Board of Visitors

George Mason BOV approves design for student-athlete center, adopts institutional neutrality principles

Colleen Rich — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 21:08:16 +0000

George Mason BOV approves design for student-athlete center, adopts institutional neutrality principles Colleen Rich Wed, 12/11/2024 - 16:08

The ��AV Board of Visitors has approved the schematic design for the Basketball and Academic Performance Center, a Fairfax Campus project that will upgrade and expand the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC) and modernize facilities to better serve the university’s student-athletes.

Plans call for a 30,000-square-foot multi-story addition to the RAC as well as a 14,000-square-foot renovation of the building. The Basketball and Academic Performance Center will occupy the northwest corner of the RAC, which originally was the P.E. Building, built in 1972, and renovated in 2009.

The Academic Service suite will provide resources for student-athletes in all of George Mason’s Intercollegiate Athletics programs and replace the academic trailers currently in use on West Campus.

The center will better enable George Mason to compete for talent with peer universities that have built new athletics facilities in recent years. The basketball practice facility will have dedicated courts for the university’s men’s and women’s basketball programs as well as team offices, locker rooms, strength and conditioning spaces, and other amenities to serve the university’s student-athletes.

"The Basketball and Academic Performance Center will truly stand as the crown jewel of George Mason Athletics," said Marvin Lewis, assistant vice president and director of Athletics. "This cutting-edge facility reflects the exceptional achievements of our student-athletes, both in competition and in the classroom. It also showcases the university's dedication to supporting our basketball programs for sustained national success."

Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2025, with occupancy planned for winter 2026-27. The BOV approved the project at their Dec. 5 meeting.

“It’s a fabulous facility, and we need it desperately,” said BOV member Robert Pence, who chairs the governing body’s Finance and Land Use Committee and is one of the board’s Athletics liaisons. “As time goes by, we’re going to need this and many more additions and improvements to our athletic facilities. I think most of you know that the ground rules for NCAA schools and athletics is shifting seismically,” he added.

The addition of the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness opportunities have created additional complexity to operating college athletic programs.

Also at the Dec. 5 meeting, the board voted to adopt the Kalven Committee Principles of Institutional Neutrality, a policy that clarifies the scope of what university leaders comment on publicly. To guide its application, the board also adopted existing, informal university guidelines already used when leadership determine what issues merit an official pronouncement from George Mason leadership.

The guidelines call for statements to be balanced, and generally to occur when events of the day call for leadership to convey instructions, explanations, consolation, or messages of de-escalation.

The framework applies solely to statements coming from the president and the rector. The board reiterated that the Kalven Principles expressly do not apply to students or individual faculty or staff.

Many colleges and universities have adopted the Kalven Principles since they were developed in 1967 at the University of Chicago, including some institutions recently.

At its September meeting, the BOV directed Provost Jim Antony and the Academic Programs, Diversity and University Community Committee (APDUC), chaired by Visitor Lindsey Burke, to engage university stakeholders, including students, faculty, deans, and administrative leaders, on the possibility of adopting of the Kalven Principles.

The stakeholders’ pros for such a policy, as reported out by Antony, included preserving viewpoint diversity, establishing a consistent practice for official response, and supporting academic freedom. The stated cons for adopting the principles included the necessity of George Mason needing such a policy given its existing framework for issuing statements, determining which issues require neutrality, and running the risk of the university community interpreting a lack of university response as indifferent or being a political statement in itself.

“I do think that what the provost described is a fair description of all the possible critiques of this type of policy, [and] I agree with all of them,” said Visitor Armand Alacbay, who favored adopting the Kalven Principles. “At the end of the day, this policy is about people generally don't like being spoken for on things they’re passionate about. And when you are in a position of leadership of any institution, restraint is a virtue because the words you speak carry weight, and so there is responsibility to be representative as best as possible of this very diverse and large community.”

In a follow-up from a presentation at the September BOV meeting, Vice President for Enrollment Management David Burge provided information about how standardized test scores and median high school GPAs have increased for George Mason applicants since 2007 when the university stopped requiring SAT scores for undergraduate admission.

Burge said about 2,000 colleges and universities are test-optional, or test-blind, which means the institution will not consider a student’s standardized test score in their admittance process, unless the applicant requests that they do.

In 2006-07, 96.8% of George Mason applicants submitted SAT scores. At that time, the median SAT score was 1100 and the applicants’ median high school GPA was 3.36.

