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With the spring semester newly underway, please enjoy this welcome message from Smita Ruzicka, our Dean of Students. Dr. Ruzicka and her team in Student Life play a critical role in enhancing the student experience—no matter where your student is this semester.
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Smita Ruzicka, Dean of Students
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| Welcome back, Blue Jay Families!
I know I can speak for the staff within my team and say with definitive enthusiasm that we are excited to serve your students this spring—whether on-campus, here in Baltimore, at home, or elsewhere. My priorities remain the same: helping students find their place within the Hopkins community; building new relationships and opportunities and of course, keeping everyone healthy and safe.
Wherever your student is navigating their Hopkins experience this spring, know that our services extend beyond the boundaries of campus. Our student engagement teams are helping student organizations stay connected and organizing campus traditions to rise above the pandemic; our Residential Life team is supporting the students we do have on campus and reaching out to those who are not; our Student Outreach and Support team is busy ensuring that student success inside and outside the classroom remain constant despite the challenges; and our Diversity and Inclusion teams are providing opportunities, discussion space, programming, and support to students, faculty, and staff alike.
And I would be remiss not to reinforce the relationships that my teams have with Student Health and Wellness, the Counseling Center, and the Center for Student Success. Their work to keep everyone safe, heard, supported, and prepared this spring is paramount to our collective success. Bookmark wellness.jhu.edu for resources and information and encourage your student to do the same!
The only thing constant these days is change, so please keep watch on the JHU COVID website for any new or updated information and we will continue to inform students of all new developments as well. Rely on the fantastic staff in the Parent and Family Relations office to steer your questions and inquiries to the right place. The moral of the story in 2021 is that we are here for you and your student—wherever "here" means—and we are all looking forward to coming back together safely soon.
Good health to you and those you call family,
Smita Ruzicka
Dean of Student Life
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Meet the Faculty: Common Question Conversation Leaders
Hopkins and Peabody undergrads are not just classroom students. They are thinkers beyond the confines of a lecture hall or practice room. They are eager learners, searching out answers to the world’s largest questions through both formal research and informal discussion. In 2019, the Common Question (CQ) was introduced to the Hopkins community for the first time with the goal of encouraging that natural curiosity. For the 2020-21 academic year, the CQ is “What is Common Good?” This big question can be explored through compiled sources from creative, scientific, and humanistic perspectives. While these sources are intended to spark conversations that can take place anywhere—from residence halls to the FFC—faculty members across all disciplines also offer Common Question Conversations (CQCs)—informal discussion sessions where faculty and students talk and learn together.
In our most recent Blue Jay Family webinar, “What is the Common Good? Hopkins Faculty Address this Year’s Common Question,” we learned about CQ from its co-founders: Kelly Barry, Anne-Elizabeth Brodsky, Hannah Shea, and Aliza Watters. In this webinar, we discussed CQ’s efforts in community-building and cross-disciplinary learning and research; if you weren’t able to join us, we invite you to watch the recording. Here, we’ll build on that discussion by introducing you to a handful of the more than 70 faculty members from Krieger, Whiting, and Peabody, who hosted Common Question Conversations.
Dr. Suhnne Ahn, Peabody
Director of Peabody at Homewood Program, Musicology
“The exercise of some common experience or discussion prompt is a marvelous mechanism toward building cohesion within a class of students who belong to different undergraduate divisions of a university,” Dr. Ahn says. She has had previous experience with a similar endeavor at University of Pennsylvania and was thrilled to participate at Hopkins. “The CQ is a fantastic way to launch a group of young people from different parts of the world. Such endeavors thrive when students embrace natural curiosity and open braininess as part of their shared identity.”
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Helping Your Blue Jay Pursue a Fulfilling Future
During another recent edition of our Blue Jay Family Webinar Series, we spoke with four key areas—Hopkins Office of Undergraduate Research, University Experiential Learning, Study Abroad, and the Life Design Lab—about how they are helping students pursue leadership opportunities and plan for a fulfilling future, even while in a virtual environment. Continue reading to learn more about each of these areas and, for deeper discussion, view the webinar recording.
Hopkins Office of Undergraduate ResearchHopkins Office of Undergraduate Research, also known as HOUR, is your student’s research resource to finding opportunities and mentors; securing funding for research, travel, etc.; sharing research projects; and finding resources to strengthen their skills. HOUR staff is here to work with students to learn their goals in fulfilling research opportunities for the spring, summer, or beyond, whether in-person or virtual. The department can also help students network with other professors.
Encourage your student to email HOUR@jhu.edu to schedule a 1:1 meeting or register for open drop-in hours weekdays from 3–4 p.m. ET on Zoom. Details, tips, programs, and more can be found on the HOUR website.
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Staying Healthy this Spring
Your student’s health and well-being continue to be a critical component of the JHU experience—both on and off-campus, in the Baltimore-area, and beyond. During the spring semester, offices will remain operational in multiple formats to serve students and families.
Mental Health- The Counseling Center offers virtual visits for students residing in Maryland for individuals, groups, and psychiatric care. Students can call the center at 410-516-8278 to schedule an appointment.
