Activities of the Board of Trustees

The Board discussed the importance of translational activity to improving the human condition as well as how to improve the entrepreneurial eco-system at the institution.

To discuss Johns Hopkins' role in Baltimore, Trustees met with a variety of Baltimore partners, including Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, mayor of Baltimore, Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Spike Gjerde, chef and Baltimore business owner, and Diane Bell-McKoy, president and CEO of Associated Black Charities.

The Board reviewed the University’s investment in safety and security and heard a report on the increased collaboration with the Baltimore Police. The Board emphasized the importance of building a safer Baltimore through a myriad of efforts.

The Board discussed how BDPs are driving an increase in core academic collaborations across the University, as well as how they are promoting new disciplines that emerge from these cross-cutting collaborations.

The Board discussed efforts to address sexual violence as well as to meet Clery Act and Title IX regulations. They heard and spoke about various protocols and procedures, including for community security alerts and compliance with Clery Act geographic boundaries. Trustees also discussed the launch of the Sexual Violence Working Group (an advisory body consisting of students, faculty and staff).

The Board continued their ongoing focus on the topic of Title IX, reviewing how the University was working to address campus sexual violence at Johns Hopkins.

The Board explored the opportunities for and challenges associated with being a global institution.

Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is a vital part of the University through its culture of public service, research collaborations, and faculty ties. The Board spent two days on the APL campus to learn about how APL’s more than 5,000 staff solves complex research, engineering, and analytical problems and plays a critical role in keeping our nation safe.

Trustees discussed methods to strengthen the Johns Hopkins innovation ecosystem, including four key tactical approaches: a robust technology transfer function; education and support for faculty; a coordinated, one university approach, and the realization of the core components of the Innovation Ecosystem report.

Trustees spoke about how to increase the capacity at Johns Hopkins to recruit and retain a strong and diverse faculty.

In a meeting with a senior government representative, the Board discussed how Johns Hopkins can impact a broad range of issues from urban policy related to violence and poverty to solutions for public health crises, such as Zika. In addition, the federal funding landscape was a topic of discussion.

The Board engaged in discussions around the future of higher education and the interplay with the online experience.

The Board acknowledged the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s one hundred year history, highlighting the achievements and impact of the school over the decades.

Two years into President Daniels’ second term as president of Johns Hopkins University, the Board voted to extend his tenure as leader of the institution through June 2024.

Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Commissioner Kevin Davis and the BPD leadership team met with the Board of Trustees. Trustees engaged in a conversation with the BPD about the Institution’s approach campus safety and security.

Trustees spoke about this important benefit for faculty and staff of Johns Hopkins University and Health System, which assists with down payments and closing costs for homes in select neighborhoods surrounding the East Baltimore and Homewood campuses.

Trustees endorsed the Roadmap for Diversity and Inclusion. Trustees underscored the University’s commitment to diversity, which is inextricably tied to its ongoing pursuit of excellence.

Trustees discussed the importance of access to education. Johns Hopkins participation in the American Talent Initiative, an effort to expand the number of talented low- and moderate-income students at US undergraduate institutions, was discussed.

Trustees spoke about the mission critical importance of teaching and modeling free expression at Johns Hopkins, including academic freedom and civil discourse. They learned about the University’s review of existing policies along with the University statement of principles on academic freedom, new student programming, structured discussions and debates on campus, and seed grants for divisional projects and visiting faculty with diverse viewpoints. Trustees also were involved in the launch the SNF Agora Institute to advance civic dialogue.

Trustees reviewed the PhD Annual Report detailing graduation rates, attrition, time-to-degree, and program demographics.

Along with the Board of Johns Hopkins Medicine, Trustees met to discuss the federal legislative and regulatory landscapes and the impact on Johns Hopkins.

Trustees discussed student career readiness and the University’s engagement with potential employers of our graduates. The Board made recommendations for improvements.

Trustees discussed the final recommendations from the Task Force on Student Mental & Well-Being, including cultural changes, improvements to student care and access to providers, and the need for increased training opportunities for faculty, staff, and students related to mental health. They also heard about related initiatives underway on the East Baltimore, Peabody, and Homewood campuses.

