Office of the Provost

An old joke describes a severely inebriated man who is found looking around, on his knees under a streetlight. A passer-by asks him what he is doing. The man says that he lost his keys and is looking for them. The passer-by asks if he’s sure he lost them there. The man says no, he […]

Some decades ago, Rensis Likert studied large number of work groups in an attempt to form a typology of leadership. Much of the work focused on communication and decision practices in different organizations. He identified four different “systems,” which exhibited the key variations across organizations. They form a progression. System 1 is the most hierarchical, […]

In reading about the private sector job market, it’s notable how much has changed. In the 20th century, it was common for a young person to enter a work organization after completing their education, to enter a relatively low-level job, to receive formal training from the company over time, to advance through the ranks, and […]

Each year, deans, departments, and similar units nominate deserving colleagues as Provost Distinguished Associate Professors. A faculty committee of university professors, endowed chair holders (chaired by Reena Aggarwal, Vice Provost for Faculty) reviewed the applicants. This year, competition was particularly intense, with many more nominations than previous years. Georgetown uses the designation to honor Associate […]