Johns Hopkins' latest response to global COVID-19 outbreak
<Updated 4.6.2020>
University further extends date restricting in-person alumni events; all residential and in-person academic programs canceled through June 30.
The university announced in a message on April 6 that remote/online programs have been extended through June 30, and all residential and in-person academic programs are canceled through June 30. Many of these programs will shift to online/remote delivery; more information about these changes will be provided by the academic divisions. More information on university operations ».
<Updated 3.18.2020>
University further limits in-person alumni events on and off campus; announces decision to hold 2020 universitywide commencement virtually
Dear Johns Hopkins alumni and friends,
I wanted to share the following update from President Daniels with you regarding the operations of Johns Hopkins University through the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. Included in this announcement are updated details regarding in-person alumni events, as well as initial plans to move to a virtual commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020. Knowing that these graduates from across all nine Johns Hopkins schools will join you as the newest members of the Johns Hopkins alumni community, I want to keep you posted on the planning of virtual commencement, and how you can help us welcome these newest graduates to the Johns Hopkins alumni family.
During this difficult and unprecedented moment, we want to extend our best wishes for your family’s health and safety. We know that many of you may not only be personally impacted, but may also be engaged in mitigation, planning, and response efforts around the world. We are grateful.
Sincerely,
Susan deMuth
Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations
Executive Director, Johns Hopkins Alumni Association
The Johns Hopkins University
________________________________________
Dear Johns Hopkins Students, Faculty, and Staff:
The rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has called upon Johns Hopkins—and each of you—to take a series of unprecedented steps to safeguard our community and ensure that we can accomplish our mission to care for those we serve, including the most vulnerable among us. Today, we have arrived at another critical juncture in our response, and we have made the difficult but necessary decision to suspend all in-person classes through the end of the spring 2020 semester.
Community transmission of the virus is accelerating nationally and within our region, and we continue to be guided by public health authorities and infectious disease and epidemiological experts at Johns Hopkins who are now urging all of us to observe stricter social distancing protocols for a longer period of time. We make this decision mindful of the toll caused by the uncertainty around this pandemic, including the uncertainty that comes with not knowing whether or when we might reconvene in person as a university community this semester.
With the safety of our community foremost in mind, we are taking the following steps:
• All in-person classes will continue as remote/virtual instruction for the rest of the semester, with remote/virtual instruction beginning in full no later than March 23 (for undergraduates, following spring break).
• All in-person, university events are suspended pending further notice, including tours, admissions events, and alumni events.
• The Provost’s Office and deans will convene remotely divisional academic bodies to consider and make necessary adjustments to exams, grading, course credit, and degree requirements, among other academic impacts.
• Online and virtual teaching support is being made available for all faculty, lecturers, and TAs.
• The May 2020 universitywide Commencement exercises will be held virtually (all in-person Commencement ceremonies are cancelled). We will work with our divisions and students on plans to gather our graduates together for virtual ceremonies this May and in-person celebrations at a later date. More information regarding virtual universitywide Commencement activities will be made available to students and families later this week.
• University meetings and work activities, even those deemed essential, must be conducted remotely whenever possible and no in-person meetings or activities may be held with more than 10 people (with limited exceptions, such as select types of clinical care).
• Nonessential university-sponsored international and domestic travel is suspended.
• We are winding down all but critical research, transitioning to telework for as much of our work force as possible, and providing emergency COVID-19 leave for our employees, as set forth in the email messages over the last several days.
Outlined below, please find details about these actions. Please also check the Hub’s COVID-19 information page for further updates.
We recognize the very real challenges these steps pose for members of our community. In particular, we know that the decision to end in-person activities for the full semester comes as a great disappointment to many, as it does to us. We deeply regret that we will not be able to celebrate in person with our graduating students, their families, and friends at Commencement. Gathering as a community to honor our graduates is a cherished tradition, but in true Hopkins fashion, we will summon our optimism and creativity to mark that important milestone in a way that expresses the great joy and pride we take in the accomplishments of our extraordinary students.
As we face this profound challenge together, we are so proud of our students, faculty, and staff—among them our indefatigable frontline caregivers and researchers—who have demonstrated unflagging devotion to furthering our mission to educate, discover, and serve. You exemplify the best of this institution, and in these most trying times, we are truly grateful for all you have done to help us forge a path forward as a community. Though we will not be together in person for the immediate future, we continue to draw inspiration and strength from this remarkable community no matter where we may find ourselves in the world.
