A. Governance and Organization (Complete Version)
Editor’s Note
The information below regarding University governance and organization was originally included in the Faculty Handbook 1999. While the general principles of governance and organization persist, some of the positions and titles of University administrators have changed. For current information, many University offices now have websites that can be searched at www.georgetown.edu.
A. The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the governing body of the University. It is a body of between ten and fifty members enjoying legal jurisdiction over the academic and business procedures of the University. One of its members is elected Chair of the Board; and one, Vice Chair, according to the By-Laws of the Board. Members can serve two consecutive three-year terms. Membership is by nomination and election by the Board.
B. The President of the University
1. Appointment and Responsibilities
The University President is the chief academic and administrative officer of the University. The President is appointed by the Board of Directors. The President’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:
a. The appointment with the concurrence of the Board of Directors, the Provost, [1] Executive Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents and Deans.
b. The appointment of all Departmental Chairs, Professors and Associate Professors.
c. The granting of tenure, and promotion above the assistant professorial level, generally upon the recommendation of the University Rank and Tenure Committee and with the concurrence of the appropriate campus Executive Vice President.
d. The conferral of all degrees in course as approved by the Board of Directors acting on the recommendation of the Deans and Faculties of the respective schools.
e. The conferral of honorary degrees and other awards with the approval of the Board of Directors.
f. The appointment of University committees and their members.
g. The conduct and direction of such matters which will in the President’s judgment promote the University and its best interests.
h. The Senior Vice President, the Provost, the Executive Vice Presidents, the Senior Vice President and Secretary, the Vice President and Treasurer, the Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs, and the Vice President for Alumni and University Relations report to the President.
2. Assistant to the President
The President may appoint an Assistant to the President and such other assistants as needed. The Assistant to the President is the President’s chief assistant and is responsible for such matters as are designated.
3. The President’s Cabinet
The President forms and chairs the President’s Cabinet. [2] The Cabinet meets at regular intervals during the academic year, particularly in relation to meetings of the Board of Directors, to discuss important policy initiatives. The deliberations of the Cabinet provide input for the policy and planning discussions of the Executive Committee of the Cabinet.
4. The Executive Committee of the Cabinet
The agenda and discussions of the Executive Committee of the Cabinet [3] center around major issues and broad policy implications, integrating campus plans and aspirations into the large University planning efforts. It focuses on University policy making and long range planning, and makes recommendations to the President for final decisions.
C. University Administration
1. Senior Vice President
The Senior Vice President oversees most central administrative functions within Georgetown University and works to coordinate day to day management issues as well as long-term plans, priorities, and directions for the University. The Senior Vice President works closely with the Vice President and Treasurer, and serves as an advisor to the President. The responsibilities of the Senior Vice President include capital planning and budgeting, facilities management, planning and project management, human resources, business services, athletics, campus ministries, legal counsel, internal audit, affirmative action, and information services and technology. The following individuals report directly to the Senior Vice President:
Vice President For Information Services and Chief Information Officer
The Vice President for Information Services is responsible for providing strategic planning and coordination of information technology and telecommunications for academic and administrative computing for the University. [4]
University Counsel
The University Counsel serves as the University’s chief legal officer and is responsible for the provision of legal services to its directors, officers, faculty and employees.
University Chaplain
The University Chaplain is the chief religious officer of the University and is responsible for fostering the religious and spiritual life of the University.
University Architect & Executive Director of Facilities Planning
The University Architect and Executive Director of Facilities Planning is responsible for planning and coordination of the University’s campus plan and major building projects.
Executive Director of Facilities and Student Housing
The Executive Director of Facilities and Student Housing is responsible for facilities and utilities management, student housing, student townhouse properties, and project management of major building projects.
Special Assistant to the President for Affirmative Action Programs
The Special Assistant for Affirmative Action Programs is responsible for the University’s Affirmative Action Plan and Program.
Director of Athletics
The Director of Athletics is responsible for all athletic programs at the University. The Director of Athletics also consults with the Dean of Students and the Provost, when appropriate.
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
The Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer is responsible for all human resource policies and procedures, training and benefits administration.
Associate Vice President, Auxiliary Services
The Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services is responsible for the bookstores, dining services, post office, conference center and guest house, printing and graphics, vending, and commercial townhouse properties.
Director of Internal Audit
The Director of Internal Audit reviews the management and implementation of University business processes and practices to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and University policy.
