Fourth Estate Online News Editor Vernon Miles
Arts Building cleared of early morning bomb threat
|Mason’s Art and Design Building on the Fairfax campus has been reopened this morning after police investigated a written bomb threat that was discovered last night. The building was closed this morning and all classes beginning at 7:30 a.m. in the Art and Design Building were cancelled. Students were encouraged to take necessary precautions and stay away from the building.
Snowstorm brings temporary changes to Mason parking
|With the impending snowstorm, Mason Parking & Transportation is opening the gates to Rappahannock and Shenandoah Decks for all general parking. Students are advised to move their cars from the open lots to the decks, where overnight restrictions will be waived for Wednesday and Thursday evening.
Mason establishes partnership with Mexican university
|In the Delegates Lounge of the Department of State, the Mason Enterprise Center (MEC) finalized a deal to take their business incubator model global. The deal formalized a partnership between the MEC and the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL) to build economic prospects in Mexico and collaborative business ventures. The deal is a landmark as the first partnership formed under the Small Business Network of the Americas, a recently launched State Department program.
Provost candidate David Wu delivers presentation to Mason community
|In a presentation to administration and faculty, David Wu, a finalist in Mason’s Provost search, highlighted the need for universities to be responsive to trends in higher education. Out of 70 applicants, Wu, dean of the Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh University, was chosen by the provost search committee as one of the four finalists for the position.
Delegate Bulova issues "Message to Mason"
|Delegate David Bulova, a democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 37th District, recorded a “Message for Mason” January 27th for “Take it to the Hill”, a political talk show that airs on WGMU. In his message, Bulova discusses some of the upcoming issues facing the House of Delegates. In the wake of the former Governor Robert McDonnell scandal regarding campaign gifts, Bulova says the House will consider legislation requiring increased transparency for similar contributions.
Provost search committee chairman hosts open forum
|The search for a new provost to replace Peter Stearns, who has held the position since 2000, is underway. Professor T. Mills Kelly, the chair of the Provost Search Committee, hosted a forum October 24th to discuss the search with the public.
“It’s a chance for me and others in the search committee to hear feedback,” Kelly said.
Alcohol incidents more than double on campus
|The 2013 Annual Security Report, released in September, shows a drastic increase in alcohol related arrests and referrals on Mason’s Fairfax campus between 2011 and 2012. While the number of alcohol related arrests decreased from 111 arrests in 2010 to 99 in 2011, the number rose sharply to 247 in 2012, representing a 62 percent increase.
Mason offers counseling services in wake of Navy Yard shooting
|In response to the shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington DC that left 12 dead and many more injured, George Mason University President Ángel Cabrera sent out an email to students offering access to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).