Law Schools

Law School Deans Were Pretty Stressed Out About The Pandemic

According to a new report, deans had a moderate level of concern about the reduced quality of their students' online education.

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For the most part, my constituents have been extremely gracious, flexible and forgiving. Nonetheless, it was not uncommon for me to bear the brunt of others’ frustration with a worldwide pandemic. To be as stressed and challenged for such an extended period without pause while so focused on nothing but the well-being of others has not been easy. I am ready for a break.

— An unnamed law school dean’s response to a survey conducted by Dean D. Benjamin Barros of the University of Toledo College of Law on the negative effects they experienced from the COVID-19 pandemic. The same dean said that being responsible for the health of students, faculty, staff, and family was “a tremendous burden.” Fifty-one law school deans responded to the survey, and about a quarter of them said they experienced “moderately high levels of stress” due to the pandemic in 2020. Other findings of note from the survey included that about 30% of deans faced budget cuts in spring 2020, while 60% faced budget cuts in fall 2020; less than 15% of deans had to lay off staff members, and 5% had to lay off faculty members. Click here to read the report.

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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