2. Vice President and Treasurer
The Vice President and Treasurer of the University is the chief financial officer of the University. The Treasurer is responsible for and coordinates the activities of the Controller, the Assistant Treasurer, and the Bursar. The powers and duties of the Treasurer of the University are described in Article III, Section 7 of the Bylaws of Georgetown University:
a. The Treasurer shall have the custody of all deeds and muniments of title to the real estate and all Bonds and Mortgages, stocks or other evidences of property owned by the University or pledged to it and all policies of insurance, and shall have the authority to accept and receipt for the same on behalf of the University and its Board of Directors, and under the supervision of the Board shall arrange for the safe keeping thereof.
b. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due and payable to the University and deposit them in the name of the University in such banking institutions as the Board of Directors may designate and shall discharge all debts and other obligations of the University when due and payable. Pursuant to Board Approval, the Treasurer shall be authorized to delegate his or her duties under this Section to one or more University employees.
c. The Treasurer is the ordinary contracting officer of the University. The Treasurer may, by written Treasurer’s resolution approved by the President, delegate to other University officers and employees the authority to execute contracts in the University’s name in accordance with any restrictions or conditions the Treasurer shall deem appropriate. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the annual audit of all its financial records and the submission to the Board of Directors of an annual report certified by public accountants approved by the Board. The Treasurer shall also furnish such other financial statements as from time to time may be required by the President or the Board of Directors.
d. The Treasurer will also perform other duties and responsibilities that may be assigned from time to time by the President or Board of Directors.
3. Vice President for Alumni and University Relations
The Vice President for Alumni and University Relations assists and advises the President in planning the growth and development of the University; counsels the President and others on external relations issues, the University’s current operations and its future programs, and implements, under the direction of the President, the development and alumni relations programs of the University. Responsibilities include:
a. The integration of operational, capital giving and deferred giving programs of the University, and coordinating them with all University publics.
b. The planning and coordination of alumni affairs.
c. The promotion of good relationships between the University’s publics, internal and external, and its governing and advisory boards.
d. The representation of the University personally, as the President and Board of Directors may from time to time direct. Other duties and missions as the President and Board of Directors may request.
The following offices report directly to the Vice President for Alumni and University Relations:
4. Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs
The Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs reports to the President and oversees the Office of Public Affairs, which is responsible for representing the University, and its faculty and students, to a variety of external constituents, including the media, the federal and local governments, and the D.C. and Georgetown communities. Public Affairs also communicates University policies and positions to a variety of internal communities, including faculty, students, alumni and University volunteers. Public Affairs is responsible for planning communications strategy and identifying emerging issues, and is often brought in early in the policy formulation process to help policymakers set strategy. Public Affairs works extensively with the media and is responsible for determining who serves as official University spokespersons. This office also is responsible for coordinating visits to campus by high profile officials and dignitaries, and for assisting the President with speeches, letters to the editor, and op-eds. The Office of Public Affairs includes the following components:
a. The Office of Communications is responsible for working with the media on news stories, including athletics, and promoting the faculty and students of the Main Campus programs; coordinates with the media relations offices of the Medical Center and Law Center; and publishes Georgetown’s faculty and staff newspaper, the Blue & Gray, as well as Georgetown magazine
b. The Assistant Vice President for External Relations serves as the University’s liaison with D.C. elected and appointed officials, the D.C. business community, and the neighborhoods surrounding the University.
c. The Office of Federal Relations is responsible for the University’s relations with the federal government, state governments and other governmental agencies where appropriate.
5. Senior Vice President and Secretary of the University
The Senior Vice President and Secretary of the University is appointed by the President with the concurrence of the Board. The Secretary of the University notifies the members of the Board of meetings of the Board, and prepares and distributes copies of the agenda and the minutes of the meetings to the members. The Secretary is the custodian of the official minutes and seal of the University. The Secretary certifies the legal acts of the Corporation and other documents, and keeps a record of the certification of documents and use of the seal.
D. Provost and Executive Vice Presidents
1. Provost
The Provost is a line officer of the University administration with direct responsibility for all undergraduate and graduate programs not housed in the Medical or Law Centers. In addition, the Provost acts for the President in the President’s absence and serves as a major advisor to the President on long-term plans, priorities, and directions for the University. The Provost has direct responsibility for the following areas:
a. Coordinating academic programs: [5]
i. Georgetown College and the Faculty of Language and Linguistics
ii. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
iii.School of Foreign Services
iv. Sschool of Business
v. School for Summer and Continuing Education[6]
b. Supervising and arranging University Academic Convocations, Main Campus Commencements, and general faculty meetings, and issuing all directives to the faculty for same.
c. Recommending, with the Department Chair and the Deans, appointments of full-time Main Campus faculty for the rank of Professor or Associate Professor and/or grants of tenure to the President.
