Bulletin: DeGioia Resigns As University President
John J. DeGioia (C'79, G'95), longest serving president in Georgetown University history, has announced his resignation.
DeGioia, 67, was hospitalized on June 5 and had not returned to office since.The text of the letter reads as follows:
|
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 |
A letter from the Georgetown Board of Directors followed.
|
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 |
Pre-Game Report
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus is doomed to eternity to pushing an immense boulder up a hill, only to see it roll right back down, from which he starts all over again. College football is slightly more hopeful, however.
But here we are again for Georgetown football. A national championship is not in the institution's aspirations, and a Patriot League title continues to be distant. The Hoyas can't begin to consider itself a true contender until it proves to be a winning team, and the program has not done so. Four times in the past 12 years, a 5-5 Georgetown team had an opportunity to reach that sixth win, four times they fell short.All four times previous, they have faced the same opponent. Now, for the fifth time against the same opponent, a 5-5 Georgetown team meets Holy Cross Saturday to make or break the season.
More on the Crusaders follows Friday evening at the Pre-Game Report page. In-game scores will be posted to the HoyaTalk board and a game recap follows Saturday afternoon.
Senior Day
Saturday's game is the final college game for six fifth year seniors and grad students, along with 16 members of the Class of 2025.
The seniors, recruited during the COVID year of 2020-21, represent the last of that era's recruits. Of the 23 players that signed with Georgetown in the spring of 2021, 14 are four year lettermen being honored Saturday, five played fewer than four years but remain as students, three left through the transfer portal, and one decommitted before ever enrolling at the University and left the sport entirely.Joined by two inbound transfers, a total of 16 seniors and the six fifth year players will be honored Saturday and join the long blue and gray line that now number over 2,800 alumni who have competed for Georgetown University football.
Grad Students:
Sebastian Alonso, LS
Zayid Aziz, S
David Ealey III, LB
Preston Murray, S
Kolubah Pewee Jr., CB
Richie Pinomi, OL
Seniors:
Brock Biestek, WR
Kenneth Borders,DB
Ben Fewel, WR
VeRon Garrison, DT
Diandre Harris, DB
Jed Henry, LB
Ethan Hunt, DT
Greg Johnson, OL
Naieem Kearney, RB
Kaysen Mahuka-Kaawa, OL
Brendan Mariani, LS
Cole Pascucci, DL
Cam Pygatt, WR
Patrick Ryan, K
Stephen Sergio, LB
Hampton Tanner, OL
Since Last We Met: Holy Cross vs. Georgetown, 2023
From HoyaSaxa.com, November 18, 2023:
Matthew Sluka ran for 169 yards as Holy Cross defeated Georgetown in the season finale, 31-10.Georgetown knew it needed a quick start to stay close to the Crusaders and it did not materialize. A seven play to open the game stalled at midfield, with Holy Cross starting at the Georgetown 12. An 11 play drive, seven on the ground, advanced to the Georgetown four yard line before the defense held and the Crusaders added a short field goal, 3-0.
Another seven play Georgetown drive made it to midfield but no further, setting up HC back at its 12 one more time. A 27 yard run by QB Matthew Sluka and a 50 yard run by RB Tyler Purdy set up the Crusaders at the GU three to open the second quarter, where a there yard keeper by Sluka raised the score to 10-0. The Hoyas answered with a 10 play drive inside the HC 15, but a personal foul on Holy Cross was waived off by the officials and Georgetown took the field goal. On Holy Cross' next derive, Sluka rushed five times to the GU 16 and found WR Jalen Coker alone for the score with 5:49 to halftime, 24-3.
Georgetown's only there and out of the afternoon returned the ball with 4:11 to play, where Sluka went 78 yards in nine plays, reaching third down just once. Sluka ran it in from five yards out with 33 seconds remaining to go up 21-3, part of 125 yards rushing and 198 total yards overall, as HC outgained Georgetown 296 to 122.
Georgetown's only touchdown of the game came in its first series of the third quarter, as pass plays from Tyler Knoop to Jimmy Kibble of 25 and 34 yards capped a there play, 61 yard drive, 21-10. The Crusaders answered with a 10 play, 77 yard drive to lad 31-10 midway through the third quarter.
In a fast moving game due to the rushing totals for Holy Cross, Georgetown had just two drives for the remainder of the game. Each advanced into the Holy Cross red zone, but each were stopped short. The story of this afternoon was the ground game, with the Crusaders outgaining the Hoyas 340 to 98 on the ground. HC's 7.1 yards per rushing attempt was more than the Georgetown defense could stop.
"This was obviously not the result that we wanted but the only locker room I want to be in today is with our kids," said head coach Rob Sgarlata following the game. "This group has laid the foundation for what is a very bright future for the Hoya football program."
"I can't say enough about the efforts of our seniors and our graduate students. We have incredible people that are great football players and are starting to build the foundation of a championship program. We will regroup from this one when the offseason starts on Monday. Now we are looking forward to the spring 2024 season and getting this team to take the next step."
Georgetown's 5-6 record is its best since the 2019 season.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN HOLY CROSS
First downs 19 24
Rushed-yards 25-98 48-340
Passing yards 184 223
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 0-0
Passes 21-33-0 7-14-0
Punts 3-34.0 1-32.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-42 3-37
Time of possession 30:47 29:13
2024 Games To Date
