From the Office of the Provost to Georgetown University Faculty

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Main Campus Community:

I write to follow up on the November 26, 2024 message from Interim President Robert M. Groves, appointing me as Interim Provost.   

My appointment has occurred during a profound state of transition for the University. As Interim President Groves noted in his November 22, 2024 letter, I am personally, and we are collectively, deeply indebted to President DeGioia for his decades of service and for the building blocks that he put into place that serve as a sturdy foundation for our work ahead. 

The circumstances of the appointment fill me with an even greater recognition of purpose, gratitude, and responsibility for the opportunity to serve Georgetown. I have been fortunate to be a part of Georgetown’s leadership during what has been a critical time of transition for the University in my previous role as Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In my role as Interim Dean and as Vice President of Interdisciplinary Initiatives, I have come to appreciate the breadth, depth, and diverse nature of work at Georgetown. As Interim Provost, I am buoyed by the shared values that have and will guide our work. I will support the ongoing work of our faculty, staff and students, and shepherd forth new initiatives with the aim of Georgetown being the best version of itself. 

I look forward to our continued work together and appreciate how each member of our community contributes to the good of the whole. With your support, we will be able to build toward the future while maintaining the aspects that define Georgetown University. 

Sincerely,

Soyica Diggs Colbert
Interim Provost

Dear Faculty and Staff,

On Friday, October 18 – Sunday, October 20, 2024 we will welcome visiting families to campus for our annual Family Weekend. Families of all first-year and sophomore students are invited to attend, and more than 1000 families are expected to join us for the weekend. 

Our community has always made this event a welcoming one for our families. Please help our guests find their way if they are lost. Check-in will take place in the Healey Family Student Center on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, and additional activities are scheduled in buildings around campus. For more information about the schedule of events during the weekend, visit the Family Weekend website. 

My sincere thanks to the faculty and staff who make this a successful event. 

Sincerely yours,
Robert M. Groves
Provost

October 2, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation—an anchor member of Georgetown University’s Tech and Society Initiative—has received a historic gift commitment.

Thanks to the generosity of Ballmer Group, this $8 million gift will support the Beeck Center’s work to improve digital benefits and service delivery and provide hands-on technical assistance to state and local governments. The funding will also enable the Beeck Center to explore new opportunities and incubate promising, innovative ideas to advance the civic technology field.

The Beeck Center works with governments to integrate modern digital tools and approaches that help eligible people obtain and keep access to unemployment insurance, healthcare, food and nutrition assistance, child care, and other crucial public benefits and services.

This new gift is the single largest funding commitment in the Beeck Center’s 10-year history since the Beeck family’s founding gift. This latest investment builds on previous funding from Ballmer Group, which supported the Beeck Center’s early work to build digital infrastructure, convene practitioners to share ideas and best practices in benefits delivery, and provide technical assistance.

Please join me in expressing our community’s deep gratitude to Ballmer Group for this generous commitment and continued support of the Beeck Center. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

September 19, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

We are writing to share an update on our efforts to promote gender equity.

Six years ago, President DeGioia charged a Task Force on Gender Equity, which reviewed many of Georgetown’s policies and procedures related to faculty, benchmarked best practices across higher education, and developed a report that was shared with our community in May 2021.

In January 2022, the University formed a standing Gender Equity Committee, co-chaired by Soyica Colbert (C’01), Ph.D., Vice President for Interdisciplinary Initiatives, Idol Family Professor, and Professor of Black Studies and Performing Arts, and Naomi Mezey, J.D., Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Law and Culture, to advance the report’s recommendations. Faculty from the Main, Medical, and Law campuses serve on this Committee, which works in partnership with Rosemary Kilkenny (L’87), J.D., Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer.

This Committee produced an annual report last year and has developed an updated report as we begin the 2024–25 academic year. The report documents the University’s progress, highlights gender equity priorities and actions within each of our schools, and recommends steps to advance our collective work in this next phase.

We have reviewed the report and discussed it with Soyica Colbert and Naomi Mezey. Based on the Committee’s annual report, we have agreed to prioritize the following issues for this coming year:

  • Support and complete the current search for the Associate Vice President of Gender Equity, who will chair the Gender Equity Committee and help lead the University’s initiatives to support gender equity going forward. This position will engage with faculty at the school level to better receive feedback about each school’s priorities and progress.
  • Continue to build upon the productive work of the past year in improving data collection and integrity, with a focus on creating common data definitions among schools and input of data on academic/educational fields from faculty curriculum vitae for inclusion in GMS.
  • Support the Office of Advancement to focus on fundraising for research in the Gender+ Justice Initiative.
  • Host the Gender Equity Committee’s web-based statistical information dashboard on the website of the Office of Assessment and Decision Support (OADS). This dashboard is now live on the OADS website. 

These are important steps in our ongoing work to create an ever richer and stronger University, where each member of our community can thrive. We offer our sincere appreciation to the Committee for their efforts to ensure we are advancing gender equity and strengthening our entire community.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Norman J. Beauchamp Jr.
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

David B. Green
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Rosemary Kilkenny
Vice President, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer

Joseph A. Ferrara
Vice President and Chief of Staff to President DeGioia

Dear Colleagues,
 
As we approach Election Day on Tuesday, November 5, we encourage our community to look into voting options in their state, such as early voting and voting by mail. The university will maintain all operations, including all teaching, research, and service activities on Election Day. Please review the election-related resources and recommendations below for our faculty and staff community.

HR Policy 609: Voting Time

Time away from work for voting may be used during early voting days and Election Day. Upon request of an employee, the University will permit two hours of paid leave for an employee to arrive late or to depart early from work to exercise the right to vote under HR Policy 609: Voting Time. This applies to all employees, regardless of where the employee is registered to vote. 

Employees are expected to provide their manager with advance notice if their plans to vote will require them to take time away from scheduled work hours. Managers should grant employees flexibility and provide paid time off, if required.

Teaching Resources

For faculty, if you are teaching on November 5, you might consider alternatives such as asynchronous learning or assignments that can be completed in lieu of an in-class assignment for the students unable to attend due to voting.

We also want to highlight the CNDLS resource on navigating Difficult Conversations in the classroom.

Additional Resources

We have also created a Georgetown Election 2024 website that includes information on how members of our community are engaging with the 2024 election and how you can participate in our democratic process, take care of yourself and support one another. 

We are coordinating closely with city and federal safety officials as we prepare for Election Day and will respond appropriately if additional actions are necessary.

As we approach Election Day, we hope these resources will help our community exercise their right to vote and find time to reflect and care for themselves.  

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Norman J. Beauchamp Jr.
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

David B. Green
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Joseph A. Ferrara
Vice President and Chief of Staff to President DeGioia

Faculty and Staff Colleagues of the Main Campus:

I want to add to the messages of others and to welcome many of you back to our campuses and to thank those who were on our campuses all summer.  

As President DeGioia continues his recovery, as you know, we are following the University Bylaws, which provide that: “In the absence of the President, the duties of that office shall be performed by the Provost.” I work closely with Joe Ferrara, Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President, to fulfill these duties. 

For you, our main campus colleagues, we wanted to describe how we have organized the work of the Provost Office to assure that all its responsibilities are fulfilled during this time. Over the summer, we in the Provost Office have reorganized to work together as a team, with the senior leaders of the Office taking on more work than they had previously. This will involve some of the heads of various units meeting with these colleagues rather than meeting directly with me. We as a team will stay in daily contact, to assure that the work streams continue.  

I will continue ongoing meetings with all the school deans, with elected faculty leaders, with the provost faculty advisory group, and with student advisory groups. I will continue to attend MCEF and Faculty Senate meetings, as I did before taking on my new duties.

On the President’s Office side, I work every morning with senior leaders of the university. We meet consistently with the EVPs from other campuses. We are organized as a team, with each team member conducting the work of their unit and reporting into the team to assure coordination, with the full support of the President’s Office staff. All of the initiatives of the university are going ahead full steam.  

I know I can count on the commitment of the main campus community at this time. Our ability to work together, to bring to life the Georgetown we imagine, is at the core of this institution’s values. I thank you for your work. 

With best wishes,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community, 

For more than 235 years, Washington, D.C., has been Georgetown’s home—from our founding on the Hilltop to our Law Center’s presence near Capitol Hill for 150 years. Our University has grown since our founding and so has our impact as a leading institution in Washington, D.C. 

Today, we are positioned for even greater impact—as we invest in our Hilltop Campus and in our new Capitol Campus, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Our new Capitol Campus will provide a home for academic programs across all of our schools, allowing us to expand and support campus life and infrastructure across our University.

On behalf of President DeGioia, we invite you to learn more about the vision for the Capitol Campus and how it will enable our University to unlock new potential.

Watch the video, which was produced in May, and learn more at CapitolCampus.Georgetown.edu. 

This fall marks an important moment in the development of the Capitol Campus, as the McCourt School of Public Policy completes its move to its new home at 125 E Street NW. This state-of-the-art building, which will be dedicated at a ribbon cutting ceremony in September, provides beautiful event and convening spaces that are open to the entire University, and academic spaces for McCourt students, faculty and staff.

This move follows the 2020 opening of 500 First Street NW, a home to our Global Health Institute and a range of cross-campus, interdisciplinary research centers, and the 2022 opening of 55 H Street NW, a student residence hall for undergraduate and graduate students. The University is also currently renovating 111 Massachusetts Avenue NW, which was acquired in 2021. Beginning in fall 2025, 111 Massachusetts Avenue NW will house the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), the Earth Commons, the Capitol Applied Learning Labs (CALL), university-wide executive education, graduate level and custom education programming from the McDonough School of Business, School of Health, School of Nursing and our Biomedical Graduate Education programs. Resources in this new building, and across the Capitol Campus, will include student resources and social spaces such as mission and ministry, counseling, library, recreation and other services that are offered on the Hilltop Campus.

Future plans for the Capitol Campus include the recent acquisition of 77 H Street NW, a residential building with retail space. Georgetown Law also has plans for a new 200,000-square-foot building that will meet a critical demand for academic space on campus — providing smaller classrooms, collaborative study areas, spacious convening rooms, and a Moot Courtroom and Clinical Programs Suite.

As President DeGioia shared, “On the Hilltop and the Capitol Campus, in Doha and across our global community, we have an extraordinary opportunity, at a pivotal moment in our world, at a time when our university’s values, our commitments, and our ideals are more important than ever. We take this next step, together, to realize our full promise as a global Georgetown community.”

We encourage you to explore our Capitol Campus website and watch the video to learn more about the academic offerings and campus life on this new campus.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Norman J. Beauchamp Jr.
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

David B. Green
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

We open this new academic year filled with hope for the work we will accomplish together over these next few months. Already, new and returning students have begun to fill our residence halls, our libraries and laboratories, our classrooms and social spaces. Members of our community are beginning to experience our growing Capitol Campus, just steps from the U.S. Capitol. Our Hilltop is seeing new upgrades to infrastructure and sustainability. There is much to look forward to in the weeks and months ahead. 

On behalf of President DeGioia, we take this opportunity to welcome all of you: new and returning students, faculty, and staff to our new academic year at Georgetown. 

Over these past few weeks, we have been working with the senior leadership of the University to ensure continuity and continued success for our community this semester as President DeGioia continues his recovery from the stroke he experienced this summer. 

He is making progress in his rehabilitation, bolstered by the terrific support of his family, an outstanding medical team, and many messages of encouragement from our community. He has asked us to convey his deep appreciation to all of you.

As we gather together in the opening days of the academic year, let us acknowledge our responsibilities to one another and as members of this community as we are guided by the University’s mission statement:

“Georgetown is a Catholic and Jesuit, student-centered research university.

Established in 1789 in the spirit of the new republic, the university was founded on the principle that serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures, and beliefs promotes intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding. We embody this principle in the diversity of our students, faculty and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness and our international character.

An academic community dedicated to creating and communicating knowledge, Georgetown provides excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional education in the Jesuit tradition for the glory of God and the well-being of humankind.

Georgetown educates women and men to be reflective lifelong learners, to be responsible and active participants in civic life and to live generously in service to others.”

We wish you all a wonderful opening to the new academic year and express our sincere gratitude to all members of the University community.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost 
Joseph A. Ferrara, Vice President and Chief of Staff to President DeGioia

Dear Colleagues:  

I write to announce that I have appointed the search committee that will lead our efforts to recruit the next Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. We have asked Kathleen McNamara, Ph.D., Professor of Government and Foreign Service and Co-Director of the Global Political Economy Project, to chair the search committee for the new Dean. The full list of the Search Committee members is below.    

We are pleased to work with the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to assist us with this  search. Additional information about the position may be found at the Dean of Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences Search website  and any nominations may be sent to Isaacson, Miller .  

