Mission

As a trusted advisor and partner to the campus community, the Office of the General Counsel (“OGC”) advances Georgia Tech’s strategic initiatives by providing solution-oriented support and comprehensive guidance on legal, ethical and compliance issues, and risk management.

Goals

Moving forward, OGC will focus on three core strategic goals with these overarching themes to shape our future in alignment with the Institute Strategic Plan (“ISP”):

  • Goal #1: Organization, People, and Culture
  • Goal #2: Process and Technology
  • Goal #3: Program and Outreach
well being

Goal One

We aim to build and maintain an agile, efficient, inclusive, collaborative, and performance-driven team that adapts to the evolving operating environment and works together to achieve the best results for the Institute.

Related ISP Themes: 

  • Amplify Impact
  • Cultivate Well-being
  • Lead by Example

Goal #1 Objectives:

To achieve this goal, we have the following objectives:

  1. Refine the organizational structure to support the OGC’s mission and to carry out the OGC’s strategic plan.
  2. Ensure each OGC member understands their roles and responsibilities and has a professional development plan as well as annual SMART goals that advance their plan and align with the OGC’s goals.
  3. Foster an engaged team which promotes collaboration and employee well-being.
  4. Define a performance-driven culture and implement initiatives to promote excellence and accountability.
access

Goal Two

We champion innovation through enhancing OGC processes and updating technology to promote compliance, efficiency, and accessibility.

Related ISP Themes: 

  • Champion Innovation
  • Lead by Example

Goal #2 Objectives:

To achieve this goal, we have the following objectives:

  1. Acquire and/or utilize the right technological tools to enable a data-informed, modern, efficient, and effective OGC operation.
  2. Streamline OGC workflows and adopt processes to best utilize OGC resources. Employ user-friendly processes to ensure compliance, efficiency, and accessibility.
lead by example walking

Goal Three

Goal #3: We strive to be a better partner by cultivating and maintaining a close relationship with campus stakeholders and serving as a trusted advisor by helping clients navigate legal, ethical, and compliance risks and developing mitigation strategies.

Related ISP Themes: 

  • Expand Access
  • Amplify Impact

Goal #3 Objectives:

To achieve this goal, we have the following objectives:

  1. Implement an outreach plan that communicates the OGC’s changed functions and informs campus on how we will better serve the community.
  2. Engage campus partners continuously and proactively to understand their needs. Develop a plan to track the needs of the Institute and its constituents so that OGC leadership can prioritize and address these needs holistically and allocate resources appropriately.

Values

To align with and further the Institute’s core values, the OGC expresses its values as follows:

  • Students are our top priority. We actively support our educators to develop leaders. We strengthen the infrastructure to nurture students to their full potential. We advise our partners with student success in mind.
  • We strive for excellence. We provide top-tier advice and excellent service. We continually grow and adapt to the needs of our community – serving as a paragon for the realization of ideas and initiatives.
  • We thrive on diversity. We value all members, recognizing that different voices and perspectives strengthen us all. We leverage the abilities and experience of individuals to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
  • We celebrate collaboration. We develop and cultivate partnerships within the Georgia Tech community and beyond. We bring stakeholders together to achieve success and advance Georgia Tech’s initiatives by sharing knowledge and reconciling competing interests.
  • We champion innovation. We embrace progress and change. We redefine boundaries to foster an environment of innovation. We forge new paths to support creativity and discovery.
  • We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression. We actively promote and protect freedom of inquiry and expression. Through our advice and education of the community, we ensure that a diversity of ideas may be shared and valued.
  • We nurture the well-being of our community. We act with compassion toward our colleagues and campus partners, considering the human impact when advising or making decisions. We contribute to campus initiatives that cultivate the community’s well-being.
  • We act ethically. We define, communicate, and champion the Institute’s ethical standards. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct. We operate with transparency to earn and maintain public trust.
  • We are responsible stewards. We ensure that the state’s resources are properly managed and utilized. We use our time and resources efficiently and strategically. We respect our partners’ time by eliminating unnecessary steps and obstacles.