LANSING, Mich. — As colleges and universities struggle with how to safely go back to class in person this fall, WMU-Cooley, with campuses in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Mich.; and Riverview, Fla., made the decision to continue teaching classes online for the Fall 2020 semester, while allowing limited in-person access on campus to take advantage of our library, high-speed internet, and quiet study spaces.
"WMU-Cooley has long worked to integrate the science of learning into our classes, including our groundbreaking Weekend Blended Learning Program, our hybrid online/in-class offering that makes it possible for many full-time working students to earn their law degree," stated WMU-Cooley President and Dean James McGrath. "Our graduate LL.M. (Master of Laws) programs were already 100 percent online, so we have the experience and infrastructure to provide a quality education online to our students until we can safely return to the physical classroom."
WMU-Cooley faculty believe using innovative and empirically proven online teaching methods foster greater collaboration and community than would socially distanced in-person classes.
"We believe teaching classes online this fall will be a better learning experience for our students than is possible with appropriate social distancing and face coverings needed for an in-class environment," continued McGrath. "As a law school with a mission of equitable access to justice and preparing future lawyers using modern legal education approaches to learning, we feel we have created a superior online learning experience.”
The law school's Board approved lowering tuition for the 2020 fall class, while adopting more rigorous admissions policies. These and other initiatives will position the school to continue and expand its access mission, serve a diverse population, improve student outcomes, and strengthen its affiliation with Western Michigan University.
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