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 that the Seminary is achieving its mission. It is composed 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.

Very Reverend Jeff Eirvin 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

Coordinators of the Dimensions of Priestly Formation
The coordinators of formation oversee the operation of the four major dimensions of the Seminary’s priestly formation program.

Vice President of Administration and Coordinator of Human Formation: Reverend Stephen Clovis of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Vice President of Academics and Academic Dean: Deacon Shawn Keough of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Coordinator of Spiritual Formation: Reverend William Dillard of the Diocese of San Diego
Coordinator of Pastoral Formation: Reverend Anh Tran of the Archdiocese of Seattle

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 its various stakeholders in decisions that affect them and to 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 every other week to advise the President-Rector on Seminary matters and works collaboratively, consultatively, and collectively with him in the decision-making process. The Council is composed of the Prior of Mount Angel Abbey, the Vice Rector, the coordinators of the four dimensions of priestly formation (human, intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral), the Coordinator of Propaedeutic Formation, the Director of Student Services, the Director of Sacred Music, and the Registrar.

The Dean’s Council
The Dean’s Council comprises the Academic Dean, the Associate Deans, and the Registrar. It normally meets every other week, and as needed, to review the curriculum, proposed 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 also serve on other committees in the Seminary 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, which is composed of the chairs of each division (propaedeutic, discipleship, and configuration) and other student representatives largely elected by the students themselves. It meets regularly to provide a forum where students can give input on life at the Seminary, offer counsel on issues affecting students, and assist in the task of planning and developing services for the good of the community.