You will continue to hear from us and university leadership over the course of this unfolding situation. Please take care and treat yourselves and one another with compassion and thoughtfulness.
Sincerely,
Ronald J. Daniels
President
Sunil Kumar
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
For undergraduates:
• The suspension of in-person academic work includes labs, research for credit, practicums, and similar experiences.
• Residential undergraduate students have been required to leave campus and provided support to do so. Only those who have been granted specific exceptions have been allowed to stay. Any student who was granted an exception but is now able to leave campus should contact Student Affairs for support in arranging departure from campus.
• Student Affairs will establish a procedure for residential students to return to campus to collect their belongings or move them into storage. Please look for an email detailing the collection procedure before coming on campus.
• We strongly encourage our undergraduates who live off campus to seriously consider returning to their permanent residence, in consultation with their families, given the limited on-campus support capacity at JHU.
• JHU will provide credit for the balance of the semester for university housing and dining contracts.
• On-campus student workers will be paid through at least April 12, and we are exploring a further extension for those students with demonstrated need, as well as opportunities to continue campus employment remotely.
We are especially mindful of the impact of this decision on graduating seniors, and we are working on plans to commemorate their time at Hopkins and to help prepare for life after college. Our Life Design Lab stands ready to provide career services remotely, as well as assistance to those applying to graduate school or planning to work at Hopkins after graduation. We will hold a virtual Commencement this spring, and offer opportunities to walk at future graduation ceremonies, and are already in discussion with student leaders about gathering the class together this fall as a part of our traditional Young Alumni Weekend.
More information about Life Design Lab services and plans for Commencement will be communicated later this week.
For graduate students:
• Plans for clinical and lab-based programs, practicums, or the equivalent will be determined by the divisions, but all in-person courses will be delivered virtually/remotely through the end of the spring semester.
• Graduate students with teaching responsibilities are expected to continue their duties via remote instruction for the remainder of the semester.
• The salary or stipend support and benefits currently offered to PhD students and postdoctoral fellows will not be interrupted as they work remotely. Trainees who are currently receiving support from research grants will continue to receive it and must carry out their duties remotely.
• The Office of International Services has confirmed that the visa status of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will not be adversely affected by performing their position functions remotely during this period of social distancing.
For researchers:
• The guidance issued to JHU researchers on March 14 remains in effect until further notice.
• In accordance with that guidance, we are ramping down research to essential levels.
• Critical research related to COVID-19 will continue.
• For evolving guidance and resources, visit the Research Preparedness website.
For staff:
• The guidance issued to JHU employees on March 12 remains in effect until further notice.
• The university campuses remain open on a limited basis for work that is deemed essential or critical to continuity of operations, including clinical health care.
• Employee guidance requires telework for all jobs that can be performed remotely.
• Employees who cannot work remotely but whose duties are not presently critical to the university’s limited operations will remain on a paid, “on-call” status with the understanding that as the university’s needs change, they may be required to perform other duties.
• Employees whose work is critical and cannot be performed remotely should follow strict social distancing and other measures to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Buildings and facilities:
• Most university buildings remain open at this time; however, we anticipate enacting further building restrictions given the diminished level of activity on campus and the necessity to protect capacity among our security workforce during the COVID-19 situation, while maintaining needed access for university operations.
• The Milton S. Eisenhower Library is closed to Johns Hopkins and public users until further notice.
• All recreation facilities and fields are closed until further notice.
Events and gatherings:
• All in-person university-sponsored events are suspended until further notice (including tours, admissions events, alumni events, etc.).
• All university meetings and activities, including those deemed essential, should be held virtually/remotely (except required clinical care and/or necessary research, including COVID-19 research, as previously outlined); no meetings/activities may be held with more than 10 people (with limited exceptions, such as select types of clinical care).
Travel:
• All nonessential university-sponsored travel (both international and domestic) is suspended.
• Essential travel may include time-critical research, clinical care delivery, and/or clinical trials, as determined by the dean or his/her designee.
• University-sponsored travel includes all travel funded by the university or its sponsors, including discretionary funds, and all travel sponsored or organized by student organizations, regardless of the funding source.
