President’s Convocation: Merten Discusses Future

By Broadside Reporter David Pierce. Photo by Laura Foltz

President Alan Merten spoke to faculty members at the President’s Convocation on Wednesday, Oct. 1 in Dewberry Hall. He was joined by Provost Peter Stearns and Senior Vice President Maurice Scherrens to discuss the current state of the college, the budget and the 2014 strategic plan.

President Merten began by talking about recent recognitions the university has received, such as the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of George Mason University as the number one up-and-coming national university and the current campus construction.

“I tell our students,” said Merten, “you are going to college on a construction site.” He said the campus is about to see, 14 major construction projects worth up to $700 million, which includes new research laboratories, a parking deck and a hotel.

Scherrens announced that there are budget cuts for the 2009 fiscal year, but he was optimistic.

“We will get through [this], we will survive,” said Scherrens, noting that there have been other budget reductions in the last 25 years. He outlined the 2009 Educational and General budget, which is provided to Mason by the state from taxpayer dollars. The 2009 revenue total in the E&G budget was over $357 million. Scherrens also said that the state will cut the school’s general fund from 39.7 percent of the E&G budget, $144 million, to 34.3 percent, $124 million. He said that the state’s support in the past 17 years, in terms of funds, has varied from as high as 61 percent in 2001, to the current 39.7 percent.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” said Scherrens, “[we will] have to reduce services [and activities].”

When asked about how reducing available activities would affect Mason students, Scherrens said it wouldn’t be obvious.

“[Students] should not see an impact on student activities and organizations,” said Scherrens, “but we had hoped to have more [expansion] in terms of what we provide [to] student services.” Star Muir, associate professor in the communication department, believed that the budget cuts would not hurt Mason in the long term.

“[Mason] will come out of it all right,” said Muir, “[but] the next two years will be tough.”

Merten agreed with Muir.

“The key thing is that Mason has thrived in good times and bad times,” said Merten, adding “we are the national success story.”

Scherrens also said that there is a plan for an eight to 10 percent tuition increase projected for next year, but it is not a guarantee, and the state will officially inform the college of the actual budget cut amount on Oct. 15.

He introduced planned strategies that, at the college level, would reduce institutional reserve and include a possible additional student fee in time for the spring 2009 semester. At the departmental level, Scherrens believed that reducing the amount of services provided, limiting or eliminating discretionary spending and delaying the replacement of equipment and maintenance of facilities, as well as system upgrades, would be required.

Stearns outlined Mason’s 2014 strategic plan, which he believes has principle components that will help the university meet its future challenges. He said that Mason needed to continue a commitment to growth in the area of research and creativity.

Improvements in teaching methods, such as seeking new, innovative ways to teach effectively, were also important. Stearns said that Mason would like to commit to lifelong learning with diverse age groups, such as the education of senior citizens and retraining of the workforce.

He said that Mason plans to consolidate efforts in the area of global education and global commitments, adding that we would add relevant sustainability education to it.

Stearns also mentioned that we need to maintain and improve the college’s infrastructure to meet the 2014 strategic plan goals, as well as find creative ways to do so.

“This is a plan that I think will prove to be compatible with our current budget dilemma,” said Stearns. He believed that some of the initiatives of the plan didn’t rely on new money.

“One of the impressive things about [Mason] is how we manage with inadequate funding,” said Stearns, “and now we have even more inadequate funding.”

Merten urged students to help by putting pressure on the state government to give Mason more funding, as he believes that for every dollar the government doesn’t give to Mason, the students have to pay.

“The students are paying more than their share,” said Merten, “we have to reverse that, it’s a bad situation.”