The JHU Planning Student Advisory Committee—graduate and undergraduate students representing all nine JHU academic divisions—provides critical input and guidance as Johns Hopkins navigates the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that student voices and perspectives inform the process.

Student Compact

Dear Fellow Students, 

The last several months have seen an upheaval in everything we have known as “normal.” Our education, living situations, and lifestyles have all been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we each have experienced the effects of this global health crisis differently, we come together as members of the Johns Hopkins community. The researchers and public health experts at JHU are at the forefront of the global response to the pandemic. Thus, as students of this institution, we must call upon each other to take on the communal responsibility of following the practices we present, no matter where we are in the world. These measures may not be easy, but they are vital—we can set the tone for our own community and the community at large. 

We came to Johns Hopkins for various reasons: the excellence of its academic programs, its outstanding research, the chance to learn from world-renowned professors. While these aspects are all facets of our institution, students shape our community. We must hold ourselves accountable to protect each other, our institution, and our communities. In following the guidelines summarized below, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to reunite as a Hopkins community in the future. There has never been a better time to act on the pride we each have for our University.  

We recognize that following guidelines are not merely a matter of personal choice—our peers’ decisions affect ours. Although many things may feel out of our control in this time, it is within our control to create a culture that does not shame caution, but encourages it. 

As a Johns Hopkins student, I commit to follow these guidelines: 

  • I will not make assumptions about or engage in negative treatment of others based on perceived symptoms, medical conditions or abilities, national origin, or racial and ethnic characteristics.
  • I will monitor my health and report any symptoms to a health care professional and encourage my friends and peers to report their symptoms. If I am in Baltimore, I will use the Prodensity app to track my symptoms.
  • I will get tested as recommended by my local health authorities and collaborate in tracing to protect my community. If I reside in Baltimore, I will report to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Call Center.
  • I will follow public health procedures in self-isolation and self-quarantine when testing positive for COVID-19.
  • I will wear a facial covering at all times that I am in a public setting.
  • I will have a reasonable expectation of being greater than 6 feet away from other people in a public setting.
  • I will wash my hands frequently for at least 20 seconds throughout the day, carry around my own sanitation supplies (i.e. hand sanitizer, wipes), and make use of sanitizing dispensaries in public spaces to protect myself and others.
  • I will do my part to keep those around me with disabilities or risk factors—including those that are not visible—safe. I recognize that if I do not have these risk factors, this will mean prioritizing the needs of those around me.
  • I will refrain from hosting, organizing, or attending social gatherings (events, parties) that may cause safety risks to my community. If I reside in Baltimore, I will abide by JHU’s limit of keeping any social gathering to 10 people or fewer.  
  • I will empathetically and actively remind my peers to follow public health guidelines to minimize spread of the virus and protect members of the community.
  • I will become familiar with the resources available to me to protect my own mental health and support my peers and friends. 

Committee Membership

For the 2021-22 academic year

  • Kai Abiola, senior, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences 
  • Mehak Ali, senior, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences 
  • Mia Grahn, junior, Whiting School of Engineering 
  • Yasmine Issah, master’s student, Bloomberg School of Public Health 
  • Alan Kim, master of science: Environmental Health and Engineering (BSPH and WSE) 
  • Jiacheng Li, second-year undergraduate student, Peabody Institute
  • Marissa McDonald, senior, Whiting School of Engineering 
  • Harvey McGuinness, second-year undergraduate student, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences 
  • Connor O’Brien, master’s student, SAIS Europe 
  • Bunmi Ogungbe, third-year PhD, School of Nursing
  • Alex Pabst, second-year MBA, Carey Business School 
  • Harry Paul, third-year graduate student, School of Medicine 
  • Robert Scala, senior, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences 
  • JiWon Woo, junior, Whiting School of Engineering