Announcements

Good evening,

In case you did not receive the email President Jarrell sent this afternoon, the text is below. In addition to the email, the campus posted this policy on the UMB website:

UMB Policy Requiring Use of Face Coverings - UMB COVID-19 Guide (umaryland.edu).

Under the revised UMB policy, effective tomorrow, masks will be optional in all law school locations, including classrooms. Individuals who are more comfortable continuing to wear a mask are of course welcome to do so. We still have a substantial supply of masks and will continue to provide them to students who want them.

UMB also lifted all restrictions about providing food at events and meetings. If you have questions about ordering food for events you should contact the Office of Student Affairs.

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students,

I hope your classes are going well.  Below are responses to recent questions and a few new items. 

Booster Shots

COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Day in Fayette Square, scheduled for tomorrow, Feb. 4, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., is open to all UMB students. It is sponsored by Safeway and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. You can schedule an appointment here and bring this completed form with you to the clinic. Additional booster clinics will be scheduled. Students may also get booster shots at UMaryland Immediate Care (UMIC), 408 W. Lombard Street. The best way to schedule is by calling 667-214-1899.

Classroom Recordings

We reminded the faculty about the importance of ending classes on time to ensure that any last minute comments are included in the recording. It is not possible to extend recording time past the end time of the class as the break is needed to move the recording to the server and load the recording for the next class.

Classes on Zoom

When faculty members are ill or have quarantine situations, they may move their classes temporarily online. When that happens, students have a choice of participating remotely from any location: home, in the assigned classroom, or from another location in the law school building. We accommodate excused student absences with class recordings, liberal interpretation of the 80% attendance rule this semester, and customized plans based on individual student circumstances. While we understand that students may want to participate remotely in an in person class, that is not an option. Online and in person instruction are two entirely different things, requiring different approaches on the part of the faculty to be successful. Attempting both at the same time is very difficult and is detrimental to the experience of both groups of students.  Also note that recording or streaming classes for classmates without the permission of the instructor is a clear violation of law school policy.

COVID Test Kits 

We still have some test kits left so if you did not pick one up last week you can do so now in either the Office of Student Affairs or Suite 270. You may notice the kits we distributed have an expiration date of February 2022. UMB was expecting the FDA to extend the shelf life of these kits which the agency did this past week. The new shelf life date is May 31, 2022.

In terms of where we are generally, the campus health group reports that the COVID measures they monitor are showing significant downward trends now that we are past the high case rates over the holidays. In a town hall last evening, Dr. Cloeren, who has led the UMB COVID prevention efforts this year, noted that the campus has not seen COVID transmission in classrooms where students are wearing masks. We very much appreciate your diligence in following the safety protocols, including wearing KN95 masks while anywhere in the building. Please continue to be cautious.

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students,

Thank you for your flexibility in attending the first two weeks of the semester online. As we return to in-person classes next week (week of January 24), our goal is to provide the best educational opportunity while maintaining safety. As a reminder, please do not come to school if you feel sick. Your faculty will work with you if you need to miss class.

Here are the protocols as we return:

Face Coverings. KN95 masks over your nose and mouth are required in all areas of the building and the law library except while eating and drinking. This is a broader UMB requirement than in the fall when KN95s were only required in classrooms. If you need additional full-size KN95 masks, we will be handing out masks in the atrium next week. Students who need the smaller versions can pick them up in the Office of Student Affairs.

Covid rapid antigen test kits. UMB has provided us with sufficient test kits to give one box to each student (each box contains two tests.) There is no test requirement for returning to the UMB campus unless you receive a testing recommendation through the reporting protocols. The kits we are handing out are intended to be kept at home in case you have a last minute need. We will hand these out to 1D, 1E, and 2E students in either Property or Con Law next week. 2D, 3D, 3E, 4E, and LLM students may pick them up in the atrium on Monday or Tuesday. After Tuesday, they will be available in the Office of Student Affairs. As I’m sure you have heard, It is now possible to order four free test kits per household through the COVIDtests.gov website.

