Diversity | Equity | Inclusion

The GSA and the greater Johns Hopkins University community strives to create an environment that values diversity, promotes an inclusive culture, and establishes a profound sense of belonging for each member of our community. To respect the histories of and show appreciation for the contributions of historically marginalized identities, GSA commemorates heritage months and identity acknowledgments throughout the year. We invite you to browse through the Heritage and Awareness Calendar below and attend our diversity events to familiarize yourself and learn more about the traditions, communities, histories, and current experiences of the represented groups.

The GSA hosts regular diversity events and information sessions surrounding the DEI space and student wellness! You can find links to previous event sessions below the calendar!

The JHU Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion also shares a yearly Multicultural Calendar. You can find the link to the calendar on this webpage

Looking for more Diversity Resources? Check out the following links:

Hosted Information Sessions

Click a session below to access slide decks and recordings!

  • Oct 2023 Wellfleet Student Insurance Benefits Overview

    Jamie Karl from the Students Benefits Office kindly spoke to students and answered questions regarding our recent switch to the Wellfleet insurance plan! Below you can find the recording of the talk as well as additional resources for you to explore!

    In addition to the talks, there were a few questions that popped up during discussions: You can see those answers below!

    1. The Delta Dental benefit will only pay out a maximum of $1500 per person in each calendar/plan year. So this year will be 7/1/23-8/14/24. The next plan year will be 8/15/24-8/14/25.
    2. The max payout a subscriber would have to pay out of pocket is $3000 per person per plan year before Wellfleet will pay everything at 100%.
    3. The prescription drug benefits -$15 for generics and $25 for brand name are for a 30-day supply. If you receive over a 30-day supply, then your out-of-pocket may be more. (As someone described in the audience paying $36, because that was a 90-day supply.)Regarding the preventative care benefit, GYN and your PCP are covered at 100%. There isn’t a benefit for preventative care dermatology: Important – Your provider or lab, must submit the billing as preventative care service in order for the visit to be paid 100%!
    4. Regarding the preventative care benefit, GYN and your PCP are covered at 100%. There isn’t a benefit for preventative care dermatology: Important – Your provider or lab, must submit the billing as preventative care service in order for the visit to be paid 100%!
    5. A physician (specialist) office visit is paid out at 90% in network, which would be the dermatology annual visit.

    In addition to the talks, there were a few questions that popped up during discussions: You can see those answers below!

  • Feb 2023 Demystifying the SHP and Medical Billing

    As we all know, medical bills cause significant financial burden to graduate students, and this can be exacerbated when students struggle to understand their health insurance benefits and medical bills. To address this, the GSA hosted a presentation about the Student Health Program and the medical billing process on February 2nd, 2023 from 4-5 PM via Zoom. Olha Gudesblat, the Assistant Manager of University Health Services, and Chrissy St Clair, the Manager of Student Benefits, shared their knowledge and answered student questions. Check out the recoding, and their slide decks!

  • Jan 2023 Tax Address

    As of January 11th, 2023, the GSA was able to host an accountant-led presentation and forum for the student body. The link to the recording and the slides used for the presentation section are found below. Contact information for each speaker, Joe Musumeci, CPA and Tax office manager Eric Arneklev, is found in the description of the video. Find more information about filing taxes on their website, or by contacting the office directly.

  • Jan 2023 Mental Health Resources

    Dr. Jennifer Howes, the Chief Mental Health Director at JHU, recently spoke to us about current Mental Health Services at JHU. Take a moment to look through her informative slides to learn more about what services are offered here at Johns Hopkins as well as learn about the exciting steps the Student Health and Well-Being Office is taking to continue to improve mental health services for JHU learners..

  • Jan 2023 GSA-BSA Conversation with Dr. Branville Bard re. JHPD

    The Grad Student Association and the Biomedical Scholars Association recently had a conversation with the Vice President of Public Safety Dr. Branville Bard and the Senior Advisor of Public Safety Rodney Hill regarding updates to the Johns Hopkins Police Department and the recent release of the memorandum of understanding. View the webinar recording here. 

    As most of you are probably aware, the University announced the finalization of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Johns Hopkins University and the Baltimore Police Department on December 2nd, 2022. This announcement came after three town hall events and an outpouring of polarized feedback from faculty, staff, students, and the Baltimore community. Next steps for the implementation of the Johns Hopkins Police Department include recruitment, training, and deployment of officers over the next year.

    The well-being of SOM graduate students is at the forefront of the GSA and BSA’s agenda, and we recognize that these updates may negatively impact the mental health of our students. The GSA and BSA have compiled a preliminary list of questions and concerns here.

    Your voice matters! You can directly submit your comments to Johns Hopkins Public Safety here.

