Christina Luk ‘21
Editor-in-Chief
Over Spring Break, on March 11, President Jim Ryan announced that the University of Virginia would extend Spring Break and move all classes online starting Thursday, March 19, in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that is sweeping the country. Classes will remain online for the foreseeable future and, though the University administration will reassess on April 5, classes are expected to remain online through the end of the semester. [Edit: Per President Ryan’s March 17 email, classes will definitely remain online through the rest of the semester.]
Photo Courtesy of virginia.edu
At UVA Law, classes will be delivered entirely online via two platforms. Lecture classes will be recorded and posted by Panopto to students’ Canvas pages under “Class Recordings,” while seminars and professional skill classes will meet virtually on Zoom, a live teleconferencing platform. In response to this shift to online classes, discussions have already sprung up in the student body about the pros and cons of making classes pass-fail this semester.[1] Some students who advocate for pass-fail point out that it will relieve much of the stress of transitioning to an online curriculum halfway through the semester. Others worry that pass-fail will undermine the rigors of our academic education or place students at a disadvantage against other top law schools who keep the traditional grading system. As of writing, the Law School has yet to make any new decisions about final exams, except to confirm that all students will be able to complete their courses whether or not they return to Grounds.[2] In conjunction with moving classes online, both the University and the Law School administrations have encouraged students to follow CDC guidelines recommending social distancing and return home if they are able. The Law School’s Student Affairs Office is specifically offering help and services to any student who only needs to return to grab belongings or textbooks from their lockers.
Although University buildings, including the Law School and the UVA Health System, will remain open, the administration has canceled all university-sponsored events with more than 100 participants, including the Law School’s Admitted Students’ Open House (originally planned for March 19-20). For university-sponsored events involving fewer than 100 people, the administration strongly recommends alternatives to in-person events. As a result, many time-honored and favorite activities at the Law School have been directly affected, such as the Libel Show and the 37th Annual Softball Tournament, both of which are now canceled.
These disruptive and unsettling changes have come as a blow to many students. Will McDermott ’22 reports there was initial excitement in the 1L GroupMe over the announcement to transition to online classes and 1L oral arguments to take place over video chat but then divisive debate over whether classes should be pass-fail. Leah Deskins ’21 said that she is “really sad about the Libel Show not coming to fruition,” but found a silver lining in that “professors can’t force me to take handwritten notes now, and before this happened, I had literally no idea how I’d get all of my work done. Now, after I’ve suddenly found myself with a more flexible schedule, I’m marginally less concerned about that, at least for the time being.”
For many 3Ls, the recent changes have been especially disappointing because they affect their last semester at the Law School. Eleanor Schmalzl ’20 comments, “It’s wild to see just how quickly things that seem certain can change. I am so sad for this community and my fellow classmates, as well as so many like us around the country, who are missing the last of our big, memorable school events (for UVA Law, Libel, the Softball Invitational, and likely graduation),” and she hopes that “the 1Ls and 2Ls see this and realize how special every day at this place is, and I hope the 3Ls get a chance for one more day together before we all part ways to go on and do great things.”
Griffin Peebles ’20 also shared his feelings, saying, “UVA Law has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have gotten to travel internationally and learn at one of the best law schools. But it’s the people. The people at UVA Law are sensational. The lifelong friendships we have made, the fun times we’ve had just can’t be present at other law schools. To know that never again will I be in the same room as everyone I am graduating with is sad. It’s sad to not have that moment to internalize it. But it doesn’t take away the memories we had together.”
Taz Jones ’20 gives a hopeful account: “I find a lot of peace through reflection—on the folks whose love and support brings me strength and courage, on the ways that I can return that favor through my own encouragement, and on the opportunities for further community building that we can all take away from these unfortunate events. Above all else, I’m thinking about how much I love every single member of our Law School community, and how thankful I am for the opportunity to weather this storm as part of something bigger than myself.”
In many ways, though, the Law School remains resilient. Both the Student Affairs Office and all offices of Career Counseling (the Office of Private Practice, the Public Service Center, and our unstoppable Clerkship Director, Ruth Payne) have announced continued services in the coming weeks and encourage all students to reach out via email if they have any concerns or questions. The Law School library remains open and is actively working to make course materials available online for students who have returned home for the semester. For students experiencing financial difficulties, the Financial Aid Office is offering support with staff via phone, Skype, or other teleconferencing services.
If anything has made itself clear in the past week, it is that the school administration and student leaders are working hard to make sure students get the support and information they need to adjust successfully to an online curriculum. As Dean Risa Goluboff said in her email to the Law School shortly after President Ryan’s initial announcement, “We are lucky to live, learn, and work in a community filled with people who care for each other and who work together toward the greater good. Even when we are not all together in Charlottesville, our ties to one another remain strong.”[3]
Dean Goluboff’s words prove all the more meaningful in the wake of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in our community. Early Monday morning, the Thomas Jefferson Health District released information that “a Charlottesville resident in their late 50s who had recently traveled tested positive for the virus with a test through a commercial lab.”[4] President Ryan confirmed this news in an email later in the day. The confirmed individual is a staff member of the UVA Women’s Center, lives off Grounds, and is currently in quarantine and receiving care in accordance with protocols from the Virginia Department of Health.[5] As our community begins to face the full brunt of the COVID-19, it is more important than ever to remember our ties to each other. The strength of those ties and the choices we make will have rippling effects for all of us. It is paramount that we make healthy decisions not only for ourselves but for those most vulnerable in our community. As we’ve written here in this paper before, we’re all in this together.
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cl3eh@virginia.edu
[1] A GroupMe Poll in the Class of 2022 put voting at: 128 in favor of pass/fail this semester and 71 against, as of 6:30 pm on March 16, 2020.
[2] Per Dean Sarah Davies’s email, “March 14 Update from Student Affairs.” (As Provost Liz Magill said in her March 12 email to the University community, “If we resume in-person classes before the end of the semester, we will make sure any student who has gone home and cannot return to Grounds is able to complete the term.” This applies to Law School students as well as all other students. Please plan to remain where you are for the foreseeable future and do not worry about returning.)
[3] Dean Goluboff’s email, dated March 11, 2020, “FW: Important Update Regarding Spring Semester—Please Read.”
[4] https://www.whsv.com/content/news/1st-positive-case-of-COVID-19-confirmed-in-Charlottesville-568827371.html
[5] President Jim Ryan’s email, dated March 16, 2020, “Confirmed Case of COVID-19 in UVA Community.”