Offering comprehensive undergraduate and graduate education, the Krieger School is at the core of the Johns Hopkins complex of schools, centers, and institutes. Almost 150 years after the University opened, the School of Arts and Sciences still follows the guiding principles of Hopkins’s visionary first president, Daniel Coit Gilman, which position the school at the forefront of knowledge.
“The best teachers are usually those who are free, competent, and willing to make original researches in the library and the laboratory. The best investigators are usually those who have also the responsibilities of instruction, gaining thus the incitement of colleagues, the encouragement of pupils, the observation of the public.”
—President Daniel Coit Gilman
The plan that Gilman devised and began to carry out in 1876 established Johns Hopkins as the nation’s first research university—that is, an institution in which every faculty member was actively engaged in original investigations. Gilman dismissed the notion that teaching and research are separate endeavors; he believed that success in one depended on success in the other.
The realization of Gilman’s philosophy at Hopkins, and at other institutions that later attracted Hopkins-trained scholars, revolutionized higher education in America, leading to the modern research university system.
Johns Hopkins has been responding to the world’s needs since its inception in 1876. The Krieger School is uniquely situated to build on that tradition by providing research opportunities to students in all disciplines as early as their first year and by creating innovative partnerships with the other divisions of the university.
Our Mission
The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences is devoted to discovery that creates new knowledge and solutions that better the world. Our world-renowned faculty teach and engage in interdisciplinary and collaborative scholarship across the arts and humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.
Our well-rounded and diverse students pursue a liberal arts education that leverages the qualities of a major research university. They explore their academic interests through a flexible curriculum and faculty-mentored, hands-on research projects utilizing critical inquiry.
Our accomplished graduates possess the skills, curiosity, and knowledge to pursue satisfying and impactful lives of leadership and service in today’s global arena.
Our Values
In fall 2024, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences initiated a project to define and articulate the values that reflect who we are as a community and what we uphold. The work is an important step in putting our strategic plan into action, and will help shape new faculty and staff orientations, interview questions for job candidates and performance evaluations, and staff recognition and other professional development opportunities.
Amy Murphy, director of organizational development and effectiveness, facilitated five listening sessions, including focus groups with the KSAS Staff Council, the KSAS Faculty Senate, and the KSAS Council of Chairs. About 85 participants developed robust sets of values, which are synthesized here.
Discovery
We value curiosity, creativity, and using evidence to explore questions and address challenges. We will:
- Contribute to and support evidence-based inquiry.
- Encourage a curious, creative, and forward-looking approach.
- Prioritize foundational and applied research.
- Contribute to public discourse.
Community
We advocate for collective well-being by fostering dialogue, collaboration, and belonging across our university, local communities, and beyond. We will:
- Engage in dialogue to build trust, understanding, and shared purpose.
- Recognize the strength in unity and work to uplift the entire community.
- Cultivate an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute.
- Seek to collaborate at various levels (in unit, across units, across schools, and/or community.)
Impact
Through comprehensive thought, ethical research, and transformative teaching, we strengthen our institution and society. We will:
- Share in efforts to create meaningful influence on a personal, group, or system level.
- Mentor, teach, and empower the next generation.
- Inspire our community to make a difference in the world.
- Pursue excellence in research, teaching, and service to elevate our institution’s reputation and impact.
Integrity
We act with reliability, diligence, and accountability, staying true to our commitments. We will:
- Build trust through reliability and principled action.
- Align actions with commitments and our mission.
- Approach work with diligence and determination.
- Foster transparency and embrace feedback with openness and accountability.