Outside organizations have expressed concern about GPPI students’ choice of Tropaia speaker, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Secretary Sebelius was chosen through a student survey and was selected because of her extensive policy experience and commitment to public service. Her speech at Tropaia is not intended to be political in nature and she is fully expected to address graduating policy students about issues of concern to them: leadership, public service and evidence-based practices.
In response to some of the criticisms of their choice, Julia Druhan, chair of GPPI’s Tropaia ceremonies, secured 93 student signatures for a letter of support for Secretary Sebelius. The text of the letter is included below:
May 16, 2012
President John J. DeGioia
Office of the President
204 Healy Hall
37th & O Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20057
Dean Edward Montgomery
Georgetown Public Policy Institute
Old North Building
37th & O Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20057
Dear President DeGioia and Dean Montgomery,
We, the students of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute who chose Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to speak at our Tropaia ceremony, wanted to make clear the intentions we had in selecting her to speak.
Secretary Sebelius was chosen through a process devoid of political considerations or partisan ideology. As students, we have learned that policy making is about more than just positions on issues. There are important lessons to be learned about leadership and the process of making and implementing policy, regardless of the positions that individual policy makers hold. Many of our students may disagree with some of the speakers who come to Georgetown, but we all feel lucky to attend a university where we hear directly from top leaders in our field of studies.
Secretary Sebelius has spent her career in public service, making her an ideal speaker for this important occasion marking the end of our time at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute. She has experience implementing major public policy initiatives, from her time as governor of Kansas to her role as Secretary of Health and Human Services. She also oversees one of the largest government programs and budgets, which is an important aspect of governing that interests most policy students. We invited her in this spirit and expect that her remarks will not be a political statement, but will reflect the experiences she has had throughout her life in public service.
We thank you for the opportunity to attend a university that exposes us to top leaders and officials in our country and throughout the world. They have important lessons in leadership and governing to share, regardless of their positions on specific issues. We have enjoyed our time at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute immensely and are looking forward to taking what we have learned here and proudly representing Georgetown in our chosen policy fields.
Hoya Saxa,
Julia Druhan
Tropaia Chair- 2012
Co-signed by 93 Georgetown Public Policy Institute students
Established in 1995, the Georgetown Public Policy Review is the McCourt School of Public Policy’s nonpartisan, graduate student-run publication. Our mission is to provide an outlet for innovative new thinkers and established policymakers to offer perspectives on the politics and policies that shape our nation and our world.