January 13, 2021

Dear Students,
 
We have been proud of our community and the care with which faculty, staff, and students have taken precautions and followed necessary health and safety requirements. My message today implores you to stay vigilant.

While the vaccine promises an eventual end to the pandemic, we can’t let our guard down yet. Right now we’re still seeing dangerously high transmission rates in Monroe and nearby counties. 
 
Structurally, we are doing our part. The campus remains closed, students are not permitted in the building until February 8, and only essential faculty and staff are coming to campus. 

Please continue to do your part.  We implore you to be extremely careful in your personal interactions. Maintain mask-wearing and social distance with everyone who is not part of your household. Do not gather in groups to study or socialize except with the folks you live with. As Provost Robel has explained, you will never make a mistake if you treat everyone you interact with as if they are asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

It is painful and isolating to keep vigilant, but doing so is crucial for your health and for keeping transmission rates in our community as low as possible.  

I look forward to the day when we can gather together for study and social events. The Office of Student Affairs can't wait to support all the wonderful parties and group activities that help make Maurer School of Law such a special place. Meanwhile, stay strong in your resolve to prevent the spread of this scourge.

Thank you. And best wishes for continued good health.
 
Sincerely,
Dean Orenstein