  • Dec 2022  Learn About the Provosts Office

    On Dec 14th 2022 the GSA had Dr. Nancy Kass, the Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education talk to us about the Provosts Office.Browse through the linked slides below to learn about what the Provosts Office is, what functions they serve, and links to important resources for graduate students.

  • Dec 2021 Perspectives on Integrating Family and Career Planning

    On Dec 17th 2021 the GSA and PDCO hosted a panel with 5 working JHU affiliate mothers who shared with students their perspectives on integrating family at different stages of their career. We invite you to hear their stories about the challenges and reward of family and career planning!

    In addition to the above panel session with GSA, the JHU Office of Benefits and Work Life have hosted information sessions on Family and Caregiving Programs at JHU

Upcoming Diversity Events Around Campus

2024 Baltimore Mayor's Annual Spring Cleanup - Volunteers Needed

Join us in a communitywide effort to do some spring cleaning around our city! Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Be sure to wear your Hopkins T-shirt and dress comfortably. Volunteers must be able to bend, lift and stand for long periods. Sign up here to participate. Questions? Email communityprograms@jhu.edu.

Religious Literary Series

Join the Johns Hopkins University Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Interfaith America for the upcoming Religious Literacy Series and delve into topics such as Islamophobia, antisemitism and religious pluralism with expert speakers from across the religious spectrum. The series is designed to foster coexistence and enhance understanding across our campus’s diverse spiritual groups. Use the registration form to register for session one and to access the registration pages for subsequent sessions. Questions? Email ODI-education@jhu.edu.

Session 1:  Antisemitism Presented by Rabbi Aderet Drucker, our first session is an exploration of antisemitism from its historical roots and pervasive nature to its detrimental impact on our society today. Tuesday, April 2.

Session 2: Islamophobia Join Dr. Ziad to explore the roots and impact of Islamophobia, its intersections with race, and how it shows up both as personal bias and government policy. Wednesday, April 10, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Register here.

Session 3: Advancing Religious Pluralism -- Bridging Campus Divides through Interfaith Leadership Dive into Advancing Religious Pluralism: Bridging Campus Divides through Interfaith Leadership with Todd Green, exploring strategies for fostering unity and respect across diverse faith traditions. Thursday, April 18, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Register here.

Diversity Fair at The Johns Hopkins Hospital

Celebrate National Diversity Month at the Discovering Diversity Fair at JHH on Friday, April 26 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Zayed 2117. Meet department-level diversity committees and employee resource groups (ERGs), learn about diversity, equity and inclusion resources and. important work being done across JHH, and more importantly, find out how you can get involved. Read more

Trans Awareness Task Force Listening Sessions

Please join the Trans Awareness Task Force for virtual and in-person listening sessions on trans and gender-expansive experiences at The Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Sessions are open to faculty, students and staff. The information shared in the listening sessions will inform the recommendation to the university on how JHU can improve the experiences of trans and gender-expansive JHU affiliates. Register here to attend

SKCCC Social Justice Lecture

Cervical Cancer: Patterns of Failure for American Indian/Alaska Native Individuals

Our Social Justice Lecture has been rescheduled for this Thursday, so please join us only via Zoom on April 18, 2024, at 7:30 AM for the Grand Rounds. Our Guest Speaker is Dr. Amanda Bruegl. The Zoom link is provided below. Grand rounds will resume in person next week at the usual time

Second Roadmap on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

RSVP NOW!

We are excited to share with you an update on JHU’s Second Roadmap on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the results of our first university-wide climate assessment on Thursday, April 25, from noon to 1:30 p.m.

In March 2022, we officially launched the Second Roadmap, a framework of 24 goals in six key areas that emerged from a collaborative process engaging students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners. The Roadmap reflects an ambitious agenda amplified in the university’s new strategic framework, Ten for One.

After two years of dedicated collective effort, we have made significant strides toward achieving our goals—among them measuring staff pay equity, developing universitywide advisory bodies, advancing diversity among faculty and in STEM doctoral programs, expanding our economic inclusion programs, and deepening our health, education, and economic partnerships with our Baltimore neighbors. However, we know there is more we can achieve.

We will also share the key findings from our first university-wide campus climate survey, The Assessment of Climate for Learning, Living, and Working at JHU. Conducted by Rankin Climate, this assessment has provided us with important insights into our strengths and areas for improvement.

Speakers will Include: 
1. Ron Daniels, President
2. Ray Jayawardhana, Provost
3. Katrina Caldwell, Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
4. Maria Tildon, Vice President for Government, Community, and Economic Partnerships
5. Meredith Stewart, Interim Vice President for Human Resources
6. Emil L. Cunningham, Assistant Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Deputy Chief Diversity Officer
7. Damani Piggott, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Diversity and Partnerships

We encourage everyone to RSVP by April 23rd for this virtual event and submit questions in advance.

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Created by: Juliane Liberto. Page last updated: 04/24