• All personal travel is strongly discouraged – international and domestic – and may be prohibited for certain employees (e.g., the healthcare workforce).
<Updated 3.16.2020>
Watch Live: Johns Hopkins experts discuss latest developments on #COVID19
Webcast details
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
11:30 am – 12:00 pm ET
Where to watch: JHSPH.edu/COVID-19/Mar-17
Alumni and Friends,
COVID-19 is now a global pandemic. Businesses are shuttering, classes are canceled, and financial markets are taking significant hits.
This is a critical time for information but also for the support and reassurance that science and evidence can offer. What actions do we know are effective in pandemics? Does social distancing truly make a difference in an outbreak? What have we learned about COVID-19 that can inform how we prepare and respond in our daily lives?
Experts from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will answer these questions and more in a 30-minute webcast at 11:30 am ET, Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
Webcast speakers
JOSHUA M. SHARFSTEIN, MD
Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
CAITLIN RIVERS, PhD
Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
ANDY PEKOSZ, PhD
Professor, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Webcast details
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
11:30 am – 12:00 pm ET
Where to watch: JHSPH.edu/COVID-19/Mar-17
You may submit questions before and during the broadcast through the Q&A module on the right side of the livestream’s video player.
A recording will be made available on the JHU Coronavirus Resource Center and across Bloomberg School channels.
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will host additional webcasts as the coronavirus outbreak continues. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to be notified about future broadcasts.
The Bloomberg School also produces Public Health On Call, a podcast with an immediate focus on the coronavirus outbreak. Subscribe now.
Johns Hopkins University’s clinicians and researchers specializing in global public health, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness have been at the forefront of the international response to the coronavirus outbreak by advancing the understanding of the virus, informing the public, and briefing policymakers in order to guide the response, improve care, and save lives.
As we have in moments of international health challenge for more than 100 years—from the 1918 flu pandemic to the 2014 Ebola outbreak—Johns Hopkins is marshaling its ideas and people to ensure the safety and continued health of millions around the world.
<Updated 3.13.2020>
Homewood's 's Alumni Weekend 2020 Postponed
Dear alumni and friends,
Johns Hopkins University continues to actively monitor the global COVID-19 outbreak, with particular focus on the health and well-being of the university community, as well as on the continuity of university operations. We also are fortunate to have some of the world’s best experts in public health, infectious disease and emergency management not only to guide our university response, but to contribute to the national and global response effort.
This afternoon, we have decided to postpone Homewood’s Alumni Weekend 2020. This decision was not easy to make, but we think that it is in the best interest of our Hopkins alumni, staff, students, and community as a whole.
The Office of Alumni Relations will be exploring options to celebrate a reunion with you at a later date and hope to provide those details in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have made travel plans, we encourage you to look into cancellation policies. If you have already registered for Alumni Weekend events, we will contact you regarding refunds.
For any questions, please contact the Reunion & Homecoming office at reunion@jhu.edu or 410-516-5185. We will be sending out an email to our entire alumni community this afternoon regarding the change.
During this difficult and unprecedented moment, we extend our best wishes for your family’s health and safety. We know that many of you may not only be personally impacted, but may also be engaged in mitigation, planning, and response efforts around the world. We are grateful.
While we are disappointed about this postponement, we are thankful for your patience and understanding as we adapt as a community to these new circumstances. As this global pandemic evolves, we invite you to turn to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center for the most up to date information and insights from Hopkins experts.
<Updated 3.10.2020>
Johns Hopkins limits in-person alumni events in response to global #COVID19 outbreak
On March 10, 2020, President Ronald J. Daniels announced Johns Hopkins University's latest plan in response to the global COVID-19 outbreak.
Now through at least April 12, 2020, any scheduled, in-person alumni events will be canceled or postponed. Registrants will be contacted on a case by case basis if their event has been impacted by this change. Online-only events will continue as scheduled.
The university has not made a final decision regarding Homewood’s Alumni Weekend 2020, April 24 – 26, but expect to do so shortly.
If alumni have made reservations for one of our Alumni Journeys travel programs, and have concerns regarding the status of their trip, they should contact the travel company directly regarding their COVID-19 contingency plans.
The safety and wellness of our alumni community is our top priority. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we take the necessary precautions during this time. If you have any questions or concerns, please email alumni@jhu.edu.