University Statement on Equal Opportunity

Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. You can read detailed equity statements from the Office of Institutional Equity.

Academic Integrity

The strength of the university depends on academic and personal integrity. In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations include cheating on exams, plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and electronic devices, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification, lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition. 

Report any violations you witness to the instructor. You can read the Homewood Undergraduate Academic Ethics Policy in detail and report an incident through Student Affairs. You may consult the associate dean of student conduct (or designee) by calling the Office of the Dean of Student Life at 410-516-8208 or via email at studentconduct@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Homewood Campus, Shaffer Hall #101, call: 410-516-4720 and email: studentdisabilityservices@jhu.edu or visit the website

Inclusivity and Classroom Climate

Johns Hopkins University is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone on campus has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. JHU believes fostering an inclusive climate is important because research shows that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. You can read more about the comitment to an inclusive educational environment and goals based on results of the Campus Climate Survey through the Office of the Provost.

Please help create a welcoming and vibrant classroom climate. You should expect to be challenged intellectually by instructors, the TAs, and your peers, and at times this may feel uncomfortable. Indeed, it can be helpful to be pushed sometimes in order to learn and grow. But at no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity.

Student Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness is an integral part of Campus Life at Johns Hopkins University. The JHU Counseling Center provides a safe, confidential, non-judgmental space where students can feel free to explore a wide variety of concerns and issues.

If you are struggling with anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health related concerns, please consider visiting the JHU Counseling Center. If you are concerned about a friend, please encourage that person to seek out their services

The Counseling Center offers a wide variety of services to assist students including drop-in hours, workshops, group therapy, brief individual therapy, couples counseling, psychiatric evaluations and medication management, substance use assessments, eating assessments, and 24/7 crisis intervention services.The Behavioral Health Crisis Support Team (BHCST) can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 410-516-WELL (9355).

Religious Holidays

Religious holidays are valid reasons to be excused from class. Students who must miss a class or an examination because of a religious holiday must inform the instructor as early in the semester as possible in order to be excused from class or to make up any work that is missed. If possible, instructors should try to avoid scheduling exams for major holidays. Below we list some of the major religious holidays and holy days that may overlap dates of instruction or exams of our students, faculty, and staff for Fall. Please note that this is not an all-encompassing list for every religious tradition.

A list of many Religious Holidays and Holy Days is maintained by Student Affairs.  

More information may be found at Religious and Spiritual Life. If you have any questions regarding a particular case or would like any guidance, please do not hesitate to contact the Johns Hopkins University Chaplain at 410-516-1880 or kschnurr@jhu.edu. Thank you for your sensitive care to this matter.

Students may also request a Religious Accommodation through the Office of Institutional Equity.

Anxiety Stress and Mental Health

Anxiety, stress, and mental health

JHU has several resources to support students. At times during your college career, many students struggle with stress and even anxiety and depression. The Counseling Center has many resources available to students.

In addition, The Johns Hopkins University Behavioral Health Crisis Support Team (BHCST) pairs experienced, compassionate crisis clinicians with specially trained public safety officers on every shift on and around the Homewood campus, seven days a week. The BHCST will provide immediate assistance to those who need it and, just as importantly, link individuals in crisis to ongoing support services in the days and weeks that follow. Call Public Safety, 410-516-5600, and ask for a BHCST clinician.

If you have concerns about a specific student, please contact:

• For emergencies (threat to self or others): 410-516-4600 or 911

• For on-scene mental health support: BHCST at 410-516-4600

• For undergraduates: Student Outreach & Support at 410-516-7857 or studentoutreach@jhu.edu (undergraduates)

Family accommodation policy

You are welcome to bring a family member to class on occasional days when your responsibilities require it (for example, if emergency childcare is unavailable, or for the health needs of a relative). Please be sensitive to the classroom environment, and if your family member becomes uncomfortably disruptive, you may leave the classroom and return as needed.

Incomplete grades

The Incomplete Grades policy is articulated in the "Grades" section of the Academic Catalogue. 

Please visit the catalogue for the most up to date deadlines related to incomplete grades and the process for students to make an incomplete request. 

Student drop deadline

The last day a student can drop a class is at the end of the sixth full week of classes. The Academic Calendar Page contains specific information about drop and withdraw datespublished by the University Registrar’s.

Final Examinations

For more information on final exams, please consult the Final Exam Policy in the Academic Catalogue.

The Fall 2024 final exam schedule is available throught the Registar's Office under Students --> Course Schedule.

Instructors are not permitted to make ad hoc arrangements for the administration of final examinations. For faculty policies regarding final examinations, please consult the most up to date Omnibus Memo.

Final Course Grades

Course grades are submitted within 48 hours of the administration of the scheduled final exam time/final project due date (if in lieu of a final exam, etc.). 

Final course grades will appear in SIS > My Grades. More information about accessing a summary of your official course grades can be found through the IT Office.

Starfish for reporting student progress/difficulty

Starfish is a tool through which faculty can raise concerns about students experiencing academic or personal challenges. This is an early intervention system that connects the appropriate assigned staff members to a student of concern in order to provide support and resources. Students and advisors are notified when a starfish flag is submitted. Starfish is also the platform that collects mid-semester reports for undergraduate students.

More information for faculty and contact information for support can be found in the Omnibus Memo.

Student attendance and illness

Class attendance is a student responsibility and is expected of all JHU undergraduate students. Occasionally, health, family or personal matters may interfere with a student's ability to attend class. In this situation, the student is expected to notify their professors and instructors as soon as possible about missing class and discuss how to make up missed class time or assignments. More detailed information is provided by the Dean of Students. Please note that the Student Health and Wellness Center does not provide documentation for students who miss individual classes. 

It is the profesor or instructor responsibility to create a class policy on how to handle these situations; this should be outlined in the class syllabus.

AS Foundational Abilities

Krieger is launching the new General Education Model in Fall 2024 based on the six Foundational Abilities. The Arts and Sciences Foundational Abilities (AS-FA) requirement is designed to ensure that students earn a number of credits in academic areas outside of their primary major, developing breadth as well as depth. 

Most Krieger courses are tagged with an AS-FA-tag. Guidance for students and faculty about the Foundational Abilities can be found in the Academic Catalogue or the First-Year Acadmic Guide distributed by the KSAS and WSE Offices of Academic Advising. Course tags are visible in the Academic Catalogue and in SIS.