A message from Dean Knapp: Online teaching extended, building closed to public

Good afternoon,

I am writing to let you know that we will be suspending in-person classes and continuing remote instruction for our on-campus courses through the end of the semester.  On-campus sessions for blended learning students will also be conducted remotely.

For now, our building remains open to students, faculty, staff, vendors, and clients, but will be closed to the public.  Most of our faculty and staff are now working remotely, however, and providing instruction and services on-line.  Please use the campus only for necessary business.

School sponsored events through the end of May, both on-campus and off-campus, have been canceled.  This includes, most unfortunately, our May commencement. Although in-person celebrations are no longer scheduled in May, we are committed to commemorating this occasion for our graduates in a way that best honors their accomplishments. We’ve asked graduating students for their feedback on how that commemoration should look, including the possibility of having them participate in commencement next January or May.

This has been a very hard week, and not one that any of us expected when the year began.  I want to give my heartfelt thanks to our entire law school community.  Faculty and staff have worked tirelessly to make the change to remote instruction, and our blended learning team has provided heroic support as we’ve moved forward with those changes.  Our Facilities and Information Technology departments have done amazing work to move us forward in this unprecedented situation.

I also want to thank our students.  This has been a particularly difficult time for you all, a time filled with anxiety and uncertainty, both because of the situation here at the law school and, of course, your lives outside the school.  I have very much appreciated your patience and resolve.

We continue to stay in close contact with the Minnesota Department of Health and track their safety recommendations.  We know that there are a host of additional decisions we’ll have to make and issues we’ll have to address as events unfold.  I encourage you to check Coronavirus updates on our home page, which is updated regularly, and I encourage you to take some time to read the diversity statement, which is included below.  We promise to communicate with you just as quickly as possible as we make additional decisions.

As difficult as all this has been, I am confident we will get through this if we continue to work together, cooperatively and respectfully.  I thank you for all you have done and for your continued support of the school.

Yours,

Peter Knapp

Peter B. Knapp  |  Interim Dean and President

Statement from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The news about the coronavirus is evolving and continues to do so daily and sometimes hourly. Mitchell Hamline’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is committed to supporting and building a trusting community for faculty, staff, and students. The uncertainty of this virus has caused a number of reactions including anxiety, fear, concerns about our well-being, the inability to focus, and worries about loved ones or for people in general who are affected. These reactions may contribute to assumptions and/or biases about individuals from other countries. Outbreaks that originated in countries other than the United States have historically fostered biased perspectives about individuals assumed to be from these regions. Anti-Asian xenophobia, making a broad assumption or general characterization based on a person’s race, country of origin, or any other factor has the effect of reinforcing or continuing racism whether or not it was intended. It is not only unacceptable but it is hurtful and can negatively affect us all.

At Mitchell Hamline, we embrace diversity. We depend on both our unique differences and similarities to make us stronger. We recognize the importance of creating a community that supports and welcomes each and every faculty, staff, and student member of our community. We strive to provide an excellent educational and employment experience by practicing inclusivity as we work, educate, and learn from one another. With this commitment, we all need to provide support to one another, and be kind and respectful to all who are part of the Mitchell Hamline community. We need to especially remember that we have members of our community that may be far from home and are without the support of their family or friends.

We invite all members of our community to connect with each other for mutual support. While we are experiencing “social distancing” it is important to remember that this doesn’t mean “support distancing”. Support is critical in any crisis like this.

For more information, and a list of resources, click here.

More information

For current health-related information, we encourage you to visit the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Minnesota Department of Health websites. We will also update school information on the website.

Contacts for questions

• On-campus students: student.services @mitchellhamline.edu
• Blended-learning students: blendedlearning @mitchellhamline.edu
• Employees should contact their manager or Andrea.Bien @mitchellhamline.edu
• Media: Doug.Belden @mitchellhamline.edu

Additional resources

• Students can find additional information on the Docket, and faculty and staff on the Summit
• Moving your class online for faculty
• Accessibility resources for online learning