Note: This letter originally appeared as an e-mail sent to the Hopkins community on October 13, 2022.
Dear Johns Hopkins Community,
Our commitment to making JHU a place where LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff thrive has continued to take shape with the start of the academic year. We have adjusted our health insurance offerings, improved services offered through Student Health and Well-Being, and made it easier for students to use chosen names on ID cards and in university computer systems.
We are also pleased to announce that Johns Hopkins recently adopted an official policy that confirms students, faculty, and staff have the option to identify themselves within university systems using a chosen first, middle, and last name. According to this new policy, the university will support the use of a chosen name in its systems, with certain exceptions where a legal name is required.
As stated in the policy, this change is intended to promote and support an inclusive environment where all students, staff, and faculty can fully and genuinely participate in the academic and work communities of Johns Hopkins.
According to the Chosen Name at JHU page of the Diversity at JHU website, there are many reasons why someone would use a chosen name, such as a reflection of gender identity, as a nickname, or as a westernized or Americanized name. Details on the systems that accommodate chosen names and instructions on how to change a name are also included on that website.
Recent activities to update university systems have resulted in almost 40 systems modified or processes documented for making direct updates this year. Efforts continue on updating additional systems. These changes follow an announcement at the beginning of July that Johns Hopkins health insurance plans have been updated and aligned enterprisewide to cover an expanded range of gender-affirming care for all users. More information on gender-affirming care is available on the website of the Center for Transgender Health.
Student Health and Well-Being (SHWB) has increased its resources, particularly in support of trans and nonbinary students, including a multidisciplinary Gender Affirming Care (GAC) Team of professionals from across Johns Hopkins University and Medicine to ensure the university is at the forefront of best practices in the field. In partnership with Gender and Sexuality Resources, SHWB offers trainings to all staff to support their ability to provide informed, quality, and compassionate care. SHWB also provides access to resources for those interested in medical transition, including those seeking hormone therapy, or pre-surgical consultation and expedited referrals.
We hope to continue to hear feedback from our university community about ways in which we can build on this progress and ensure that our diverse students, faculty, staff, and postdoc populations feel supported by Johns Hopkins.
Sincerely,
Kevin Shollenberger
Vice Provost for Student Health & Well-Being
Pierre Joanis
Vice President for Human Resources
Katrina Caldwell
Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer