The University ranked seventh in the nation according to the 2022–23 U.S. News & World Report national university rankings published Sept. 11. This is a jump from the university’s previous position at ninth, which it maintained for two consecutive years. Hopkins is now tied with the University of Pennsylvania.
The Student Government Association (SGA) held its weekly general body meeting (GBM) on Sept. 6. They discussed a resolution about abortion access and passed a bill creating a first generation and limited-income (FLI) caucus. This was the first meeting attended by the new senators of the freshman class and one new senior senator, who were all confirmed to SGA during the meeting.
After two years of hybrid learning, the University has transitioned to a fully in-person modality for the fall 2022 semester. All classes, including large lectures, are now being taught in person. While being reminiscent of pre-pandemic schooling, this semester also features strategies adopted during virtual and hybrid semesters.
Students crowded in the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation (Rec) Center last Friday for the first fully in-person Student Involvement Fair (SIF) since the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the end of the first week of classes, the Class of 2026 reflected on their experiences living away from home, adjusting to academic life on a university campus and participating in the Hopkins orientation and pre-orientation activities.
The Student Government Association (SGA) held its first weekly general body meeting (GBM) of the semester on August 30 to discuss a bill funding a welcome event for all students and a resolution on abortion access.
Vice President for Public Safety Dr. Branville Bard sent an email to the Hopkins community containing updates on the implementation of the Johns Hopkins Police Department on August 23.
University administration sent an email to the student body on August 1 with changes to COVID-19 protocols and updates regarding the monkeypox virus.
The University expanded gender-affirming care benefits on July 1 to cover additional procedures, including voice therapy and facial reconstructive procedures. These changes put the University in line with the current World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards.
The University is mourning the death of Dia Lee, who passed away on June 20. Lee was a rising senior studying Writing Seminars in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
Hopkins affiliates, including former students, held a protest on the Beach to call on the University to protect the rights of disabled students on May 4. Protesters described their experiences with discrimination and exclusion at Hopkins and outlined their demands for the administration.
Undergraduate students will be required to test twice a week and masking will now be required in libraries and study areas, including Brody Learning Commons, given its increased use during finals week. Guests helping students move out of residence halls will also be required to wear masks.
The University held its 51st Annual Spring Fair on the weekend of April 28 – May 1, marking the first in-person Spring Fair since 2019. This was the second Spring Fair planned by the University’s Office of Leadership Engagement and Experiential Development (LEED). University administrators took over planning last year in the wake of the Spring Fair Planning Committee’s misconduct allegations.
Representatives of Hopkins Democrats and Hopkins Republicans reflected on political engagement and transparency on campus in interviews with The News-Letter. The College Democrats and the College Republicans held a debate on April 14. The debate, which was open to the public, was not recorded for viewing after the event.
As a part of its April Awareness Speaker series, the Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance hosted a talk by Jules Gill-Peterson on April 25. Her talk, titled “History and Harm: The Unfinished Trans Story of Johns Hopkins Hospital,” explored the University’s historic relation to trans and intersex communities and how this legacy continues today.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute hosted scholar Yascha Mounk to discuss his new book, The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, on April 26. His talk was followed by an audience Q&A session, moderated by sophomore SNF Student Engagement Board Member Frank Meng.
The Critical Diaspora Studies (CDS) initiative was created to diversify the undergraduate student experience at Hopkins through the creation of a new interdisciplinary academic space. The initiative hopes that it will connect existing centers of study at the University to build a major and minor.
Baltimore police investigated a threat in McCoy Hall on April 26. Residents and students were advised to avoid 34th Street between St. Paul Street and N. Charles Street as police investigated a “suspicious package” in the building.
The Foreign Affairs Symposium (FAS) hosted Georges C. Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), to discuss his work on April 19.
In an email sent to the Hopkins community on April 22, the University extended the safety protocols reinstated after spring break, which include required masking in dining facilities and residence halls and twice-weekly testing. Previously the protocols were set to end after April 22.