I charged the committee in July and it began its work immediately. I have asked Marie Mattson, Secretary of the University, and Lisa Krim, Senior Advisor to the President for Faculty Relations, to provide staff support for the search committee and coordinate the search process.  

In the interest of collecting as much information from the Georgetown community as possible to inform our work, I am happy also to announce a vehicle through which you can make your voices heard.    

Listening Sessions:  
The Search Committee invites you to attend a (virtual) listening session in the coming weeks.   

Some members of the Search Committee will attend each session and are eager to hear from you. The Search Committee Members are:   

Kathleen McNamara, Ph.D. (Chair)  
Professor of Government and Foreign Service and Co-Director of the Global Political Economy Project   

Katherine Benton-Cohen, Ph.D.  
Professor and Director of Doctoral Studies, Department of History   

Fr. Mark Bosco, S.J.  
Vice President for Mission & Ministry   

Laurent Bouton, Ph.D.  
Professor, Department of Economics   

Emanuela Del Gado, Ph.D.  
Professor, Department of Physics   

Pratik Jacob, C’25  
Undergraduate Student   

Michael Kessler, Ph.D.  
Professor, Department of Government  
Executive Director, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs   

Peter Marra, Ph.D.  
Dean, Earth Commons Institute for the Environment and Sustainability
Laudato Si’ Professor of Biology and the Environment, Department of Biology   

Abigail Marsh, Ph.D.  
Professor, Department of Psychology  

Paul Portner, Ph.D.  
Professor, Department of Linguistics   

Micah Sherr, Ph.D.  
Callahan Family Professor of Computer Science   

Elena Silva, Ph.D.  
Professor, Department of Biology  
Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs   

Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Ph.D.  
Associate Professor, Department of English   

Karolyn Tyson, Ph.D.  
Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology   

Spencer Waters, Candidate for Ph.D.’28  
Graduate Student    

Please join us in wishing all the members of the search committee well as they continue their  important work.    

Sincerely,  

Robert M. Groves  
Provost

Dear Colleagues:

We wanted to take this opportunity to share that President DeGioia continues to make progress and has begun rehabilitation from the stroke he suffered on June 5. The DeGioia family is grateful for the outpouring of prayers and well wishes from the Georgetown community. His doctors are pleased with his progress, and we will keep the University community informed when there are updates to share in the weeks ahead.   

During President DeGioia’s recovery, the leadership team is working each day to continue University affairs and operations in a coordinated manner. In this time, communication within the community is paramount, and we continue to engage with faculty and staff leaders through established frameworks across our campuses, including the Faculty Senate and Staff/AAP Advisory Council. We continue to execute University priorities and initiatives. We are also engaging with the Board of Directors, who have expressed their full confidence in our academic and administrative teams.

Thank you all for continuing to keep Jack and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost 
Joseph A. Ferrara, Vice President and Chief of Staff to President DeGioia

Dear Colleagues,

This edition of Blue & Gray comes as many of us are thinking about President DeGioia as he begins his recovery from the stroke he experienced last week. We are so grateful for the outpouring of support and prayers for President DeGioia and his family that have come from so many of you in the past week. 

As Thomas A. Reynolds III (B’74), Chair of the Georgetown University Board of Directors, has announced, we are guided by our bylaws: “In the absence of the President, the duties of that office shall be performed by the Provost.” 

We are working together with senior academic and administrative leadership to continue the important business of Georgetown. We are also actively engaging faculty and staff leaders, as well as the Board of Directors.

Anyone who wishes to send a message to President DeGioia or his family should feel welcome to send it to the President’s Office (flowers are not recommended) through the following methods:

  • Email: presidentsoffice@georgetown.edu
  • Mail: DeGioia Family
    c/o Georgetown University President’s Office 
    207 Healy Hall, 37th and O Streets NW 
    Washington, DC 20057

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost 

Joe Ferrara, Vice President and Chief of Staff to President DeGioia

Dear Faculty,

As part of the Georgetown Dialogues Initiative, the Office of the Provost invites proposals for courses to be taught in the Spring 2025 semester that would advance the Initiative’s goal of teaching students the value of civil and productive dialogue across intellectual differences. To that end, the Georgetown Dialogues Initiative will provide support for two types of courses:

  1. Co-Taught Courses: Courses co-taught by two faculty who will design the course around important areas of disagreement within an academic field or around a particular issue that crosses disciplines. The expectation is not that faculty will debate each other, but rather that together, the faculty will demonstrate how to engage with the many sides of an academic issue. Both faculty teaching the course will be expected to participate fully in each session of the course, continuously demonstrating to students the value of dialogue in academic settings.
  2. Individual-taught Courses or Modules: Courses taught by an individual faculty member who commits to integrating dialogue across differences into their classes by, for example, inviting guest speakers into their classroom or through other innovative ideas to be proposed. Courses may either be designed in full to fulfill the mission of the Georgetown Dialogues Initiative or they may incorporate a novel module that aims to promote dialogue into a larger course.

The Georgetown Dialogues Initiative courses are open to faculty from any discipline, and courses may be designed to address any subject on which there is genuine intellectual disagreement to be studied and understood. Co-taught courses that involve faculty from different disciplines studying the same issue are especially welcome.

Faculty who submit proposals for a Georgetown Dialogues Initiative class should be prepared to teach the course in three of the following five years. Faculty for courses that are selected to participate in the initiative will each receive a $10,000 course development grant during the summer before the course is first offered. In addition, faculty will receive $1000 each time they teach the class to support classroom activities, guest speakers, or experiential learning opportunities. In addition, all Georgetown Dialogues Initiative courses will receive necessary administrative support from the Director of the Georgetown Dialogues Initiative. Finally, compensation is available for departments or programs for which a Georgetown Dialogues Initiative co-taught course creates a course coverage need.

Proposals for the Georgetown Dialogues Initiative should include a brief 500-word description of the course to be offered, a preliminary list of readings or other materials that might appear on the eventual syllabus, and CV(s) for faculty teaching the class. Proposals should also indicate support from the proposing faculty member’s department chair or program director.

Proposals should be submitted via email to David Edelstein, Vice Provost for Education, at viceprovostforeducation@georgetown.edu by April 19, 2024.
Sincerely,

David Edelstein
Vice Provost for Education

Initiative on Pedagogical Uses of Artificial Intelligence

Phase II Funding: Summer Development and Documentation Grants

This summer funding initiative is part of the broader Initiative on Pedagogical Uses of Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) at Georgetown. It seeks to further embed AI tools into our educational practices in creative, ethical, and effective ways. The Phase I projects are described on the CNDLS website.
 
Summer Funding Opportunities: Design and Documentation 

As part of our ongoing commitment to harness the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, we are pleased to announce a summer funding opportunity to support faculty, staff, and students in two ways: 

1) We invite proposals from faculty members who either plan a substantial redesign of their courses to integrate AI tools, or teams of faculty (along with staff and students) who are interested in the redesign of aspects of a program’s curriculum. See application link below.

2) We invite faculty who have completed innovative integrations using AI in their teaching or research and wish to document and share their experiences and outcomes.

This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Baker Trust for Transformative Learning and the Sonneborn Innovation Fund.

Funding Categories

  1. Substantive Course or Program Redesign Grants
    • Aimed at faculty members looking to significantly redesign their courses or aspects of academic program curricula to integrate AI tools and AI-informed approaches offered in the 2024-2025 academic year. This funding includes support for course/curriculum development, implementation, documentation, and evaluation of the interventions.
    • Funding of up to $5,000 per project
  2. AI Project Documentation Grants
    • For faculty who have implemented AI tools in their teaching or research and wish to document their approaches, methodologies, outcomes, and reflections for portfolios, publications, or presentations.
    • Funding of up to $3,000 per project

Goals of the Summer Funding Initiative

  • Encourage enhanced teaching and learning: Support faculty in exploring and implementing AI tools to enhance student learning, engagement, and achievement.
  • Foster knowledge sharing: Create a repository of case studies and best practices for integrating AI into teaching and learning, accessible to the Georgetown community and beyond.
  • Enhance curriculum and the student experience with AI: Promote redesigning courses and curricula to include AI tools and approaches, fostering skills relevant to the evolving digital and AI landscape, and enhancing student agency, agility, and belonging.

Eligibility and Application Process

  • Eligibility: All full-time and part-time faculty at Georgetown are eligible to apply. Projects that demonstrate a clear plan for impactful integration of AI and potential for scalability and sustainability will be prioritized.
  • Application Requirements: Applicants should submit a proposal outlining their project idea, objectives, and expected outcomes. Proposals for course redesign should also include a syllabus or course outline detailing the intended AI integration.
  • Deadline: Applications for summer funding must be submitted by May 3, 2024. Decisions will be announced by May 24, 2024, to allow for summer planning and implementation.

To Apply 
We look forward to your innovative proposals and to furthering the integration of AI in our pedagogical practices through this summer funding initiative. Please submit your proposal by completing this form. 

Support and Resources
Our team is available to discuss project ideas, provide feedback on proposals, and connect faculty with resources and expertise in AI and education.

For more information or to discuss your proposal ideas, please contact ipai@georgetown.edu ; or write directly to Eddie Maloney, Executive Director of the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (ejm@georgetown.edu ) and Randy Bass, Director of The Red House; VP for Strategic Education Initiatives (bassr@georgetown.edu ), co-chairs of the IPAI Task Force.

Dear Georgetown Faculty, Staff and Students,

I am delighted to announce a University-wide lecture delivered by Professor Victor Cha, recently named Distinguished University Professor by President DeGioia:

Collective Resilience: Countering the Weaponization of Economic Interdependence
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 4 p.m.
Lohrfink Auditorium
Reception to follow, please RSVP

Professor Cha’s lecture delves into the question of how supply chain diversification policies can be complemented by a strategy of collective economic deterrence to counter illiberal economic predation by rising powers in the global order.

I look forward to celebrating his appointment as Distinguished University Professor, and hearing about his research at the gathering on February 12. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Georgetown Students, Faculty and Staff,

I write today to wish you and your family a wonderful and happy winter holiday season.

As I reflect upon this past year, I wish to extend my continued appreciation to you for your engagement in our community and your embodiment of the spirit of Georgetown. This university was founded on Jesuit principles with a focus on the well-being of humankind. Now, more than ever, we are called to be active participants in civic life and to live in service to others, especially those who are encountering great suffering at this moment. 

I hope that the upcoming winter holidays offer a more extended opportunity to rest and reflect. Thank you, again, for all you do and best wishes for a happy holiday and joyful new year.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Alissa Cooper as the founding executive director of the Knight-Georgetown Institute (KGI). The recently announced Knight-Georgetown Institute is a nonpartisan institute that helps policymakers and tech industry leaders address pressing issues related to technology, policy and ethics and make informed decisions on how technology is used to shape, produce and share information across platforms. The institute will train the next generation of leaders to shape the future of information and technology for the common good.

Dr. Alissa Cooper is a recognized leader in the development of global Internet standards, policy, and governance. She was previously the Chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the world’s premier Internet standards organization. Prior to joining KGI, Alissa spent a decade at Cisco Systems in senior engineering and executive roles, including VP of Technology Standards and VP/CTO for Technology Policy. She played a central part in shaping Cisco’s approach to technology standardization, public policy, and privacy across the company’s networking, security, and collaboration businesses. Prior to joining Cisco, she served as the Chief Computer Scientist at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT). Alissa holds a D.Phil from the Oxford Internet Institute and M.S. and B.S. degrees in computer science from Stanford University. She currently serves on the board of the Tor Project.

She joins the Research Director of KGI, Professor Leticia Bode, to form the senior leadership of KGI, as it builds out, and will become a member of the Steering Committee of the Georgetown Tech and Society Initiative.

Please join me in congratulating Alissa Cooper as she joins the Georgetown community and takes on this new role. Her appointment begins in February 2024.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

I write today to wish you and your family a safe and restful Thanksgiving. 

During the Thanksgiving holiday I reflect on Georgetown’s mission to live generously in the service of others. I am always grateful, but especially this time of year, when I see our community members come together to support one another and to lift each other up, even in challenging times. 

I am deeply thankful for the faculty’s commitment to teaching and support of our students, for our staff’s dedication and commitment, and for the student’s enthusiasm and love of learning.  This fall I have seen our community continue to embody Georgetown’s ideal of “people for others,” and for that I am deeply grateful.

We know that many others in the world are facing challenging circumstances and extraordinary conditions. They are in our thoughts and prayers.

I want to express my warm gratitude to you with wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community, 

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Jeffrey Urbach, Ph.D, as Vice Provost for Research. He begins his work in this role January 1, 2024, taking over from Billy Jack, who will complete his second term on December 31, 2023.