Reporting Protocol. If you need to report a positive test, possible Covid symptoms, or a Covid exposure, please use the new Covid Report Form.   Since we are now within five days of the start date of classes, you should go ahead and report any Covid-related circumstances. The Hotline (1-800-701-9863) is still available if you have a complicated situation or prefer to speak to a nurse case manager. I will receive a copy of the email responses which will serve as a record for excused absences. [Note that the form is unavailable today for programming but it should be available by tomorrow].

Eating and Drinking in the Law Building. For the next few weeks, while the number of cases in the surrounding community may still be high, we ask you to maintain the six foot distancing guideline while eating or drinking with others without masks. Eating is allowed in Comcast, the locker area, the mailbox area, and in library carrels. We will continue to have Westminster Hall open between 11 and 2 each weekday as an additional lunch location. We encourage you to use Westminster to avoid crowding in Comcast.

Food Events. While we are hopeful that we will be able to have food events later in the semester, for now the fall guidelines that prohibit food at events are still in place for sponsored events on and off campus.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or to your SBA leadership if you have questions or concerns.

We look forward to seeing you next week!

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students,

I am writing in follow up to President Jarrell’s message today. As previously announced, law school classes will be held in person beginning the week of January 24. We look forward to seeing you.

There are a few changes to the safety protocols that we are implementing because of the Omicron variant.

Face Coverings. UMB is tightening up on the KN95 requirement. In addition to wearing KN95 masks during classroom sessions, beginning immediately, KN95s must be worn at all times while in the building except when removing masks briefly to eat or drink. The law school has acquired additional masks, which are available for pick up in the Office of Student Affairs. UMB has continued the face-covering exception for faculty while they are teaching in classrooms as long as they are ten feet away from the nearest student.

Test Kits. We expect to receive from UMB a sufficient quantity of rapid tests to hand out two tests to each student. We will hand out the test kits to 1D, 1E, and 2E students in classes during the week of January 24. Upper-class students may pick up a box in the Office of Student Affairs. UMB is not implementing a regular test requirement. The purpose of the distribution is to give students tests to keep at home in case they are needed.

Eating and Drinking in the Law Building. For the next few weeks, while the number of cases in the surrounding community is expected to be at high levels, we ask you to be especially careful about eating or drinking with others without masks. Accordingly, we need you to keep appropriate distancing in the Comcast dining area and the lounge areas. We will continue to have Westminster Hall open between 11 and 2 each weekday as an additional lunch location.

Procedure for Reporting Covid exposures, positive tests, or symptoms. UMB has posted a guide (https://www.umaryland.edu/coronavirus/hotline/guide) with detailed information about various scenarios relating to Covid. Also on the UMB website is a form to report positive test results or high-risk exposures. While the Hotline is still active, UMB no longer recommends that you start with a call to the Hotline.

Going forward, the procedure if you test positive, have possible Covid symptoms, or are exposed to an individual who tests positive is as follows:

1. Fill out the online form. COVID-19 Report Form (umaryland.edu).
2. Based on your responses to the questions on the form, you and Dean Gontrum will receive an automated recommendation that may include a self isolation/quarantine period and testing.
3. If you have any questions about the recommendation or you prefer to call or email regarding your situation in lieu of filling out the form, contact Dean Gontrum. bgontrum@law.umaryland.edu. She will provide follow-up assistance regarding when you can return to classes; with contacting your faculty members; and in connecting you with medical professionals if necessary.

Staff Teleworking. UMB has requested that schools and administrative units utilize teleworking to the extent possible during the next few weeks. We will continue to provide student services as usual, but you can expect that more of those services will be provided remotely at the start of the semester.

Contingency Planning. One benefit of changing the reporting procedure is to allow for greater monitoring of overall trends of absences at the school level. We are anticipating the possibility of increased absences of faculty, staff, and students for Covid related reasons, including quarantine situations involving day care centers, primary schools, and close contacts.  The procedure for accommodating classroom absences will be the same as the fall: classroom recordings, liberal attendance policies, and individualized makeup plans to be worked out with faculty and deans. Should we encounter an absenteeism rate that substantially impacts instruction, we may need to pivot temporarily to online instruction in a particular class or classes. In that case, the entire class would meet online for a specific period.

