I got back an email from administration and pasted it below for your reference. 

Dear Students,

Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. We know that the end of the semester is a challenging time for students, and that the combination of finals and the recent increase in cases on campus is very stressful.   

The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and neighboring community is our top priority and decisions about our operating posture are made based on CDC guidance and guidance and input from our experts in public health and infectious disease.  

We do not plan to pivot entirely to online examinations, but we have taken several steps to ensure that students can successfully and safely conclude the academic year. 

First, we have reminded instructors of the expectation that students who are in university-imposed isolation must not be penalized academically for failing to attend an in-person class or exam. We have been clear that we are supporting student compliance with isolation measures and that they should not feel pressure to take in-person exams when ill. If a student reaches out and states they are in quarantine/isolation because of COVID, instructors must accept the notification and not request any further validation from students. 

Instructors have been modifying their final assessments on a class-by-class basis, and we have reminded them of the resources that we’ve had in place since the beginning of the pandemic, including a set of strategies for assessing students remotely.  

If students are encountering issues with their instructors, they should contact their academic advisor or deans’ office to help navigate any academic issues.  The advising office has been responding to student needs and will be reaching out to remind students they are available to assist them.   

We have not seen any COVID transmission in instructional spaces since the beginning of the pandemic, and we have confidence in the safety of in-person examinations. Masking is highly effective in preventing the spread of COVID and required for all in-person examinations. All our instructional spaces have adequate and/or upgraded ventilation and filtration. 

In addition, we have taken several steps in response to the recent rise in cases, including: 

Increased mandatory testing to twice a week for undergraduates, which helps us to more closely monitor the extent to which COVID is spreading on campus and to more quickly move to isolate students who test positive. 

Reinstated masking requirements for libraries and other study spaces, which are heavily used during reading period/finals. We had previously reinstated masking requirements in common areas of residence halls and in campus dining facilities when not actively eating or drinking. Masking has always been required in classrooms and other instructional spaces. 

Added a masking requirement for indoor events with greater than 50 people. 

Required that food and drink at large (greater than 50 people) indoor student events be served outside or in a grab-and-go format. 

During this challenging time, we would also like to take the opportunity to remind students of the university’s resources for those experiencing mental health and wellness issues. Case managers at Student Outreach and Support and staff at Student Health and Well-Being remain ready to help students find the appropriate support they need.  The university has extended its partnership with TimelyMD to augment our current services and make mental telehealth counseling free and available to Johns Hopkins degree students. Full-time students also have access to the SilverCloud platform, an interactive online learning module for cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. 

At this time of higher COVID prevalence, we ask all students to be particularly careful to monitor yourself for symptoms and to stay home and get tested if you are sick. We thank you for your continued diligence as the semester comes to a close.  

Sincerely, 

Michael Falk, Professor and WSE Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education 

Stephen Gange, Professor and Executive Vice Provost 

Erin Rowe, Professor and KSAS Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education 

Kevin Shollenberger, Vice Provost for Student Health and Well-Being