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LLS Faculty & Staff FAQs

Have questions not addressed below? Please submit them via email.

Campus Access

  • LLS welcomed new students to campus for in-person Orientation activities beginnging on Saturday, August 13. Fall 2022 instruction will begin in-person on Monday, August 22. LLS Registrar’s academic calendar section.

Working

  • The William M. Rains Library is open. The library's hours are available online. Many of the William M. Rains Library’s collections and services are accessible online. Librarians are available for research or reference assistance. A special digital library is available. Additionally, students have access to CALI (Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction) for supplementary class materials, including a full list of lessons. The faculty authorization code is: LOYLLAfac115. Please visit the Library's COVID-19 Resources page for more information.

     

  • Fall 2022 semester in-person instruction starts on Monday, August 22. For further details about the 2022-23 academic year, please visit the LLS Registrar’s academic calendar section.

  • University-approved COVID signage and modifiable templates are available in our signage toolkit.

  • Faculty and staff may not inquire about the vaccination status of a colleague or student. 

  • LLS students, faculty, staff, and visitors may obtain masks at the Information Center, which is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Fridays. 

  • Students, as well as faculty and staff, who are noncompliant with Vax LMU or who do not have a university-approved exemption will not be able to access campus as their ID cards will be de-activated for campus access. 

COVID-19 Safety and Testing

  • The health and safety of the LLS community is our first priority. To that end, a number of initiatives have been undertaken, including:

    Update: Masks Recommended, But Not Required on Campuses
    In response to L.A. County’s recent move into the medium tier of COVID-19 transmission and recent updates from the CDC, LMU will no longer require masks. The university continues to recommend masking for certain indoor settings (including shuttles), welcomes community members who choose to mask, and asks everyone to respect each other’s masking preferences. As a reminder, LLS students, faculty, staff, and visitors may obtain masks at the Information Center, which is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Fridays. 
    Changes to COVID-19 Exposure Notification
    Over the summer, LMU revised the university’s exposure notification protocol to align with exposure management policies issued by the California Department of Public Health and L.A. County Department of Public Health. In a classroom, office, conference room, or similarly sized space with a capacity of 30 people, every individual in the space is considered a close contact. In those instances, all individuals in the class would receive an exposure notification. In larger spaces, close contacts are defined as only those within 6 feet of the infected individual. Seating charts in all classrooms will continue to be required to facilitate contact tracing. As seating charts in larger classrooms are finalized at the outset of the semester, close contacts may be interpreted more broadly to help ensure notification of impacted individuals. This policy is subject to change as the university remains in alignment with changing guidance from public health authorities. 
     
    COVID Vaccine and Booster Required
    The university requires that eligible community members provide proof that they have received their COVID-19 vaccine and at least one COVID-19 booster, unless they have a medical or religious exemption. Those who have already received a vaccine exemption do not need to request an additional exemption for the booster. As a reminder, you are eligible for your booster six months after you have received two doses of Pfizer, Moderna, or WHO approved two-dose COVID-19 vaccines or two months after you have received the single Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

    Free On-Campus COVID Testing at LLS COVID Testing Center
    LLS continues to offer free COVID testing to all students, faculty, staff, and contractors. Advance appointments are no longer required. Simply submit a one-time registration in the university’s new portal, receive a personalized QR code, and show the QR code when you walk up to the LLS Testing Center, located in the Bannan Room on the first floor of the Burns Building. Your QR code is valid for all future testing. Beginning Monday, August 15, the LLS Testing Center will be offering expanded hours from 12-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; it is closed Friday through Sunday.  
     
    Pre-Return COVID-19 Testing
    As has been annouced, pre-return testing is required for all university students, including law students. Students must submit their negative test or attestation here. You may take a PCR test up to two days prior to your return, or a rapid antigen test (including at-home tests) within one day of your return. (Note: If you tested positive in the last 90 days, use an antigen test only.) Students who have already returned to campus may take their test up to two days prior to the start of fall classes. To help ensure the safety of our community, the university also asks faculty and staff to receive a negative test before the start of the school year. 
    Questions About Your Workspace? Contact COVID Safety Liaison
    LLS staff and faculty with COVID policy questions specific to their office or department should contact Marianne Carlton or Joe Archie for more details.

  • The LLS COVID Testing Center is up and running, where a required reservation may be scheduled Monday-Thursday between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. Curbside testing is available at both the LLS and Westchester campuses by appointment only. Please contact COVIDSupportTeam@lmu.edu to make arrangements for this service.