While we were hoping for an uneventful spring semester, it is obvious that the Covid situation continues to give us unexpected challenges. Please continue to reach out to the administration, to your faculty, and to SBA leadership if you have questions or concerns.

Donald B. Tobin
Dean and Professor of Law

Dear Students,

Congratulations on completing the fall semester. Now that exams are over, I hope you will get the chance to relax with family and friends and enjoy the festive season.

It was a joy to resume classes in the building after being limited to a remote learning environment for over a year. Thank you for doing your part to keep us in person by getting your vaccinations and following the university’s masking and other safety policies. I know it wasn’t always easy, but thanks to you, we were highly successful in keeping the virus from spreading at the law school.

Because of your efforts and your cooperation, I am confident we can have a safe return to in-person learning in the Spring. We have been following the rise of COVID cases in light of the Omicron variant and believe that it is prudent to begin the first two weeks of the semester online (until January 24^th) to account for all the travel and interactions people will have over the holiday period. This will provide people with sufficient time to quarantine, get tested if they need to do so, and allow us to start our in-person classes in the safest way possible.

I recognize that for many of you, this seems like a repeat of last winter. I am strongly committed to our having in-person instruction this semester.  Our past experience shows that with the protocols in place, we can safely deliver in-person instruction. As with everything with COVID, we need to be cognizant of the facts of the virus and the manner in which it spreads, but we intend to be in person starting January 24^th.

Clinics may still have some in-person components related to client activity during the first two weeks, and those faculty members will communicate directly with students and will make accommodations for students who cannot attend in person during that period. We expect other activities and classes to be online until January 24^th. We are not shutting down the building, and the building and library will be open during this period.

As President Jarrell mentioned in his recent communication, you can help us keep each other safe by taking protective actions during the holidays.  Please, if you haven’t already done so, get a COVID-19 Booster, wear a mask in shared indoor spaces, and get tested if you are traveling

I am deeply grateful for the support you have shown for each other during this time. I look forward to spending time with you when we return in the Spring.

Warm regards,
Dean Tobin

Dear Students,

I am writing to summarize the safety protocols we have put in place for the exam period. Please note that we have added one clarification to the protocols.

While it is obvious that the new variant will have to be watched closely, campus health experts advised us this morning that there are no developments at UMB that would require a change to our exam planning. With the safety protocols at our campus and in the law school, exams will continue in-person as planned.

Here again are the safety protocols we have in place:

Physical distancing. In the assignment of exam rooms, we took the COVID occupancy numbers which are already reduced from prior years and divided those numbers in half. We expect there to be ample room to spread out in the exam rooms.

Masks. KN95 masks are required while taking exams.

Illness and emergency protocols: 

If you have symptoms that might be Covid (including cold symptoms) or a known Covid exposure you must do two things: 1) Call the Hotline at 1-800-701-9863. 2) Email both the Office of Student Affairs (osa@law.umaryland.edu) and the Office of Registration and Enrollment (registration@law.umaryland.edu) with an explanation of your situation. Dean Hayes or Dean Gontrum will respond to your email and will work with you to reschedule your exam after you are cleared to return by the nurse case manager.  Do not contact your professor.

Clarification: We note that case managers may clear a student for Covid but the student may still have the flu, another contagious illness, or a lingering cough. In that case it is not ok to assume you can come to the building. If you still have symptoms after the Hotline clears you, we will work with you to come up with an individualized plan. 

In the event of another type of emergency (accident, family emergency, child care situation, etc.) email both the Office of Student Affairs (osa@law.umaryland.edu) and the Office of Registration and Enrollment (registration@law.umaryland.edu) with an explanation. Again, do not contact your professor. Dean Hayes or Mr. Boggs will work with you to reschedule your exam.