In 2024-25, 18.6% of applicants submitted SAT scores. The median SAT was 1260 and the median high school GPA was 3.75.

“During that period, we have seen some growth in some of the metrics that would be emblematic of the quality of our incoming class,” Burge said. “I think it is safe to say that there has certainly not been harm done to that quality as part of this practice and we’ve been able to grow and produce more graduates and find talent in some atypical places.”

Biology professor Aarthi Narayanan and Mary Ellen O’Toole, director of the university’s Forensic Science Program, made presentations during the BOV Research Committee meeting, highlighting the university’s expertise in viral infections and the science of decomposition, respectively.

Narayanan, who recently secured a $1.4 million grant from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to investigate how an infection spreads between organs and how a therapeutic will impact connected organs, discussed the necessity to scale discoveries and technologies. She also outlined the difference between readiness and preparedness. Readiness is about meeting current challenges and threats. Preparedness is about meeting future challenges and threats.

“The infectious disease footprint for viral infections is expanding nationally and globally,” Narayanan said. “What we are dealing with as a nation is certain pathogens, which were not endemic to the United States, [are] now running the real risk of becoming endemic to the United States, and that would affect not just human health but also animal health, which automatically almost immediately translates into not just a health burden but also an economic burden at the national level.”

O’Toole presented on the Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory, a Science and Technology Campus facility better known as the body farm. The lab, one of 11 in the country and the only one on the East Coast, recently received its fourth human donor.

O’Toole discussed the forensic training and expertise required to help solve homicides and missing persons cases, including locating the victims of natural disasters.

“People have to be found,” she said. “Their loved ones don't want closure…They want to be reunited with their loved ones. We want to be able to not only prosecute people that are responsible for homicides, but in doing that, we exonerate the innocent.”

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Jimmy Hazel, steadfast George Mason alum and friend, looks to the future with a foundational gift

Colleen Rich — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:05:24 +0000

Jimmy Hazel, steadfast George Mason alum and friend, looks to the future with a foundational gift Colleen Rich Mon, 10/07/2024 - 11:05

James W. “Jimmy” Hazel, JD ’84, has led a life of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia—and to ��AV. In July 2024, as his term on the university’s Board of Visitors concluded, Hazel added to his considerable legacy with a gift of $1 million for the Smithsonian–Mason School of Conservation (SMSC).

James Hazel speaking at the university's 50th anniversary event. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

The gift, reflecting Hazel’s wishes to advance the important work of the school, creates two funds. The first will provide support for graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at SMSC, and the second will support the operations of the school’s programs.

“This gift represents my personal passion for conservation and my hope is that it will allow George Mason to draw in a diverse group of new PhD students to the program,” Hazel said.

Hazel is a cochair on the Advisory Board for SMSC, a research and academic facility in Front Royal, Virginia, that operates under a partnership between the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and George Mason. The facility covers more than 3,000 acres of forest, grassland, and pasture, and houses a range of endangered mammals, birds, and amphibians.

SMSC conducts research and offers proactive methodologies of conservation biology education and training, providing hands-on interdisciplinary programs to undergraduates, graduate students, professionals, and high school students. It draws from the educational innovation of George Mason faculty and the established work of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to create a transdisciplinary approach to conservation leadership that is research-based, forward-looking, and ethical.

Students conducting field work at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Cody Edwards, SMSC executive director and interim dean, College of Science, understands the immediate impact of Hazel’s generosity.

“With this gift, he opens doors for students passionate about conservation and sustainability,” Edwards said. “Jimmy’s continued support helps ensure SMSC can continue to bring together internationally renowned experts who can offer those students an educational experience that will enhance their futures and ultimately, help preserve the world’s biodiversity.”

SMSC’s graduate programs include practical training in the tools necessary to conduct and report research, and allow students to work directly with experts and practitioners from all over the world. Students become part of a community of conservation scientists and leaders, developing relationships with these mentors and with each other, forming networks to help them launch into a wide variety of careers.

“My family has, and will always have, deep ties to George Mason and the Fairfax Campus,” Hazel said, “but I think one of the best university programs sits in Front Royal at the Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation. With the groundbreaking research being conducted at the facility, we have the potential to put this initiative on the map in a big way. I would like to think that this gift will help increase that momentum.”

“Jimmy’s impact on SMSC and its students goes well beyond this single thoughtful gift,” added Edwards. “His continued support has helped transform this program and placed it on a trajectory not envisioned when it was originally conceived.”

