Monday, January 28, 2019 I Vol. 115 Iss. 21 AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 WWW.GWHATCHET.COM Outgoing alumni relations offi cer oversaw largest capital campaign, merger controversy MEREDITH ROATEN tions and other initiatives.” NEWS EDITOR Janice Warner, the interim provost at Georgian Court Uni- The University’s outgoing top versity, said that even during the fundraising offi cial and alumni interview process, Manfra was coordinator tried to better con- well-informed about the univer- nect graduates during his short sity and had done his research tenure at GW, alumni leaders about its relations with alumni. said. Georgian Court has a 6.5 percent Matt Manfra, the associate alumni giving rate, compared to vice president for alumni relations GW’s relatively low 9 percent. and annual giving, announced Warner said it was important last week that he will leave GW that Manfra could work well in a to serve as the vice president of team because he will lead a group institutional advancement at an of fundraisers and alumni rela- institution in New Jersey after tions staff members in his new more than three years at the Uni- role. versity. Alumni leaders said Man- “We wanted someone who fra’s passion for alumni relations can really foster the team and the FILE PHOTO BY GRAEME SLOAN | CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR was evident as he tried – though university,” she said. Mark Diaz, the executive vice president and treasurer, sent an email to faculty last week announcing the establishment unsuccessfully – to merge the Warner added that Manfra of an ethics of ce. independent alumni association will participate in the execution with the University’s alumni of- of the school’s recently complet- fi ce to better connect graduates ed strategic plan and will help Ethics offi ce will bring GW up to speed with their alma mater. the university prepare for a fu- Manfra, who also served as ture major fundraising campaign. the interim vice president for Alumni who worked with development and alumni rela- Manfra said his time as the liaison with peer institutions tions for about a year, said he will to what was formerly known as miss the “thousands” of alumni the GW Alumni Association was JOHNNY MORREALE placed on ethics, compli- Offi cials in similar of- reporting system can who volunteered at and attended marked by connecting alumni STAFF WRITER ance and privacy across fi ces at peer institutions help compliance offi cials events and donated to the Uni- more eff ectively to the University, the University.” said ethics offi ces have ensure all employees are versity. He said their contribu- but some remaining members of GW has joined the University spokes- become more important abiding by their univer- tions “are the backbone of alumni the organization said he soured ranks of many of its peer woman Lindsay Hamil- as schools attempt to sity’s code of conduct. engagement.” relationships with the group dur- institutions by establish- ton declined to answer 12 prevent regulation and “For those individuals He declined to say why he ing his tenure. ing an ethics offi ce. questions about the new policy infractions in the who are reluctant to self- stepped down but said he is “look- Renee Lewis, who worked The Offi ce of Ethics, offi ce, deferring to Diaz’s digital age. identify if they see wrong- ing forward” to his new “promo- with Manfra on the board of the Compliance and Pri- email. James Ward, the as- doing, it is important to tional opportunity” at Georgian GW Alumni Association last vacy will launch Feb. 1 Hamilton declined to sociate vice president for provide for anonymous Court University, a school with a year before resigning from her to oversee compliance, say when offi cials started compliance and ethics at reporting of suspected population of roughly 2,400 stu- position, said Manfra brought an confl icts of interest and planning the new offi ce Georgetown University, employee misconduct,” dents situated in Lakewood, N.J., “all things are possible” attitude data security, offi cials an- and who took part in said the importance of Kornetsky said. which he said is located near his to his job. Some of his initiatives nounced in an email to the process. She also de- ethics offi ces has grown Scott Jaschik, the edi- immediate family. were not popular, but he pushed faculty last week. Ethics clined to say how many in recent years as a rise tor of Inside Higher Ed, “I’ll miss GW and D.C.,” he through them for the good of the and higher administra- employees will staff in scandals necessitate a said ethics offi ces are not said. “Making any kind of career University, she said. tion experts said the of- the new offi ce and how more unifi ed approach to “rare” but are more com- change is diffi cult, but it’s easier “Working with his staff , he el- fi ce will standardize who much the offi ce’s budget handling potential viola- monly found at univer- knowing that GW is heading in a evated the level of measurement will respond to faculty will be. tions. Last year, offi cials sities that have a more terrifi c direction.” in the organization to ensure they and staff concerns about She declined to say at Georgia Tech raised complicated structure, Manfra said he is most proud brought value to alumni and the breaches of morals and how the offi ce will im- questions over the rela- like schools that also op- of his involvement in the Univer- University,” she said in an email. help GW address a grow- prove the processes for tionship between an ad- erate a hospital. The com- sity’s $1 billion campaign, which Manfra was the University of- ing concern about data compliance, risk man- ministrator and an out- plexity of a university ended a year ahead of schedule fi cial responsible for coordinating privacy across the nation. agement and confl ict of side company, and two can confuse employees in 2017. He said he also faced sev- the independent alumni associa- Eight of GW’s 12 peer interest and how offi cials years ago, the University and make them unsure eral challenges during his tenure, tion’s merger with the University schools maintain ethics will evaluate the offi ce’s of Southern California of who can resolve their including bolstering the number last year, a process that led to offi ces, including North- success. She also declined fi red its former medical problems. of alumni who are involved with several resignations on the asso- eastern University and the to describe the general dean for using drugs and “One of the issues GW. ciation’s board last summer and University of Pittsburgh. structure of the offi ce. hiring escorts. that universities face is, He said GW is “uniquely the removal of the association’s Of the schools with She declined to say “An offi ce that can ‘Who do I report some- positioned” to engage alumni president. The merger plans ethics offi ces, only the how faculty, staff and support, coordinate and thing to?’” he said. “And all over the world through digi- eventually ended months later University of Southern students will interact monitor all of the various presumably, you report tal programming like an alumni when offi cials decided to cut ties California includes data with the offi ce. She also offi ces that have compli- to the ethics offi ces.” book club that launched last with the alumni association and privacy under its ethics declined to say what oth- ance-related responsibili- Jaschik added that spring and online networking create their own alumni advo- umbrella. The other seven er universities offi cials ties at a university, while making data privacy a events. cacy group. include data privacy and looked toward when helping to reinforce and component of the offi ce Manfra added that the Uni- The independent organiza- security in their informa- building the offi ce. bolster its culture of in- refl ects nationwide con- versity catered to a diverse group tion is now known as the Inde- tion technology divisions. She declined to say tegrity, is really helpful,” cerns about data security, of alumni before he arrived at pendent Alumni Association of “We recognize the im- why the offi ce decided Ward said in an email. especially with more in- GW and will continue to do so George Washington. portance of establishing a to hire Dorinda Tucker Seth Kornetsky, the tensive federal regula- after his departure early next Manfra declined to say who culture of trust and high as the inaugural assistant executive director of au- tions for university hospi- month. would oversee the creation of the integrity,” Mark Diaz, the vice president for eth- dit and management ad- tals and medical centers. “Individuals will always have new alumni group in his absence. executive vice president ics, compliance and risk visory services at Tufts “Data privacy is a big their own unique relationships and treasurer, said in the and data privacy offi cer University, which does issue, and you want to with GW,” he said. “Advance- GWHATCHET.COM email to staff last week. or what issues offi cials not have a stand-alone make it possible for peo- ment professionals can only help for more on Manfra’s “In order to achieve this, hoped she would tackle offi ce for ethical compli- ple to report concerns,” to strengthen those relationships achievements and an emphasis must be in her fi rst year. ance, said an anonymous he said. through programs, communica- H challenges at GW Inaugural diversity training director combats implicit, explicit biases GABBY PINO & equity at GW, she has used fensive.