The Student Government Association (SGA) held its weekly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, discussing election proceedings, committee bylaws and resources for survivors of sexual assault.
When University President Ronald J. Daniels announced that the semester would be entirely remote in his August 6 email, he noted that tuition would be reduced by 10 percent and that the Office of Financial Aid was allocating $15 million in additional assistance money. Heading into the fall semester, students who requested additional aid are ultimately pleased with their grants, but feel that they lacked support throughout the process.
Thousands of students participated in the University’s first-ever virtual Student Involvement Fair (SIF) from Sept. 3 to Sept. 5. Through the event, interested students talked to representatives from over 300 student organizations through Zoom and chat messages.
The Life Design Lab held a webinar titled “Finding the Right Fit: Navigating your Interests and Co-Curricular Experience at Hopkins” on Sept. 2. Hope Burke, the assistant director of Life Design, hosted the event on Zoom to help students reflect on their goals for college and plan out what student organizations to join.
Two months ago, University President Ronald J. Daniels and Provost Sunil Kumar sent an email to the Hopkins community on July 8 detailing the creation of a 2020 Task Force to review the 2016 Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion (Roadmap). On Sept. 3, the University sent out a follow-up email to the Hopkins community with an update on the Roadmap 2020 Task Force and Progress Report.
In response to all classes being held online due to the coronavirus, the University hosted an entirely virtual first-year orientation experience for the Class of 2024 and transfer students.
In a letter to the Johns Hopkins University Police Accountability Board on August 26, the University revealed that the board would be paused until further notice.
The Student Government Association (SGA) held its first meeting of the school year on Sept. 1 via Zoom. Before the meeting, SGA discussed feedback from students, including mishandled belongings that were stored by the University over the summer, as well as coronavirus (COVID-19) testing capacity.
On September 1, Governor Larry Hogan announced that Maryland will enter stage three of the state’s Roadmap to Recovery Plan beginning on Friday at 5 p.m. Local leaders, however, are left to determine whether to move forward with lifting restrictions.
When students Franz Osilia, Megan Rutkai and Zach Wheeler founded the Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs (POFA), they had no experience in podcasting. Today, POFA has released over 40 episodes, covering geopolitical trends and crises from every continent.
Assistant Dean for Academic Advising Jessie Martin sent reminders to the student body regarding grading policy and online learning resources for the fall semester in an email on August 28.
By the time University announced its decision on August 6 to conduct the fall semester fully online, many students had already signed their leases and made plans to return to campus. While some scrambled to sublet their apartments and cancel their travel arrangements, others decided to return to Baltimore despite the University urging students to stay home.
Vice Provost for Student Affairs Alanna Shanahan and Vice Provost for Student Health and Well-Being Kevin Shollenberger announced in an email on August 26 that they will be distributing Wellness Kits to students residing in Charles Village. The Wellness Kits will be available at the Barnes & Noble on St. Paul Street from August 31 to Sept. 4 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Almost two months ago, University President Ronald J. Daniels announced that a rope fashioned into a noose was found in a construction site of a Whiting School of Engineering lab at the Stieff Silver building on July 2.
In an email to undergraduate students and their families on August 23, University leaders disclosed that a small cluster of students living in off-campus housing in Charles Village had tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) after returning to Baltimore.
Last March, as the University shut down due to coronavirus (COVID-19), many students left campus housing with most of their belongings still in their dorms. To temporarily house healthcare workers responding to the pandemic, the University announced that it hired outside “professional movers” to pack student belongings in select dorms.
Following the University’s announcement on August 6 that all undergraduate fall classes will be held online, many students once again have had to modify their plans. With flights booked in advances and leases already signed, students who had decided to Baltimore are scrambling to make adjustments.
Katrina Caldwell began her role as the new chief diversity officer (CDO) and vice provost for diversity and inclusion on July 1. Caldwell hopes to embrace the diverse perspectives at Hopkins to foster a more inclusive environment.
Title IX is a civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in universities that receive federal funds. The Department of Education (DOE) issued changes to Title IX regulations three months ago, giving more rights to accused students in sexual harassment and assault cases.
The Coalition Against Policing by Hopkins (CAPH), consisting of about a dozen student and community groups, marched in East Baltimore on August 15 to demand the termination of the University’s plans to implement a private police force.