Professor Urbach received his Ph.D in Physics at Stanford University, and after a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin joined the Physics Department in the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgetown University as an Assistant Professor in 1996 and was promoted to Professor of Physics in 2006. He served as chair of the Physics Department for a total of 8 years, as the co-Director of the Program on Science in the Public Interest from its founding in 2006 until 2011, and the Director of the Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology from its founding in 2011 until 2015. From 2009-10, he served as a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the US Department of Energy. 

Professor Urbach’s research interests include complex dynamical systems, biophysics, and soft matter physics. His diverse interdisciplinary collaborations have produced impactful publications in materials physics, cellular biophysics, biomaterials, optical imaging and statistical physics.  He received a Sloan Foundation Fellowship and sustained research funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and other government agencies and private foundations. In 2000, Professor Urbach received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and in 2016 he was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society.  

Professor Urbach mentors and co-mentors undergraduate and graduate students from several departments and has taught physics courses at all levels of the curriculum. In addition, he developed two courses for non-science majors: The Science of Technology, focusing on policy-relevant science, and a recent Science for All offering, Startling Truths, which presents some of the revolutionary, counter-intuitive concepts that form the basis of our modern understanding of the universe, while showing how the process of scientific discovery changed over the course of the last century.

I wish to extend our deep appreciation to Professor Jack for his service and leadership as Vice Provost for Research for the past six years. Professor Jack’s tenure has been focused on improving the environment in which faculty conduct their scholarship, streamlining policies and procedures, and building a culture of research. At an institutional level, he worked closely with colleagues in the Medical Center to create three offices – the Office of Research Oversight, the Office of Human Subjects Protection, and most recently the Joint Office of Research Administration (JORA) – that together increase the efficiency of research administration by providing a comprehensive suite of research services to faculty across the Hilltop. Professor Urbach will carry this important work forward as we continue to nurture a culture of collaborative research with the Medical Center to achieve our shared goals of research excellence, educational preeminence, and societal impact.

Please join me in thanking Professor Jack for his service to the university and congratulating Professor Urbach as he takes on this new role.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the appointment of Laura DeNardis, Ph.D., as the Director of the Center for Digital Ethics. The recently launched Center for Digital Ethics is a unique interdisciplinary hub of researchers from the humanities, computer science, law, data science, and the social sciences working to advance frameworks and solutions for digital technologies for the betterment of humanity. The Center expands the academic programs and research opportunities for faculty and students in Technology and Society, a rapidly expanding focal area at the University, and in the newly established Emergent Ethics Network, consisting of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics, the Environmental Justice Program, and the Center for Digital Ethics.

Professor DeNardis joined the Georgetown community in 2022 as the inaugural endowed Chair in Technology, Ethics, and Society in Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences and Professor in the Communication, Culture, and Technology program. She is recognized as a leading Internet governance expert in both the United States and the world. Among her seven books are The Internet in Everything: Freedom and Security in a World with No Off Switch (2020) and The Global War for Internet Governance (2014), both published by Yale University Press. Professor DeNardis joined Georgetown from American University, where she served as Professor, Faculty Director of the Internet Governance Lab, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, and also Interim Dean of the School of Communication. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Yale Information Society Project and the Research Director of the Global Commission on Internet Governance. 

Professor DeNardis holds an AB in Engineering Science from Dartmouth College, an MEng from Cornell University, a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from Virginia Tech, and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from Yale Law School. 

Please join me in congratulating Professor DeNardis as she takes on this new role.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Georgetown University Community Members,

Today we are writing to announce the inaugural Postdoctoral Fellow Policy that will apply to all Postdoctoral Fellows on the Hilltop campus starting January 1, 2024. The policy will be reviewed after three years.

Postdoctoral fellows are an integral part of our research mission and the intellectual life of our departments and research groups. The policy specifies the terms and conditions governing postdoctoral appointments and provides guidance on goal-planning practices for mentors and postdoctoral fellows. The policy was approved by the Graduate School Executive Committee, after extensive consultation with faculty and administrators, and it will be implemented and administered by the Office of Faculty Affairs for the Main Campus and Medical Center, respectively. The policy will also be updated on all web pages relevant for the postdoctoral fellow community as well.    

The new policy is the culmination of a one and a half year-long effort of a cross-campus working group, which reviewed best practices at our peer and benchmark institutions and engaged stakeholders on the Hilltop. We thank the working group members listed below for their hard work in building this important new policy, and we look forward to the universal guidance that it will provide to our community. 

  • Rachel Bridges, Director for Benefit Services, Communications and GUWellness
  • Elliott Crooke, Vice President for Faculty and Academic Affairs, Medical Center
  • Charles DeSantis, Associate Vice President for Benefits, Payroll, and Wellness and Chief Benefits Officer
  • Caleb McKinney, Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Training & Development for Biomedical Graduate Education, and Assistant Vice President of Master’s Program Administration & Development, Medical Center
  • Alexander Sens, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and the Markos and Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis Professor of Hellenic Studies
  • Maria Snyder, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
  • Ifé Tafari, Director of Law Center Human Resources, Law Center
  • Chandan Vaidya, Vice Provost for Faculty, Main Campus
  • Karen Walters, Strategic Project Manager for Faculty and Academic Affairs, Medical Center

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact:

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Executive Vice President for the Main Campus and Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

Dear Faculty and Staff,

This weekend, Friday, October 13 – Sunday, October 15, 2023 we will welcome visiting families to campus for our annual Family Weekend. Families of all first-year and sophomore students are invited to attend, and more than 1000 families are expected to join us for the weekend. 

Our community has always made this event a welcoming one for our families. Please help our guests find their way if they are lost. Check-in will take place in the Healey Family Student Center on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, and additional activities are scheduled in buildings around campus. For more information about the schedule of events during the weekend, visit https://family.georgetown.edu/family-weekend/schedule-of-events/

My sincere thanks to the faculty and staff who make this a successful event. 

Sincerely yours,
Robert M. Groves
Provost

September 25, 2023

Dear Members of the Georgetown Community,

I am delighted to announce that President DeGioia has named Dr. Victor Cha Distinguished University Professor.  

Dr. Cha is a professor of Government in the Department of Government, and D.S. Song-KF Endowed Chair in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He has been a member of the Georgetown faculty for more than 25 years. He previously served as Vice Dean in SFS and as director of Asian Studies, creating the M.A. degree in Asian Studies (MASIA), and bringing more than $1 million in US Department of Education Title VI funding related to Asia to campus for the first time in Georgetown’s history. Outside of Georgetown, Dr. Cha holds research appointments at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC and at the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, Texas (non-resident). He is co-editor of the Contemporary Asia book series at Columbia University Press, is a foreign affairs contributor for MSNBC and NBC News, and serves on the Boards of the National Endowment for Democracy and the Korea Society. 

He is currently a member of the non-partisan Defense Policy Board for the Biden administration. He previously served as Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council (on public service leave from the University). At the White House, Dr. Cha was also the Deputy Head of Delegation for the United States at the Six Party Talks in Beijing, and received two Outstanding Service commendations during his tenure at the NSC. He is the author of seven books including Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States-Korea-Japan Security Triangle (Stanford University Press) (winner of the 2000 Ohira Book Prize), The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future (HarperCollins, 2012) (selected as a best book on Asia by Foreign Affairs in 2012), and Powerplay: Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia (Princeton University Press, 2016). His most recent books are Korea: A New History of Korea: South and North with Yale University Press (2023, with R. Pardo), and the forthcoming Demystifying the Black Box: Data and Methods in the Study of North Korea with Columbia University Press. Dr. Cha received the 2023 Hubert H. Humphrey Award from the American Political Science Association (APSA) for honorable notable public service. Professor Cha received his PhD  from Columbia University, his BA (Honours) from Oxford University, and his BA from Columbia University.

We will have an opportunity to celebrate this achievement including President DeGioia’s formal recognition of our recently appointed university professors on October 30, 2023, at the University Faculty Convocation. I look forward to Dr. Cha’s lecture for the University community later in the academic year. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Cha on this most significant honor. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Initiative on Pedagogy and AI (IPAI)
Call for Proposals to Explore Creative Uses and Educational Implications of Generative AI
Dear Faculty and Students: 

The advancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and especially generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT and others) present both challenges and opportunities. Georgetown is broadly supporting faculty in adapting and integrating AI tools, as mentioned in the recent email from CNDLS and  their growing set of resources. We know that for many faculty, the fall will be about learning to monitor, regulate, and adapt to these tools. To continue this broad community conversation, there will be an MCEF Forum on September 28 at 1:30pm. 

At the same time, we recognize that many of our faculty and students are exploring creative ways to integrate AI tools to advance the kind of education that we value.  In order to accelerate and support these explorations, the Provost announced the creation of an Initiative on Pedagogy and Artificial Intelligence (IPAI). The goals of the Initiative are: 

  • Improve student learning and engagement through creative and responsible integration of AI-supported tools for research, writing, problem-solving, analysis, and customized feedback. 
  • Improve the overall experience for students, faculty and academic staff through the integration of AI tools in navigating paths to degree, mentoring, discernment, and enhancing community and belonging.  
  • Foster interdisciplinary and inter-campus collaborations to develop ethical and human-centered AI applications for education. 
  • Help shape the broader dialogue about the impact of AI in education and an institutional knowledge base of practices that can enhance Georgetown and its many partners. 

Below, we share funding opportunities for the first of several Calls for Proposals for the Initiative. For more information, please see the full CFP and links to the interest and application forms here. The Initiative on Pedagogy and AI is funded by the Baker Trust for Transformative Learning and the Sonneborn Innovation Fund. If you have any questions or want more information about ideas, please contact Eddie Maloney (ejm@georgetown.edu) and Randy Bass (bassr@georgetown.edu), Co-chairs, IPAI Task Force. 

Sincerely

Randy Bass, Vice President for Strategic Education Initiatives
Eddie Maloney, Executive Director, CNDLS

Dear Faculty,

In its meeting last April, the Main Campus Executive Faculty approved a new questionnaire for student course evaluations. The new questionnaire will replace the existing one that has been in use since 1987. The revised questionnaire is the result of a two-year effort by the faculty-led Committee on Student Evaluation of Teaching that included input from faculty, students, the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, and the Office of Assessment and Decision Support, as well as pilot testing of the new questionnaire. We are grateful for the work of that committee and its chair, Dr. Blythe Shepard, Dekkers Endowed Chair in Human Science and Assistant Professor in the School of Health.  

Beginning this semester, the revised questionnaire will be the standard survey for in-person courses. You will continue to have the option of adding up to five personalized questions to your course evaluation surveys in addition to the new standard question set. The questionnaire for online courses will remain as it currently is. 

More information about the new question set can be found on the course evaluation page of the OADS website. If you have questions about the course evaluation change, please contact eval-admin@georgetown.edu. 

David M. Edelstein
Vice Provost for Education

Dear Faculty and Students,

On Friday, the university community received an e-mail from Dr. Ranit Mishori, Chief Public Health Officer, alerting us to an increase in COVID-19 cases and providing instructions to community members who may be COVID-19 positive.

As a reminder, instructors are asked to accommodate students with COVID-19 symptoms as they would any temporary illness of a student in their class. For their part, students should follow their instructor’s policy for making up coursework that is missed, which may include attending class remotely or completing work by other means. If a large proportion of the class will be absent from in-person instruction, faculty will follow their instructional continuity plan, as needed. Faculty should contact their department chair or program head if they are unable to teach in person.

We are encouraging these practices to protect the health and safety of our community.

Best wishes,

David Edelstein
Vice Provost for Education

Chandan Vaidya
Vice Provost for Faculty

Dear Faculty:

As we prepare to return to the classroom this fall, we are writing to encourage you to be explicit about your expectations of students in both your syllabi and in your early class meetings with students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us adopted flexible policies with regard to issues like attendance, participation and deadlines. It is your prerogative to decide whether to continue these policies, but we have heard from students that they are often unclear now about where these expectations stand in different professors’ classes.

As you think about these classroom expectations, here are some questions to consider about attendance, participation, deadlines, grading and academic integrity:

  1. Attendance & Participation: Is attendance mandatory in your courses and, if applicable, discussion sections? Are a certain number of absences excused without penalty? If students miss class, how should they catch up? In the case of illness, will you offer a hybrid option (faculty are not required or expected to offer such an option)? Are students responsible for finding a classmate to share notes, or arranging a meeting with the professor/TA if they miss class?
  2. Deadlines & Missed Work: Will late assignments be accepted? Under what circumstances? With what penalty, if any?
  3. Grading & Assessment: What are the grading criteria for your class? If students disagree with how something has been graded, what should they do? May work be revised and resubmitted? How is that option conveyed? Does your syllabus clearly state how the final grade for the class will be calculated?
  4. Academic Integrity: Do you allow the use of artificial intelligence tools in your class? If so, in what ways? (Please see this message from CNDLS regarding AI in the classroom.) Do you allow students to collaborate on work, and are there any limits on that collaboration? What are your citation expectations?

