Georgetown: No contraceptive coverage for students, employee coverage to remain unchanged

Updated on Thursday, April 26, 2012 by Justin Waddell

In an email sent this morning, April 26, 2012, President DeGioia communicated the University’s decision regarding contraceptive coverage for students in the upcoming year. The University will seek the one year deferral period allowed for in the recently promulgated Health and Human Services Department regulation. Last week, a petition signed by more than 780 law students was released asking the University to forgo the one year delay.

The current practice of providing employees with subsidized access to contraception will remain unchanged. The University has made no effort to explain this discrepancy despite a nearly month-old formal request for clarification from the Student Bar Association.

Continue reading for the full text of DeGioia’s message.

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Should historical grade distributions be available? Students say yes

Updated on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 by Justin Waddell

The following is a summary of responses to last week’s survey. A total of 122 students responded to the following question: “All other things being equal, should historical grade distributions for courses be available to students?”

 As shown by the pie chart below, a significant majority favor making the information available.

Distribution of answers to the question, “All other things being equal, should historical grade distributions for courses be available to students?”A substantial majority of respondents offered thoughtful explanations for their choices. The major themes for both the “Yes” and “No” camps are summarized below.

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Sandra Fluke, 780 law students to Georgetown: comply with contraception mandate in 2012

Sandra Fluke (3L) and Christina Postolowski (3L) at a panel on April 5. Fluke, Postolowski, and Kelly Percival (2L) sent the letter, which was joined by more than 780 Georgetown Law students.In an email sent today, Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke (3L) and Georgetown Law Student’s for Reproductive Justice (GLSRJ) delivered a jointly-signed letter asking that the University provide for comprehensive contraceptive coverage in the student health plan for 2012. As of this writing, over 780 Law Center students have co-signed the letter—comprising a significant percentage of the student body.

The letter was delivered, via Fluke’s email, to the Offices of University President Dr. John DeGioia, Law Center Dean William Treanor, Associate Vice President for Student Health Dr. James Welsh, and Law Center Dean of Students Mitchell Bailin.

(Continue reading for the full text of the letter.)

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Grades: What's in a curve?

Updated on Thursday, April 19, 2012 by Justin Waddell

Over the past several months, a conversation has been going on amongst Law Center faculty, administration, and a few students. The central question is this: should historical grade curve information be available to students?

(Share your views by following the link at the bottom of this post. All responses are anonymous.)

To many first-years, this may seem like a pointless inquiry because the recommended curve is followed in 1L classes. Second and third-year students likely know that the recommended curve becomes more of a suggestion in upper-level courses. The latter assumption better reflects reality. What most upper-class students may not know, however, is the magnitude of variation.

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