George Mason University

University of Virginia (1949–1972)

The University of Virginia in Charlottesville created an extension center to serve Northern Virginia. "… the University Center opened, on October 1, 1949..." The extension center offered both for credit and non-credit informal classes in the evenings in the Vocational Building of the Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia. The first for credit classes offered were: "Government in the Far East, Introduction to International Politics, English Composition, Principles of Economics, Mathematical Analysis, Introduction to Mathematical Statistics, and Principles of Lip Reading." By the end of 1952, enrollment increased to 1,192 students from 665 students the previous year.

A resolution of the Virginia General Assembly in January 1956 changed the extension center into University College, the Northern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia. John Norville Gibson Finley served as director. Seventeen freshmen students attended classes at University College in a small renovated elementary school building in Bailey's Crossroads starting in September 1957. In 1958 University College became George Mason College.

The City of Fairfax purchased and donated 150 acres (0.61 km²) of land just south of the city limits to the University of Virginia for the college's new site, which is now referred to as the Fairfax Campus. In 1959, the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia selected a permanent name for the college: George Mason College of the University of Virginia. The Fairfax campus construction planning that began in early 1960 showed visible results when the development of the first 40 acres (160,000 m²) of Fairfax Campus began in 1962. In the Fall of 1964 the new campus welcomed 356 students.

During the 1966 Session of the Virginia General Assembly, Alexandria delegate James M. Thomson, with the backing of the University of Virginia, introduced a bill in the General Assembly to make George Mason College a four-year institution under the University of Virginia's direction. The measure, known as H 33, passed the Assembly easily and was approved on March 1, 1966 making George Mason College a degree-granting institution. During that same year, the local jurisdictions of Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church agreed to appropriate $3 million to purchase land adjacent to Mason to provide for a 600-acre (2.4 km²) Fairfax Campus with the intention that the institution would expand into a regional university of major proportions, including the granting of graduate degrees.

George Mason University (1972–present)

On Friday, April 7, 1972, a contingent from George Mason College, led by Chancellor Lorin A. Thompson, met with Virginia Governor A. Linwood Holton at Richmond. They were there to participate in the governor's signing into law Virginia General Assembly Bill H 210 separating George Mason College from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville and renaming it George Mason University. In 1978, George W. Johnson was appointed to serve as the fourth president. Under his eighteen-year tenure, the university expanded both its physical size and program offerings at a tremendous rate. Shortly before Johnson's inauguration in April 1979, Mason acquired the School of Law and the new Arlington Campus. The university also became a doctoral institution. Toward the end of Johnson's term, Mason would be deep in planning for a third campus in Prince William County at Manassas. Major campus facilities, such as Student Union Building II, EagleBank Arena, Center for the Arts, and the Johnson Learning Center, were all constructed over the course of Johnson's eighteen years as University President. Enrollment once again more than doubled from 10,767 during the fall of 1978 to 24,368 in the spring of 1996.

Dr. Alan G. Merten was appointed president in 1996. He believed that the university's location made it responsible for both contributing to and drawing from its surrounding communities—local, national, and global. George Mason was becoming recognized and acclaimed in all of these spheres. During Merten's tenure, the university hosted the World Congress of Information Technology (WCIT) in 1998, celebrated a second Nobel Prize-winning faculty member in 2002, and cheered the Men's Basketball team in their NCAA Final Four appearance in 2006. Enrollment increased from just over 24,000 students in 1996 to approximately 33,000 during the spring semester of 2012, making George Mason Virginia's largest public university and gained prominence at the national level.

Dr. Ángel Cabrera officially took office on July 1, 2012. Both Cabrera and the board were well aware that Mason was part of a rapidly changing academia, full of challenges to the viability of higher education. In a resolution on August 17, 2012, the board asked Dr. Cabrera to create a new strategic vision that would help Mason remain relevant and competitive in the future. The drafting of the Vision for Mason, from conception to official outline, created a new mission statement that defines the university.

On March 25, 2013, George Mason University President Ángel Cabrera held a press conference to formally announce the university's decision to leave the Colonial Athletic Association to join the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). The announcement came just days after the Board of Visitors' approval of the university's Vision document that Dr. Cabrera had overseen. Mason began competition in the A-10 during the 2013–2014 academic year, and Mason's association with the institutions that comprise the A-10 started a new chapter in Mason athletics, academics, and other aspects of university life.

George Mason statue

The bronze statue of George Mason on campus was created by Wendy M. Ross and dedicated on April 12, 1996. The 7½ foot statue shows George Mason presenting his first draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights which was later the basis for the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. Beside Mr. Mason is a model of a writing table that is still in the study of Gunston Hall, Mason's Virginia estate. The books on the table—volumes of Hume, Locke and Rousseau—represent influences in his thought.