Hazel has been a dedicated, engaged member of the George Mason community. He served twice on the Board of Visitors: from 1994 to 2002, and his most recent appointment, from 2016 to 2024, included chairmanship of the Development Committee, a term as vice rector, and service as rector from 2020-22. He is a past president of the ��AV Alumni Association and the Law Alumni Association, and he served for 18 years on the ��AV Foundation Board of Trustees.

Hazel chaired George Mason’s successful Faster Farther Campaign, which closed at nearly $700 million—$200 million more than its original goal. He cochaired the presidential search committee that brought George Mason’s president Gregory Washington to campus in 2020. In recognition of his more than three decades of service to the university, Hazel was awarded the George Mason Medal in 2017.

Hazel, a lifelong outdoorsman who has served on the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (chairing the agency for three years), and on the boards of the Wildlife Foundation of Virginia and George Mason’s Potomac Science Center, is determined to make a lasting difference through SMSC.

Power the Possible

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BOV hears plans for expanding veterans’ services and considers the future of West Campus

Colleen Rich — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 15:23:14 +0000

BOV hears plans for expanding veterans’ services and considers the future of West Campus Colleen Rich Fri, 10/04/2024 - 11:23

The ��AV Board of Visitors discussed the potential for a dedicated university center devoted to expanding academic programs and supports for former or current servicemembers and their families.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

More than 4,700 George Mason students have a military connection, said Keith Renshaw, senior associate provost for undergraduate education and director of the university’s Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative (MVFI). Renshaw said the incoming freshman transfer cohort and incoming graduate cohort his fall were both about 20% military connected.

“We are seeing a proportionately larger increase in interest from that population in attending George Mason,” Renshaw said during a presentation to the BOV’s development committee on Sept. 26. A substantial amount of George Mason’s research also focuses on issues relevant to the military and veteran community, and there are many direct services available to that population as part of many curricular and research programs across the university.

“We have the opportunity to expand into a formalized center that serves as a national exemplar for how to do this at universities,” Renshaw said.

U.S. News & World Report last month cited George Mason as one of the best colleges for veterans, the latest in a series of recognition for how the university supports the military-connected population.

“We live in a region with the highest concentration of military, active and veterans,” said Jon Peterson, chairman of the board’s development committee. “We want to make sure there is engagement between [the university and] students, family members. And that we support them with resources to make their lives better. We can be leaders in this around the country.”

Renshaw said there is a strategic plan for the center to further develop, estimating it would take about $10 million—perhaps in the form of a naming gift—to get the center up and running.

Also at the Sept. 26 meeting, the Board of Visitors approved George Mason President Gregory Washington’s goals for the 2024-25 academic year.

The goals cover the student experience; the impact of George Mason research; expanding partnerships; exemplifying a university culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion; investing in faculty and staff success; and timely communication and engagement with university stakeholders.

During his remarks, Washington cited recent state studies that highlight the university’s achievements and its state-leading efficiency in producing more graduates than any university in Virginia over the past decade.

“Seventy-three percent of our graduates stay in the state and are amongst the highest paid,” Washington said. “And we graduate the most. We have the highest return on investment in the state. The state pays the least for a student here. And they literally get the most out of the students from here…. That’s a significant set of outcomes.”

The BOV toured portions of the main Fairfax Campus and West Campus as part of the Sept. 26 meeting and heard a report from Washington about different options the university could pursue to develop that 190+-acre West Campus.

The proposed changes could include state-of-the-art athletic facilities, new residence halls, faculty and staff housing, and other amenities to give the campus a more vibrant sense of community and to ease housing costs on faculty and staff.

Washington said the university had not opened a new residence hall since 2015.

“If you go back to 2017, people have been proposing expanding George Mason into West Campus,” Washington said. “Go back to 1968. Way back then, there was a master plan in place to look at West Campus expansion. It's part of an ongoing set of discussions. This is just the planning phase.”

In the coming months, university officials will meet with the Fairfax Campus and Community Advisory Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, among other stakeholders.

“We will be engaging the community in a very, very aggressive way,” Washington said. “We need to get all this input before we make a decision, and this is how we will engage individuals in order to get that. So this is not an indication of a final outcome.”

The BOV approved two new degree programs—an MS in behavior analysis in the College of Education and Human Development and the first PhD in cyber security engineering in Virginia. The proposals next will be presented to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

The MS in behavior analysis proposal will be submitted to SCHEV this month. The PhD in cyber security engineering proposal likely will be submitted to SCHEV in spring or summer 2025.

