Return to Campus

Message from Dean Ouellette

Albany Law School is excited to welcome you to a new academic year, whether in-person, virtually, or some combination of both. Circumstances will continue to change; the public health situation is different today than it was two weeks ago, and it will be different still two weeks from now. But, even as we cannot anticipate all that is to come, it is up to us, as members of the Albany Law School community, to remain engaged, flexible, and resilient.

Our plan for returning to campus and classes is just that: engaged, flexible, and resilient.

Our goal is to bring our community back to campus safely, providing the in-person learning, social, and professional development opportunities that define the Albany Law experience, while abiding by safe practices and government guidelines.

At the same time, we are committed to providing equally rich opportunities for the members of our community who for health or other reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic are unable to attend in-person classes or activities and elect to participate remotely.

Watch the Dean's Return to Campus Town Hall [Aug. 11]

Key Components

Fully remote options for students and faculty who, for reasons related to COVID-19, elect to participate remotely.
A January 25, 2021 start for spring on-campus classes, with all classes not previously approved as distance education courses to be taught synchronously, using technology to allow attendance by both in-person and remote students and faculty.
Strict safety protocols, including physical distancing, masks, hand hygiene, and cleaning procedures.
Widespread testing and contact tracing.
Remote work plans for staff members where possible without compromising excellence in student services or operations.
Strict limitations on visitors to campus and official travel.
Contingency plans for decreasing, even shutting down, on-campus operations, and the flexibility to move to remote teaching, as necessary, to protect the health and safety of our community.
A commitment by all students, faculty, and staff physically present on campus to share responsibility for protecting each other's health and safety.