A variety of teaching-related university policies are available here and may inform your answers to these questions. In addition, CNDLS offers sample syllabus statements for these and many other policies. As always, if you have any questions about flexibility, academic excellence and communicating expectations, please reach out to CNDLS.

Hopefully, addressing these issues with students will both address the uncertainty that students have and minimize issues that you may confront throughout the semester. We wish you the best for the coming semester.

Sincerely,

David M. Edelstein
Vice Provost for Education

Anna Riegel
Interim Vice President for Biomedical Graduate Education and Research

Chandan Vaidya
Vice Provost for Faculty

Dear Faculty and Staff: 

Today we are announcing an important step to help foster a culture of collaborative research across the university and increase the efficiency of research administration.  Both of these will contribute to our goals of research excellence, educational preeminence, and societal impact.  

In order to support and enable our faculty to do their best work as researchers and scholars, the Main Campus and Medical Center will consolidate existing research administrative services into the Joint Office of Research Administration, JORA.

JORA will provide a comprehensive array of pre- and post-award support to faculty across the Hilltop conducting sponsored research. In addition, the new office will collaborate with the research office at Georgetown Law. The director of JORA, who will be appointed in the coming weeks, will report jointly to the Vice Provost for Research on the Main Campus and the Interim Vice President for Biomedical Graduate Education and Research at GUMC.  JORA will thus complete a suite of three research support offices that span the Hilltop, including the Office of Human Subjects Protection (OSHP), and the Office of Research Oversight (ORO).

JORA will be arranged by disciplinary clusters, each headed by a Cluster Research Administrator overseeing proposal development services, grants and contracts administration services, and grant management services. With this streamlined structure of research administration, faculty will be able to focus their efforts on the creative processes of inquiry, investigation and discovery. And as a result, we hope they will be better able to take advantage of external funding from Federal agencies, other government bodies, foundations, private industry, and philanthropic sources. By reinvesting some of these resources into our administrative and physical infrastructure, we envisage the creation of a virtuous cycle that will put us on a path to sustained increases in research productivity and impact.

This announcement represents the beginning of a transition process, during which we will no doubt face unexpected challenges while encountering new opportunities for collaboration, improvement, and learning. We ask that you support the JORA staff during this period and forward suggestions for improvements.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Executive Vice President for the Main Campus and Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Marino Workshop Executive Committee, we write to invite you to participate as a mentor in the annual Marino Family International Writers’ Academic Workshop for Georgetown’s incoming students, scheduled for 1:00-3:00pm on August 21, 2023.

This year’s Marino author is Yoko Tawada, author of Scattered All Over the Earth, a mind-expanding, cheerfully dystopian novel about friendship, linguistic and cultural differences, and what it means to belong. Ms. Tawada, a National Book award-winning novelist, is scheduled to address first-year students as part of the New Student Orientation Program at 1:00pm on August 21, 2023.   

The Marino Workshop provides us with a uniquely powerful and personal opportunity to connect with our newest undergraduate students and welcome them to the Georgetown University community.

The participation of faculty and staff in the Marino Workshop could not be more vital. We need your help during this year’s Workshop to engage with our new students, demonstrating the value that Georgetown places on the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff, and our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness, and our international character. We will provide mentors with a copy of this year’s book, Scattered All Over the Earth, and will follow this initial email with more detailed information about conducting the small group sessions. 

We need 100 mentors for this year’s Marino Workshop and ask you to volunteer. Please send your response no later than June 20.  

To volunteer or ask for additional information, please contact Kathleen Scalera in the Library. We hope you will join us for what President DeGioia has called “one of the most important traditions for our incoming students.”

Best wishes,

Robert M. Groves      
Provost                                                                                                 

Harriette Hemmasi
Dean of the Library, Chair of the Marino Executive Committee

Nicoletta Pireddu 
Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature and Inaugural Director of the Georgetown Humanities Initiative, Faculty Chair of the Marino Executive Committee

Marino Workshop Executive Committee
Molly Chehak. Director of Digital Learning Pedagogy, Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) 
Bernard Cook. Associate Dean of the College; Founding Director of the Film Media Studies Program
Maureen Corrigan. Nicky and Jamie Grant Distinguished Professor of the Practice in Literary Criticism
Paul Elie. Author and Senior Fellow in the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Stephen Fernie. Web Services Coordinator, University Library 
Aminatta Forna. Director, Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice 
Ana Guttierrez-Perrez. Director of Orientation, Transition, and Family Engagement 
Serafina Hager. Director, Italian Research Institute of Georgetown College
Harriette Hemmasi. Dean of the Georgetown University Library 
Susanna Lee. Professor in the Department of French and Francophone Studies and Director of the Comparative Literature Program 
Nicoletta Pireddu. Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature and Inaugural Director of the Georgetown Humanities Initiative
Kathleen Scalera. Program and Events Manager, University Library

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter P. Marra, Ph.D., as the Dean of the Earth Commons—Georgetown University’s Institute for Environment and Sustainability.

Professor Marra joined the Georgetown community in 2019 as Director the Georgetown Environment Initiative and Laudato Si’ Professor of Biology and the Environment and Professor in the McCourt School of Public Policy after 20 years at the Smithsonian Institution, most recently as Director of the Migratory Bird Center. In 2022, he was named Founding Director of the Earth Commons.

In its first year, in partnership with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Earth Commons launched the M.S. in Environment & Sustainability Management jointly with the McDonough School of Business. Seven new faculty members and seven fellows now teach interdisciplinary courses, foster global partnerships and advance interdisciplinary environmental projects such as the new Hoya Harvest Garden. ECo Impact grants and a new environmentally-focused postdoctoral program have also created new collaborative and interdisciplinary research directions. 

Working alongside many university partners, Professor Marra has promoted the intersection of the environment with the arts and humanities through the installation of environmental art work, presentation of theatrical arts, fine arts and filmmaking, the annual series Voices on the Environment, and the institute’s first convening of environmental storytellers. Close partnership with the Office of Sustainability focuses on making Georgetown’s campus the model of positive impact for our common home through research, education and action. 

Please join me in congratulating Professor Marra as he takes on this new role.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community, 

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of David Edelstein, Ph.D, as Vice Provost for Education. He replaces Rohan Williamson, Ph.D., who will complete his term on June 30, 2023.

David Edelstein is currently Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences and a Professor in the Department of Government, the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and the Center for Security Studies. As Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College, Professor Edelstein has led on a range of issues, including the recruitment and retention of faculty, the development of new interdisciplinary undergraduate programs, and the management of graduate programs housed within the College of Arts & Sciences. This past year, he also served as co-chair of a university task force charged with presenting design options for the university’s new School of Health. Previously, he served as Chair of the School of Foreign Service Faculty. 

Professor Edelstein is a scholar of great power politics, military intervention, and the causes of war and peace. He is the author of two books–Over the Horizon: Time, Uncertainty, and the Rise of Great Powers and Occupational Hazards: Success and Failure in Military Occupation–both published by Cornell University Press. He has held fellowships at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and the Wilson Center. He is currently researching the implications of the rise of China for peace and security, temporal dynamics of the war in Ukraine, and the role of alliances in contemporary international politics. Professor Edelstein received his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Chicago and B.A. from Colgate University.

I wish to extend our deep appreciation to Rohan Williamson for his service and leadership as Vice Provost for Education for the past three years. 

Please join me in congratulating David Edelstein as he takes on this new role.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

We are excited to gather thousands of graduating students, families and visitors to Main campus to celebrate the Class of 2023 Commencement(May 18 – 21). 

We encourage you to:

  • Review the 2023 Commencement Schedule: Learn more about Commencement 2023 on the main website and view the full Commencement Schedule.
  • Congratulate the Class of 2023: Offer your congratulations to our graduates and learn more about the accomplishments that you helped support on the Class of 2023 website.
  • Prepare for commuting, parking and transportation impacts: We ask those who work on the Main or Medical Center campuses to please avoid parking on or near campus on Thursday, May 18, through Sunday, May 21, to accommodate the significant number of guests who will be attending. There are a number of GUTS and/or public transportation options for commuting to campus. Please note:
  • The bus turnaround will be closed on these days, and the Dupont and Rosslyn GUTS buses will be relocated to pick up on North Road, south of Cooper Field. The Arlington Loop, Downtown Campus Shuttle and Law Center GUTS buses will be relocated to pick up on Tondorf Road by McCarthy Hall.
  • A special GUTS bus to and from Rosslyn will run on Saturday, May 20, from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.       

We thank you for your cooperation and flexibility during this exciting time as we celebrate the Class of 2023.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Executive Vice President for the Main Campus and Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

David B. Green
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Dear Colleagues,

Professional conduct is a cornerstone of our university communal life. As Georgetown’s Code of Ethical Conduct reminds us, “In their actions on behalf of the University, faculty and staff should treat others with courtesy, civility and dignity.” We all have a responsibility to be respectful in our interactions with students and one another on campus.

To help all members of our community better understand the policies that guide our professional conduct and to more easily identify ways to address unprofessional conduct, the university has created a new website resource, professionalconduct.georgetown.edu. The site compiles key information and processes for faculty, staff and AAPs across our campuses, with a focus on:

  • Getting support when facing unprofessional conduct and bullying
  • Reporting unprofessional conduct and bullying, as well as outlining processes that can lead to potential corrective and disciplinary action
  • Finding training for identifying and responding to unprofessional conduct and bullying

As previously announced, we are in the final interview stages and look forward to soon announcing the first university staff ombuds, who will serve as a neutral, trusted and confidential resource for informal resolution of concerns of the staff/AAP community, operating under the principles of “confidentiality, impartiality, informality and independence.” 

We offer our gratitude to the Professional Conduct Working Group, co-chaired by Elliott Crooke and Tony Kinslow and including faculty and staff representatives from across our university, that guided the development of this online resource.

We thank you for your attention to the policies, resources and trainings that will help cultivate inclusiveness, respect and collegiality here at Georgetown.

Gratefully,

David B. Green, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences 

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

A Statement on Professional Conduct from the Provost and Main Campus Deans

Universities are environments devoted to exchanging alternative ideas and perspectives. For that reason, an academic community is uniquely dependent on the assurance of civility and professional conduct for all its members. 

Bullying has no place at Georgetown. Here, care for the whole person, cura personalis, focuses attention on empathy towards others, not on attention to ourselves or to whether our own needs are being met. Caring for others can mean actively listening to those with different views. It can mean reframing one’s comments or changing one’s actions, out of respect for others’ concerns. For those in authority, it means sensitivity to power differentials during conversations. It means allowing others to uphold their beliefs, while maintaining one’s own beliefs. Each of us must behave with respect for others, even while disagreeing on some subject matter. 

Georgetown faculty, staff, and students spend many hours each week in joint work, interacting both one-on-one and in larger groups, to execute the mission of the university. These interactions cumulatively produce an organizational culture, a set of expected behaviors based on shared norms and values. Thus, each of us, acting in concert with others, creates the culture of Georgetown. Of course, the university has policies to undergird these norms, and those of us in authority roles have obligations to enforce rules of behavior that are consistent with these norms of behavior. But, civility requires that each of us continuously evaluates our own actions. As faculty, staff, and students at this University, it is our privilege – and our responsibility –  to model the behavior we seek in others.  

Robert M. Groves, Provost
Paul Almeida, Dean of the McDonough School of Business
Maria Cancian, Dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy
Rosario Ceballo, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
Joel Hellman, Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Kelly Otter, Dean of the School of Continuing Studies
Alexander Sens, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Dear Georgetown Faculty, Staff and Students,

I am delighted to announce a University-wide lecture delivered by John Rust, recently named Distinguished University Professor by President DeGioia:

Are People Rational? 
Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 4 p.m.
Riggs Library, Healy Hall
Reception to follow, please RSVP

Professor Rust’s lecture will discuss economic and non-economic aspects of the question of human rationality, covering a broad range of areas including philosophy, political science, psychology, neuroscience and anthropology.

I look forward to celebrating his appointment as Distinguished University Professor, and hearing about his research at the gathering on February 21. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Main Campus Faculty and Staff:

Georgetown University’s Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the appointment of Lynn Overmann as the new Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, one of the Centers in the Georgetown Tech and Society network. Lynn will begin her new role at Georgetown on March 6, 2023.

The Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation is a dynamic, interdisciplinary organization sitting at the intersection of Georgetown University’s research, academics, and programs that brings together students, expert practitioners, and extended networks to work on projects that solve societal challenges using data, design, technology, and policy. 

As Executive Director, Lynn will lead and manage all aspects of the Beeck Center and serve as the spokesperson for the Beeck Center, leading fundraising and development efforts with philanthropic partners and funders.

Lynn has more than two decades of varied experience at the most senior levels of government, philanthropy, and working for and with dynamic, innovative academic institutes. She is currently serving as a Senior Advisor to Ambassador Susan Rice, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Senior Advisor to Mina Hsiang, Administrator of the U.S. Digital Service (USDS). In these roles, Lynn led strategic initiatives to leverage data and technology to advance criminal justice reform, improve the delivery of safety net benefits, and increase adoption of evidence-based policies to increase economic mobility. 

Lynn has led and grown teams, provided substantive strategic advice across multiple agencies and organizations, developed and deployed staffing and deployment strategies to build digital service capacity, and increased diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. She earned her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College and J.D. from New York University.

I thank Aaron Snow for his thoughtful leadership as Interim Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation during the period of the search process. I would also like to thank the Search Committee for their commitment and dedication to the University.

Please join me in welcoming Lynn Overmann as she joins the Georgetown University community.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Georgetown Students, Faculty and Staff,

I write today to wish you and your family a wonderful and happy winter holiday season.

We share a community that has together experienced unprecedented challenges, but has emerged stronger because of our care for one another. We are people for others, both within and outside the Georgetown family.

As I reflect upon this past year, I wish to extend my continued appreciation to you for your dedication, perseverance and embodiment of our Jesuit values. I hope that the upcoming winter holidays offer a more extended opportunity to rest and reflect. 

I look forward to 2023 with optimism, and I am certain that the Georgetown community will continue to be strong and united, no matter what the future holds. Thank you, again, for all you do and best wishes for a happy holiday and joyful new year.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Georgetown Community,

This year, Georgetown University’s MLK: “Let Freedom Ring!” Initiative honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will provide the opportunity to continue the conversations on our campus about our capacity to bring about social change. Guided by Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community, we encourage all members of the university to reflect on urgent problems that demand social action.

Each year, Georgetown faculty, staff, and students across campuses and schools read and reflect on one of Dr. King’s speeches or texts during the Spring semester. In the last ten years, diverse faculty and staff across the university have participated in this cross-campus curricular initiative by teaching Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (2013), about the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (2014), Dr. King’s “The Other America” speech (2015), his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (2016), “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence” (2017), “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (2018), “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” (2019), “Where do we go from here?” (2020), “Our God is Marching On” (2021), and “I Have A Dream” (2022) in their courses and educational spaces. 

For 2023, we encourage faculty, staff, and students to join the upcoming Teach the Speech event which will explore Dr. King’s 1968 sermon “The Drum Major Instinct” (text/audio). We invite you to RSVP for the annual Teach the Speech, scheduled for Friday, January 20, 2023 from 10:30am-4:00pm. The event will be hybrid, and offered to an in-person and a livestream audience including American Sign Language interpretation.

This year’s event will feature an Anti-racism Examen (Guided Community Reflection & Dialogue Space on Anti-racism), a student reflection, a lecture given by Dr. Vicki Crawford, and a sermon offered by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, Center for Social Justice, Office of Mission and Ministry, Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, and the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access. 

We invite all Georgetown faculty, staff, and students to commit time to read and reflect on Dr. King’s speech. We invite members of the Main, Medical, Law, and Qatar campus communities to join in this effort. Questions can be emailed to racialjustice@georgetown.edu.

With best wishes for a safe and healthy holiday season,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

The University community has just received an email from Dr. Ranit Mishori, 
Chief Public Health Officer, alerting us to an increase in COVID-19 cases and providing instructions to students who may be COVID-19 positive and have exams, deadlines, or academic gatherings in the coming days.

Please be lenient and generous in allowing students who may be sick to make up work, to have extended deadlines, or to complete their semester’s coursework online, as needed. This is a challenging time for all, and we want to take these steps to protect the health and safety of our community.

Best wishes,

Chandan Vaidya
Vice Provost for Faculty

Dear Georgetown Students, Faculty and Staff,

I write today to wish you and your family a safe and restful Thanksgiving. 

I am deeply thankful for your patience, for your commitment to teaching, and for your support of our students. Your work continues to embody our ideal of “people for others.” Thank you for supporting each other during the unusual times that confront all of us.

We know that many others in the world are facing challenging circumstances and extraordinary conditions. They are in our thoughts and prayers.

I want to express my warm gratitude to you with wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community: 

The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Soyica Colbert as the Vice President for Interdisciplinary Initiatives. Dr. Colbert will begin this new role on January 3, 2023.

As Vice President for Interdisciplinary Initiatives, Dr. Colbert will work with the Provost to identify existing and potential future interdisciplinary education, research and service programs for the University. 

She is the Idol Family Professor in the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences, holding a joint appointment as full professor in the African American Studies Department and the Department of Performing Arts. 

Throughout her time at Georgetown, Dr. Colbert has demonstrated a deep commitment to service, taking on a number of leadership roles including Vice Dean, Chair of the Department of Performing Arts, Director of the Theater and Performance Studies Program, Director of Arts Initiatives, and as a member of the Racial Justice Working Group, and Chair of our Task Force on Gender Equity. Dr. Colbert previously served as Interim Dean of the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences. 

Dr. Colbert has been honored for her exceptional teaching and leadership with our Edward B. Bunn Award for Faculty Excellence, a Georgetown University Women in Leadership Award, and a Georgetown University Black Student Alliance Outstanding Faculty Award, among other notable achievements. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. 

Please join me in congratulating Professor Colbert on her new role as Vice President for Interdisciplinary Initiatives. We look forward to working with her to develop and support educational initiatives across the University.

Sincerely, 

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Main Campus Faculty and Staff:

Georgetown University’s Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Scott Barge as the new Associate Vice President for Institutional Data Analytics, leading the Office of Assessment and Decision Support (OADS). Scott will begin his work at Georgetown on December 5, 2022.

I thank Lu Hao and Mashrur Khan for their service as co-interim directors of OADS during the period of the search process.

Scott will lead OADS in providing strategic coordination in data collection, analysis, institutional research and assessment in support of University planning and continuous improvement of educational programs. 

Scott has more than 15 years of experience in higher education settings. He was previously the Vice President for Institutional Strategy and Chief Information Officer at Eastern Menonite University (EMU). Prior to that position, he held roles as Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness & Strategic Planning and Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at EMU. His main areas of responsibility were strategic planning, assessment, institutional research, accreditation, analytics, and oversight of campus technology. Scott has also served as the Director of Assessment and Institutional Research and then the Interim Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Goshen College. Scott gained early experience in Institutional Research (IR) serving in a variety of roles including Research Analyst over five years in the IR office at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned his Ed.D. and Ed.M in Higher Education from Harvard University and B.A. from Goshen College.

Please join me in welcoming Scott Barge as he joins the Georgetown University community.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Faculty, 
 
I am writing to invite you to consider an exciting opportunity. Georgetown has a small number of Faculty-in-Residence positions in the undergraduate housing residences of the Main Campus, where we offer some interesting and generous housing possibilities in return for your (and your family’s) commitment to engage with our students in building the kind of intellectual and social community that represents Georgetown at its best. 
 
For Spring 2023, we have two vacancies: Kennedy Hall and Copley Hall. Each position offers a wonderful opportunity for faculty to create an integrated learning environment where students’ passions can be developed and synthesized with their academic work. Interested faculty would ideally show both an interest and a history of involvement in programs and experiences related to student formation and integration. 
 
We now invite expressions of interest and applications by no later than November 5. The successful candidate will start meeting and programming with the residential students and staff in January 2023 with the goal of move-in completed by March 1, 2023. A full description of the opportunity, the application and the dates of the information sessions can be found on the Faculty-in-Residence page. If you have questions about the position or about alternative move-in dates, please contact Katie Heather, Associate Director, Office of Residential Living.
 
This position will give you the opportunity to know and engage with the current generation of students to a degree impossible without this interaction, and to further contribute to our sense of community. If this moment is not right for you, but you think you may be interested in the future, please also be in touch with Katie Heather as other opportunities may present themselves for this type of engagement.
 
Sincerely, 
 
Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Main Campus Faculty colleagues,

This month, the University is excited to launch its first-ever cultural climate survey for faculty. 

The survey instrument was developed by the National Institute for Transformation & Equity (NITE), used by higher education institutions and customized in partnership with faculty representatives on the Cultural Climate Advisory Committee. This timely survey will enable the University to gain a better understanding of the faculty’s work experience in the community. The survey includes questions about your experience with your work environment, mentorship, professional development and more, as well as how you perceive the University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The survey will require only 20 minutes to complete. 

The survey data are protected by a strong confidentiality pledge. Individual answers will never be reported and the data will be held confidential. Information will never be used to target individuals in any manner. 

The results of the survey will be used to identify areas for improvement. Broad engagement and participation is necessary to reflect the vast diversity of experiences that faculty contribute to the university.

The survey will be open from October 12 to November 9, 2022, and President DeGioia will officially launch the survey by inviting your participation with a direct link by email tomorrow. 

Again, your feedback and participation are greatly appreciated. Please visit the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action for further information about the survey.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Rosemary Kilkenny, JD (L’87)
Vice President, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

Beginning Wednesday, September 28, 2022, wearing a mask will be optional in indoor instructional settings on the Main and Medical Center campuses, such as classrooms and teaching laboratories, in addition to other locations where they are already optional.

After an anticipated spike in the first few weeks of the academic year as students returned to campus, the number of COVID-19 positive cases  on Georgetown’s campuses is showing a consistent decline. Positive cases are also decreasing locally and nationally. These improving conditions have informed the University’s decision to resume our mask-optional policy for indoor instructional settings.

As a reminder, masks are optional in all University-owned or operated buildings, including academic buildings, libraries, offices, dining facilities, residential buildings and fitness centers, with the limited exceptions noted below:

  1. On university-sponsored public transportation (e.g., GUTS buses, shuttles, vans).
  2. In University health care facilities (e.g., Student Health Center, CAPS, One Medical testing sites, flu vaccination clinics).
  3. Individuals in, or recently released from, isolation must wear a mask when around others for the full 10 days from the date of infection.
  4. Individuals with exemptions or accommodation plans that include enhanced public health measures should continue to abide by those measures, as currently in place.

Everyone has the right to wear a mask whenever and wherever they wish on our campuses, and anyone may request – but not require – that those interacting with them wear a mask. Free high-quality masks are available at the entrances to most campus buildings.

As we shift to our mask-optional policy in classrooms and teaching laboratories, we are guided by our Jesuit values and community norms of care, civility, and mutual respect. If a professor, student or colleague requests that you wear a mask, please consider honoring their request.

To help foster a respectful and inclusive environment as we adjust to this policy, the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) has developed this teaching and learning guide .

Faculty and staff who believe that this change in policy may impact their health due to a specific medical condition may seek an appropriate accommodation from IDEAA , and students may seek an  appropriate accommodation from the Academic Resource Center .

Georgetown’s HVAC systems meet CDC COVID-19 guidance as well as American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers  (ASHRAE) standards   for mitigation of virus transmission. However, if you have concerns about ventilation in your classroom, please submit a service request , email workmanagement@georgetown.edu   or call 202-687-3432.

We will continue to monitor public health conditions on our campuses, as well as in DC and across the nation. Depending on community transmission levels or other risks (e.g., a new variant of concern) in the future, we may reinstate the indoor mask requirement or other restrictions for short periods, as needed.

We encourage every member of our community to care for yourself and each other , and we hope you have a safe, healthy and rewarding semester. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

David Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ranit Mishori, M.D., MHS, FAAFP
Professor of Family Medicine, Vice President and Chief Public Health Officer

Dear Main Campus Faculty and Staff:

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Alyscia Eisen has been named the Vice President and Chief Business Officer in the Office of the Provost. Her transition to the role begins this week and will be fully effective on October 3, 2022.

Alyscia joins the Main Campus after more than three years of service at Georgetown University and more than 15 years working in higher education. At Georgetown, Alyscia helped build out the internal consulting team, the Business Design & Optimization Group (BDOG), and served as Assistant Vice President for Financial Management & Strategy in University Services, overseeing financial planning and analysis as well as operations. 

Through her consulting work, Alyscia served across the university on major initiatives including building and launching Adaptive, a unified financial planning and analysis tool; creating long range financial plans for some Main Campus and Medical Center schools; planning and executing the launch of the new School of Nursing and School of Health; and helping to develop the University’s presence downtown. As Vice President and Chief Business Officer in the Office of the Provost, Alyscia will supervise the Office of the Provost’s Finance and Business Services Division. Reporting directly to the Provost, she is responsible for overseeing efforts in revenue and expenditure management, capital planning, and financial planning in support of the educational mission of the Main Campus.

