Seminary Governance

The overall structure of governance and administration in seminaries of the Catholic Church is specified in the Code of Canon Law and in the Program of Priestly Formation. Agencies that provide academic accreditation also issue requirements for governance. In compliance with these expectations, the governance of Mount Angel Seminary comprises the following major offices and bodies.

Chancellor
The Chancellor, in collaboration with the Board of Directors, ensures that the administration and faculty of the seminary offer a program in accord with the mind of the Church. He appoints the President-Rector after receiving the nomination from the Board of Directors and ratification from the Board of Members. He is also the chairman of the Board of Members.
The Right Reverend Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B., Abbot of Mount Angel Abbey

Board of Directors
The Board of Directors ensures the seminary is achieving its mission. It is comprised of the Chancellor, the Archbishop of Portland, several monks of Mount Angel Abbey, and several lay members. The Board oversees the welfare, mission and growth of the seminary, reviewing and approving such areas as the institutional mission, goals, and programs, the appointment of major officials, certain policies, and the annual budget. It also evaluates the President-Rector and nominates the chair and new Board members.

Board of Members
The Board of Members consists of several monks of Mount Angel Abbey. It exercises oversight responsibility for the mission, leadership and financial assets of the seminary in cooperation with the Board of Directors and must ratify such things as changes to the institutional mission, the annual budget, nominations to the Board of Directors, and the nomination of the President-Rector.

President-Rector
The President-Rector is the chief executive officer of the seminary and is responsible for the overall administration of the seminary.
Reverend Monsignor Joseph Betschart of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

Vice Rector
The Vice Rector assists the President-Rector as delegated and oversees the discipline of the student body.
Position open.

Department Directors for the Dimensions of Formation
The department directors oversee the operation of the four major dimensions of the seminary program.

Director of Human Formation and Vice President of Administration: Reverend Stephen Clovis of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Director of Intellectual Formation and Vice President of Academics: Dr. Shawn Keough
Director of Spiritual Formation: Reverend William Dillard of the Diocese of San Diego
Director of Pastoral Formation: Reverend Stephen Clovis of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon (interim)

Episcopal Council
The membership of the Episcopal Council consists of the bishops, superiors and vocation directors of the dioceses and religious orders served by the seminary. It serves as a consultative body for the Chancellor and the President-Rector regarding matters of priestly formation and the training of seminarians.

Seminary Decision-Making

To the extent practicable, the seminary seeks to involve our various stakeholders in decisions that affect them and make those decisions in a collaborative and consultative manner. In addition to the bodies above, the following bodies in the seminary help facilitate this practice:

President-Rector’s Council
The President-Rector’s Council is the main administrative body of the seminary. It meets weekly to advise the President-Rector on seminary matters and works collaboratively, consultatively and collectively with him in the decision-making process. The Council is comprised of the vice rector, the director of student services, the registrar, and the directors of the four dimensions of formation (human, pastoral, intellectual and spiritual).

The Dean’s Council
The Dean’s Council is comprised of the academic dean, the associate dean, the registrar, and two senior faculty members, to represent the College and Graduate School of Theology. It normally meets weekly, and as needed, to review curriculum, proposed new courses, staffing requirements, faculty development, degree requirements, academic policies and other academic matters and implements strategic planning for the intellectual dimension.

Faculty
Faculty and administration serve on other committees in the seminary as well and are involved in the seminary’s assessment and strategic planning efforts. Meetings with the faculty as a whole are held regularly each semester to provide information and seek input on matters that pertain to them.

Students
Students are formally involved in the decision-making processes of the seminary through the student Pastoral Council, comprised of the chairs of each division (theology, pre-theology and college) and other student representatives largely elected by the students themselves. It meets regularly to provide a forum where students can provide input on seminary life, offer counsel on issues affecting the community and assist in the task of planning and developing services for the good of the seminary community.