Academics

Mason offers undergraduate, master's, law, and doctoral degrees. The student-faculty ratio is 16:1 and the average class size ranges from 25 to 35 students.

Admissions

Between 2009 and 2013, George Mason saw a 21% increase in the number of applications, has enrolled 3.5% more new degree-seeking students, and has seen the percentage of undergraduate and graduate applications accepted each decrease by 4%. Law applications accepted increased by 10%. Mason enrolled 33,917 students for Fall 2013, up 956 (2.9%) from Fall 2012. Undergraduate students made up 64.8% (21,990) of the fall enrollment, graduate students 33.6% (11,399), and Law students 1.6% (528). Undergraduate headcount was 1,337 higher than Fall 2012, a 6.5% increase; graduate headcount was 262 lower, a decrease of 2.2%; and Law headcount was 119 lower, a decrease of 18.4%. Matriculated students come from all 50 states and 122 foreign countries. As of fall 2014, the university had 33,791 students enrolled, including 21,672 undergraduates, 7,022 seeking master's degrees, 2,264 seeking doctoral degrees and 493 seeking law degrees.

Accreditation

George Mason University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) to award bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

Campuses

George Mason University has four campuses in the United States, all within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three are within the Northern Virginia section of the Piedmont, and one in the Blue Ridge Mountains region. The university has one campus in South Korea, within the Incheon Free Economic Zone of the Songdo region.

Fairfax

The University's Fairfax Campus is situated on 677 acres (1.058 sq mi) of landscaped land with a large pond in a suburban environment in George Mason, Virginia, just south of the City of Fairfax in central Fairfax County. Off-campus amenities are within walking distance and Washington, D.C. is approximately 20 miles (32 km) from campus. Notable buildings include the 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m²) student union building, the Johnson Center; the Center for the Arts, a 2,000-seat concert hall; the 180,000-square-foot (17,000 m²) Long and Kimmy Nguyen Engineering Building; Exploratory Hall for science, new in 2013; an astronomy observatory and telescope; the 88,900-square-foot (8,260 m²) Art and Design Building; the newly expanded Fenwick Library, and will soon reconstruct the academic buildings Robinson A and B; the Krasnow Institute; and three fully appointed gyms and an aquatic center for student use. The stadiums for indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, softball, tennis, soccer and lacrosse are also on the Fairfax campus, as is Masonvale, a housing community for faculty, staff and graduate students. The smallest building on the campus is the 33-square-foot (3.1 m²) information booth.

Transportation

This campus is served by the Washington Metro Orange Line at the Vienna, Fairfax, GMU station as well as Metrobus routes. The CUE Bus Green One, Green Two, Gold One, and Gold Two lines all provide service to this campus at 38.834651°N 77.306958°W / 38.834651; -77.306958 (Cue Bus Stop). This campus is served by the Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line at the Burke Center station. Fairfax Connector Route 306: GMU - Pentagon provides service to this campus. Mason provides shuttle service between this campus and Vienna, Fairfax, GMU Metro station, the Burke Center VRE station, the Science and Technology Campus, West Campus, and downtown City of Fairfax.

Arlington

The Arlington Campus is situated on 5.2 acres (21,000 m²; 0.0081 sq mi) in a bustling urban environment on the edge of Arlington, Virginia's Clarendon business district and four miles (6.4 km) from downtown Washington, D.C. The campus was founded in 1979 with the acquisition of a law school; in 1998 Hazel Hall opened to house the Mason School of Law; subsequent development created Founders Hall, home of the School for Policy, Government, and International Affairs, the Center for Regional Analysis, and the graduate-level administrative offices for the School of Business. Vernon Smith Hall houses the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, the Mercatus Center, and the Institute for Humane Studies. The campus also houses the 300-seat Founders Hall Auditorium.

Transportation

This campus is served by the Washington Metro Orange Line at the Virginia Square-GMU station as well as Metrobus route 38B. The rail station is located one block west of the campus. Arlington Rapid Transit or ART Bus routes 41, 42, and 75 also provide service at this location. The campus offers one electric vehicle charging station, five disabled permit automotive parking locations, three bicycle parking locations, and one Capitol Bikeshare location.

George Mason University Science and Technology Campus

The University's Prince William campus opened on August 25, 1997 in Manassas, Virginia, on 134 acres (0.209 sq mi; 540,000 m²) of land, some currently undeveloped. More than 4,000 students are enrolled in classes in bioinformatics, biotechnology, computer and information technology and forensic biosciences educational and research programs. There also are undergraduate programs in health, fitness and recreation; graduate programs in exercise, fitness and health; and nontraditional programs through continuing and professional education in geographic information systems and facility management. Much of the research takes place in the Biomedical Research Laboratory, a high-security facility. The 1,123-seat Merchant Hall and the 300-seat Verizon Auditorium in the Hylton Performing Arts Center, which opened in 2010, share the campus with the 110,000-square-foot Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center operated by Mason and local governments and the Mason Enterprise Center. The Mason Center for Team and Organizational Learning—the EDGE— is an experiential education facility open to the public. This campus is also home to the Sports Medicince Assessment Research and Testing, (S.M.A.R.T) Lab, which is located in the Freedom center. The S.M.A.R.T lab is most known for its concussion research. On April 23, 2015 the campus was renamed to the George Mason University Science and Technology Campus.

