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Guide to Student Services

• Academic advising
• Academic support programs
• Disability Support Services (DSS)
• General Student Services
• On-campus employment
• Health insurance/U.S. citizens
• Health insurance/foreign students
• Medical emergencies and first aid
• Meningococcal Disease
• Mental health services
• Messages and mail
• U.S. mailbox.
• Communications Center, Hosmer Hall
• Bulletin boards
• Posting of notices
• Student mailboxes and messages
• Faculty mailboxes and messages
• Telephones
• Emergency telephones
• ATM
• Carpooling for commuting students
• Notaries Public
• Smoking policy
• Class cancellation and closings
• Law School Publications
• Graduates

Academic advising

Each incoming first-year student is assigned a faculty advisor, but students are encouraged to consult with the faculty and staff in general. The associate deans are available to provide appropriate referrals for academic and non-academic matters. Evening appointments are available for the convenience of Evening Division students.

The dean is available at all times to meet with students wishing academic advice. The Dean also is interested in meeting students with critical observations or suggestions for improvement of the School.

Academic support programs

The Law School offers academic support in the form of legal writing workshops, group and individual tutoring, and academic and time management counseling. Any student who is experiencing significant academic difficulties may request assistance by contacting the academic support coordinator. Because resources are limited, the provision of services will depend on an assessment of need.

Disability Support Services (DSS)

University of Connecticut School of Law provides equal treatment and opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation except where such distinction is required by law. This statement reflects compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and all other federal and state regulations. The School of Law reserves the right to make changes without notice in this or any other publication as necessitated by University policy or changes in law.

It is the policy and practice of the University of Connecticut School of Law to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state and local requirements regarding students and applicants with disabilities. Individuals who are enrolled at the School of Law must be able to carry out the essential requirements of the curriculum with reasonable accommodation. Under these laws, no qualified individual with a disability shall be denied access to or participation in services, programs and activities of the School of Law.

In carrying out the School of Law's policy regarding students and applicants with disabilities, it is recognized that disabilities include mobility, sensory, health, psychological and learning disabilities, and effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations to the extent it is readily achievable to do so. The School of Law will not make accommodations that are unduly burdensome or that fundamentally alter the nature of the program.

Any student with a disability as that term is defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, or the Americans with Disabilities Act, and who desires reasonable accommodation, should have documented proof indicating the disability. Such documentation and request for accommodation should be given to the Office of the Dean as soon as possible after admission to the School of Law and each successive semester accommodation is needed. This documentation should be discussed and reasonable accommodations negotiated with the Assistant to the Dean for Student Services no later than the first week of classes. Accommodations will be decided on a case by case basis. Please contact Jane Thierfeld Brown in 104 Chase 570-5130 or via email.

The following accommodations may be arranged:

• scheduling classes in accessible locations;
• administering examinations under special conditions;
• assistance with arrangements for tutors;
• assistance in obtaining auxiliary aids; and
• faculty orientation about a disability.

This is not an exhaustive list, and none of these accommodations are made unless requested and agreed to by the student.

In order to assist students in need of housing, the Law School maintains a list of apartments, rooms, and houses, including information on accessibility. The listing is available at http://www.law.uconn.edu/students/housing/.

The following list provides information concerning physical accessibility at the Law School.

Accessible entrances. Upon request, the DSS will provide a touch pad to open doors at the ramped entrances to the buildings.

• Hosmer Hall in the corner of the "L"
• Chase Hall on the west rear side of the building
• Knight Hall on the south side of the building
• Starr Hall on the west side of the building
• Library at the main entrance

Accessible lavatories

• Hosmer Hall on the first and second floors in the south wing near Rooms 130 and 230
• Chase Hall on the first floor near the accessible entrance
• Knight Hall on the first floor near the accessible entrance
• Starr Hall on the second floor
• Library on all levels

Accessible parking

• Chase Hall and the Library in the driveway between the buildings
• Starr Hall in the north section of the lot behind the building
• Hosmer Hall near the entrance to the Cafeteria

General Student Services

The assistant to the dean is available in Chase 104 to assist with general academic and student affairs concerns, questions related to residency, leaves of absence, extenuating circumstances for exams, withdrawals, audits and deferments. Any of the associate deans can also assist with these topics.

Health insurance/U.S. citizens

The University of Connecticut requires all students to carry health insurance to cover the cost of health care. There are several ways in which to satisfy this requirement.

The most common method is to be covered under an existing policy, such as one provided by a parent or spouse. Another option is to purchase a policy through an independent broker. A third alternative is to enroll in a student health insurance program. A brochure describing the student health plan available at the University of Connecticut Health Center and another policy sponsored by the University for regional campuses, together with application forms, is mailed to all students during the summer. Claim forms for these two programs are available at the Office of the Associate Dean for Finance and Administration. Additional coverage for spouses and dependent children is available under most of these plans.

