Message From Our President
Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Friends,
I am pleased to present to you this Guide to our plans for the upcoming fall semester and reopening of our campuses. In form and in content, this coming semester will be like no other. We will live differently, work differently and learn differently. But in its very difference rests its enormous power.
The mission of Yeshiva University is to enrich the moral, intellectual and spiritual development of each of our students, empowering them with the knowledge and abilities to become people of impact and leaders of tomorrow. Next year’s studies will be especially instrumental in shaping the course of our students’ lives. Character is formed and developed in times of deep adversity. This is the kind of teachable moment that Yeshiva University was made for. As such, we have developed an educational plan for next year that features a high-quality student experience and prioritizes personal growth during this Coronavirus era. Our students will be able to work through the difficulties, issues and opportunities posed by our COVID-19 era with our stellar rabbis and faculty, as well as their close friends and peers at Yeshiva.
To develop our plans for the fall, we have convened a Scenario Planning Task Force made up of representatives across the major areas of our campus. Their planning has been guided by the latest medical information, government directives, direct input from our rabbis, faculty and students, and best practices from industry and university leaders across the country. I am deeply thankful to our task force members and all who supported them for their tireless work in addressing the myriad details involved in bringing students back to campus and restarting our educational enterprise.
In concert with the recommendations from our task force, I am announcing today that our fall semester will reflect a hybrid model. It will allow many students to return in a careful way by incorporating online and virtual learning with on-campus classroom instruction. It also enables students who prefer to not be on campus to have a rich student experience by continuing their studies online and benefitting from a full range of online student services and extracurricular programs.
In bringing our students back to campus, safety is our first priority. Many aspects of campus life will change for this coming semester. Gatherings will be limited, larger courses will move completely online. Throughout campus everyone will need to adhere to our medical guidelines, including social distancing, wearing facemasks, and our testing and contact tracing policies. Due to our focus on minimizing risk, our undergraduate students will begin the first few weeks of the fall semester online and move onto the campus after the Jewish holidays. This schedule will limit the amount of back and forth travel for our students by concentrating the on-campus component of the fall semester to one consecutive segment.
Throughout our planning, we have used the analogy of a dimmer switch. Reopening our campuses will not be a simple binary, like an on/off light switch, but more like a dimmer in which we have the flexibility to scale backwards and forwards to properly respond as the health situation evolves. It is very possible that some plans could change, depending upon the progression of the virus and/or applicable state and local government guidance.
Before our semester begins, we will provide more updates reflecting our most current guidance. Please check our website, yu.edu/fall2020 for regular updates. We understand that even after reading through this guide, you might have many additional questions, so we will be posting an extensive FAQ section online as well. Additionally, we will also be holding community calls for faculty, students, staff and parents over the next couple of months.
Planning for the future during this moment has certainly been humbling. This Coronavirus has reminded us time and time again of the lessons from our Jewish tradition that we are not in full control of our circumstances. But our tradition also teaches us that we are in control of our response to our circumstances. Next semester will present significant challenges and changes. There will be some compromises and minor inconveniences--not every issue has a perfect solution. But faith and fortitude, mutual cooperation and resilience are essential life lessons that are accentuated during this period. And if we all commit to respond with graciousness, kindness, and love, we can transform new campus realities into profound life lessons for our future.
Deeply rooted in our Jewish values and forward focused in preparing for the careers and competencies of the future, we journey together with you, our Yeshiva University community, through these uncharted waters. Next year will be a formative year in the lives of our students, and together we will rise to the moment so that our students will emerge stronger and better prepared to be leaders of the world of tomorrow.
Best Wishes,
Ari Berman
Dean of Admissions David Martinidez kicked off the day in the newly renovated Jacob Burns Moot Court Room, highlighting the accomplishments and diversity of the 313 students in the incoming Fall and May-entering J.D. class.
“I want you to remember that each of you, in your own way, has already achieved much success in your life,” Martinidez noted. “We are confident with a lot of hard work and dedication, you can thrive at Cardozo.”
The class of 2022’s academic credentials make it one of the strongest classes in Cardozo’s history. The incoming class has a median LSAT of 162 (which is the 85th percentile and is a one-point increase over last year) and a median GPA of 3.6 (an increase of .08 over last year).
The incoming students hail from 31 states and 17 countries, including China, South Africa and Argentina. Their educational background varies as well, from a PhD in Linguistics to a Master’s in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Their hobbies and interests range from Taekwondo to table tennis. Martinidez asked the audience who had traveled to the most countries. The number to beat was 27. He also asked for a round of applause for the two members of the class who served in the military.
Martinidez stressed that regardless of the students’ unique paths in getting to Cardozo, they were chosen because of his confidence in their abilities to become the kind of lawyers who are leaders in the field they choose to pursue.
Dean Melanie Leslie ’91C took the podium next. As an alumna herself, she shared her experience of sitting in the same place as the incoming class. She marked the excitement of the day but reminded students of the responsibility that came with being a law student and joining the legal field.
“Today is your first step toward being lawyers,” Leslie said, “toward being people who help other people. People who lead. People to whom other people look when there’s a crisis, when they need confidence, when they need advice, when they need support. When they need representation, they’re going to look to you.”
“What kind of lawyer are you going to be?” she asked the audience. “What kind of person are you going to be? Your professional reputation starts now.”
Dean Leslie urged students to forget about the negative stereotypes they’ve heard about cut-throat competition in law school and instead take advantage of the close-knit Cardozo community.
“You may be sitting next to a person who becomes your best friend. You may be sitting next to a person that you don’t see for 20 years and then all of the sudden you run into each other at a networking event and they refer you clients,” she said.
“We are in this together. You are going to be Cardozo graduates, and this is going to be part of your network. And you gotta cheer each other on! One person’s success is everybody’s success,” she said. “You all get better when you help one another out.”
The celebration continued at the students’ luncheon, where another prominent Cardozo alumna offered her wisdom. New York State Senator Anna M. Kaplan ’90C recounted her Cardozo law school journey as an Iranian Jewish immigrant. Kaplan also graduated from Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women. She is the first Iranian-American and the first political refugee elected to the New York State Senate.
“I stand on the shoulders of a lot of women who paved the way for me to run,” Sen. Kaplan said. “As different as we think we may be, we have more similarities.”
After lunch, both JD and LL.M. students, many of whom had their orientation on August 13, headed to Chelsea Piers for Cardozo’s boat cruise down the Hudson River. For many, it was the first time seeing the sights of New York City up close as they shared in the excitement of a new beginning as they prepare to start on their legal journey with their first classes in Elements of Law.