Please join me in welcoming Alyscia Eisen to her new role.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

Georgetown University is committed to making learning accessible and meaningful for all our students; this commitment is at the heart of who we are as a community. We know that implementing inclusive pedagogical approaches can not only increase our students’ sense of belonging, but it can have a direct impact on our students’ ability to do their best work in the classroom and to be fully successful in their time at Georgetown.

In order to achieve the goals of making Georgetown’s classrooms more inclusive, we are launching the Initiative on Learning, Equity, Access, and Pedagogy or LEAP, a University-wide initiative on Inclusive & Responsive Pedagogy.

Each campus will pursue the work of LEAP in a manner appropriate to their structure. The Law Center is implementing a new curricular requirement and engaging in faculty educational opportunities. The School of Medicine is exploring anti-bias and anti-racism curricular innovations. The School of Nursing and the School of Health are both examining their curricular options with the faculty. For the Main Campus, a reform of the diversity requirement for undergraduates is in process and curricular reviews are occurring in several units. Shortly after this email, department chairs, program directors, and Deans will receive a Call for Participation from CNDLS asking for expressions of interest for any academic unit that would like to start the work of reflecting on the curriculum, climate, and pedagogy of their units.

In all cases, LEAP will provide academic units with resources and support to begin the process of creating a more inclusive learning environment for our students, giving them the greatest chance of doing their best work. These resources are designed to offer expertise, guidance, and collaboration as we begin and sustain this important work across our university community. To effect meaningful and lasting change in our classroom culture, we need the full participation of each academic unit.

We encourage our entire community to engage in this necessary and critical work that is fundamental to providing our students with a supportive environment in which they can pursue a Georgetown education.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Rosemary E. Kilkenny
Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer

Edward J. Maloney, Ph.D.
Executive Director, The Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

As we prepare for the new academic year, we are writing to share updated public health guidance for the Main and Medical Center campuses.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

Georgetown requires students, faculty, staff and visitors to have received a primary series (e.g., two doses of an mRNA vaccine) and, when eligible, an additional dose (first booster) of a COVID-19 vaccine, or to have an approved medical or religious exemption.

We strongly recommend, but do not require at this time, that individuals who are 50 years and older or who are moderately or severely immunocompromised get a second additional dose (second booster).

COVID-19 Testing

The University is planning to use wastewater surveillance testing to help assess public health conditions on campus.

Masks

Masks are still required in indoor instructional settings, such as classrooms and teaching laboratories, on the Main and Medical Center campuses. This applies to organized classes, but not to informal gatherings (e.g., in libraries, study spaces).

We recommend wearing a properly-fitted, high-quality mask (e.g., N95, KN95, KF94). Individuals cannot wear a cloth mask, or a mask with a vent or valve, because these masks do not sufficiently reduce the transmission of the virus from exhaled droplets and aerosol particles that might contain the virus.

Wearing a mask is currently optional in most other indoor settings in University-owned or operated buildings, including libraries, research laboratories, offices, dining facilities, residential buildings, and fitness centers, with the limited exceptions noted below:

  1. Individuals must wear a mask while on university-sponsored public transportation (e.g., GUTS buses, shuttles, vans).
  2. Individuals must wear a mask in University health care facilities (e.g., Student Health Center, CAPS, One Medical testing sites).
  3. Individuals in, or recently released from, quarantine or isolation must wear a mask for the full 10 days from the date of exposure or infection, consistent with DC Health guidance and CDC guidance.
  4. Individuals with exemptions or accommodation plans that include enhanced public health measures should continue to abide by those measures, as currently in place.

Everyone has the right to wear a mask whenever and wherever they wish on our campuses, and anyone may request – but not require – that those around them or interacting with them wear a mask.

Free high-quality masks will continue to be available at the entrances to most campus buildings.

Symptom Monitoring

When experiencing any symptoms, students, faculty and staff should:

  1. stay home or in their on-campus residence; 
  2. complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey through the GU360 mobile app or website; 
  3. call the Student Health Center (if a student) or their health care provider, if needed; 
  4. schedule a COVID-19 test; and 
  5. not return to class or work until cleared by their health care provider or after a consultation with the Care Navigation team.

Students, faculty and staff should also complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey if they develop any symptoms and upon exposure to a known COVID-19 case.

Quarantine and Isolation

Please review the University’s quarantine and isolation guidelines. Individuals who test positive will receive guidance from Georgetown’s Care Navigation team. Residential students may need to isolate in their room if they test positive.

Visitors

Visitors to University-owned, operated or leased buildings need to comply with the University’s visitor vaccination requirement and process.

Visitors are not permitted in residential buildings. However, parents and family members may enter residential buildings to assist with move-in. They do not need to follow the University’s visitor registration process but should wear a mask while inside residential buildings.

Visitors and external community members are not permitted in Main Campus and Medical Center libraries and recreational facilities at this time, but we intend to expand access soon and will provide additional information in the coming weeks.

Events

Please review the University’s public health guidance for events and share information about your event with the Public Health team so they can provide additional tailored guidance.

With the increased transmissibility of the latest Omicron subvariants, it is important that we continue to take steps to protect ourselves and one another. We are monitoring public health conditions on campus and in the local region, as well as any new guidance from the CDC and the DC Department of Health, and will provide updates when needed.

Thank you for your continued care for our community, and we look forward to welcoming you back to campus in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

David Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ranit Mishori, M.D., MHS, FAAFP
Professor of Family Medicine, Vice President and Chief Public Health Officer

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Community Scholars Program, we write to invite you to participate as a mentor in the annual Community Scholars Program Mentorship Program for Georgetown’s incoming cohort of students, scheduled for July 8, 2022.

The Community Scholars Program aims to contribute to the successful retention and graduation of undergraduate students who are often first-generation college students, and represent diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

We seek 70 mentors for this year’s Community Scholars Program and ask you to volunteer.  Please send your response no later than June 28.     

To volunteer or ask for additional information, please register using this link here.

We hope you will join us for what President DeGioia has called “one of the most important traditions for our incoming students.”

Best wishes,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Dear Colleagues,
 
On behalf of the Marino Workshop Executive Committee, we write to invite you to participate as a mentor in the annual Marino Family International Writers’ Academic Workshop for Georgetown’s incoming students, scheduled for August 22, 2022.
 
This year’s Marino author is Juan Gabriel Vasquez, author of The Sound of Things Falling, an intimate portrayal of the drug wars in Colombia. The book is a New York Times bestseller and International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award winner.  Mr. Vasquez is scheduled to address the first-year students as part of the New Student Orientation Program at 4:00pm on August 22, 2022.   
 
The Marino Workshop provides us with a uniquely powerful and personal opportunity to connect with our newest undergraduate students and welcome them to the Georgetown University community.
 
The participation of faculty and staff in the Marino Workshop could not be more vital. We need your help during this year’s Workshop to engage with our new students, demonstrating the value that Georgetown places on the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff, and our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness, and our international character. Your participation in the Marino Workshop will help introduce the incoming class to the breadth and strength of Georgetown’s academic community and also will help introduce students to each other – as new Hoyas engaging in the kind of intellectual work that will define their lives over the next four years and far beyond.  
 
As in previous years, the Marino Workshop invites all new undergraduates to read the novel over the summer before their first year and to submit a brief written reflection to prompt questions before participating in New Student Orientation in late August.   

We will provide mentors with a copy of this year’s book, The Sound of Things Falling , and will follow this initial email with more detailed information about conducting the small group sessions. A lunch for mentors with the author will be provided at 1:00pm on August 22, before the main event and small group discussions, 4:00-5:30pm.  In addition, faculty and students will have the opportunity to attend a book signing and open conversation with Mr. Vasquez at the open house in Lauinger Library on August 23, 1:00-3:00pm.   
 
We need 100 mentors for this year’s Marino Workshop and ask you to volunteer.  Please send your response no later than June 20.      
 
To volunteer or ask for additional information, please contact Kathleen Scalera in the Library at Kathleen.Scalera@georgetown.edu.
 
We hope you will join us for what President DeGioia has called “one of the most important traditions for our incoming students.”
 
Best wishes,

Robert M. Groves      
Provost                                                                                                 
 
 
Harriette Hemmasi
Dean of the Library, Chair of the Marino Executive Committee
 
 
Nicoletta Pireddu 
Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature and Inaugural Director of the Georgetown Humanities Initiative, Faculty Chair of the Marino Executive Committee
 
Marino Workshop Executive Committee
 
Matthew Barnes. Director of Orientation, Transition, and Family Engagement 
Molly Chehak. Director of Digital Learning Pedagogy, Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) 
Bernard Cook. Associate Dean of the College; Founding Director of the Film Media Studies Program
Maureen Corrigan. Nicky and Jamie Grant Distinguished Professor of the Practice in Literary Criticism
Paul Elie. Author and Senior Fellow in the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Stephen Fernie. Web Services Coordinator, University Library 
Aminatta Forna. Director, Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice 
Serafina Hager. Director, Italian Research Institute of Georgetown College
Harriette Hemmasi. Dean of the Georgetown University Library 
Susanna Lee. Professor in the Department of French and Francophone Studies and Director of the Comparative Literature Program 
Nicoletta Pireddu. Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature and Inaugural Director of the Georgetown Humanities Initiative
Kathleen Scalera. Program and Events Manager, University Library 

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

Georgetown’s mask-optional policy will resume on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, on the Main and Medical Center campuses.

Wearing a mask will be optional in University-owned or operated buildings, including libraries, offices, dining facilities, residential buildings and fitness centers, with the limited exceptions noted below:

  1. Individuals must wear a mask in indoor instructional settings, such as classrooms and teaching laboratories. This applies to organized classes, but not to informal gatherings of students (e.g., in libraries, study spaces).
  2. Individuals must wear a mask while on university-sponsored public transportation (e.g., GUTS buses, shuttles, vans).
  3. Individuals must wear a mask in University health care facilities (e.g., Student Health Center, CAPS, One Medical testing sites).
  4. Individuals in, or recently released from, quarantine or isolation must wear a mask for the full 10 days from the date of exposure or infection, consistent with DC Health guidance and CDC guidance.
  5. Individuals with exemptions or accommodation plans that include enhanced public health measures should continue to abide by those measures, as currently in place.

Everyone has the right to wear a mask whenever and wherever they wish on our campuses. To help foster a respectful and inclusive environment as we readjust to this policy, the Department of Human Resources has developed this workplace guide.

Faculty and staff who believe that this change in policy may impact their health due to a specific medical condition may seek an appropriate accommodation from IDEAA, and students may seek an appropriate accommodation from the Academic Resource Center.

We will continue to monitor public health conditions on our campuses, and in DC and nationally. Depending on community transmission levels or other risks (e.g., a new variant) in the future, we may reinstate the indoor mask requirement or other restrictions for short periods, as needed.

Thank you for your continued care for one another, and we hope that every Hoya everywhere has a safe and healthy summer.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

David Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ranit Mishori, M.D., MHS, FAAFP
Professor of Family Medicine, Vice President and Chief Public Health Officer

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

In the coming weeks, we will welcome thousands of families and visitors to campus to celebrate the Class of 2022 Commencement (May 19 – 22) and Class of 202o Commencement (May 28 – 29). 

Commuting, Parking, Transportation

We ask those who work on the Main or Medical Center campuses to please make alternate transportation arrangements and avoid parking on or near campus on Thursday, May 19, through Sunday, May 22, and Saturday, May 28, through Sunday, May 29, so as to accommodate the significant number of guests that will be attending.

Please consider the following alternative transportation options:

  1. Use GUTS and/or public transportation instead of parking on campus.
    1. Please note: All GUTS buses will be relocated to pick up on North Road, south of Cooper Field, because the bus turnaround will be closed on these days. 
    2. A special GUTS bus to and from Rosslyn will run on Saturday, May 21, from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  2. Park at the off-campus satellite lots in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, which are available at no charge to current university parking pass holders . The lots are located at 1911 North Fort Myer Drive, with close proximity to the regular Rosslyn GUTS stop. Regular parking pass holders can pick up passes for satellite locations in the parking office located on the mezzanine level of the Southwest Garage.
  3. Friday, May 20, is National Bike to Work Day, designed to celebrate bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to commute to work. Georgetown has over 1,000 bicycle parking spaces convenient to all Main Campus buildings. For more information about how to participate, please visit www.biketoworkmetrodc.org

If you have any questions or would like more information regarding off-campus parking locations, please contact the Office of Transportation Management at (202) 687-6877.