I also note that Dr. Jarrell in his message of November 19 encouraged but did not require Covid testing after holiday travel. If you traveled over the Thanksgiving holiday please consider getting tested. Testing for non-essential travel is not available through UMB but this link has available test sites: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/symptoms-testing.

We’ll get through this together and I very much hope you will be able to enjoy a much deserved break before the spring semester begins.

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear students,

As we head into the exam period, I am writing to respond to a few COVID-related questions we have received that are set out below. As previously announced, all exams will be in-person this year except in the two online classes (Family Law and Professor McClain’s Legal Profession) and in classes with take home exams. The most current exam schedule is attached.

What should I do if I am ill or have an emergency on the day of an exam?

If you have symptoms that might be COVID or a known COVID exposure you must do two things: 1) Call the Hotline at 1-800-701-9863. 2) Email both the Office of Student Affairs (osa@law.umaryland.edu) and the Office of Registration and Enrollment (registration@law.umaryland.edu) with an explanation of your situation. Dean Hayes or Dean Gontrum will respond to your email and will work with you to reschedule your exam after you are cleared to return by the nurse case manager. Do not contact your professor.

In the event of another type of emergency (accident, family emergency, child care situation, etc.) email both the Office of Student Affairs (osa@law.umaryland.edu) and the Office of Registration and Enrollment (registration@law.umaryland.edu) with an explanation. Again, do not contact your professor. Dean Hayes or Mr. Boggs will work with you to reschedule your exam.

What is the mask requirement for in-person exams?

Exams are considered a classroom situation under the UMB rules and KN95 masks are required. You will be able to lift your mask briefly during exams to eat a quick snack or take a drink. The law school will provide breakfast bars prior to morning exams, other types of snack bars in the afternoons and evenings, and bottles of water.

Can we take exams to different rooms in order to spread out?

You must take your exam in your assigned room. We have planned for spacing in exam rooms to achieve distancing. Students will be able to sit in at least every other seat. Larger classes are scheduled in multiple exam rooms. It only happens rarely but we have had situations in which someone noticed a discrepancy and we needed to make an announcement in the room.

In general Covid news –

Note that the Baltimore Convention site for testing and vaccinations closed as of last Saturday. There is now a new testing/vaccination site at State Center, 300 N. Preston Street. The new site  is accessible through Baltimore Subwaylink by entering the Lexington Market station and taking the subway one stop. The link for making a testing appointment at the new site is https://www.umms.org/coronavirus/fighting-covid/expanded-clinical-locations/baltimore-convention-center/testing. You can also arrange testing at UMaryland Immediate Care by calling 667-214-1899.

For students who are interested in acquiring reuseable KN95 masks, the campus has approved GATA masks as another reusable option (in addition to the previously approved VogMasks). The GATA masks are less expensive than VogMasks. Thanks to Courtney Bergan for her advocacy on this issue.

I realize this is a stressful time but I hope you have some downtime over the Thanksgiving break to enjoy the holiday and get some rest before the start of exams.

Warm regards,

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students,

I hope you had a good weekend.

Here is a new FAQ with responses to questions I received from the SBA.

While avoiding Covid is obviously a priority, it will be best for all of us if we can also avoid the usual cold and flu season. October is a great time to get a flu shot and they are offered at the SMC Campus Center (Room 349) from 9 am to noon Wednesdays and 1:30 pm to 4 pm Thursdays. Information on how to sign up can be found at umaryland.edu/flu. There will also be a special flu clinic tomorrow, October 19, from 9 – 5 offered by the School of Pharmacy and Walgreens at the HSHSL Library. More information and registration can be found here.

While this email is about Covid-related topics, this time in the semester can be stressful for any number of reasons. Please take care of yourself and don’t hesitate to reach out to the Office of Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, or to any of us in the administration or faculty if you have concerns or questions.  

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students,

Yesterday we received a sufficient quantity of KN95 disposable masks to be able to give 10 to each law student. We will distribute masks in the Constitutional Law II sections today to cover the 2D class. There are now boxes of masks outside the OSA offices for 3D, 3E, 4E and LLM students to pick up.

The masks are from two different sources. UMB provided two for each student and the law school ordered additional quantities to make up the 10. The masks the law school ordered are from a different vendor that was approved by the UMB COVID safety experts. Here is an instruction sheet on how to properly wear KN95s. UMB also has video instructions posted here.

By no later than Monday, October 11, we expect to see full compliance with the KN95 mandate in all law school classrooms. Let me know if you have any questions.

Have a good week!

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students: 

I hope your classes are going well. I continue to be impressed by and grateful for our law school community’s collective commitment to observing COVID safety protocols.

First, I want to address today’s email from President Jarrell as I have heard the part relating to changes in self-isolation/quarantine policies is confusing. I checked with Student Health leadership to confirm that there will not be a change in quarantine procedures for anyone who tests positive for COVID after the new KN95 requirement is in place. No one who tests positive will be in this building until the case manager is certain there is no danger of contagion to others and has cleared the person to return.  

As we continue to navigate learning together in the midst of COVID, I wanted to address the questions your SBA President, Maya Foster, sent to me about various COVID policies, as well as some other topics. 

Attached is a document with my responses to the questions (September 17, 2021 FAQ). I am always willing to talk about individual concerns or circumstances as we continue to navigate through this uncharted territory.

Have a great weekend!

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students,

As the third week of the semester closes, things have been going well. Thank you for your vigilance and commitment to COVID safety protocols both inside and outside the school.

As noted in earlier messages, the greatest risk of COVID exposure is eating indoors or attending social gatherings without masks. We completely understand the desire to get together with friends, especially after this past year of limited options. However, our ability to continue in person learning hinges on our collective commitment to minimize risk as much as possible. Please carefully consider the risks and stay safe when you make decisions about social activities and study groups.

As you likely saw in the message from President Jarrell, the campus has decided to require KN95 masks in classrooms in the near future. Our understanding is this is a proactive measure – designed to give students greater comfort that the classroom environment has the lowest possible risk of transmission. KN95 masks protect the wearer even more than cloth masks. UMB also strongly recommends KN95 masks for all group activities where six feet of physical distance cannot be maintained or where more than five people are present. The UMB website has more information about the new requirement here.

We understand UMB will provide at least one KN95 mask for each student. The law school is looking into purchasing additional KN95 masks for students once we have a better understanding of what the campus will provide.

The other new campus policy concerns food at events. The only type of food allowed at indoor events is “grab and go” which is the model the law school has already adopted for fall events.

Again, we very much appreciate your efforts to keep all of us safe. We will continue to keep you updated whenever there are new developments.

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students,

I want to thank all of you for observing safety protocols on campus, especially mandatory masking and staying home when you are not feeling well. Remember to call the UMB COVID Hotline to report symptoms of concern, a positive test, or a potential exposure. The link to the COVID Hotline information is here: https://www.umaryland.edu/coronavirus/hotline/.

The Hotline’s infection prevention team will assist you in navigating your symptoms and making decisions to prioritize your health and prevent the spread of COVID. The Hotline process is there for you to get help, to protect others, and to ensure that you have an excused absence when you have been instructed not to attend class due to symptoms, a potential high risk exposure, pending test results, or a positive case. 

The COVID Hotline team will notify Assistant Dean Hayes and me if they advise a particular student to isolate for any reason. We can assist students with notifying faculty so you can make up any class work. To protect student privacy, the student health team does not notify us of the student’s medical condition or test result. We check on the student and help to coordinate with the student’s professors.

UMB policies and protocols relating to COVID, contact tracing, and notification to potentially exposed individuals were developed based on CDC guidelines, the advice of UMB medical professionals, and input from university counsel. The law school follows UMB COVID policies.  If a student receives a positive test, the campus initiates a contact tracing process which involves interviewing the student about on-campus interactions and opportunities for infecting others. They consider duration of contact, proximity, and whether individuals were masked while interacting. The campus contact tracing team notifies any individuals whom they consider at risk based on the discussion with the positive student. Sitting masked in the same classroom or having other interactions when masked are not considered at risk exposures warranting notification. The process does not include sending general notifications about positive cases.