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

The campus in Front Royal, Virginia is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the university. Open to students in August 2012 after breaking ground on the project on June 29, 2011, the primary focus of the campus is global conservation training. The academic center includes three teaching laboratories, four classrooms, and 18 offices. Shenandoah National Park is visible from the dining facility's indoor and outdoor seating. Living quarters include 60 double occupancy rooms, an exercise facility, and study space.

Songdo, South Korea

Opened in March 2014, the Songdo campus is in South Korea's Incheon Free Economic Zone, a 42,000-acre (66 sq mi) site designed for 850,000 people. It's 25 miles (40 km) from Seoul and a two-hour flight from China and Japan. Matthew Zingraff is president and provost of Mason Korea.

The Commonwealth of Virginia considers the Songdo campus legally no different than any other Mason campus, "... board of visitors shall have the same powers with respect to operation and governance of its branch campus in Korea as are vested in the board by the Code of Virginia with respect to George Mason University in Virginia ..." Mason Korea students will spend the fourth and fifth semesters (third year) on the Fairfax Campus, with all other course work to be completed in Songdo. Economics and management are the first course offerings and were specifically requested by Korea's Ministry of Education. Future degrees include global affairs, conflict analysis and resolution and computer gaming.

The South Korean government approached Mason in 2008 about opening a Mason campus in Songdo. A $1 million grant in 2009 from the Korean government made it possible for Mason to begin detailed planning. The Korean government will subsidize Mason's Songdo campus for at least the first five years, including free use of buildings and utilities.

Research

George Mason University, an institution dedicated to research of consequence, hosts more than $100 million in sponsored research projects annually. As of February 1, 2016, Mason is now ranked among the highest research institutions (R1) in the country by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Mason moved into the highest research ranking based on a review of its 2013-2014 data that was performed by the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University Schools of Education.

The research is focused on health, sustainability and security. In health, researchers focus is on wellness, disease prevention, advanced diagnostics and biomedical analytics. Sustainability research examines climate change, natural disaster forecasting, and risk assessment. Mason's security experts study domestic and international security as well as cyber security.

Centers and institutes

The university is home to numerous research centers and institutes.

Partners

Mason has established far-reaching research partnerships with many government agencies, non-profits, health systems, and international finance organizations. Among others, Mason researches computer systems and networks with the Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA); investigates climate issues with the National Aeronautics and Space administration (NASA); explores underwater archaeology with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); partners on conservation and biological matters with the Smithsonian institution; studies brain neurons with The Allen Institute; conducts economic research with the International Monetary Fund; and examines chronic illnesses and disabilities with the Inova Health System.

George Mason statue

George can often be found holding green and yellow balloons or adorned in Mason gear since decorating George with paper, ribbons, balloons and signage during organizational activities, homecoming, alumni weekend and other university events is common tradition. Another statue tradition is to rub George's toe for good luck before an exam. Posing for a photo with George on your first day of class and in your academic regalia is considered a "must-do" for Mason students.

Fight song

School of Music professor Anthony J. Maiello wrote the original "George Mason Fight Song" between 1988 and 1990.  The lyrics were written and edited in 2009 by "Doc Nix" Nickens, a Mason professor of music and director of Mason's Green Machine.

Mason Day

Mason Day, held on the last Friday of the spring semester, is George Mason University's longest-standing tradition and has been celebrating Mason Day since before Mason was an independent university. The event started in 1965 as the Mason's version of University of Virginia's Founders Day, which celebrated Thomas Jefferson's birthday on April 13. The event has evolved over the years and features carnival food like funnel cakes and amusement park rides, in addition to local bands with a nationally known headliner.

Bench painting

Each spring, student organizations at George Mason compete to paint one of the 38 benches located on the Quad in front of Fenwick Library. For years, student organizations have painted those benches that line the walkway to gain recognition for their group. With more than 300 student organizations, there is much competition to paint one of the benches. Painting takes place in the spring.

