Dear students,
Since mid-March, the law school’s COVID-19 response team (Andy Allen, Doug Belden, Andrea Bien, Kate Kruse, Lynn LeMoine, Chris Szaj and Kelly VonRuden) has met several times each week to coordinate school operations in response to executive orders issued by Governor Walz and guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Others have provided valuable help, including Dave Hellermann, Barb Colombo, Lisa Heidenreich, Annie Gemmel, Colleen Clish, and Paula Merth.
Plans are now in development for a gradual re-opening of the law school, including the library opening on Monday, July 13, and moving toward a limited number of classes on campus in the fall. As part of this planning, the team developed a set of health protocols to be implemented this summer and is currently developing an institutional Preparedness Plan for the fall semester and as long as needed thereafter. These measures are being taken to provide a safe and healthy environment for our law school community and a high-quality academic experience for students.
These protocols are based on current guidance from MDH, CDC, and a medical consultant retained by the law school who specializes in occupational medicine and public health. The protocols will continue to be updated as more is learned about COVID-19 transmission. Guidance from these same sources will also inform the Preparedness Plan for fall. We know that circumstances are changing daily, and we continue to evaluate the safety of students, faculty and staff, and changes to these protocols may be provided as the situation evolves.
While we continue to advise working from home when possible, students will now have access to the library to do work that needs to be done here or to use needed equipment, materials, or study space. When you are accessing the building and library, you must adhere to the health protocols attached.
Details about how the protocols will be implemented in the library are attached at the end of this post and will also be posted on the library website.
Here are some important details to know about the current changes in building access:
- Entering the building. Students must enter the building at the main entrance (near the flag pole). You must have a student ID to enter.
- Health screening. At this time, the law school will rely on self-screening (see attached self-screening protocols for details).
- Students should stay home when sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19:
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- Fever (100.0 degrees F or over) without having taken any fever reducing medications
- New loss of taste or smell
- Cough not attributable to another health condition
- Shortness of breath not attributable to another health condition
- Chills not attributable to another health condition
- Headache not attributable to another health condition
- Muscle pain not attributable to exercise or another health condition
- Sore throat not attributable to another health condition
- Any gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite
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- Students should stay home if they or anyone they have been in close contact with have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
- Students should stay home if they or anyone they have been in close contact with have been placed on quarantine for possible contact with COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
- Masks. Masks must be worn in the building and in the library at all times. Students should bring their own masks. If you have concerns about wearing a facemask due to health reasons or a documented disability, please contact disability services for assistance.
- Social distancing. Stay a minimum of 6 feet from others (even when wearing a face covering). Library spaces have been reconfigured to comply with social distancing guidelines. Only tables will be available for use over the summer. A plan will be developed to make carrels and study rooms available for fall.
- Library hours. The library will be open from 9 am to 5 pm seven days per week. All other parts of the building remain closed to students.
- Library access. Once you enter the law school building, proceed immediately to the library. Students will swipe their ID card to enter the library.
- Cleaning and disinfecting. To minimize the area to be cleaned, we have closed all study rooms, the Collaborative Classroom, blocked access to carrel areas, and closed the Lower Level to studying. Facilities will be deep cleaning the entire library at night and cleaning common/high traffic areas at regularly scheduled intervals during the day.
- Compliance. It is expected that members of the Mitchell Hamline community will comply with these school policies. Widespread failure to adhere to these protocols may lead to a closure of the library or disciplinary action for students under the Student Code of Conduct.
Health status reporting. If you or anyone you have been in close contact with have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 14 days, or if you or anyone you have been in close contact with have been placed on quarantine for possible contact with COVID-19 within the last 14 days, please notify me at lynn.lemoine@mitchellhamline.edu. We respect the privacy of our faculty, staff, and students. The information gathered will be used in the event that we have a confirmed case reported by a member of our community. The sharing of information will be limited to those individuals that have a business need to know and would include the Minnesota State Health Department.
If you have questions about these protocols, please feel free to contact Dean LeMoine any time.