• This new normal will itself change in ways we can’t predict, and we will all need to adapt to changed circumstances and new directives.

With these principles in mind, here are a number of protocols the Reopening Committee has established and that are in effect.

• All Boyd community members and visitors must wear face masks in the law school facility.
  Exceptions are permitted for:
  1. individuals who document a medical condition where wearing a mask is not advised, and
  2. individuals working alone in an enclosed office or workspace.
• All Boyd community members and visitors should observe six feet of social distancing within the law school.
• All Boyd community members and visitors need to observe and follow signage and barriers in place to help maintain social distance throughout the law school.
• All Boyd community members should please wash/sanitize their hands throughout the course of the day.
• All rooms at the law school – classrooms, conference rooms, lounges, shared offices – are limited to no more than 50% of their normal capacity. Please hold meetings virtually when possible. Group meetings of up to ten may meet in-person, provided social distancing guidelines are followed.
• Elevators in the law school will be single occupancy only.
• There will be increased cleaning and disinfecting in the law school. All Boyd community members will need to play an active role in cleaning/sanitizing individual and common space within the parts of the building they are using. Cleaning supplies will be available throughout the school.
• All Boyd community members will please self-monitor for COVID-19-related symptoms before coming to the law school. The RebelSAFE mobile app offers a self-screening function. If you or someone in your household is exhibiting symptoms, please do not come to campus. In that case, employees should notify their supervisor that they will need to work remotely. Students should please notify their professor that they will be absent and request that the professor have the class session recorded. All should follow UNLV and CDC guidelines:
  • UNLV Student Health Center Coronavirus Information
  • What to Do If I Am Sick - UNLV employee guidelines

These protocols are a first step in helping us all wrap our heads around what things will be like when our incremental return to the law school building begins. I recognize the challenge of ensuring that all of us adhere to these protocols, which will not always be convenient. Our shared goal of bringing our community back together will require that we always put our collective well-being first. I am confident we will maintain the Boyd tradition of treating one another with kindness and concern, and that we will meet these new challenges in a spirit of cooperation. 

You will see more communications from me and the Reopening Committee over the summer. The Committee and I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. Please reach out to me or to the Committee at lawrc-group@unlv.edu.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, and I hope everyone is staying well and safe.

Best,
Dan

Reopening Committee

• Michael Bertetto
• Professor Bret Birdsong
• Karen Brokaw
• Cindy Claus
• Dean Angie Doran
• Nakia Jackson-Hale
• Shweta Kadam
• Professor David McClure
• Alicia Portillo
• Professor Jeanne Price
• Dean Christine Smith
• Dean Brian Wall
• Dean Frank Durand, chair