Admin & Academia

Mason plans to boost research credentials through investment, undergrad involvement

As part of its strategic plan, Mason will try to attain a “very high research activity” ranking from the Carnegie Foundation, a research center that measures the research activity of hundreds of universities. The move is part of an attempt to increase Mason’s reputation as a high-class research institution. To reach the goal, officials hope to invest heavily in research projects and to restructure academic programs to make research a more prominent component of Mason’s academic experience.

Strategic plan outlines university ten-year goals

Mason’s new strategic plan lays out the university’s goals for the next ten years, showcasing the priorities of the university and where resources, including funding, should be allocated.

“It’s a structured approach to anticipating our future,” said Michelle Marks, chair of the strategic planning committee. “It will help us concentrate our resources in areas in highest priority to key stakeholders which include students, number one, also faculty, staff, also our community, our region and also the world.”

Adjunct faculty pay, benefits not on par with comparable universities


While adjunct professors are an essential facet of the instructional faculty at Mason, they are hired per-class, meaning they do not receive all of the benefits nor the pay of full-time faculty.

Changes to Ultimate Meal Plan cause confusion among students

Mason students with the “Ultimate” meal plan may be in for a shock the next time they try to swipe in their friends at Southside.

Students still have unlimited access to Southside; however, they will only be able to swipe their ID card once every 30 minutes. The change was made after the Mason Card office noticed that students were sharing their meal swipes at Southside with their friends.

Board of Visitors approves new degree programs

In order to meet the demands of the job market, Mason has proposed four new academic programs. Starting fall 2014, Mason will provide a Bachelor of Science in cyber security engineering.

A Ph.D. in bioengineering and Masters of Science in data analytics will be available to graduate students.

The proposals for the new programs were approved by the Board of Visitors on Oct. 2. According to Provost Peter Stearns, the next step is approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, which may take time.

LIVEBLOG: Student Government meeting (24 Oct. 2013)

 

About

Fourth Estate is George Mason University's official student-run news outlet. 

The organization was formed in Fall 2013 in collaboration between the student newspaper, Broadside, and an student-run news website, Connect2Mason. 

Our mission is to inform Mason students, faculty and alumni about what's happening in the community. Through a weekly publication and an online presence, Fourth Estate covers everything from the Board of Visitors to the next concert coming to the Patriot Center.