Health insurance/foreign students

All international students will be required, at the time of registration, to show evidence of adequate insurance coverage for basic medical and major medical, including repatriation insurance.

Medical emergencies and first aid

All medical emergencies should be referred to the Public Safety Office (860.570.5173). If there is no answer at this number, the Hartford emergency number (911) should be called to request assistance for an acute emergency. The caller should be prepared to describe the nature of the problem and the location where the assistance is needed.

There are first aid supplies (e.g., band-aids) available in the following locations:

Hosmer Hall

• Second-floor staff lounge and Room 109

Chase Hall

• Dean's Secretarial Office, Room 104
• Business Office, Room 202

Knight Hall

• Bookstore Office, Room 105

Library

• Circulation Desk, third floor
• UConn Police Department, third floor

Meningococcal Disease

In recent years, college campuses have been especially hard hit with outbreaks of Meningococcal disease. Meningococcal disease is a rare but serious baterial infection (not to be confused with a viral infection that can cause meningitis). Serogroup CN meningitidis is currently the most common cause of meningococcal outbreaks in the United States.

Student Health Services at the main campus in Storrs provides information about this disease so students can learn how to reduce the risk of exposure. Please go to http://www.shs.uconn.edu/mening.htm for more information.

Mental health services

If you require mental health services or think you need to speak to a counselor there are multiple options. There are several hospitals, agencies, and professionals in the area that provide mental health care services to students. Payment for mental health services is subject to any limitations and maximums that exist in each student's individual health insurance contract. Mental health care is not covered by the student health fee that provides the Student Health Services and Accident and Sickness Insurance underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Company and managed by Chickering Claims Administrators.

The Director of Student Services in Chase 104 can assist you in locating a health care provider to meet your specific health care need.

Messages and mail

U.S. mailbox.

Please note that the Post Office is now picking up mail from the blue mailbox between Chase and Hosmer at 1 p.m.

The closest U.S. Post Offices are in West Hartford:

12 Crossroads Plaza at Bishops Corner
860.231.2871

102 LaSalle Road West Hartford Center
860.231.2865

Communications Center, Hosmer Hall

Mail deposited in the box for the Storrs campus goes out daily around 11 a.m.

The Center manages classroom reservations and room reservations for organizational meetings. Any organization wishing to reserve a room or part of the campus should complete a reservation form.

Bulletin boards

Students should check the official year boards located in the first-floor lobby of Chase Hall and on the second floor outside the Business Office, Student Finance Office, and Registrar's Office daily. These bulletin boards contain all official administrative notices and announcements.

There are also bulletin boards in the basement of Hosmer Hall and in the first-floor lounge of Knight Hall and in the Library Student Lounge for the various student organizations, student announcements, and bar review course information.

Posting of notices

Posting of notices and announcements is allowed only on designated bulletin boards. Notices and announcements taped to walls, doorways, windows, and similar areas are removed. This policy is necessary in order to protect the building from unsightly destruction caused by cellophane, masking tape, and other substances.

Information regarding the posting of materials on the bulletin boards can be obtained from staff members in Chase Hall, Room 104.

Student mailboxes and messages

Upon matriculation, each student is given an e-mail account as well as a student mailbox (located in the first-floor student lounge in Knight Hall). Students should check their e-mail and mailbox daily. Express mail arriving at the School will be placed in student mailboxes. Students expecting this service should check their mailboxes.

When students take a leave of absence, a notation is placed on the mailbox in Knight Hall two weeks after the effective date of a leave of absence indicating that is is no longer in use and any mail currently in the box will be sent to the student's permanent address. If a student has a need to keep their mailbox, they must advise the associate dean for finance and administration when they apply for their leave. Information Services will close a student's email account two (2) weeks after the effective date of a leave of absence. The student is responsible for saving or forwarding any materials he or she wishes to keep.

Phone calls to students which necessitate calling them out of a class will be handled only in the case of emergency.

Faculty mailboxes and messages

Mailboxes for permanent faculty members are located in the Hosmer Hall Communications Center. Communications for part-time faculty may be given to Donna Kasey in Chase Hall, Room 104.

Telephones

There is a pay phone available in the Student Lounge of the Law Library.

Emergency telephones

Emergency phones are located:

• In the Starr parking lot south of the archway
• In the Law Library parking lot near the northwest corner of the building (near the PILG parking spot)
• In the Law Library parking lot on the east side of the building between the Law Library loading dock and Knight Hall
• In the Hosmer parking lot near the cafeteria entrance

The phones automatically dial the UConn Police Department (located on the main floor of the Law Library) when the receiver is picked up. If the call is not picked up after three rings, the phones automatically dial the Hartford Police Department.

