BOV elects new leaders, approves academic program changes; hears campaign, research and admissions updates; approves room and board increase

The George Mason University Board of Visitorswelcomed 12 new membersand elected new board leadership at its Feb. 26 meetingin Merten Hall on the Fairfax Campus.

The new rector is Michael J. Meese, formerly the vice rector. The new vice rector is Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA '94, one of the dozen new members appointed to the board in January by Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

Returning visitor Armand Alacbay, JD '04, will continue in his role as secretary. The other two members of the board's executive committee are new board members Anne Altman, BS Marketing '82, and Paul Misener, JD '93. Altman served on the BOV from 2006 to 2010.

Four of the board's six standing committees are chaired by newly appointed board members.

"This reflects their willingness to serve and our commitment to bringing fresh perspectives into leadership," Meese said. "I am very grateful for the willingness of the new and returning members to step into these roles."

In one early decision, the board voted to raise housing and dining meal plans by 4% to help offset rising costs in the state's most expensive region and fund a backlog of deferred maintenance projects. The increase will be about $580 per student for the academic year. Rates vary by room style and meal plan. About 6,000 students, or 15% of the university's enrollment, lives on campus.

Even after that increase, George Mason's room and board rate for the 2026-27 academic year will be lower than the other five Virginia doctoral universities' rates are for 2025-26.

"George Mason strives to balance the continued pressures of inflation and the high cost of living with the need to provide affordable food and housing to our students," said Julie Zobel, senior vice president and chief operating officer in administration and operations. "The proposed housing increase allows us to keep pace with inflation and cover the costs of operating and staffing 40 residence halls in an environment where costs continue to rise."

Last year the university provided more than $2 million in housing grants for lower-income students, Zobel said. The university also offers a housing and food insecurity fund.

There will be a tuition town hall for students at 4:30 p.m. on March 23 in Merten 1203 on the Fairfax Campus. The BOV will hold a public comment session on tuition on March 31, committee meetings on April 15 and a full board meeting on April 30.

The board approved two items regarding academic programs. Pending approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, George Mason will expand existing curriculum in the College of Education and Human Development to launch a BS in hospitality, tourism and events management, a change that will "align the degree more closely with industry standards and course demand," Interim Provost Ajay Vinzé said.

The BA in government and international politics in the Schar School will become a BA in political science, a name change that will be clearer to students and families and align with national norms, Vinzé said.

Andre Marshall, vice president for research, innovation and economic impact, noted that George Mason research expenditures have grown from $84 million in 2010 to $282 million in 2024 but added that recent federal policy actions have resulted in 53 terminated awards representing about $16 million in lost funding. The Grand Challenge Initiative, which will soon announce grant recipients, has focused the university's research on areas most likely to attract external funding.

Marshall also highlighted the opportunities that Fuse at Mason Square provides for collaboration across industry, academia and government. "There is a great community that is building there," he said. "Not just with the faculty and the labs, but the tenants. Not the least of which is also the presence of Mason Enterprise in order to support startups and commercialization of technologies that are coming out of George Mason."

One of the highlights of the meeting was a presentation on Mason LIFE, an inclusive postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities, from program director Linn Jorgenson. Mason LIFE is marking its 20th anniversary this year, and there will be more coverage of the milestone in The George in April. Student Nominzul Otgonbayar shared her experiences in the program. In Virginia, there are four universities with Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs. George Mason is the only university in the state to also have a Comprehensive Transition Program designation.

"That can only happen at a place as inclusive as this one," Washington said. "There is a reason it is happening at Mason and not other places - because everybody can be at home here. That is the kind of institution we have. That is who we are."

David Burge, vice president for enrollment management, noted that the university enrolls more undergraduate students now - 28,137 - than at any point in its history. That influx has helped offset a drop in international students as a result of changing federal policy. "We are educating more Virginians than we have ever educated as an institution," Burge said.

One reason for the undergraduate surge is the university's direct admission partnerships with 40 high schools across eight Northern Virginia school divisions. Students who meet certain academic criteria are informed they have been accepted to George Mason, even if they have not applied to the university.

"We have talented students in Virginia who were self-selecting out of college," Burge said. "We are doing a better job of getting them in at this point." A projected 30 percent of the university's incoming freshmen this fall will be from direct admission.

"I can guarantee you within 10 years, this will be the norm of how institutions admit students," Washington said. "And by that time - even before that - five years from now, we need to be on to something else."

Trishana Bowden, vice president for advancement and alumni relations and president of the GMU Foundation, said the university has raised $620.3 toward its $1 billion goal in the Mason Now: Power the Possible campaign. She also offered a reminder for Giving Day on April 2.

"This day is about giving to George Mason and to anything that you care about within our university, so it is something that strongly resonates with our community," Bowden said. "We have seen the number increase every year and so we're hoping that we will have the support of all our leadership boards and committees and advisory councils."

Marvin Lewis, vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics, gave an overview of George Mason student-athletes' success in the classroom (3.4 overall cumulative GPA) and in competition, new facilities (a planned groundbreaking in late spring for the Basketball & Academic Performance Center) and upcoming Atlantic 10 championships that will take place locally - the outdoor track and field championships at George Mason on May 2-3 and the baseball championship May 20-23 at Capital One Park in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Washington gave a shoutout to George Mason student Ilia Malinin, a gold medalist U.S. figure skater in the recently concluded Winter Olympics. Malinin schedules his course work around his skating training and competitions. "He is a contemporary student," Washington said. "He is working, in terms of his craft and he is doing that while also being a student.

"At George Mason, that's Tuesday. We have a lot of folks like that and we know how to integrate and work with those young people while they are pursuing their dreams and also their academic pursuits."

Watch full BOV meetings on Vimeo

Meet the new members of the BOV

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