Eileen Goldgeier’s ’85 tenure as the University’s vice president and general counsel began Oct. 1 following Beverly Ledletter’s retirement last spring, according to a University press release. As the leader of the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel, Goldgeier advises the University’s administration and staff on “legal and strategic matters,” according to the press release.
“When the opportunity presented itself, I was just so excited about the possibility of coming back to my alma mater and working here,” Goldgeier said. “And as an attorney, I can’t think of a better client than Brown.”
Goldgeier has been involved in higher education law since 1992, working at various universities such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Before accepting this position, Goldgeier was general counsel and vice chancellor at North Carolina State University. She is also a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, which informs her of higher education trends on a broader scale, said Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, who helped lead the search for Goldgeier’s role.
“In terms of the content and the knowledge needed for the position, she’s more than capable,” Carey said. Her “understanding of Brown already from her undergraduate experience is, of course, valuable, but certainly her leadership and her education is what made her … a compelling candidate,” he added.
Carey, along with faculty leadership, senior officials and President Christina Paxson P’19 worked with the firm Academic Search to hire for the position. Paxson made the final decision to hire Goldgeier and described her as having an “experienced legal mind (with) outstanding judgment, strategic leadership and the ability to solve problems across a wide spectrum of issues and initiative(s),” she wrote in an email to The Herald.
“She brings an intimate understanding of the complex array of legal matters on which her team advises,” Paxson wrote.
Goldgeier said her experience working with both public and private universities enables her to be “a strategic partner working with senior leadership.”
Goldgeier is currently familiarizing herself with the priorities of the various departments and schools under the University to best understand how she can help each one achieve their goals. She also hopes to focus on preventative law by “making sure (the University’s) policies and … procedures are clear and concise, making sure contracts are well-written” and ensuring employees are knowledgeable on compliance issues by providing trainings and workshops.
In her position, Goldgeier expects to take on a variety of matters, including Title IX, affirmative action and graduate student unionization. “There’s a lot happening, and it’s an exciting time to be in higher education,” she added. Since she is new to her role, Goldgeier hopes to provide “a fresh set of eyes looking at different issues” to provide a “different perspective.”
For now, Goldgeier is still acclimating to her new role. “I’m listening and trying to learn as much as I can,” she said.