d. Issuing, in the name of the University, formal letters of appointment for Main Campus faculty members engaged by the Deans upon the recommendation of the Department Chairs for the ranks of Assistant Professor, Instructor or Lecturer;
e. Preparation of budgets for presentation to the President of the University and ultimately to the Board of Directors.
f. The administration of University policy applicable to all Main Campus faculty personnel, with respect to faculty status and welfare. The Deans have immediate supervision of the instructional programs involving both faculty and students in their respective schools.
g. The supervision and direction of admissions, registrations, record procedures, Office of International Programs, Georgetown University Press, Army ROTC, and libraries, except at the Medical Center and Law Center.
h. Financial aid policy for Main Campus students.
The Provost is the Affirmative Action Officer for all academic areas (with the exception of the Medical Center and Law Center), is Chair of the Council of Deans, and an ex officio member of all Executive Councils of the Main Campus schools, and has multi-campus and University policy roles, including service in the President’s Cabinet and Executive Committee of the Cabinet. The following officers report directly to the Provost:
Vice President for Planning and Institutional Research
The Vice President for Planning and Institutional Research is responsible for coordinating long range planning for the University. In consultation with the President, Provost, Vice Presidents and other University officers, the Vice President for Planning and Institutional Research is responsible for: (a) developing and implementing a framework for comprehensive long range planning which encompasses the articulation of institutional goals and objectives and resources required to implement such objectives; (b) assisting the three campuses and support service functions in the development of long range plans; (c) providing data and analyses in the area of Institutional Research to meet external and internal reporting requirements, including assistance in the development and maintenance of appropriate data bases; (d) coordinating the preparation of a consolidated long range plan for Georgetown University.
University Registrar
The Registrar has faculty privileges, and is responsible to the Provost for all Main Campus registrations, records, grades, classroom reservations, and for the publication of the academic calendar.
University Librarian
The University Librarian has faculty privileges, and is responsible to the Provost for ensuring that members of the University community have appropriate and timely access to information in support of their curricular and research activities, primarily through the services of the University’s main library.
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
The Dean of Undergraduate Admissions has faculty privileges, and oversees the operation of the various admissions committees of the undergraduate divisions of the University. The Admissions Office is responsible for the processing and recording of all applications and, through the committees, acceptance of students to the undergraduate divisions.
Dean of Student Financial Services
The Dean of Financial Aid is responsible for financial aid for the Main Campus schools.
Dean of Students
The Dean of Students coordinates student personnel programs for Main Campus students and integrates them with the total educational purpose of the University. Responsibilities include: (a) Residence Life; (b) Student Health Services; (c) The Counseling Center; (d) Student Activities; (e) Public Safety; (f) Undergraduate Student Government; (g) New Student Orientation; (h) Off-Campus Student Affairs and Housing; (I) Student Conduct; (j) Volunteer and Community Service Programs. The Director of the Center of Minority Education Affairs, and the Executive Director of the MBNA Career Education Center report to the Dean of Students.
Associate Dean for International Education
The Associate Dean for International Education oversees the Office of International Programs (OIP) which administers international student and scholar services, undergraduate overseas studies programs and partnership agreements with foreign universities which involve the exchange of undergraduate students. OIP also manages the DAAD and Fulbright scholarship competitions.
Kennedy Institute of Ethics
The Kennedy Institute of Ethics is a research institute with a primary focus on bioethics. It conducts seminars, provides continuing education classes in bioethics, runs the National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature and the Bioethics Information Retrieval Project, and is an integral part of the Ph.D. program in Philosophy.
Center for Intercultural Education and Development (CIED)
The Center for Intercultural Education and Development designs and administers international programs aimed at improving the quality of life of socio-economically disadvantaged people. It provides technical education, job training, leadership skill development, and upgrading of education systems in Central America, the Caribbean, East Central Europe, and Southeast Asia.
2. The Executive Vice President for Health Sciences
The Office of the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences possesses line authority from the President and Board of Directors for all academic and administrative activities of the Medical Center. The Executive Vice President is responsible for the educational, research and service programs, for other functions and activities as they may exist now or arise, and for the recommendation and implementation of all policies and regulations established by the President and Board of Directors. The Executive Vice President has multi-campus and University policy roles, including service in the President’s Cabinet; is the Affirmative Action Officer for the Medical Center Campus; and has direct responsibility for all Medical Center activities including:
1. Coordinating academic programs in the Medical Center Schools:
a. The School of Medicine.
b. The School of Nursing. [7]
2. Approving and recommending to the President, in accordance with the Constitutions and By-Laws of the Medical Center Schools and the Hospital, all appointments for the Medical Director, Hospital Administrator, Deans, Department Chairs and Chiefs of Hospital Services.
