The Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) is the founder and administrator of the Global Alliance. Chartered in the state ofand incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 1962, it has been governed since its founding by a Board of Directors and charged with working on behalf of its member institutions, a consortium of thirteen private liberal arts colleges located in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Michigan The GLCA operates through an interlinked structure of committees, councils and advisory groups composed of administrators, faculty and staff members from the consortium's campuses. These groups contribute to the development of consortial initiatives and priorities; however, ultimate responsibility for the programmatic and financial activities of the Association rests with the Board of Directors. The organization's daily operations and programs are the responsibility of the President and staff members who are based in Ann Arbor.
The committees, councils and advisory groups that govern the GLCA and its activities work in cooperation with one another to provide support, guidance and feedback to the GLCA President and staff. The Board of Directors, which includes the President, leads the organization. The Deans' Council and Academic Council generate ideas and provide feedback regarding the organization's continuing programs and new initiatives. Both Councils are represented on the Board of Directors.
GLCA's advisory groups include the Committee for Institutional Commitment to Educational Equity (CICEE), the International and Off-Campus Education Committee (IOCEC) and the Women's Studies Committee. These groups are also in regular dialogue with the Deans' Council, and report their insights and ideas about strengthening consortial activity to that body.