Call for Volunteers

President DeGioia has invited the members of the Class of 2020 to return to campus on May 28 for the Undergraduate Ceremony at 9 a.m. or the Graduate and Professional Ceremony at 3 p.m.

Please consider volunteering to assist with one of the ceremonies on Saturday, May 28. There will be funding to pay hourly employees to work that day if they wish to volunteer. With sufficient volunteer numbers, assignments will likely be in two-hour segments. Volunteers would also be asked to attend a rehearsal during regular working hours during the week before the ceremonies.

Interested volunteers should fill out this Google Sheet to sign up and will then receive follow up with additional details. 

We thank you for your attention and flexibility during this time.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Executive Vice President for the Main Campus and Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

David B. Green
Interim Chief Operating Officer

Dear Colleagues,

We are writing to update you on a change to Georgetown’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) that will make this benefit accessible to more members of our community. TAP is a highly-valued and used benefit for employees and their children and an attractive recruitment tool for new employees. Based on feedback from our community, eligibility for Employee TAP benefits will shift from a two-year service requirement to a one-year requirement, effective for Fall 2022 semester courses.

Employees who have attained one year of continuous, eligible service as of August 19, 2022, will now qualify for Employee TAP benefits for the Fall 2022 semester. This change will not be applied retroactively.

All other Employee TAP provisions will remain in place:

  • Eligible employees may use their tuition benefit only for classes taken at Georgetown University (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, as well as credit and non-credit certificate courses). External schools are not covered under Employee TAP.
  • TAP covers 90% of tuition. Employees are responsible for the remaining 10% of tuition, as well as any other educational expenses or fees.
  • TAP benefits are limited to six (6) credit hours per semester. In the event that a program requires a course enrollment of greater than six credit hours in a semester, the University may grant an exception.
  • All employees (Staff, AAP and Faculty) receive a lifetime maximum benefit of 120 credit hours. After the benefit maximum is reached, no additional TAP benefits are provided.

There are no changes to Dependent Child TAP benefits.

We appreciate the feedback we received from our community on this important benefit. If you have any questions on this change, please contact tapbenefits@georgetown.edu. We are very grateful for everyone’s hard work and many contributions to the Georgetown community.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences 

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

David B. Green, Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community, 

In light of the high levels of vaccination within our University community, and the easing of many COVID-related global travel restrictions, the University will return to its standard (pre-March 2020) International Travel Policy for all University-related international travel commencing on or after April 1, 2022.  

This decision, made in consultation with the University’s Chief Public Health Officer, allows for continued, appropriate and risk-based review of travel, while permitting a broader range of important University-related international travel to resume.  

Please visit the Office of Global services site on or after April 1 for updated and additional resources on University-Related International Travel. An overview of the policy updates follows:

Faculty and StaffUniversity-Related International Travel 

  • Travel is permitted to all regions, without requiring review by the Travel Review Committee (TRC) or Executive Vice President (EVP) approval.
  • Travel registration and health insurance coverage are required.  
  • Individuals engaging in University-related travel must comply with all other applicable University policies (e.g., departmental/supervisor approvals, business travel and entertainment policies).

Student University-Related International Travel

  • All students or student group leaders must submit an international travel application. 
  • Travel registration and health insurance coverage are required.
  • Applications for travel to Elevated Risk Regions will be reviewed by the TRC, and must be authorized by the appropriate campus EVP.

As always, travelers must stay apprised of, and comply with, public health and travel regulations and guidance in place both at their destination and upon their return, with the understanding that such regulations and guidance continue to change periodically.

For questions about University travel and travel policies, please contact travel@georgetown.edu.

We will continue to monitor global public health and travel conditions and may make future changes to this policy if deemed appropriate. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we seek to balance the university’s mission of global engagement with the public health of our community.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences 

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

David B. Green, Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

Georgetown will implement a mask-optional policy beginning Monday, March 21, 2022. Our current mask requirement will remain in effect through Sunday, March 20, 2022 to provide a transition while many students return to campus after spring break.

Effective March 21, if the University’s positivity rate next week remains low, wearing a mask will be optional in University-owned or operated buildings, including classrooms, research laboratories, libraries, offices, dining facilities, residential buildings and fitness centers, with limited exceptions, including:

  • Individuals must wear a mask in University health care facilities (e.g., Student Health Center), as required by Mayor Bowser’s February 14 order, and at our on-campus One Medical testing sites, including while waiting in line.
  • Individuals must wear a mask while on Georgetown University Transportation Shuttles (GUTS), as required by federal law.
  • Individuals in, or recently released from, quarantine or isolation must wear a mask for the full 10 days from the date of exposure or infection, consistent with DC Health guidance and CDC guidance.
  • Individuals with exemptions and accommodation plans that include enhanced public health measures should continue to abide by those measures, as currently in place.

Individual faculty and departments may not institute alternative public health measures for their classrooms, offices, meetings or events.

The University’s mask-optional policy is informed by DC Health’s March 8 guidance for institutions of higher education. We may reinstate the indoor mask requirement or other restrictions for short periods, as needed based on community or campus infection rates.

Guided by our Jesuit values, we encourage mutual respect and civility as members of our community take into consideration their unique personal circumstances about whether to wear a mask. 

Everyone has the right to wear a mask whenever and wherever they wish on our campuses. Individual community members may choose to wear a mask for a variety of reasons. We also understand some community members may be concerned about being indoors with people who are not wearing a mask. Recent studies have shown that N95s and KN95s provide strong protection to the wearer even when they are around other people who are not wearing a mask.

We will continue to provide free N95s and KN95s on campus, and we encourage community members to continue to wear a mask if they feel more comfortable doing so.

Please respect the decisions and privacy of fellow community members by not asking why someone is wearing a mask. Please help all members of our community feel welcome and safe, and consider putting on a mask when interacting with someone who is wearing a mask. Do not pressure someone to put on or take off a mask.

We are continuing to take a layered approach to protecting the health and safety of the Georgetown community. The University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement for students, faculty, staff and visitors; COVID-19 Testing Protocol ; and quarantine and isolation policies remain in effect.

With the Omicron surge receding, we are deeply grateful for your collective efforts to protect the health and safety of the Georgetown community throughout the past two years. We look forward to the opportunities ahead to come together and build community on our campuses while continuing to care about and for one another.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

David Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ranit Mishori, M.D., MHS, FAAFP
Professor of Family Medicine, Vice President and Chief Public Health Officer

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

In light of the sustained decline and stabilization in positive cases across our campuses and in the District of Columbia, we are writing to share updated public health guidance. Beginning February 12, 2022, we will return, in most cases, to the public health measures that were in place during the Fall 2021 semester. We are pleased that the public health guidance below will enable us to proceed with more in-person activities on campus while continuing to take measures to protect the health and safety of our community.

We continue to monitor public health conditions on campus and in the local region, as well as any new guidance from the CDC and the DC Department of Health, and we will provide updates when needed.

Instruction
In-person instruction resumed on Monday, January 31, 2022. Courses will continue to be taught in-person, unless the course was previously approved by the University to be taught online.

Research 
Beginning February 12, in-person research activitiescan resume at full density.

Staff/AAP Mode of Work
As of January 31, staff/AAP employees have returned to the mode of work designations they were assigned for the 2021-22 academic year. We have extended the GUCares Dependent Care Assistance Grants through June 30, 2022, for eligible faculty and staff who have a qualified need related to child or dependent care. Please visit the University’s Dependent Care Support for Faculty and Staff page for additional information.

Vaccination Requirement
Georgetown requires students, faculty, staff and visitors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and, as of January 21, 2022, to have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot when eligible, or to have an approved medical or religious exemption.

COVID-19 Testing
Weekly asymptomatic testing resumed the week of January 31.

In order to provide more study and community space for students on campus, we’re in the process of consolidating COVID-19 testing on the Main and Medical Center campuses. The Healey Family Student Center (HFSC) testing site will close at the end of the day on Friday, February 25. After February 25, all testing will occur at the Leavey Center site. The Great Room of the HFSC will be closed for necessary repairs between February 26 and March 13. It will reopen on Monday, March 14, and return to its original use at that time. Some additional repairs will continue in HFSC throughout the spring.

Masks
Individuals, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask indoors in University-owned or operated buildings , except when eating or drinking, when alone in a private office, or when in their personal residence. Students, faculty and staff should wear a properly-fitted, high-quality mask (e.g., N95, KN95, KF94) while on campus.

Given current conditions, we strongly discourage faculty and other speakers from removing their masks while speaking and lecturing in class or at University events. Current University guidelines allow for fully vaccinated and boosted faculty and other speakers to remove their mask when lecturing or speaking in class or at University events, if they choose, but they must be at least six feet away from others.

Symptom Monitoring
When experiencing any symptoms, students, faculty and staff should:

Students, faculty and staff should also complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey upon exposure to a known COVID-19 case.

Individuals with a medical or religious exemption from the vaccination requirement should complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In Survey each day they are on campus.

Events, Meetings and Visitors
Beginning February 12, indoor events and meetings may resume, including with visitors, provided that event organizers, meeting hosts and visitors follow the University’s visitor vaccination requirement and process. As a reminder, as of January 21, all University visitors are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and have received a booster shot when eligible.Physical distancing should be maintained, where feasible. The University may limit capacity in certain large indoor venues at any time (e.g., Gaston Hall, McDonough Arena).

When planning an event or meeting on campus, we strongly encourage individuals to adhere to the following best practices to protect the health and safety of our community:

  • Hold your event outdoors rather than indoors, when possible;
  • Take steps to limit event size, and use livestreams and Zoom conferencing when possible;
  • Encourage participants to wear their masks at all times by limiting food and drink at your event and, if food must be offered, consider boxed meals outdoors;
  • Limit your event to Georgetown community members only by requiring all participants to show a GOCard to access the event, when possible; 
  • Keep a list of attendees in the event that contact tracing becomes necessary;
  • Please share information about your event with the Public Health team so they can provide additional tailored guidance.

Please visit the University’s Event and Visitor Guidelines page for more information.

Libraries and Study Spaces
Libraries will be open only to Georgetown University community members until further notice, with limited exceptions as approved by University leadership.Physical distancing should be maintained. Eating and drinking is permitted in indoor communal areas (e.g., libraries, lounges) but is not permitted in class, unless the individual has a medical accommodation. Masks may only be removed when sitting and actively eating or drinking, and individuals should keep six feet apart when not wearing a mask indoors.

Dining
As we shared in our February 3 message, indoor dining in campus dining facilities is now open at 50% capacity. Indoor dining will return to full capacity on February 12. For information on hours of operation on the Main Campus, please visit the Hoya Hospitality website.

Religious Services
In-person religious services have resumed on campus as they had during the Fall 2021 semester. Some reduced density may be necessary.

Campus Recreation
Beginning February 12, Yates Field House and Kehoe Field on the Main Campus, and the Scott K. Ginsburg Sport & Fitness Center at the Law Center, will be open at full occupancy and will continue to only be open to Georgetown community members until further notice.

We are grateful for the ways in which students, faculty and staff have continued to care for each other throughout the pandemic, and we look forward to the opportunities that returning to more in-person activities will provide to continue building and strengthening our Georgetown community.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

David Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your patience and hard work as we continue to navigate through the many challenges that the pandemic has presented. We have received questions about changing the modality of how a course is taught. As was reflected in the message from President DeGioia on January 21, we have returned to in-person learning for all but a very few classes that have been designated as virtual in the Schedule of Classes. Therefore, faculty members cannot set course modality or timetable for return to in-person learning. There is a process developed in each school for this decision. If you have questions about this process for future courses, please contact your school’s dean.

Regards,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, one of our greatest points of pride in our COVID-19 pandemic response is what we have been able to accomplish with our PCR testing capability here at Georgetown. Through a partnership with One Medical to offer tests, along with Georgetown University Medical Center’s COVID-19 testing facility in Maryland that processes these tests, we have been able to provide free PCR testing, with efficient turnaround times, to all members of our community since July 2020.

We write today to share that, beginning Monday, January 31, we will open our PCR testing to children under the age of 5 of full-time, benefits eligible employees, in recognition of the unique challenges posed by the pandemic for our employees with children in this age group. While we very much wish we could accommodate testing of all family members of our community members, we do not have the capacity to accomplish that in a sustainable manner. Children under 5 currently have no option for vaccination. Additionally, antigen/rapid tests may be challenging for parents or guardians to access and administer to this age group without the support of a healthcare professional. Testing is an important tool in managing dependent care responsibilities during this time, and we hope that this offering will assist and support our employees with very young children. 

More information on this new support service for parents and guardians of children under the age of 5, including directions for how to set your child up to get tested, can be found on the COVID-19 Testing for Children of Employees page.

