Welcome to Georgetown!

Dear New Students,

We are so proud to welcome you to Georgetown University! 

The times through which we are living are unique and unparalleled. You will emerge as one of the leaders for a world that will need you as you’ve never been needed before. To prepare for this role, you will need not only skills, but you’ll also need to have time, resources and institutional space to concentrate on your character and how it will evolve. You’ll need resilience and the ability to adapt to the many challenges you will face. This is why you applied to Georgetown, this is why we are proud to have selected you, and this is why we know you will thrive here. In the Jesuit tradition, a Georgetown education combines caring teaching and research-oriented discovery, your mind and your heart, and – most importantly – a focus on you as a whole person. We can’t wait to welcome you for the coming year.

Please know this: we are ready. Our first and overriding principle is the safety of our community. Accordingly, we will follow the public health guidance and expertise. But we will be open. And however we are open – whether face to face, online, or some other way – we will be ready. 

Soon, you will experience a uniquely Georgetown education, based upon cura personalis, meaning care for the whole person, and care for others. You will have the bonus of experiencing this at an institution in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, where much of the critical policy issues are tackled. We offer classes in a variety of formats and modes, all designed to enhance your learning experience, with faculty who have developed their courses to respond to the special time in which you enter the university. We hope to welcome you face-to-face. But should we find ourselves also working in other modes, know that Georgetown’s faculty is eager to engage you and ready for your arrival. You will become part of a Hoya community, with members throughout the world, ready to help one another throughout their lives.

You will hear much from the university in the coming weeks and months as it relates to your coursework, your academic advisors, student life and the many diverse and rewarding ways you can become involved in our community at Georgetown. Threaded throughout this information is an overriding and deep appreciation for what you will bring to this community, and gratitude for your contributions. 

We look forward to the start of the fall 2020 semester. Welcome!

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost