End of Year Reflections

Dear Georgetown Faculty and Staff,

As we all prepare for the beginning of the 2025 commencement season, I write in appreciation to you for your commitment to the mission of Georgetown.

In talking to so many of you in meetings, walking across campus, and in end-of-year events, I fully understand how difficult these months have been for you.

In the 20th century, the U.S. built an ecosystem of colleges and universities unrivaled in human history; its scientific discoveries transformed the daily lives of all; its cultural contributions spread throughout the globe. It was a magnet for the brightest young minds in the world, many of whom stayed and enriched our country. The ecosystem, whose fabric is now being threatened, was a partnership of families, philanthropy, and state and federal governments.

Georgetown University has not wavered in our commitment to our membership in and contributions to this ecosystem. Georgetown, formed at the same moment as the nation itself, offers a distinctive contribution within this ecosystem. Our mission of education, research, and service rests on almost 500 years of Ignatian tradition. We do the work of a university guided by a set of faith-based values that are proudly evoked each day on campus.

Since 1789, as a Catholic and Jesuit university, we’ve believed that we are accompanying our students as they discern their own way of becoming people for others. From the very first days, we’ve been devoted to dialogue across different faiths, cultures, and beliefs, resting on the 1791 First Amendment grant of freedom of religion and speech. Learning requires the liberty to speak our thoughts and, in turn, the obligation to respect the rights of others to voice their (sometimes opposing) thoughts. We are at our best when we seek out perspectives that are not ours.

It can be discouraging when the role of universities is denigrated and actions threaten our community. However, your devotion to our joint mission of teaching, research, and service will allow us to survive this challenging period. We are committed to the spiritual, intellectual, and physical well-being of our students. We believe our work can serve the marginalized and disadvantaged in the world; indeed, our multiple faiths demand solidarity with the oppressed of the world. Each of us uses our talents to build a better world, and we have chosen to do our work at Georgetown because its faith-based values support such motivation.

We have already suffered shocks to research and educational support from the federal government. With the goal of maintaining our community, it has forced upon us a shared sacrifice. This is all deeply regrettable.

The coming months may further test us. We may be required to find creative new ways to fulfill our mission. We may endure shocks to how we do research, how we support students who seek to learn our way of proceeding, and how we financially sustain our work. Now more than ever, it is essential that we continue our values-centered education, research, and service activities. They are what hold us together. They form an honorable mission. I applaud your devotion to our joint endeavors.

Thank you for your excellent work this semester.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Interim President