    LMU’s COVID-19 Support Team oversees contact investigation and communication with individuals who test positive or are exposed to others who test positive for COVID. Consistent with L.A. County’s Exposure Management Plan for Higher Education, in the event of a positive case, the LMU Support Team (trained by Johns Hopkins University) immediately initiates contact investigation and provides instructions for home isolation (and quarantine for those exposed), and also notifies the individuals when they have been cleared to return to campus. 

    The Support Team also provides a list of all individuals exposed to the positive case to the L.A. County Department of Public Health within one business day. These individuals are also notified that L.A. County Department of Public Health will contact them directly, through the LACDPH Case and Contact Investigation Program. 

    If you test positive for COVID, please contact the COVID Support Team at COVIDSupportTeam@lmu.edu or 310-568-6868, and stay home until cleared by the COVID Support Team.

  • Update: Masks Recommended, But Not Required on Campuses

    In response to L.A. County’s recent move into the medium tier of COVID-19 transmission and recent updates from the CDC, it was announced that LMU will no longer require masks. The university continues to recommend masking for certain indoor settings (including shuttles), welcomes community members who choose to mask, and asks everyone to respect each other’s masking preferences. As a reminder, LLS students, faculty, staff, and visitors may obtain masks at the Information Center, which is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Fridays. Outside of those hours, masks may be obtained from LLS Security. Students may also obtain masks after hours at the Rains Library Circulation Desk.

  • If you test positive for COVID-19, please contact the COVID Support Team at COVIDSupportTeam@lmu.edu or 310-568-6868, and stay home until cleared by the COVID Support Team.

  • LLS Campus Planning has implemented new sanitation measures, including but not limited to the following:

    • All high-touch areas (including elevator buttons, main door entrances, etc.) will be cleaned with EPA-approved disinfectants three times per day.
    • Housekeeping will continue to dust, remove trash, and clean the floor, door handles and light switches in personal offices. Cleaning supplies will be provided to departments for faculty and staff to regularly self-clean and sanitize their personal work spaces. 
    • Water fountains will be disinfected three times per day. All fountains are filtered, have been maintained within the past year, and are primarily used as refill stations. All water fountains will have hand sanitizer nearby.
    • Classrooms will be cleaned between courses, and deep cleaned every night.
    • Public study areas will be deep cleaned every night.

  • In consultation with an industry leading HVAC contractor with specific expertise, we have upgraded all LLS HVAC systems. We have doubled the filter change intervals to four times per year, and we have upgraded all filters to the MERV 13 standard.  We have increased air circulation and the percentage of outside air to the maximum possible range (18-20%). Filters are also being changed on a quarterly basis rather than using the magnehelic pressure drop guage.

  • Students who test positive for COVID-19 are instructed to contact LMU’s COVID Support Team, which oversees contact investigation and communication with individuals who test positive or are exposed to others who test positive for COVID. A person is considered to have been exposed to a positive case if the person was within 6 feet of the infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

    The university has revised the university’s exposure notification protocol to align with exposure management policies issued by the California Department of Public Health and L.A. County Department of Public Health. In a classroom, office, conference room, or similarly sized space with a capacity of 30 people, every individual in the space is considered a close contact. In those instances, all individuals in the class would receive an exposure notification. In larger spaces, close contacts are defined as only those within 6 feet of the infected individual. Seating charts in all classrooms will continue to be required to facilitate contact tracing. As seating charts in larger classrooms are finalized at the outset of the semester, close contacts may be interpreted more broadly to help ensure notification of impacted individuals. This policy is subject to change as the university remains in alignment with changing guidance from public health authorities. 

    Please see the Need to Know A-Z Index for additional information.

    • Hand sanitizer stations will be installed near entrances to campus buildings, offices, classrooms, library study areas, dining areas, elevator lobbies, breakrooms, large open spaces and other areas.
    • Restrooms will have extra soap dispensers installed and will be deep cleaned every night.

