Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young announced on June 19 that Baltimore will enter stage two of reopening following shutdowns to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
More than 200 members of the Hopkins community gathered in front of the Beach on Thursday, June 18 to demand that the University better hire and support black faculty members, as well as cancel the planned private police force. The Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) held the peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests that have followed George Floyd’s killing by a white Minneapolis police officer.
The Student Government Association (SGA) discussed resuming in-person activities and promoting diversity efforts at its first meeting of the 2020-21 academic year on Tuesday, May 16. Although SGA typically begins meeting in the fall, the group decided it would meet twice this summer, citing unprecedented circumstances and the need to carry out time-sensitive activities.
President Brandon Scott of the Baltimore City Council won the Democratic primary for Baltimore Mayor with 29.46 percent of the vote on June 9. The official race call comes a week after the Maryland primary elections.
University President Ronald J. Daniels and other administrators announced the suspension of the implementation of the Johns Hopkins Police Department (JHPD) for at least two years in an email on June 12. This announcement followed nationwide protests against racism and police brutality prompted by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department.
More than 600 faculty members signed a petition delivered to President Ronald J. Daniels on June 5 calling for greater representation in University decision-making. The petition also demanded greater financial transparency and the reversal of various austerity measures taken by the University, including hiring freezes and suspension of retirement plan contributions.
University President Ronald J. Daniels announced in an email to the student body on Friday, June 5 that Hopkins will be open this fall for limited academic instruction, co-curricular activities and residential life. By the end of the month, University leaders will share a detailed plan for comment and feedback. According to Daniels, a final plan will be posted by mid-July.
The University’s 2020 Research Workgroup held its third virtual town hall on May 29 to discuss plans for the fall semester. The event built on the information shared in the previous town halls concerning the guidelines for reopening campus for researchers.
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department has sparked nationwide protests to highlight police brutality and promote racial justice. These protests have occurred in over 350 cities. In addition, people have shown their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement through donations, petitions and social media.
The marble sign on the Merrick Gateway and parts of the Mattin Center were spray-painted with messages such as “Justice 4 Floyd” and “No JHUPD” following nationwide protests against police brutality on May 31.The University has since covered the sign with tarp, surrounded it with fences and is in the process of removing the messages.
The University’s 2020 Research Workgroup held its second town hall on May 20. The event’s purpose was to encourage feedback on the Workgroup’s guidelines for resuming research this year. The Workgroup is currently examining the impact of lab management and safety strategies during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and has helped develop a three-phase reopening plan.
Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Stephen Gange and Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Jon Links hosted a virtual town hall discussing the University’s plan for the fall semester on Friday May 15. At the event, Gange and Links laid out a three-phased reopening plan and answered questions from the public.
Students will be allowed to return to residence halls to begin the move-out process beginning today, May 18. Director Sarah Mansfield of Housing Operations had emailed residential students on May 12 explaining that students may schedule time slots via the housing portal.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that he is lifting the state’s stay-at-home order, replacing it with a public health advisory called “safer at home.”
Vice Provost for Student Affairs Alanna Shanahan and Associate Vice Provost for Education Janet Schreck announced the formation of a student advisory committee in an email to the student body on May 12. The committee will be tasked with providing feedback on University plans and brainstorming ideas as to what the process of reopening campus might look like amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. University President Ronald J. Daniels suspended in-person classes on March 10.
The Department of Education issued changes to Title IX regulations on May 6. The new regulations will impact how universities investigate and handle sexual harassment and assault cases. The Office for Civil Rights reviewed more than 120,000 public comments and surveys to finalize the revised law, called “The Final Rule.”
Earlier this semester, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Alanna Shanahan emailed all students, instructing them to vacate University housing by March 15 due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Exceptions were granted to students “who [could not] return home due to international travel restrictions, financial hardship or other extraordinary circumstances.”
Nest Network, an initiative run by students from the JHU American Marketing Association (JHU AMA), is working with Hopkins and community partners to match students with internships for the summer. Nest Strategies, the marketing branch of JHU AMA, created Nest Network to address the growing concern over the cancellation of students’ summer internships due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Alexis Ohanian, co-founder and executive chairman of Reddit, will speak at the virtual 2020 Commencement ceremony on May 21.
“It was one of the first graduations Ron Daniels was at. I got to shake his hand. Underneath the cap and gown, I was wearing a dress. At another graduation, I was wearing a shirt and tie. It felt full circle. At Hopkins, I had gotten a bachelor’s degree and a PhD — and a new body and soul. Everything was possible here, but on the flip side, when I followed someone else’s advice blindly, it almost killed me.”