The MS in behavior analysis, which would begin in fall 2025, will prepare students to practice behavior analysis in a variety of settings such as education, life and health coaching, corporate and organizational behavior, and geriatrics. Graduates of the proposed degree program will be able to assess behavior and develop interventions to address behavioral issues.

Pending SCHEV approval, the PhD in cyber security engineering would launch in fall 2026. The proposed program responds to the escalating challenges of an increasingly interconnected and digitized world, addresses the shortage of experts, fosters a robust research community in Virginia, and contributes to the evolution of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies in cybersecurity.

Watch the meeting here.

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Getting to know BOV Rector Stimson

Colleen Rich — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:48:16 +0000

Getting to know BOV Rector Stimson Colleen Rich Wed, 10/02/2024 - 12:48

In July Charles “Cully” Stimson, JD ‘92, was elected as rector of the ��AV Board of Visitors. A businessman and attorney, Stimson is the deputy director of the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, Senior Legal Fellow, manager of the National Security Law Program, and senior advisor to the president at The Heritage Foundation.

A third-generation naval officer, Stimson formerly served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs. He advised then-Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates and coordinated the Pentagon’s global detention policy and operations, including at Guantanamo Bay and in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can read a more complete bio here.

The George caught up with Stimson to talk about his background, plans as rector, and his love of soccer.

Charles “Cully” Stimson. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Rector is a volunteer position and a time-consuming one. What drew you to this type of public service? What do you hope to accomplish as rector during your two-year term?

I've served my country in uniform for 30 years. I've volunteered for a variety of charities over the years. I like giving back. When my name was put forward, I was honored to serve the commonwealth.

I'm in learning mode right now. Since I've been asked to lead the team, I've probably made a hundred phone calls to every single board member combined. I'm meeting with every single dean of every single college before my first full board meeting. I pledged to the student representatives, who are nonvoting members of the board, that I'll be taking them out for pizza every quarter so they can bring their friends and tell me what's going on. We need to be more involved and informed so we can perform our governance.

As board members, we are fundraisers and cheerleaders and recruiters for the school. You can't be an advocate for a place if you don't know about the place. You either lean in and learn your craft and help make the place a better place for everybody in the community, or you sit back and you're a potted plant. I've never been a potted plant.

You earned a law degree from George Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School and taught there as an adjunct for five years. How has your George Mason law degree served you in your career?

The law school professors I've kept in touch with have helped me think through legal issues, ethical issues, career issues. I thought that those teachers were ahead of their time at the school. They were national treasures, and they've been my friends my whole professional life. And I'm just starting to find out more about those types of gems on the faculty at the undergraduate level and other places at Mason.

What do you most hope to see the university achieve in your time leading the board?

We're a collegial board, and we're going to remain that way. I'm going to give everyone the opportunity and invite everybody to speak at every board meeting, just like I did when I was a judge. I wanted all the advocates to put their thoughts on the record.

We have a fiduciary duty to act on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia. But more specifically, we have to act in the best interest of ��AV.

George Mason has continued to grow each year for more than a decade. What makes George Mason so attractive to so many different types of students?

An education is a credential that should prepare you for the job market. Our students have the benefit of being in a job market mecca. We're affordable. We shed the commuter school mantra a while ago. And we're moving in the direction of a much more vibrant residential campus. You hear the Northern Virginia Technology Council and other people who represent the private sector and the public partnerships say that Mason is producing the type of graduates they need and they want.

So you have the benefit of the location, and the burden of the location with its cost of living. I hope Richmond knows that. We deserve to attract and retain and pay faculty at a competitive rate. Otherwise, we're going to lose them. You see how many colleges and universities have footprints in Washington, D.C.? We're not just competing against Virginia and Virginia Tech and the rest, we're competing against the globe.

The governor recently released new performance expectations for Virginia’s public universities, including goals that focus on affordability and career development for students, many of which George Mason is already leading on. With that said, what else should George Mason do to meet these new performance expectations?

I think we're doing exactly what the governor is challenging us to do. The quest for human capital is a competitive, ever-changing dynamic. We are fulfilling that demand signal. We're big, but we're not so big that we can't move with dispatch to fulfill that growing demand.

Look at what we're doing with [artificial intelligence (AI)], how we're leaning into it and understanding that we have to not only adopt and embrace AI but also figure out the rules and parameters of how we're going to responsibly use that, not only at the research level, but at the teaching level and student level.

What skill would you like to see all George Mason students graduate with to succeed in the ever-changing work landscape of the future?

Understanding how the government works, from its founding, and having a thorough undergraduate level understanding of what a republic is, what the key moving parts of the Constitution are, what the Federalist Papers say. George Mason's role in writing the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Understanding the separation of powers and how it is defined here is unique from anywhere else in the world. And why that's a strength. Understanding the difference between vertical separation of powers and horizontal separation of powers, and how that is the definition of a federalist government. It matters more now than ever. It's irrelevant whether you're Republican or Democrat or independent.

That's on the one end of the spectrum. The other end is, I don't care what your major is, I think you have to have in your toolkit some facility with computer programming. You can equip these young men and women with tools that a lot of other colleges are not equipping their students with.

Soccer is a passion of yours. You captained the team at Kenyon College, and you’re Chairman Emeritus of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the charitable arm of U.S. Soccer. What is it about soccer that appeals to you, and what lessons and values do you find are transferable to your leadership role at George Mason?

Soccer is the world's best sport, in my opinion. It doesn't matter how big you are, doesn't matter where you're from, doesn't matter how much money you have. It matters how big your heart is and how hard you're willing to work. It has a low to almost no barrier to entry. It's the perfect metaphor for life. How you play on the pitch depends on how much work you put in way ahead of time. How much time you spend alone with your craft, juggling, dribbling, passing against the wall. It requires syncopation and communication and collaboration.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation serves about 120,000 kids in 25 or 30 cities, all of whom are minorities, in underserved neighborhoods, for our Soccer for Success program. We're using soccer to help these kids make healthy choices, become better citizens. Next to being a husband and a father, it's the most meaningful thing I do.

The university’s Mason Now: Power the Possible fundraising campaign is in full swing, and in one of your first acts as rector, you encouraged your fellow board members to support the university financially. Tell us why this commitment is so important to you.

Because it's called public service and you have to serve the public. We have a great board. We have 16 terrific people. We're all super busy, but we said yes when asked to serve. And yes means capital Y, capital E, capital S. And that means you lean in for the short period of time you're on the board, and you give to your ability and get as much as you can for the school. People on this board have massive Rolodexes. The comprehensive campaign--we have to succeed. It's not an if, it's how big do we surpass it by? You said yes because you believe in the school. And so the best proof of that is to raise money for the school. And that should be an easy sell.

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Statement regarding Scalia Law School finances

Melanie Balog — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 20:59:36 +0000

Statement regarding Scalia Law School finances Melanie Balog Mon, 09/30/2024 - 16:59

Recent media reports about the Scalia Law School budget deficit do not take into account the full measure of what is required to operate a highly competitive, top-ranked law school under current conditions.

The tuition-discounting practice is common among top-ranked schools that compete for highly credentialed students. Most law schools, including the Scalia Law School, make up the difference with revenue from other programs (including LLM programs), private donations, and university support. More recently, ��AV has been exploring additional financial support for the law school.

Public law schools discount JD tuition in order to provide greater access to legal education, especially to first-generation attorneys. For the past several years, the law school has offered generous financial aid to support increasingly selective, and smaller, cohorts of JD students.

The Scalia Law School budget is a reflection of the fact that, like for most public law schools, operating expenses cannot be covered with JD revenue alone. Most law schools would show similar deficits if they were to use only JD revenue.

As it would do with any of its schools or colleges experiencing fiscal challenges, the university is working with law school leadership and the Board of Visitors to find solutions that will result in additional support to help offset the school’s operational expenses and to position it for long-term fiscal sustainability.

The Scalia Law School remains one of the nation’s leading law schools and one of the highest ranked schools at ��AV, with a US News ranking of No. 28 nationally and 11th among public law schools. In addition, its part-time law program is ranked No. 2 among public law schools. The Scalia Law School is one of the jewels of ��AV. ��AV is committed to providing the law school with the resources it needs to remain one of the nation’s leading law schools.

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Board of Visitors elects new rector, executive committee

Colleen Rich — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 21:21:34 +0000

Board of Visitors elects new rector, executive committee Colleen Rich Mon, 07/29/2024 - 17:21

As part of a two-day annual planning conference and ��AV Board of Visitors meeting, the BOV elected new officers on Friday, with an alumnus chosen to serve a two-year term as rector.

Charles “Cully” Stimson. Photo provided

Charles “Cully” Stimson, JD ’92, will lead the 16-member BOV for the next two years. He succeeds Horace Blackman, BA American Studies and English ’93, whose term as rector ended but who remains on the board.

“There is no other place like it in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Stimson said. “Not only are we the largest university in Virginia, we have the most diverse student body, and that is a strength. We have world-class programs….We are doing work critical to the national security of this country, and we are a regional powerhouse in terms of providing great graduates to the workforce.”

Joining Stimson as new officers are Michael J. Meese as vice rector, Armand Alacbay, JD ’04, as secretary, and Robert Pence and Farnaz Farkish Thompson as at-large members of the executive committee. The rector, vice rector, and secretary serve two-year terms and the at-large committee members serve one-year terms.

Kenneth L. Marcus, Nina S. Rees, MA International Transactions ’93, and Marc Short were introduced as the new members of the board at their inaugural meeting Friday.

Faculty Senate President Solon Simmons, undergraduate student representative Maria A. Romero Cuesta, and graduate student representative Carolyn Faith Hoffman also were introduced as new nonvoting members.

During the two-day meeting, George Mason President Gregory Washington detailed how the university is well aligned with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s higher ed priorities holding the distinction of being a top 50 public university.

“We’re well-positioned as a powerhouse for leading the state forward and, quite frankly, being one of those few institutions in the country that I believe is truly leading as a public institution,” Washington said.

Stimson noted how impressed he was with the speakers and information shared at the BOV’s day-long annual conference on July 25. The conference also included a panel discussion with corporate partners from the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Virginia Technology Council on George Mason’s role in fueling the region’s workforce, and a presentation on the university’s growing research on artificial intelligence.

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Youngkin names four to George Mason Board of Visitors

Colleen Rich — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 21:03:54 +0000

Youngkin names four to George Mason Board of Visitors Colleen Rich Fri, 06/28/2024 - 17:03

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday, June 28, announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the ��AV Board of Visitors (BOV), including one alumna:

The Honorable Kenneth L. Marcus of Great Falls, founder and chairman, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights. He is a distinguished Senior Fellow in the Liberty & Law Center at George Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
Jon M. Peterson of Fairfax Station, Chief Executive Officer, Peterson Companies. He has been reappointed to a third stint on the BOV, having served on the board from 2014–18 and 2020–24, including two stints as vice rector.
Nina S. Rees of McLean, Senior Fellow, George W. Bush Institute. She earned a master’s from George Mason in International Transactions in 1993.
Marc Short of Arlington, Partner, Advance Strategies, and former Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence.

Members of the Board of Visitors, the university’s 16-member governing body, serve four-year terms. The BOV members whose terms expire July 1 are James W. Hazel, Wendy Marquez, and Bob Witeck.

A more detailed story profiling the new board members will be shared in the coming weeks.

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George Mason Board of Visitors approves one-year, 3% tuition increase

Colleen Rich — Mon, 13 May 2024 15:45:46 +0000

George Mason Board of Visitors approves one-year, 3% tuition increase Colleen Rich Mon, 05/13/2024 - 11:45

The ��AV Board of Visitors voted to increase in-state tuition by 3% for 2024-25, consistent with guidance from the Commonwealth of Virginia for the current budget cycle.

George Mason, with campuses in the fifth-highest-cost region of the country, is making this tuition change as a necessity to keep up with inflation and compensate for lower state support. George Mason receives at least $6,000 less funding for each in-state student compared with the mean of its five doctoral peer institutions when state and tuition funding are combined.

In-state undergraduates will pay $297 more. In-state graduate students will pay $410 more, and in-state law students will pay $728 more. Out-of-state tuition also increases by $601, $803, and $994 for undergraduate, graduate, and law, respectively.

“With a lower cost of attendance than all but one of our doctoral peers, we are proud of our accessibility and affordability for commonwealth families,” said Deb Dickenson, executive vice president for finance and administration. “Parents and students want the student services to remain robust, and they recognize we need faculty and staff here to support students and the educational mission.”

Illustration by ��AV. View an accessible version of infographic >>

George Mason puts its student tuition to good use—84% of every tuition dollar is spent on direct instruction, academic support, financial aid, and student services, and the remaining 16% also is devoted to services that benefit students, Dickenson said.

In addition, the BOV approved a 4.9% increase in board rates and a flat $300 increase across all Fairfax Campus rooms, a $570 total increase for most on-campus first-year students. These increases will offset higher costs of providing campus services and support expanded dining offerings for students.

Student fees will increase by 3%—$108 more for most students. Mandatory student fees fund student activities, student support services, student health services, emergency aid, athletic and recreational programs, student transportation, maintenance and operation of student facilities, and auxiliary services, including mail, vending, and card services.

“This campus is incredibly efficient,” George Mason President Gregory Washington said. “Any time a study is done, and they put our campus up against other campuses in the state and in the region, every single study I've seen has come back with data” favorable to George Mason. “We are very, extraordinarily frugal, but sometimes you just can't go below a certain level and still provide the necessary services that are needed for our students.”

The Virginia Legislature meets in a special legislative session on May 13 to consider the two-year commonwealth budget.

State investment in George Mason pays off for the commonwealth, Dickenson added. A recent study by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia found that 73% of in-state George Mason graduates stay in Virginia—3% higher than public four-year institutions in the state. For out-of-state George Mason students, 29% remain in Virginia after graduation, 9% higher than the state average.

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Governor appoints Farnaz Farkish Thompson to Mason BOV

Colleen Rich — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:23:18 +0000

Governor appoints Farnaz Farkish Thompson to Mason BOV Colleen Rich Wed, 03/27/2024 - 17:23

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has appointed Farnaz Farkish Thompson, a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of McGuireWoods LLP, to the ��AV Board of Visitors (BOV).

Farnaz Farkish Thompson. Photo provided

Prior to joining McGuireWoods, Thompson served as deputy general counsel in the U.S. Department of Education and as associate university counsel at the University of Virginia. She began her BOV term this month. Her appointment runs through June 30, 2027.

Thompson is to complete the term initiated by Dorothy “Deecy” Gray, who recently stepped down from the 16-member board.

Thompson served in the U.S. Department of Education from 2018 to 2021, first as special counsel and then as deputy general counsel for postsecondary education. She also served as assistant attorney general in the Civil Litigation Division of the Virginia attorney general’s office.

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Mason’s partnership with CGI grows stronger each year

Colleen Rich — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 15:57:55 +0000

Mason’s partnership with CGI grows stronger each year Colleen Rich Mon, 03/18/2024 - 11:57

CGI Group Inc. is one of the world’s largest information technology and business process service firms specializing in providing effective IT solutions for federal government agencies. It is also a long-time ��AV partner and supporter of the College of Engineering and Computing and the Costello College of Business.

Mason hosted CGI leadership, employees, and Mason alumni at the men’s basketball game against Duquesne at EagleBank Arena on March 2. Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

CGI is the professional home for more than 250 Mason alumni, including Mason Board of Visitors Rector Horace Blackman, BA ’93, who is the senior vice president and lead of CGI Federal’s Defense, Intelligence, and Space business unit.

George Mason hosted CGI leadership, employees, and Mason alumni at the Center of the Arts on Mason’s Fairfax Campus before the men’s basketball team played Duquesne at EagleBank Arena on March 2.

“I am always excited about this partnership,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “We chose to engage with CGI because the principles that you all believe in are the core principles of this institution.”

From left, Trishana E. Bowden, President Gregory Washington, CGI’s President and CEO George Schindler, and Rector Horace Blackman at the CGI Night pre-game reception. Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

“The continued partnership between CGI and Mason has been amazing and has made such a difference in continuing to build for the next generation,” said Trishana E. Bowden, president of the ��AV Foundation and vice president for advancement and alumni relations.

More than 200 alumni and friends were present at the CGI at Mason event, including George Schindler, CGI’s president and chief executive officer, who received a Mason men’s basketball jersey at the pre-game reception.

“I am glad to be part of Mason’s vision and glad to give back and have an opportunity to reconnect with other alums,” said Pablo Ayala, BS Finance ’06, the finance director and business unit controller at CGI.

Events such as the one on March 2 allow alumni to hear about Mason’s latest accomplishments, while presenting them with ways they can continue to support their university. “It is amazing to see other alumni and to see that the Mason traditions are still alive and well,” said Brooke McGee-Ayala, JD ’16.

President Washington expressed appreciation for Mason’s and CGI’s longstanding partnership. “The success of this company is indisputably tied to the success of this institution,” he said. To the alumni, he added: “You all are our greatest ambassadors.”

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