Housing

On the Fairfax campus the northernmost housing is technically on campus, but about a mile from the center of campus, about a half mile from the edge of the majority of the Fairfax campus in the housing area called Townhouses. On the Western edge of the Fairfax campus lies Masonvale, houses intended for graduate students and visiting faculty. On the southern edge of the Fairfax campus you will find President’s Park, Liberty Square, and Potomac Heights. The easternmost housing on the Fairfax campus, that follow along Ox Road, are the Global Center, Student Apartments, Whitetop, and Rogers. Closer to the center of the Fairfax campus are the housing buildings along Chesapeake Lane, named: Northern Neck, Commonwealth, Blue Ridge, Sandbridge, Piedmont, and Tidewater, as well as Hampton Roads, Dominion, Eastern Shore, and the Commons. 21 miles (34 km) west of Fairfax, Beacon Hall is on the Science and Technology campus and was designed for graduate student housing. 54 miles (87 km) west of Fairfax, the G.T. Halpin Family Living & Learning Community is on the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation campus. 6,961 miles (11,203 km) west of Fairfax, Student's Hall and Guest House are on the Songdo campus.

Student organizations

Student organizations can have an academic, social, athletic, career, or just about any other focus. The university recognizes 500 such groups.

Student media

Mason sponsors several student-run media outlets through the Office of Student Media.

Greek life

Mason has 35 fraternities and sororities, with a total Greek population of about 1,800. Mason does not have a traditional "Greek Row" of housing specifically for fraternities, although recruitment, charitable events—including a spring Greek Week—and other chapter activities take place on the Fairfax Campus.

Division I teams

The George Mason Patriots are the athletic teams of George Mason University located in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference for most sports. About 485 student-athletes compete in 22 men's and women's Division I sports – baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Intercollegiate men's and women's teams are members of the National Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, the Atlantic 10, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL), and the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A).

Club sports

In addition to its NCAA Division I teams, George Mason University has several club sports. The club sports offer students a chance to compete at a high level without the time commitment of a D-I/Varsity team in sports including – badminton, baseball, basketball (women's), bowling, cricket, crew, cycling, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse (men's and women's), paintball, quidditch, rugby (men's and women's), running, soccer (men's and women's), swimming, tae kwon do, trap & skeet, triathlon, ultimate frisbee (men's and women's), volleyball (men's and women's), wrestling, and underwater hockey. Clubs have a competitive range from regional competition to yearly participation in U.S. National College Club Level Championships.

Board

The Board of Visitors (BOV), of George Mason University was created in April 1972 by an act of the Commonwealth of Virginia General Assembly when the university became an independent institution. The board is a corporate body serving under the leadership of a rector, vice rector, and secretary. The 16 members of the board are appointed by the governor of Virginia on a rotating basis to serve four-year terms. The Faculty Senate Chair sits on the board as a nonvoting member. Two student representatives (nonvoting members) are appointed by the Board of Visitors each year at the May meeting to serve a one-year term. The current rector is Tom Davis.

President

Ángel Cabrera is the sixth president of George Mason University. Born in Spain (August 5, 1967), Cabrera earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in computer and electrical engineering (Ingeniero de Telecomunicación) from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. As a Fulbright Scholar, he attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned a master's of science and Ph.D. in psychology and cognitive science.

The World Economic Forum named Cabrera a Global Leader for Tomorrow in 2001 and a Young Global Leader in 2005. In 2004, he was recognized by BusinessWeek as one of the 25 "Stars of Europe." In 2007, the United Nations asked him to chair the international task force that developed the U.N.'s "Principles for Responsible Management Education." The World Economic Forum appointed Cabrera chair of the Global Agenda Council for promoting entrepreneurship in 2008 and he was named the Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute. In 2010, Cabrera became a topic leader for the Clinton Global Initiative.  He has authored numerous academic papers and has received more than 2,000 citations. His latest book, Being Global: How to Think, Act and Lead in a Transformed World, was published by Harvard Business Review in 2012.

Provost and executive vice president

Dr. S. David Wu became Provost and Executive Vice President of George Mason University on July 1, 2014. As chief academic officer of the university, Dr. Wu is responsible for all aspects of academic administration of the university. He also serves as Professor in the Volgenau School of Engineering.

Dr. Wu is an accomplished scholar in systems engineering and operations research. He specializes in optimization, game theory, and distributed decision-making. He has received significant support for his research from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense (DOD), and others. His scholarly work has been widely recognized and cited. A fellow of the Institute for Industrial Engineers Dr. Wu has published more than 100 scholarly papers and served as editor or editorial board member on more than a handful of the journals in his field.

Dr. Wu also taught at the University of Pennsylvania and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He received his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 1987.

Well-Being University

The George Mason Well-Being University Initiative was launched October 28, 2013 and is made up of more than 20 faculty members, staff, and students. With its base in the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, the goal of the initiative is to see that Mason becomes a model well-being university where students, faculty, and staff are building a life of vitality, purpose, and resilience, enriched by diversity and characterized by thriving across a range of domains, including physical, career, social, community, psychological and financial.

Faculty

Alumni

Accolades