- Students outside of Maryland have ongoing access to TimelyMD, a mental telehealth resource that provides a 24/7 talk now service, on-going scheduled counseling, and limited psychiatric care which can be obtained by contacting the Counseling Center.
- Workshops and drop-in groups are available to all students regardless of location.
- Additional self-guided resources are also available, such as the Stress and Depression Questionnaire, SilverCloud (an online mental health module), the Calm app, and Thriving Campus.
Primary Care
The Student Health and Wellness Center provides high quality, confidential health care to students. All students should call the SHWC at 410-516-8270 before going to the center and the staff will determine the best modality of care.
- The SHWC is currently offering both in-person and telemedicine appointments.
- The SHWC helps manage students who have needs related to COVID-19 including symptomatic testing and follow-up.
- SHWC continues to provide routine healthcare such as preventive visits and acute/chronic illness care.
- All students are required to receive the Influenza vaccination (“flu shot”) before physically arriving on campus. Those choosing not to study in Baltimore or participate in any on-campus activities are strongly encouraged to receive the flu shot. Additional information on the flu shot requirement, including frequently asked questions, can be found here.
Disability Services
In addition to these resources, wellness.jhu.edu continues to offer a comprehensive collection of available wellness-related resources, news, and events. For the most up-to-date details about how the campus is preparing for and responding to COVID-19, including testing, isolation and quarantine, and treatment, please visit the Spring 2021 Return to Campus Guide and the COVID-19 information website.
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| Over the next several weeks, your Blue Jay will continue to receive specific information regarding protocols, programming, and resources for the spring semester. A listing of recent messages is available for you to peruse at your leisure.
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Now Recruiting for France Merrick Civic Fellowship Program
The Center for Social Concern is currently recruiting for next year’s 2021–2022 cohort of the France-Merrick Civic Fellowship program. This program is a year-long professional and personal development opportunity for upperclass students (juniors and seniors) on the Homewood campus.
This fellowship engages a diverse cohort of six full-time students to lead efforts in creating a culture of Baltimore-based service and engagement for Hopkins undergraduates. Through this experiential program, fellows will gain an understanding of civic and community based systemic issues and opportunities.
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Important DatesFeb. 4
Virtual Student Involvement Fair Day 1, 8–9:30 p.m. ET
Feb. 5
Virtual Student Involvement Fair Day 2, 4–7 p.m. ET
Feb. 19
Spring semester bills due
March 7
Last day to drop courses via self-service
March 22
Spring Break Day (no classes)
March 30
Spring Break Day (no classes)
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Additional News & NotesUpcoming Webinars
Our next Blue Jay Family webinars are a series of coffee hours intended to inform families of campus resources and provide an opportunity to meet other families.
Community Coffee Hour with LGBTQ Families is scheduled for February 8 at 7 p.m. ET. This will be an informational session and networking opportunity for Blue Jay LGBTQ families and allies. Resources and information will be shared on how LGBTQ students are supported at Hopkins. To register, please click here.
Community and Conversation Hour with First-Generation and Limited-Income Families is scheduled for Febraury 8 at 8 p.m. ET. This webinar is an opportunity for first-generation and limited-income families to learn about the various support systems available to their student on campus. To register, please click here.
To stay informed about all upcoming webinars, click here.
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HSO Returns with Virtual Performances
Hopkins Symphony Orchestra will present four virtual programs in collaboration with the JHU Alumni Association, beginning Feb. 4 through May. Each program will explore orchestral works, guided by HSO music director Jed Gaylin and joined by other artistic collaborators. Featured will include Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, and more! The audience can watch and listen to great music, chat with other audience members, and ask questions of the panel. More info and registration links will be available on the HSO website. For more info, email hso@jhu.edu.
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New Student Service Portal
The Office of Student Financial Services has launched a new student service portal that streamlines and simplifies the way that students and their families can get help from our office. Instead of emailing fin_aid@jhu.edu, students and parents can submit a short web form that captures more detailed information about the request. This, in turn, enables the team to assign requests based on topic to those who are best able to help. At present, the service covers financial aid, billing, and records and registration for Homewood students. We encourage you to choose the new service portal vs. email whenever possible!
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Reminder to Update Student Records
As we enter a new semester please encourage your student to ensure their records (current address, emergency contact, etc) are up to date in the Student Information System or any other virtual platforms they have used or plan to use related to Hopkins.
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New Wellness Blog Posts
Did you know that Hopkins offers a required class for students called "Staying Healthy in a Changing Environment"? This class helps students navigate returning to campus through the lens of COVID-19. For more information about this class, please view this blog post.
Also, encourage your Blue Jay to learn about self-soothing and other coping strategies in this blog post.
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Rec Center Offers New Mobile App
The Recreation Center is excited to provide the Follow Me to the Rec app, which is available now for download in the Apple App Store and on Google Play Store. Key features of the app include the ability to reserve and cancel workout time slots, live facility counts, a digital ID for contactless entry if students forget their J-Card, push notifications for important announcements, group fitness class registration, and more.
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Visit the Hub for the latest university news and events.
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Contact Us
Be sure to also "like" our Facebook Page to find resources and opportunities for your student to get involved!
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