Faculty Governance
The Georgetown model of shared governance recognizes the special role of faculty and ensures that they will be consistently and appropriately involved in the formulation of University policies, especially but not only through the participation of the Faculty Senate and its leadership.
Faculty Handbook I.A.
Faculty Shared Governance at Georgetown
The following chart offers a simple outline of our model for shared governance.
| Administrative Officer | Faculty Governance Bodies |
|---|---|
| University President | Faculty Senate |
| Campus Executive Vice President (the Provost is the EVP on the Main Campus) | Executive Faculty or Committee Senate Campus Caucuses |
| School Dean | Executive Council or Committee |
| Department Chair, Program Director | Department or Program Faculty and Committees |
The Faculty Senate
The university’s Faculty Senate comprises members from, and elected by, all three campuses. It is the faculty governance body responsible for academic policy and advises the president and board of directors on central fiscal and administrative decisions that affect the mission of the University. The Senate is concerned with all issues that affect more than one campus, including rank and tenure policy, benefits, the Faculty Handbook, faculty rights and responsibilities, the university budget, grievance procedures and policies on intellectual property, research integrity, conflict of interest, harassment and parking.
The Senate makes numerous appointments to committees, including half of the members of the University Committee on Rank and Tenure as well as the Grievance Committee, and appoints two members to any committee serving more than one department or school. The Constitution of the Faculty Senate can be found in the Faculty Handbook. Learn more about The Faculty Senate.
Campus Governing Bodies
- Law Center
Information about Law Center Faculty Governance is available in the Law Center Faculty Handbook.
- Main Campus
The Main Campus Executive Faculty, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and the Council of Deans, is authorized to formulate Main Campus academic policies. Academic policies are those that concern such fundamental areas as curriculum, content and methods of instruction and the conditions of faculty life. Composed of some 55 delegates from academic departments and programs, along with representatives from the Faculty Senate and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, the Executive Faculty meets monthly and as needed. Learn more about the Main Campus Executive Faculty.
- Medical Center
The Framework for Medical Center Governance (“GUMC Framework”) sets forth campus-wide shared governance for the Georgetown University Medical Center Campus. The GUMC Framework calls for a GUMC Executive Faculty body composed of elected members (members of the Medical Center Caucus of the Faculty Senate), Senate-appointed members, Ex-Officio members, and the Executive Vice President of the Medical Center. The Senate Vice President for the Medical Center Caucus also chairs the GUMC Executive Faculty.
School Governance Bodies
For information about school governance, please visit School Constitutions.