Our high vaccination rate and mandatory mask policy allow us to return safely to in-person classes. However, students have many interactions outside of class, in study groups, in the library, or in social settings. The primary indoor risk of transmission is not in classrooms when students are masked, but when students eat together or otherwise interact without masks. While we have been pleased with the level of compliance with the masking policy in the building, we urge you to remain mindful that taking off your mask to eat, study, or socialize in or away from the law school increases the risk of exposure. We urge you to be cautious and remove masks for minimal amounts of time to eat without talking to others, then put your masks back on to have conversations.

If you have any questions or concerns about policies or particular circumstances, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students:

We hope you had a fantastic summer.  We are excited to welcome you to the law school for classes next week. To keep our community as safe as possible, UMB has required everyone to receive a vaccine and wear face coverings indoors. UMB and the School of Law are closely monitoring developments and metrics relating to the continuing spread of COVID and particularly the Delta variant. The safe continuation of in-person classes depends in large part on our ability as a community to take the steps necessary to protect ourselves and community members.

Here are the guidelines we all must follow to make our community as safe as possible.

All students, faculty, and staff are required to wear face masks that fully cover the person’s nose and mouth while inside the school building, including during classes.  Faculty members may remove masks while teaching in a classroom as long as they are at least six feet away from the nearest students.

Masks are not required in our two outdoor spaces – the courtyard and the patio on the fourth floor of the library. The only indoor exception to the mask policy is while eating as we understand there will be times when you will need to eat inside the law school building. We recognize this is counter to normal behavior but the new UMB guidelines require separating eating from talking to others. Eat and then put your mask back on while you are talking. In addition to the outdoor areas, spaces in which students can eat indoors in a distanced fashion include empty classrooms and study carrels in the library. UMB protocols prohibit eating during classroom sessions. Beverages are allowed in classrooms as long you return to wearing a mask as soon as possible.  

Do not come to the building if you are sick. This includes cold symptoms. Even if you believe you just have a cold you should call the campus Hotline 1-800-701-9863 to receive guidance. The majority of classes will be recorded so you should not worry about missing class. If your class is not recorded your professor will assist you with making up class work.

As we all know from watching the news the COVID situation is fluid and can change rapidly. We greatly appreciate everyone’s help in making our community as safe as possible as we begin our fall semester of in-person learning.  Please do not hesitate to contact me or Dean Hayes if you have individual circumstances you need to discuss with us.  

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Maryland Carey Law Students, 

We look forward to seeing you in the halls and classrooms of the law school soon! While we are hoping for as close to a normal year as possible, we know we will be dealing with COVID for a while longer. I write to update you on some recent developments to ensure the health and safety of our community.

Masking Protocols
While we had hoped that having a vaccinated community would alleviate the need for masks, recent reports about the ability of vaccinated individuals to spread the Delta variant to unvaccinated children and others has caused concern. UMB has returned to an indoor mask requirement for anyone coming on the campus.  All students will be required to wear masks while in the law school building, including in classrooms. Professors will not be required to wear a mask while teaching, so long as the closest student is six feet away.

Vaccines
If you have not yet submitted vaccine documentation or applied for an exemption to the mandate, the link to the UMB COVID-19 Management Portal can be found here: https://www.umaryland.edu/coronavirus/vaccine/. A few days after you submit the documentation, you can confirm on the portal that UMB received it. 

Illness Protocol for Classes
While the American Bar Association requires students to attend at least 80% of all classes, we do not want you to come to the law school when you are sick. To facilitate making up work, we are expecting most fall classes to be recorded (except clinics). The recordings will be available to students in the class for the remainder of the semester.  

In-Person Classes
With safety protocols in place, in-person classes will meet in person, with no remote hybrid options.

Delta Variant and UMB
We are very fortunate to be on a health care campus guided by frontline COVID experts in this rapidly changing environment. We are confident that UMB will continue to adapt to changing circumstances as appropriate and we will update you if any additional changes to safety policies occur.

