Notes From the Board of Visitors Meeting

By Gleason S. Rowe, Student Representative, Board of Visitors

My role as one of two students representatives on the Board of Visitors is to act as a liaison between the administrators, the Board members and the student body and, of course, to share my perspective on the needs of the students. I initially decided to apply for the position because I strongly believe that students should play a part in the decisions that will directly affect us. I also want to be sure it is known that my goal is to represent all students in the best way I can and I am always willing to listen to issues or concerns.

The overall tone of this meeting was definitely one of optimism. President Merten gave a report on the University, one of his major concerns being the jump in enrollment for this semester. Mason saw a yield of 4% more students who accepted their admission decision than expected, taking the actual enrollment to 32,200 for the fall term. While this was not the case of our peer institutions in the commonwealth, this presents both advantages and challenges. Obviously, this can help the University in some ways initially. The tuition money we get from these students is helping to supplement for the last few budget cuts imposed upon us by the state.

However, there are also a few challenges associated with this increase. As some students know first hand, Housing and Residence Life has had to make space for the increase in students on campus. Soon this issue should be alleviated with the opening of the next residential building, Eastern Shore, which will house about 200 students.

Vice President for University Life, Dr. Sandy Scherrens, also voiced concern to the Board that on-campus resources like Student Health Services were overwhelmed trying to serve the campus population. The hope is to increase the hours of the facilities to better fit the needs of the large student body.

The Board also took a bus tour of campus to see some of the new buildings and future plans for construction on campus. A few projects stand out, such as the hotel and conference center, which will be called the Mason Inn. The theme of the Inn will be focused around George Mason the man. The Inn will not only serve as a large revenue generator for the University but will also be an asset for building on Mason traditions like Alumni Weekend, Homecoming and Family Weekend. It has been built intentionally so that it may easily be added to if expansion seems necessary in the future.

Another interesting development will be the residential area which will eventually take over what is now Lot I. Now called Housing VIII, this project is in the pre-design stages and facilities administrators are currently trying to decide what kind of students this area should serve. Among those being considered are transfer and graduate students. Both necessary projects to support our ever-growing University.

I also sit on the on the Academic Programs, Diversity and University Community Committee which is a sub-group within the Board, including other faculty representatives. Assistant to President and Director Equity & Diversity, Corey Jackson, made a presentation before the committee about the inclusion of the different groups at Mason. Naturally, Mason has been ranked and known as one of the most diverse universities in the country but some of us on the committee felt there should be more interaction between the groups to make for a truly diverse campus. Later that same day, I learned about an event on campus doing just that. Stand Up for Peace was a comedy show put on in the Johnson Center Cinema that brought Jews, Arabs, Muslims and people from all backgrounds together to laugh, and encourage a dialogue in support of a peaceful, political resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I think this truly gets to the essence of not only diversity but acceptance and a desire for learning beyond what you believe. More events like this would do wonders for Mason and the world as a whole. I applaud all those who planned and participated in this event.

Mason does have its challenges, but I have realized in my position it also has a strong team of people who are working constantly on improving the University- including 16 professionals in business, education and law. The growth in those accepting their admissions has lead to issues ensuring that we have sufficient services for our student body but overall it bodes well for the future of Mason. Over the past five years the undergraduate admissions has risen 26% up to 19,931 applicants for this fall including freshmen and transfers. It is also important to remember the things that we have done well like earning arenown as  a diverse student body and continue to develop in the collaboration and cooperation of all groups. The administration and Board is dedicated to not only the expansion of the University but also to the betterment of each student’s experience. I will strive in my role to be sure I contribute to Mason. I welcome students to contact me with concerns or questions.