Breaking News: Georgetown University President John DeGioia to Step Down

November 21, 2024

A Letter from John J. DeGioia, President of Georgetown University

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

I write today to express my gratitude for the opportunity I have had to lead Georgetown over these past 23 years and to share with you the most difficult decision I have ever made: I have informed the Board of Directors that I will be stepping down from my role as the President of Georgetown. While I continue to recover from the stroke I suffered this past June, I will need to devote my energies to my ongoing recovery.

Serving as the President of Georgetown has been the privilege of my lifetime. Going forward, I will transition to serve as President Emeritus and as a member of the faculty. In these and many other ways, I look forward to continuing to advance and support Georgetown’s mission and the University community that means so much to all of us. I remain deeply proud of the work we have done together to strengthen the Georgetown community, our nation, and our world.

Each of us is called to a vocation of service. I have had the privilege of holding many roles here at Georgetown and serving in a way that is authentic to my vocation. I have been shaped by the tradition of this community and the values of the Academy and we, as a University community, continue to be guided by these ideals in rich and enduring ways.

Georgetown is a place where we—continuously, rigorously, and collectively—pursue truth. We commit to the formation of our students, to the inquiry of our faculty, and to the common good of our communities. Together, we have worked to ensure Georgetown upholds these commitments and ideals which define us and distinguish universities in our society.

There is another role we play in our world—animated by our mission as a Catholic and Jesuit institution. I am grateful to many who have guided us in this work and who have enlivened our tradition in new ways so that Ignatian spirituality and our Catholic and Jesuit identity are ever more present to our University community.

In many settings over the years, I have shared with you the great hope I have for the future of this University and how we will continue to be ever more true to our mission and purpose. This responsibility is one that each of us shares by virtue of our membership in this community. All of us can find reassurance in knowing that we share in this work together and that, over many generations, we have built the type of community that will enable Georgetown to thrive for years to come.

On behalf of myself and my family, I offer our deepest appreciation for the messages and prayers of support during this time. I look forward to being with you again in the future.

With my deepest gratitude,

Jack
President, Georgetown University

November 21, 2024

A Letter from Thomas A. Reynolds III, Chair of the Georgetown Board of Directors

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

On behalf of the Georgetown University Board of Directors, and the entire Georgetown University community, I want to express profound gratitude to John J. DeGioia (C’79, G’95) for his lifetime of service to our institution.

It is hard to put in words the depth of Jack’s impact at Georgetown. Since first arriving on campus as an undergraduate student in 1975, Jack has spent his entire career at Georgetown and has helped shape every facet of the University. Under Jack’s leadership as President over the past 23 years, Georgetown University has grown and flourished as a global leader in higher education. With a deep commitment to academic excellence, research, student formation and its Jesuit and Catholic identity, Jack has helped to position Georgetown as a force for good in the world.

As Jack shared in his letter, this was a very difficult decision for him and his family. We are grateful that Jack will transition to serve as President Emeritus and will continue as a member of our faculty. We will announce plans to celebrate his presidency at a later date and look forward to reflecting on the transformational role that Jack has played in our community over these many years.

The Board wishes to extend its deep appreciation to Jack and the DeGioia family for their legacy of excellence and their commitment to Georgetown.

Earlier today, the Board of Directors authorized a search for Georgetown’s next President. I will share more information regarding this process and the formation of a search committee in the weeks ahead. In consultation with Jesuit leadership and our academic and faculty leadership, our intention is to have a new president in place by July 1, 2026.

I would also like to announce that the Board of Directors has appointed Robert M. Groves, Ph.D., to serve as Interim President of Georgetown University, while we search for a new president. Since 2012, he has served with distinction as Executive Vice President and Provost and is the Gerard J. Campbell, S.J. Professor in the Math and Statistics Department, with a secondary appointment in the Sociology Department. Bob will be working to name an Interim Provost in the days ahead.

In addition, the Board has appointed Joseph A. Ferrara (G’96), Ph.D., to serve in a new role as the Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff of Georgetown University. Joe has served as Vice President and President DeGioia’s Chief of Staff since 2011, and prior to that he served as Associate Dean for the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (now the McCourt School of Public Policy) and as a member of the faculty.

I would like to thank Bob, Joe and the rest of the senior leadership team who have so ably managed University affairs since Jack’s stroke on June 5. The University will continue to operate as it has been over the last five months—with the leadership team working collaboratively and effectively across the University to advance the strategic priorities of the University and to support our community.

Please join me in once again expressing the greatest appreciation to Jack and his family for their deep dedication to the Georgetown University community and to pray for Jack as he continues his recovery.

Sincerely,

Thomas A. Reynolds III (B’74)
Chair, Georgetown University Board of Directors