In This Story
Dear colleagues,
As we wrap up the academic year, I want to take a moment to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together. Your collaboration, resilience, and unwavering commitment to our shared mission have made this an extraordinary year for George Mason University.
Together, we’ve made meaningful strides on the ambitious goals we set—while continuing to teach, advise, and support the more than 40,000 students who call George Mason home. That’s no small feat, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved.
At the start of the year, I laid out three areas of focus for the Provost’s Office: strengthening our research impact, enhancing communication, and implementing a sustainable budget model. Thanks to your hard work and partnership, we’ve made significant progress in all three areas.
- We elevated our research enterprise by launching bold efforts like the Grand Challenge Initiative and building responsive systems to navigate evolving federal executive orders—supporting impacted researchers, ensuring compliance, and keeping our community informed in a rapidly changing landscape.
- We deepened our connection as a community through new communication channels like the Deans’ Message, events such as Java with Jim, and consistent updates that have helped us stay informed and united.
- And just last month, the first phase of our new budget model work was formally approved, the result of months of thoughtful collaboration across every college and unit. This is a major milestone that will guide how we resource our work for years to come.
All of this hard work culminated in a powerful affirmation: George Mason was named to the highest tier of the Carnegie Foundation and American Council on Education’s new classification for Opportunity Colleges and Universities—recognizing our deep commitment to access, upward mobility, and strong return on investment for students.
While there’s exciting work ahead—outlined in the updates below—this moment is also one of celebration and gratitude. We celebrate our students, and I celebrate all of you with deep gratitude. Thank you for your remarkable contributions this year. As the class of 2025 steps into the next chapter of their lives, please know that your work has had a profound impact. You’ve made this academic year exceptional.
I wish each of you a restful, restorative summer and I look forward to all we’ll continue to accomplish together in the coming year.
Sincerely,
James Antony
Provost and Executive Vice President
- Enhancing Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs: A new initiative—Building a Blueprint for the Future of Doctoral and MFA Education, and Postdoctoral Affairs—has been launched to strengthen programs and support PhD and MFA students.
- Strengthening Learning Supports for Students: An Undergraduate Learning Supports Implementation Committee has been convened to develop recommendations for a new Undergraduate Learning Supports Center. The new center will integrate existing services, making them more accessible, cohesive, and student-centered.
- Federal Compliance Updates: George Mason continues to provide updates and guidance on federal policy changes on its Federal Compliance Updates website. Resources for George Mason’s research community can be found on the Federal Research Funding Updates website.
- University Life Student Success Symposium: University Life invites faculty, staff, and graduate assistants to its annual signature professional development experience held June 3-4. Registration closes May 21.