Alexander E. Dreier ’95 J.D., senior vice president for institutional affairs, general counsel, and senior counselor to the president, is responsible for Yale’s legal affairs. He also oversees the university’s federal and state relations, institutional compliance and enterprise risk management, and governance operations.
YourYale spoke with Dreier about the many ways in which his team supports the work of the university.
Can you discuss the work your division covers, and how that work relates to the staff?
Our division is often a resource for staff who are trying to ensure that their work complies with evolving federal and state laws and Yale policies. This includes various kinds of agreements and transactions, dispute resolution, and policy formulation, as well as helping staff manage risk and guiding leaders who interact with government policy-makers on Yale’s behalf.
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) team advises administrators and faculty in the schools and units on legal developments, helping them stay aware of changing laws or requirements. Our team of attorneys act as strategic partners and provide counsel to staff and leaders in their collaborations and interactions with third parties.
The Office of Institutional Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management works with many offices around campus that promote compliance and address risk. Institutional Compliance is the central office that coordinates efforts to support units in meeting their compliance obligations in areas such as environmental health and safety or research grants. This group also teams with other offices to promote a culture of integrity and ethics, promoting the Yale hotline and other paths for reporting compliance concerns.
Enterprise Risk Management manages risks of all kinds, privacy, and Yale’s insurance portfolio. They work with staff who plan events, trips, or other programs, helping to keep the campus, Yale community members, and visitors safe.
The Office of Federal and State Relations (OFSR) works with units across the university to keep them updated on state and federal policy and new law proposals that could affect our campus — such as levels of federal funding for student financial aid, research funding, legislation on intellectual property, immigration and visas, and tax rules affecting charitable organizations, to name a few. OFSR works with other universities and partners in Hartford on state matters and in Washington on federal issues. They help policymakers understand the many ways that Yale contributes to our broader community — our home city of New Haven, the State of Connecticut, and beyond.
The Office of Institutional Affairs provides support to our governing bodies: the Board of Trustees, a dedicated group of Yale graduates who serve as the university’s main governing body, and the University Council, which is made up of alumni who advise Yale’s president.
How do you view the GC’s work within the university, and how does it relate to Yale’s mission?
The job of the GC is to support the mission and work of each school and department. This includes helping these units figure out the best way to meet their goals within the confines of the legal and policy requirements that apply to universities. Our goal when advising is to help our partners get to “yes.”
What is the proactive work being done in your division?
Most of our work is proactive and helps the university in a positive way. For example, we help draft policies and give advice on strategic initiatives. We also make sure contracts are drafted in a way that is most helpful to Yale and what it is trying to achieve. For example, our team supports Yale Ventures which helps to get Yale faculty inventions out into the marketplace to benefit a broad set of people. We support the clinical research done at the School of Medicine and help set up the benefit plans offered to our staff. Our team also helps negotiate the contracts to get Yale Athletic events on television or live-streamed. These are just a few of the ways we help advance the mission and work of the university for the benefit of its staff, faculty, students, and the greater community.
What are some challenges you and your team face?
The legal landscape for higher education is dynamic. It seems that the rules and regulations that apply to universities multiply year by year. Our division’s staff are amazing because they keep track of and make sense of it all for the campus community and ensure we are staying in step with changes without slowing down the work of the university. This is both challenging and interesting for our staff. It’s one of the things that makes it so exciting to work at a place like Yale.
What are your values and how have they guided your career and how you lead this division?
I come from a family of educators. My mother was a teacher and principal in New York City area schools, and both my siblings are teachers. My father was a doctor who also taught. My deep belief in the importance of education, and specifically in the transformative impact of higher education, is what drives my commitment to Yale and its mission.
In 1997, I started working in the education practice of a large law firm, and I have worked with schools and universities my whole legal career. There is a version of that story for everyone in our division — we are committed to helping Yale move forward in its mission of education, research, and service that will hopefully make New Haven, the State of Connecticut, and the world a better place.