  • The LLS COVID Testing Center is available to any individual who is approved for campus access (including students, faculty, staff, and approved visitors). Reservations must be made at www.lls.edu/covidtesting to receive a test; no walk-ups will be permitted. More information about the Center is available here. Located in Burns Lounge on the first floor of the Burns Building, the Center’s hours are as follows:  

    Hours: 

    • Sundays: CLOSED 
    • Mondays: 11 a.m. -2 p.m., 5-6 p.m. 
    • Tuesdays: 11 a.m. -2 p.m., 5-6 p.m. 
    • Wednesdays: 11 a.m. -2 p.m., 5-6 p.m. 
    • Thursdays: 11 a.m. -2 p.m., 5-6 p.m. 
    • Fridays: CLOSED 
    • Saturdays: CLOSED 

  • Some members of the community have received erroneous testing center directive. If you have received an email directing you to required COVID Testing Center testing and believe you have satisfied Vax LMU requirements, please forward the email in question to Student.Affairs@lls.edu for students or hr@lmu.edu for staff.  

  • The university’s COVID Dashboard includes data from the law school. It may be found online. The law school is working to develop an LLS-specific version of the dashboard. 

  • Members of the LLS community may use the LMU Testing Center as a supplemental site but should plan to make reservations up to three days ahead of their planned visit. More information about the LMU COVID Testing Center is available here. 

  • The categories of people required to test at the LLS COVID Testing Center include students who are unvaccinated but have an approved exemption. In addition, faculty and staff who are not fully compliant with Vax LMU until the August 30 deadline – or who have an approved exemption – must test. Those categories of people must test in the Center twice a week on non-consecutive days, or submit an exemption form weekly to obtain an exemption if they are not present on campus.  

    If a community member required to test misses a test or otherwise falls out of compliance, they will lose campus access. For staff, supervisors will receive notices about such noncompliance. Those who fail to comply with testing requirements may face additional sanctions. 

  • Individuals will receive an email and/or text notification (their preference) when their test results become available. They will click on the provided link, verify their identity and have access to the results.  

    Test results are usually available the day after testing (approximately 24 hours from the time of test). Please wait 48 hours before contacting the COVID Testing Team for assistance. The COVID Testing Team may be reached at COVIDTesting@lmu.edu.   

  • The university’s contact tracing team will contact those who were in close contact with a community member who tests positive for COVID.  Seating charts and other methods will be used to make those determinations. Please see below for more information about contact tracing. Learn more. 

  • The university’s COVID-19 Support Team handles contact investigation and communication with positive or exposed individuals. In the event of a positive case, the team immediately initiates contact investigation, and provides instructions for home isolation (and quarantine for those exposed). The team will generate a list of all individuals exposed to the positive case, and provide this information to L.A. County Department of Public Health using the Contact Line List for the Education Sector within 1 business day. Individuals are notified that LACDPH will contact them directly, through the LACDPH Case and Contact Investigation Program.    

    All individuals who live, work, or otherwise access LMU’s campuses and have been exposed to a suspected or confirmed case will be notified by phone and email, including information about home quarantine, instructions should they become symptomatic, and information about when they are expected to be able to return to campus. 

    If there are 2+ confirmed cases within 14 days, the COVID-19 Support Team will perform a review to identify if the two cases are epidemiologically linked. This information will be relayed to LACDPH. The COVID-19 Support Team will also relay this information to Environmental Health and Safety to review if and how protocols must be adjusted. 

    LACDPH categorizes 3+ confirmed cases within 14 days that are epidemiologically linked as a cluster. In the event of a cluster, in addition to the steps above, the COVID-19 Support Team Leader will initiate an LLS or LMU Alert to notify the community of the cluster, and remind individuals of safety measures they can take to stay safe and healthy on campus.  

  • All employees and students should continue to monitor their health closely, and not come to campus if they feel sick or experience any symptoms, including those commonly associated with COVID. Those who have COVID symptoms should contact the COVID Support Team without delay.

  • If a student must be absent for medical or personal reasons, whether or not they are related to COVID, the student should be advised to contact Student Affairs at Student.Affairs@lls.edu. Student Affairs will communicate with faculty regarding student absences without disclosing protected information. Faculty should avoid giving students the impression that they must disclose such information to their professors. Of course, regular class attendance is required. Each professor should establish an attendance policy that conforms to this requirement. But while the pandemic is ongoing, the administration encourages faculty to adopt a policy that is flexible, giving students room to avoid coming to campus when to do so would present a health risk

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

  • The university is committed to the health and safety of all staff and faculty, including the public health challenge presented by COVID-19. For specific information on support resources available to employees, please visit HR's dedicated coronavirus resource page.

Resources