Trustees reviewed the impact of the Rising to the Challenge Campaign on the future of Johns Hopkins -- from interdisciplinary and cross-divisional research to supporting our people, as well as how the campaign sought to address the daunting challenges facing our society and the world, as well as our home city of Baltimore.

The University’s Chief Diversity Officer reviewed with Trustees student, faculty, and staff composition and a broad range of initiatives developed to enhance diversity and inclusion across Johns Hopkins.

Trustees met with students from various academic divisions to hear about their experiences at Johns Hopkins. Trustees engaged with University Leadership regarding undergraduate programs built to ensure students move “to and through” Johns Hopkins on an equitable basis, regardless of means or family circumstances.

Trustees explored the potential of a new Johns Hopkins’ co-location in Washington, DC, to bring together the University’s current DC-based activities and graduate programs into a single, landmark building, providing every academic division a platform from which to pursue research and educational activities in Washington.

Trustees explored the development of a Johns Hopkins Police Department (JHPD) as a regional and national model designed to set a new standard for transparent, publicly accountable, community-based policing.

Faculty Advisory Committee on Tenure (FACT) met with Trustees to discuss the establishment of a university-level advisory committee to strengthen the tenure process and enhance shared governance at Johns Hopkins. Following those meetings, in January 2020, the Board endorsed the creation of a new standing university-level, faculty-led Tenure Advisory Committee (TAC), as proposed by the FACT.

Throughout the CUE2 process, Trustees met with students and academic leadership, including Deans, faculty, and members of the Provost’s Office, to learn about recommendations for developing a new academic model for undergraduates, as well as to hear the feedback of the Johns Hopkins community on those recommendations. Discussions focused on how greater curricular flexibility along with enhanced opportunities outside of the classroom could strengthen the learning experience for students.

From March 2020 onward, Trustees met regularly to discuss the impact of COVID on the University and heard directly from the Health Advisory Group, members of the University Pandemic Academic Advisory Committee, and University Administration, on topics ranging from the health and well-being of the Johns Hopkins community to the financial impact of the pandemic. Several actions were taken by the Board, including the implementation (April 21, 2020) and reversal (April 2, 2021) of fiscal mitigation measures, as well as the extension of the “tenure clock” for tenure-track faculty.

Trustees continued their focus on Johns Hopkins’ strategies and initiatives as an anchor institution in Baltimore. Specifically, they discussed how Johns Hopkins planned to expand its commitment to the city through investments in economic and neighborhood development, health care, and education by building on the success of established programs, such as HopkinsLocal and BLocal.

Trustees discussed a two-year pause in the development of a police department so that the institution could benefit from the national re-evaluation of policing. In addition, Trustees were involved with the implementation of the Johns Hopkins University Innovation Fund for Community Safety, which was created to support innovative, community-led programs designed to help reduce violent crime in Baltimore.

Trustees continued to meet to discuss the impact of COVID on the University. In addition to regularly reviewing the financial health of the University, Trustees heard directly from faculty on a variety of COVID-related issues, including challenges outlined in the Junior Faculty Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic report, as well as from multiple student groups, including the Multi-cultural Leadership Council, Student Government Association, and graduate student leaders.

Trustees discussed facility requirements to support the University’s mission, including how facilities can advance economic development in Baltimore, enhance co-curricular offerings for students, and strengthen the research enterprise.

Trustees served on the multi-stakeholder Committee to Establish Principles on Naming (CEPN), and the Board as a whole received regular updates on CEPN’s progress as it carried out its charge to develop a set of principles and process for evaluating requests to rename buildings and programs associated with the Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System. In addition, Trustees participated in listening sessions to hear and share feedback and read the Committee’s draft report before formally adopting the Committee’s recommendations, including the establishment of a Name Review Board (NRB).

Trustees met with the Roadmap 2020 Task Force to hear its plans on the re-assessment and renewal of Johns Hopkins’ diversity goals and objectives through the next iteration of the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion. In particular, Trustees discussed key activities, outcome measurements, and strategic next steps related to student success, staff advancement, institutional accountability, community engagement, faculty diversity, and alumni engagement. The Board met with faculty, students, and leadership about diversity-related programs, such as the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative aimed at addressing historic underrepresentation in STEM fields, and the Diverse Names and Narratives Project aimed at elevating trailblazers from historically underrepresented groups.