The phones are tested monthly. If you experience a problem with a phone, please contact the Associate Dean for Finance and Administration.

ATM

An ATM is available in the Student Lounge in Knight Hall.

Carpooling for commuting students

The Rideshare Company offers a free listing in their Commuter's Register to help students arrange carpools or vanpools with other individuals. Copies of the monthly publication can be found in Knight Hall, Student Lounge. The listing forms are located on the back page of the newspaper. Students should also check bulletin boards for information.

Notaries Public

Students who need to have a document notarized should see one of the following Notaries Public:

• Patricia Carbray, Hosmer Hall, Room 143
• Monique Griffin, Hosmer Hall, Room 220
• Diana Leyden, Hosmer Hall, Room 336
• Bambi Roberts, Knight Hall, Room 210
• Delia Roy, Hosmer Hall, Room 109

Commissioners of the Superior Court available to serve as notaries include:

• Karen DeMeola, Library 414
• Michele Hoff, Starr 315
• Kristin Magendantz, Starr 221
• Ellen Rutt, Library 326

Smoking policy

In accordance with state law, smoking is not permitted in any interior areas of the buildings. Exterior butt receptacles are located near the main entrances to all buildings. Students are requested to use the butt cans to avoid fire hazard as well as to minimize unsightly litter.

Class cancellation and closings

In the past, there has sometimes been confusion over the applicability of various closing announcements issued by the Governor's Office, other State agencies, or the Storrs campus. Closing decisions for the Law School are made by the dean's office at the Law School.

On those rare occasions that class is cancelled or delayed due inclement weather, a decision by a professor, power outage, etc., an information announcement will be posted to the Homepage on the Law School website and recorded on the Law School hotline: 860.570.5145 (Note: Please save this number. If you misplace it, you can search for Class Cancellations or Snow Phone on the Law School website and the number will be displayed.)

It is our goal to provide the message two hours before classes begin. However, on occasion, information is received that suggests closing which does not allow for the normal notice. The Law School provides closing information on the class cancellation line as soon as it is decided. The Law School cannot be aware of weather conditions throughout the state. Please use your own judgment when making a decision to travel to campus.

In recent years the majority of radio and television stations in Connecticut have converted to automated systems announcing closing information. These systems restrict the scope and description of the information conveyed and do not meet the particular needs of the Law School. Therefore, the Law School does not contact radio or television stations regarding cancellation decisions. Please do not rely on information you hear through the media. Please call the message line for closing information.

The decision to cancel classes is made by the Associate Dean for Finance & Administration in consultation with the Dean, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean for Library and Technology, the UConn Police Master Sergeant and the Law School Facilities Manager. Various online weather information sources are consulted and often the decision-makers drive around Hartford and the surrounding areas to assess local road and highway conditions.

The decision about whether to proceed with classes is never made lightly. Balancing academic and safety needs in this context is always a difficult endeavor. Fortunately, there are checks and balances that operate here. Individual faculty members who would prefer to cancel and later make up their classes (as required by the ABA) are free to do so. Furthermore, individual students who are not comfortable driving in whatever conditions may exist may exercise their discretion not to do so. In such a case, the student should try to minimize the impact of missing class, such as by arranging to copy the notes of another student.

Normally cars should be removed from the campus parking lots by 12:00 midnight. If inclement weather or other emergency causes us to close, cars must be removed at the early closing hour. If inclement weather, car problems, or other unforeseen circumstances cause you to leave your car overnight, please contact the Uconn Police Department (860.570.5173) to alert the officers that your car should not be towed. Any car left overnight must be parked in the Starr parking lot under the pine trees. All other vehicles will be towed to allow for plowing. Please note that the City of Hartford imposes on-street parking bans during snowstorms.

Law School Publications

The following materials are housed in the Law Library. Some of these materials can be found on reserve and some are integrated within the main collection.

Graduates

Graduates provide significant support for the activities of the Law School through The University of Connecticut Law School Alumni Association, Inc., and The University of Connecticut Law School Foundation, Inc.

The Law School Alumni Association is responsible for programs which promote the interests of the School, its graduates and the legal profession. Programs include the Annual Awards Dinner, reunions, area gatherings of graduates, seminars on various legal topics, and the Annual Survey of Connecticut Law which draws lawyers from throughout the State to participate in a series of presentations on current developments in legislation and judicial decisions in the State.

The University of Connecticut Law School Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1974 to raise funds for the benefit of the School. Graduates, faculty and staff members, and friends are solicited every year for the Law School Foundation Annual Fund to provide support for special purposes for which state funding is not available, including the scholastic efforts of the School, special efforts of the faculty, and student activities. The Law School Foundation also manages and administers restricted and endowment funds raised to benefit the School.