3. Recommending, with the Deans and Executive Faculty, all appointments of full-time faculty of the rank of Professor or Associate Professor and/or grants of tenure to the President.
4. Approving and issuing letters of appointment to faculty members recommended by the Deans and Executive Faculty for the ranks of full-time Assistant Professor and Instructor, for the full-time Research, Visiting and Nontenure-track Faculty and for the part-time “Clinical” and “Adjunct” Faculty.
5. Supervising and directing Medical Center libraries.
6. Coordinating the functions of the Deans, Hospital Administrator, Medical Director and Librarian and other major Medical Center officials.
7. Coordinating the functions of the Dean of the Graduate School as they relate to Medical Center programs and activities.
8. Developing, coordinating and presenting, in collaboration with the University Office of Federal Relations, the Medical Center positions on health professions education, research and health care delivery at national, regional and local levels including coordinating extramural ceremonial representations and participation in the health science/ service disciplines.
9. Developing and presenting to the President an Annual Medical Center Report including the reports of the Medical Center Deans, Librarians, the Hospital Administrator and Medical Director and other major Medical Center officials.
10. Approving, presenting and overseeing implementation of all budgets of the various units of the Medical Center.
11. Collaborating with the Senior Vice President and University Architect on the design, construction, maintenance, modernization, renovation, and restoration of facilities and material projects in the Medical Center, including space utilization analyses and allocation.
12. Developing and administering the execution of short and long-range plans for the Medical Center.
13. Coordinating with accountable officials the administration of the various functions of the Medical Center including: commencements, affiliations, faculty practice plans, public relations, fund raising and development, alumni affairs, food service, security, traffic, parking and grounds care and utilization.
3. The Executive Vice President and Chief Academic and Administrative Officer for Law Center Affairs
The Executive Vice President is the Chair of the law faculty (non-departmentalized) and chief academic officer of all Law Center full- and part-time divisions: the School of Law, the Graduate School of Law, the Continuing Legal Education division, the Law Library, the Institute of Criminal Law and Procedure, the Institute of Public Representation, the Anne Blaine Harrison Institute of Public Law, and the several clinics. In addition, the Executive Vice President serves as a member of the University administrative and policy bodies including the President’s Cabinet and the Executive Committee of the Cabinet, and is the Affirmative Action Officer of the Law campus.
Deans of Schools
The Deans are the administrative heads of the Schools, and report to the Provost or Executive Vice President of their campus. They have the primary responsibility for the general effectiveness of the instructional programs of the Schools and have the obligation of carrying out all University policies and the regulations adopted by the Executive Councils in keeping with University policy.
A. Appointments
The Deans are appointed by the President of the University with the concurrence of the Board of Directors and after consultation with the Faculty Senate and the Provost or appropriate Executive Vice President.
B. Responsibilities
Deans are responsible to the President for the proper conduct and administration, and the constant development and improvement, of the Schools in all phases of their work and activity. The Dean of a School is the Chair of its Executive Council and an ex officio member of all School committees. In addition, the Dean:
1. Appoints faculty members to committees of the School, and to other administrative duties.
2. Gathers from the Chairs of the Departments assigned to the School all necessary data for the tentative budget.
3. Sees that significant data concerning the work and activities of the School, faculty, and student body are collected, evaluated, and recorded in permanent form.
4. Makes annual reports to the President through the Provost or appropriate Executive Vice President on the functioning of the School, and to other University officers such reports as may, from time to time, be requested.
5. Determines the assignment of faculty and schedule of courses in the School, through the Registrar.
6. Supervises the educational activity of the School, overseeing the curricula, courses, and methods of instruction, and supporting research.
7. Gives special attention and cooperation to the Departments assigned specifically to the School, conferring with their respective Chairs, and refers their needs and problems to the President through the Provost or appropriate Executive Vice President with comment and recommendation.
8. Endorses the appointment of faculty members on the recommendation of the Chairs of the Departments, with the formal letter of appointment being issued by the Provost or appropriate Executive Vice President.
9. Studies the problems of the School’s educational and professional fields, keeps informed on trends and developments in them, and discusses, with the Executive Council, adjustments of curriculum, courses, and methods to keep abreast with general progress in such fields.
10. Recommends, in conjunction with the faculty, candidates for degrees to the President and Board of Directors of the University.
11. Instructs new faculty in the School on details of University policy and practice.
The Deans of the Main Campus schools serve on the Council of Deans.