For future reference, schoolwide messages relating to fall semester plans are posted on this webpage:

https://www.law.umaryland.edu/Current-Student-Resources/Announcements/

If you have any questions about COVID protocols at the law school, the vaccine requirement, or other related issues, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Barbara Gontrum
Senior Associate Dean

Dear Students,

We hope you are having a great summer!

Planning for the fall semester is well underway and we are excited about welcoming you back to the building in August.   In this email, we want to highlight some recent UMB decisions of which you should be aware and remind you of a few deadlines.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

You must receive your final vaccine dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by August 2 to return to campus in the fall.  For the two-dose vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna – you should receive your first dose by July 1.   Information on the requirement can be found here: https://www.umaryland.edu/coronavirus/vaccine/.    Please log into the Covid-19 Management Portal - UMB COVID-19 Management Portal – to do the following:

• Approve or deny Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) COVID-19 health information sharing
• Upload vaccination dose information (if not using CRISP)
• Request a COVID-19 vaccination exemption

The Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) is the state of Maryland’s designated electronic health record system. UMB’s agreement with CRISP allows it to directly share (with student permission) your COVID-19 vaccination history with school leaders, department managers, and the occupational/student health clinical team.  Only the clinical team will receive any COVID-19 test results.  The information will be used for public health purposes to help make decisions about preventive measures and identify members of the UMB community at risk of infection from exposure to COVID-19.   When you log into the Covid-19 Management Portal you will be able to approve or to deny the use of CRISP for your records.   When requesting a medical or religious exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine, please factor in a reasonable time period for the campus to process exemptions.  The SMC Campus Center Vaccine Clinic is in the process of shutting down so the most convenient vaccine location near the campus is the Baltimore Convention Center -  https://www.umms.org/coronavirus/covid-vaccine/get-vaccine/baltimore-convention-center-vaccine.  

Questions about the vaccine requirement should be directed to the Office of Student Affairs –  osa@law.umaryland or to Dean Gontrum bgontrum@law.umaryland.edu.

New UMB Policies Regarding Face Coverings, SAFE on Campus, and physical distancing

Effective July 1, fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a face covering, complete the SAFE on Campus forms, or practice physical distancing on the UMB campus.  UMB students and employees who are not fully vaccinated, including those who have approved medical or religious exemptions, must continue to wear a face covering, complete the SAFE forms, and adhere to physical distancing when removing their face covering to eat or drink.   Please keep in mind that some vaccinated individuals may not be comfortable removing face coverings for a variety of reasons.  

UMB Shuttle

The UMB Shuttle will be operational again starting August 2.   Riders on the UMB shuttle and Safe Ride, must continue to wear a face covering regardless of vaccination status.

Summer Building Access

Because summer classes are all online and law school staff are still primarily on telework status until August, the main entrance doors to the law school remain locked. If you have a particular need to come to the building, you should contact Ann Kim (a.kim@law.umaryland.edu) or Wendy Geist (wgeist@law.umaryland.edu).

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Office of Student Affairs

To: Returning Students

The University System of Maryland has mandated that students must be vaccinated before returning to UMB for the fall semester.   If you have not been vaccinated, please plan ahead as you must receive your final vaccine dose by August 2 to return to campus the week of August 16 and by August 9 if you plan to arrive the week of August 23 for the start of classes.   For the two-dose vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna – you should target receiving your first dose by July 1.   All law school classes except for the handful of online classes will be in-person in the fall so you will not be able to attend class if you do not either receive the vaccine or receive an exemption.

Information on the requirement and on the exemption process can be found here:

https://www.umaryland.edu/coronavirus/vaccine/ .

Forms to request either a medical or religious exemption can be found at the UMB COVID-19 Management Portal. Please factor in a reasonable time period for the campus to process exemptions.

Questions about the vaccine requirement should be directed to the Office of Student Affairs - osa@law.umaryland.edu.

Thank you,

Office of Student Affairs

Dear Students:

As this extraordinary academic year comes to a close, I want to express my admiration and appreciation for your dedication, adaptability, and resilience. Under difficult circumstances, you rose to the moment and invested yourselves in your law school classes and activities.

I look forward to our long-awaited transition back into our law school building next year. As you will see when Registrar Boggs posts the 2021-22 curriculum later today, we will return to in person classes in the Fall, without rotations or hybrid formats. A few classes are designed to be online (one of the Legal Profession sections, Contract Drafting, and Family Law). As you know, summer courses will remain online.

As we prepare to return to campus, the University System of Maryland has required all of us to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination, except for appropriate exemptions that USM will define in the coming months.

While we can learn together in person again next year, we will continue to observe COVID safety protocols issued by the university, state and city, and CDC guidelines. This includes distancing in classrooms as required by UMB. To address reduced classroom capacity, we are making wise use of all areas of the law school and the weekly schedule. Some 1L doctrinal courses will be taught in a reconfigured ceremonial courtroom or Westminster Hall. In the upper level curriculum, we added extra sections of high enrollment classes such as Business Associations and Legal Profession. For second-year day students, there will be four sections from which to choose for Constitutional Law: one taught by Professor Graber, one by Professor Boldt, and two different sections taught by Professor Henry. Professor Henry’s sections will meet in person for two hours per week and include an additional hour of online asynchronous content. 

As you plan for next year, please reach out to the Office of Student Affairs or your academic advisor if we can support you in any way. I wish you all a restorative and enriching summer and look forward to reuniting with you in our beautiful building next year.

Donald B. Tobin
Dean and Professor of Law

Dear Students,

Although I am reluctant to bombard you with information during the exam period, I want to follow up on President Jarrell’s letter regarding mandatory COVID vaccines with the information we currently have.  On Friday, the Chancellor of the University System of Maryland announced a policy, which was approved by the Board of Regents that starting in the fall all faculty, staff, and students must be vaccinated against COVID-19, with appropriate health and religious exemptions. We have not yet received guidance from UMB regarding how health and religious exemptions will be handled.

As a student at UMB, you may register for a vaccine through the University of Maryland Baltimore’s vaccine site.  Vaccine supplies have increased, and if you weren’t previously able to get an appointment, you should be able to obtain one now. Additionally, the State of Maryland has opened up vaccination to all people over 16.  You can check the availability of appointments at M&T Bank Stadium, Six Flags, Regency (Waldorf), and other Maryland MassVax cites here. At the moment, there is widespread availability throughout the State. A spreadsheet with advice and information on many of the vaccination sites in Maryland can be found here. You can also call 1-855-MD-GOVAX.

If you live outside of Maryland, you can still register for a vaccine through the UMB website. You should get vaccinated in time to be fully vaccinated before you arrive on campus.

We are strongly committed to providing in-person education in the fall. One major way to provide a safe in-person learning environment is to have a substantial segment of the Maryland Carey Law community vaccinated. I appreciate your cooperation as we seek a safe environment for the return to campus.

I wish you the best on your exams.

Donald B. Tobin
Dean and Professor of Law

Dear Students,

Earlier today you received communication from President Jarrell regarding plans for the Fall.  I am very pleased that we will soon be able to be together in person.  While we will be back to you soon regarding the law school’s detailed plans, I wanted to make clear to you that we plan to be in-person in the Fall. We are confident that guidelines developed by medical professionals on the UMB campus over the past year will support the safety of our students, staff, and faculty while on campus. Based on previous guidance from UMB, we decided that our classes for this summer will be online.

One way to help ensure safe operation in the Fall is for you to get vaccinated when you are allowed to do so.  UMB has a plan in place to vaccinate students, staff, and faculty, and I encourage you to register with UMB to get your vaccine.  You can register here:  https://www.umaryland.edu/coronavirus/content/university-health/vaccine-available-through-umb.php.  Getting vaccinated does not only protect you, but also those around you.

Also, if you have been vaccinated through a non-UMB center, please let UMB know that you’ve been vaccinated, if you have not done so already.

Thank you for your cooperation, and I look forward to seeing you in the Fall.

Donald B. Tobin
Dean and Professor of Law