We hope that this new offering will be another element of support for parents and guardians of young children at this very challenging time.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

David Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

As President DeGioia shared in his January 21 message, we look forward to resuming in-person instruction on Monday, January 31, 2022. We are writing to share updated public health guidance, effective January 31. As part of our phased return, while we return to in-person instruction, we will continue certain temporary measures to protect the health and safety of our community through Friday, February 11, 2022.

Please review the important details below and refer to the University’s Public Health and University Operations page for additional information. We continue to monitor public health conditions on campus and in the local region, as well as any new guidance from the CDC and the DC Department of Health, and we will provide updates when needed.

Instruction
In-person instruction will resume on Monday, January 31, 2022. Courses will be taught in-person, unless the course has been previously approved by the University to be taught online.

Research 
During this phased return, when research activitiesrequire in-person work, faculty and staff should consider scheduling work in such a way that allows for reduced density, maintain physical distancing when possible and wear a properly-fitted, high-grade mask inside at all times. Graduate students conducting research should continue as scheduled. Access for study participants visiting Georgetown for research purposes continues as planned.

Staff/AAP Mode of Work
As of January 31, staff/AAP employees should return to the mode of work designations they were assigned for the 2021-22 academic year. Supervisors have discretion to make temporary, short-term changes to mode of work for their units or departments as may be appropriate, and will be in touch with their units/departments as needed. Staff/AAP employees will need to get tested prior to arriving on campus for the first time after winter break, as described below.

As we shared previously, we have extended the GUCares Dependent Care Assistance Grants through June 30, 2022, for faculty and staff who have a qualified need related to child or dependent care. We encourage you to review this January 7 message, which has more information about dependent care resources available to our community. In addition, beginning January 31, on-campus PCR testing via One Medical will be open to children under the age of 5 of full-time, benefits-eligible employees. We will provide additional information about this new support service later this week.

Vaccination Requirement
Georgetown requires students, faculty, staff and visitors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot by January 21, 2022, or when eligible, or to have an approved medical or religious exemption.

COVID-19 Testing

Arrival Testing: Students, faculty and staff arriving on campus for the first time after the winter break will need to get tested prior to their arrival, following the University’s arrival testing protocol, regardless of their vaccination status or whether they have traveled or remained in the local area.

Asymptomatic Testing: Weekly asymptomatic testing will restart the week of January 31, 2022.

  • Fully vaccinated, booster-eligible students, faculty and staff who have not yet been boosted because they have received an exemption or deadline extension from the booster shot requirement will need to test once per week.
  • Students, faculty and staff who are exempt from vaccination for religious or medical reasons will need to continue to test twice per week.
  • All other students, faculty and staff will be randomly selected for asymptomatic testing each week.

Masks
Individuals, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask indoors in University-owned or operated buildings, except when eating or drinking, when alone in a private office, or when in their personal residence. Given the respiratory nature of COVID-19 transmission, students, faculty and staff should wear a properly-fitted, high-quality mask (e.g., N95, KN95, KF94) while on campus. Individuals cannot wear a cloth mask, or a mask with a vent or valve, because these masks do not sufficiently reduce the transmission of the virus from exhaled droplets and aerosol particles that might contain the virus.

Symptom Monitoring
When experiencing any symptoms, students, faculty and staff should stay home or in their on-campus residence; complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey through the GU360 mobile app or website; call the Student Health Center (if a student) or their physician, if needed; schedule a COVID-19 test; and not return to class or work until cleared by their physician or after a consultation with the Care Navigator team.

Students, faculty and staff should also complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey upon exposure to a known COVID-19 case.

Individuals with a medical or religious exemption from the vaccination requirement should complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In Survey each day they are on campus.

International Students
Students should, in all cases, make every effort to arrive by the start of in-person instruction to ensure their ability to make academic progress. Students who are traveling from an international location and who are delayed for reasons directly related to the pandemic may contact their academic department or dean to request late arrival and must enter the United States within 30 days of the start of Spring 2022 classes. For classes that began on Wednesday, January 12, the arrival deadline is Thursday, February 10. Students in programs with different start dates should consult their program leadership. F-1 and J-1 students who will arrive late should contact the Office of Global Services (OGS) for immigration support. Those students unable to get a booster shot in their home country can receive one upon arrival at the University.

Libraries and Study Spaces
Through February 11, 2022, libraries will be open only to Georgetown University community members. Students will need to keep at least six feet apart while studying in libraries or study spaces on campus, such as Sellinger Lounge in the Leavey Center. Certain Main Campus classrooms will also be available for students as study spaces in the evenings and on weekends so that students may maintain physical distancing. Masks must be worn in indoor public spaces on campus, and no eating or drinking is allowed in communal areas, including libraries, classrooms and study spaces. 

Dining
Through February 11, 2022, University food establishments will continue to be open for grab-and-go dining only. Residential students should eat their meals in their private residence or outside in the tents on campus. Food and beverage consumption in indoor communal spaces, including libraries and student center study areas, is not allowed at this time. Public Health ambassadors will be monitoring these areas to ensure mask wearing at all times. We strongly encourage community members to eat outside in the tents on campus. For information on hours of operation on the Main Campus, please visit the Hoya Hospitality website.

Events, Meetings and Visitors
Through February 11, 2022, please follow the guidance below for University-sponsored events and meetings, including meetings with visitors. Updated guidance for events scheduled for after February 11 will be shared in early February.

Events: All University-sponsored events, including those organized by student groups, must be held virtually or outdoors, with limited exceptions explicitly approved by university leadership. University-sponsored events that are primarily social in nature, including those organized by student groups, that are scheduled to be held in-person should be postponed until after February 11.

Class Guests and Visitors: Guest lecturers or other visitors invited by faculty to participate in an in-person class may attend the session, provided that they comply with the University’s visitor vaccination requirement and process.

Academic and Administrative Meetings: While in-person instruction will resume on January 31, we recommend that any meeting, including those between or among students (including meetings of student organizations), faculty or staff, be held virtually when possible. If meetings must take place indoors, we recommend that attendance be kept to 50% of the total room capacity. Meetings may also be held outside or in one of the tents on the Main Campus so long as six feet of distance is maintained. Masks are required to be worn at all times while meeting indoors, and we strongly encourage masks to be worn while meeting outside or in the tents.

Event Authorization: If seeking an exception to the event policy outlined above, please share information about your event with the Public Health team so they can review the request with University leadership and provide additional tailored guidance.

Religious Services
Beginning January 30, 2022, religious services will resume on campus as they had during the Fall 2021 semester. Some reduced density may be necessary.

Campus Recreation
Through February 11, 2022, Yates Field House and Kehoe Field on the Main Campus are open with limited hours and occupancy, and the Scott K. Ginsburg Sport & Fitness Center at the Law Center is open with limited hours and occupancy, including a registration requirement.

We hope this detailed information helps you to prepare for the resumption of in-person instruction on January 31. We are grateful for the many ways in which our community has come together to respond to this challenging moment in the pandemic, and we appreciate your continued care for one another as we return to in-person learning and work this semester.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

David Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for your preparations for the spring semester and for your work in conducting the first two weeks of class virtually. 

We have had a small number of faculty requests to teach remotely, received past the deadline first communicated in November.  As you are aware, all Main Campus faculty members are expected to teach in-person on campus as public health conditions permit this spring.  

Faculty members who believe they may have experienced recent extraordinary circumstances can request permission to teach up to two weeks of their spring 2022 course(s) in a remote format. In rare extraordinary personal circumstances, with appropriate supporting evidence, an individual may seek and/or be granted an exemption for the entire semester. To teach remotely for the period beginning January 31, this request must be made following consultation with their department Chair or Program Director and by submitting this form by 5:00 pm Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Should extraordinary circumstances arise later in the semester, requests for remote teaching may be made, as warranted, by contacting your Dean for further information.

A faculty member requesting an exemption from the required return to campus as a legally recognized reasonable accommodation (e.g., medical or religious) should complete a request through the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action (“IDEAA”). You may request such an accommodation from IDEAA by applying here. Faculty members approved by IDEAA to teach remotely in Fall 2021 who wish to seek approval for Spring 2022 must send an email to ideaa@georgetown.edu to initiate a request for accommodation for Spring 2022.  

If the request for exemption falls outside of legally recognized categories for accommodation, e.g., involving the extraordinary health conditions of a household member, it will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the school’s Dean. The Dean will make a recommendation to the Vice Provost for Faculty, who will come to a decision following consultation with a faculty advisory committee, including members of the Provostial-MCEF Task Force on Exceptions. 

Requests are unlikely to be successful based on a desire to live outside the area (either in the US or internationally), commuting concerns / issues with the time a course is scheduled, concerns related to unvaccinated children or other unvaccinated family members, and disagreement with the campus public health requirements. As with fall semester, we expect that the number of exceptions granted will be low.

Requests are not necessary when:  

  • The faculty member is in isolation or quarantine;
  • The course is fully remote or hybrid in the Spring 2022 Schedule of Classes; 
  • The course was delivered in a fully remote format prior to March 2020; 
  • A faculty member wishes to deliver < 10% of meetings online for courses scheduled as in-person;
  • If a faculty member will be online for one week, for a variety of reasons related to their teaching, they do not need to seek permission via the form noted above, but should contact their department chair or program director. 

With deep appreciation and gratitude, I wish you a healthy and productive semester. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves 
Provost

Dear Members of the Georgetown Community,

To support our efforts to maintain a safe and healthy environment for resuming in-person learning, we wanted to share additional details on the temporary limitations on campus events, gatherings and meetings through January 30, 2022.

  • Events: All university events must be held virtually or outdoors, with limited exceptions explicitly approved by university leadership.
  • Meetings: We encourage any meeting that includes Georgetown students, faculty or staff to be held virtually. Meetings may also be held outside or in one of the tents on the Main Campus so long as six feet of distance is maintained, masks are worn at all times and there is no eating or drinking.
  • Booster Requirement: Georgetown requires all faculty, staff, students, and visitors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and, effective January 21, 2022, to have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot when eligible, or to have an approved medical or religious exemption.
  • Event/Meeting Reporting: Please share information about your event with the Public Health team so they can provide additional tailored guidance.

You can find additional information on the Events and Visitors section of the COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions page .

At this time, we hope to resume in-person classes and many events and meetings beginning on January 31, 2022, if campus and local public health conditions permit.  It is possible some larger in-person events may continue to be held virtually beyond January 31, 2022, even as we return to in-person learning. A university update will be provided as soon as conditions permit.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate this current surge of the pandemic together.

Sincerely,

David B. Green, Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Dear Research Colleagues,

We write today with important information about our collective and critical goal of maintaining our research activities on our campuses as planned. This note is an update to messages we sent prior to the winter break.

As you may know, the prevalence rate of COVID-19 in Washington and on our campus is escalating quickly, and we’re hearing daily how the pandemic is disrupting staffing and work activities across the country. To reduce potential disruptions to your research, please consider the following actions:

  • Please encourage your lab members and other research staff to wear a properly-fitted, high-grade mask (N95, KN95, KF94) inside at all times.  Georgetown will be providing free N95 masks. More information about voluntary usage of these types of masks can be found on the OSHA website here. If you have questions on the use of N95s, please contact the Office of Environment Health and Safety at (202) 687-4712.
  • Consider restricting research with animal models to those projects that are ongoing or of the highest priority. We don’t anticipate a need to interrupt animal care services provided by the Department of Comparative Medicine at this moment, but should the pandemic’s impact on staffing warrant a pause, we want to minimize the loss of any valuable research assets.

As a reminder:

  • Students, faculty and staff who will be on campus for Spring 2022 need to get tested prior to their arrival on campus, following the arrival testing protocol on the University’s COVID-19 Testing Protocol page, regardless of their vaccination status, whether they have traveled or remained in the local area. This testing protocol also applies to those who worked on campus during the break.
  • When research activities require in-person work, please schedule work in such a way that allows for reduced density and maintaining physical distancing when possible. (For example, planning work in shifts to minimize density).
  • We strongly encourage those who are eligible to be boosted as soon as possible, and certainly before the January 21, 2022, deadline (unless you have an approved medical or religious exemption).  
  • Access for study participants visiting Georgetown for research purposes continues as planned.

Please let us (Moshe Levi for GUMC or Billy Jack for Main Campus) know if COVID-19 has significantly disrupted your operations so that we can monitor and explore ways to provide support. 

Moshe Levi
Interim Dean for Research
Georgetown University Medical Center

Billy Jack
Vice Provost of Research
Georgetown University

All Email Communication to Georgetown University Faculty 2021

All Email Communication to Georgetown University Faculty 2020