Trustees discussed the University’s efforts to promote democracy, including through the work of Hahrie Han, the inaugural director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute. Specifically, Trustees engaged with faculty in conversations about how this academic and public forum could strengthen global democracy through civic engagement and informed, inclusive dialogue.

A key University strategic priority is the recruitment and retention of top faculty across a range of disciplines. The Board discussed the Bloomberg Distinguished Professors program, including its expansion with a focus on cluster hires in strategic areas, such as Neuroscience, Health Equity and Pandemic Preparedness, and reviewed the investments in space and facilities needed to support these efforts.

Trustees heard from students regarding their on-campus experiences during the pandemic, including how student leaders were engaging with the student body in university life. Questions addressed resources to support students, student mental health, opportunities in the expanded recreation center and the behavioral crisis support initiative.

The Board heard from faculty about the University’s strengths in data science, computational capabilities, and artificial intelligence, and its potential to build on these to become a leading hub for engaging the challenges and opportunities of the data revolution and ensuring the rapid rise of AI is harnessed for society’s great challenges.

Following a pause due to COVID, Trustees engaged in the University’s strategic framework-setting process, centered around revisiting and building upon the goals and priorities of the original Ten by Twenty. Trustees and Emeriti Trustees, who participated in listening sessions, discussed emerging themes from the process to-date and how the feedback, including about transforming PhD education, executing the University’s national engagement strategy, becoming a best-in-class employer, and focusing on physical infrastructure, among others, could define the University’s future aspirations.

Trustees met with faculty on formalizing a permanent University-wide faculty forum, designed on the precedent set by the University Pandemic Academic Advisory Committee (UPAAC). The Board heard about the body’s role in engaging on major academic policy issues, its membership and following discussions, in June, approved the formation of the Johns Hopkins University Council (JHUC) and its by-laws.

Trustees met to discuss freedom of expression and the University’s efforts to promote a pluralistic culture on campus. Trustees heard from a panel on academic freedom in first year student orientation, pluralism and diversity of perspectives, and the University Debate Initiative through the SNF Agora Institute.

Trustees met with both Student Affairs and Academic leaders to discuss the PHutures Program, which aims to transform the career landscape for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, as well as other innovative approaches to enhance the student experience both inside and outside the classroom.

Trustees spent time discussing the next iteration of the University’s strategic framework – the Ten for One, and its key themes – faculty recruitment and retention, addressing facility challenges, augmenting our data science and AI capabilities and extending them throughout the University, and our role in policy development and analysis, among others -- and their implications for and impacts to Johns Hopkins’ communities and campuses over the next decade. Following these discussions, in June 2023, the Board endorsed the Ten for One strategic framework document.

Trustees engaged with students around the implementation of CUE2 recommendations, including the first-year seminars and the initial cohort of students who participated in the Hopkins Semester DC program that launched in Spring 2024.

Trustees discussed the launch of SAC, and heard about its work, including about the climate survey results, the pay equity report, and recommendations to improve the employee experience on campus, advance career development initiatives, and recognize and reward staff contributions.

Trustees spent time on the planning of the establishment of DSAI, hearing from faculty with data and AI expertise about how they are approaching its possibilities, the research and collaborations it will support, and the critical challenges it will allow them to address.

Trustees met with Development and Alumni Relations leadership and peer institutions regarding the value proposition of a comprehensive campaign. They also discussed early iterations of campaign priorities and how those would support the Ten for One goals.

Trustees returned to the topic of freedom of expression for an in-depth discussion on how Johns Hopkins is thinking about these questions and the steps taken and planned to protect freedom of expression and promote a climate of open dialogue and viewpoint diversity on campuses. Trustees heard from undergraduate students about their experiences related to expression on campus and discussed how these insights could inform new University initiatives.

Trustees met with students and members of the Student Affairs team on how the University is enhancing its living and learning environment to support and facilitate community, student belonging, learning and engagement, as well as student success. Discussions included how the physical environment, including the Charles Street corridor and campus housing and dining, can be leveraged to activate campus culture to achieve these goals.