Our Platform for a Better Hopkins

TRU Platform: What We Deserve from Johns Hopkins

1) Living Wages for All

All graduate students at Johns Hopkins, regardless of program, department, or division, should earn living wages. Based on the latest cost-of-living estimates for Baltimore City from the MIT living wage calculator, the university should pay its graduate students at least $40,000 per year and guarantee annual raises matching any future cost-of-living  increases. The university should also provide resources for the proper care of children, parents, and other dependents.

2) Guaranteed On-Time Payment

All graduate students at Johns Hopkins should receive their stipends, hourly wages, and other compensation on time. Graduate students should also expect timely and correct reimbursement for covered work expenses. When delays happen, the university should promptly extend interest-free loans to impacted graduate students and pay interest for every day until the delay has been resolved.

 

3)Improved Support for International Students

All international graduate students at Johns Hopkins deserve improved support from the university administration. This includes:

  • Visa Assistance: International graduate students should have access to free and confidential legal and administrative aid from the university for visa renewals and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications.
  • Tax Advice: International graduate students should receive free and actionable advice for filing their taxes. The university should also cover any fees related to the immigration status of its international students.

4) Safe and Reliable Transportation/Workspace

  1. All graduate students at Johns Hopkins should have the space, equipment, and campus services to carry out their teaching, research, and coursework. This includes:
  • Reliable Transportation: Graduate students should have access to frequent and predictable shuttle service; close affordable parking; and free, prompt, and safe transportation around Central and East Baltimore after dark.
  • Appropriate Workspaces: Graduate students should have well-equipped offices, laboratories, and workspaces where they can effectively conduct their research, prepare for classes, and meet with students and coworkers on campus.

5) Effective Grievance Procedures

All graduate students at Johns Hopkins deserve access to equitable, timely, and effective grievance procedures for disputes over satisfactory progress and for cases of workplace mistreatment. These procedures should set clear standards for the conduct of graduate students, faculty, and staff and protect affected parties equally regardless of rank, race, age, gender, nationality, class, sexuality, or disability. Graduate students will not tolerate abuse or discrimination on or off campus.

6) Commitment to the City of Baltimore

The health and welfare of graduate students at Johns Hopkins and the wider Baltimore community are inseparable. Despite its significance to the local economy and healthcare system, the university has often failed to fulfill its promises to advance the “well-being and flourishing of Baltimore.” TRU will fight to ensure Johns Hopkins deepens its commitments to the City of Baltimore in the form of greater investments in gun violence prevention, affordable housing and healthcare, and development without displacement.