Mason’s Laurence Bray elected president of VCGS

Melanie Balog — Mon, 15 May 2023 13:58:29 +0000

Mason’s Laurence Bray elected president of VCGS Melanie Balog Mon, 05/15/2023 - 09:58

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Laurence Bray, associate provost for graduate education and leader of the Graduate Division at ��AV, has been elected to serve as president of the Virginia Council of Graduate Schools (VCGS). Bray will succeed current VCGS president Jeannine Perry, dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at Longwood University, on July 1, 2023.

Laurence Bray. Photo by Creative Services

Founded in 1999, VCGS is a consortium of colleges and universities that builds awareness of the benefits of post-graduate education for students across the commonwealth and for the citizens of Virginia who rely upon those benefits socially, professionally, and economically.

“Dr. Bray has made significant advancements in the future of graduate education and has been the engine that moved the creation of the Graduate Division forward,” said Mason Provost and Executive President Mark R. Ginsberg. “Through the cultivation of relationships with administrators and faculty in all our colleges, she has managed to create seamless experiences across the full spectrum of our students. I am delighted Dr. Bray will be leading the Virginia Council of Graduate Schools and look forward to seeing how graduate education across the commonwealth will benefit from her energy, creativity and clarity in this new role.”

Bray’s vision of elevating graduate education, its visibility, and impact within the commonwealth and beyond aligns with VCGS’s strategic goals. During her presidency, Bray plans to be an advocate on behalf of member institutions for graduate policies, legislation, and funding that advances the mission of graduate education within Virginia. She also will develop possible solutions to mutual challenges in graduate education.

In addition, Bray will collaborate with other organizations, such as the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, and the Council of Graduate Schools, to exchange and disseminate information and promote mutually beneficial opportunities. Finally, she will place diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values in the Council’s decision-making, allocation of resources, and advocacy.

“I am honored and humbled to have been elected by my peers to serve as the new President of VCGS. This recognition will help elevate the impact and visibility of Mason’s new Graduate Division and grow collaboration with other institutions and partners that promote graduate education,” Bray said.

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Faculty and Staff News

Office of the Provost

Graduate Division

��AV launches Graduate Division

Colleen Rich — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:39:38 +0000

��AV launches Graduate Division Colleen Rich Tue, 03/07/2023 - 14:39

��AV’s Office of the Provost celebrated the launch of the Graduate Division at a kick-off breakfast ceremony on Jan. 31.

��AV’s Office of the Provost celebrated the launch of the Graduate Division at a kick-off breakfast ceremony on Jan. 31. Photo provided

The new Graduate Division, directed by Associate Provost Laurence Bray, plays a lead role in preparing well-rounded and diverse graduates to contribute to research productivity and workforce development.

Bray’s team will be responsible for building a robust foundation to maximize graduate student academic success (retention, degree completion, and time-to-degree), as well as fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion that serves both the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation.

“The Graduate Division will help elevate Mason graduate education in each college and school by increasing the visibility and impact of their graduate programs, coordinating efforts and sharing best practices, and maintaining a standard of integrity while recognizing the different needs of graduate programs,” Bray said.

The new division will take a multifaceted approach to creating nondiscipline-specific support structures to promote graduate student success, including a university-wide graduate student orientation available throughout the entire graduate journey. Other support structures will include financial assistance, training opportunities, and well-being programs with an emphasis on student belonging, community, and inclusion.

The division will also provide additional support for the academic units and central offices to offer and sustain flexible and multimodality educational, research, and professional opportunities for graduate students.

“The inception of the new Graduate Division is an important step in supporting graduate education programs and graduate students at ��AV,” said Provost Mark Ginsberg. “I am confident the Graduate Division will enhance the graduate student experience and ensure our graduate students are successful and prepared for careers across the professional spectrum while further elevating our nationally respected academic and research programs.”

This summer, in preparation for the Fall 2023 semester, the division will provide a new graduate student online onboarding module and graduate teaching training.

The online onboarding platform, hosted in MasonLEAPS, is designed to welcome, inform, inspire, and prepare new incoming students for a more successful transition to graduate school by providing information from various student service areas available to assist each student throughout their graduate journey. It will also allow all new and current graduate teaching assistants and graduate lecturers to receive fundamental training to be effective and successful in the classroom.

A new Graduate Resource and Academic Development (GRAD) Center, currently under development, will provide graduate students and postdoctoral fellows one location to access key resources and support for their success. This central location will enable the development and promotion of programs and experiences for students’ personal and professional growth, as well as assist in the navigation of various administrative services and consultations. The center will also foster collaboration across disciplines and offices to enhance the infrastructure that supports graduate education.

“We hope the Graduate Division will foster more partnerships and relationships, as well as alumni and community engagement,” Bray said. “We are definitely part of the Mason story and as such we are part of the growth and change that is impacting our community.”

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Campus News

Graduate Education

Graduate Division

Office of the Provost

Strategic Direction

Graduate Division

Mason’s Laurence Bray elected president of VCGS

In This Story

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����AV launches Graduate Division

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��AV launches Graduate Division