In This Story
Dear colleagues,
Welcome back to campus, Patriots! The past few weeks have been filled with energy and excitement as students have moved into dorms, started classes, and immersed themselves in all things George Mason. It’s a special time of year and I hope you all feel the same enthusiasm that our students do as we begin our fall semester.
In the Provost’s Office, we are starting off the academic year with three main areas of focus. These priorities—informed by our work over the past year—are aimed at creating meaningful, positive impact across the university.
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Reimagining Student Support: Higher education has undergone significant changes in recent years, transforming how students learn and engage on campus. In response, we are evaluating our current services, identifying best practices, and exploring opportunities to enhance student support. Two dedicated task forces—the Future of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs Task Force and the Undergraduate Learning Supports Implementation Task Force—have been established to take a critical look at opportunities to enhance academic excellence for both our undergraduate and graduate students, and both groups have been working hard on over the summer to advance these projects.
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Strengthening Operational Effectiveness: As more universities set up shop in our region, we need to stay agile and strategic. We’re undertaking several initiatives to enhance coordination across units, align our academic programs with the evolving needs of students and employers, and optimize the use of campus spaces to better support our academic mission. One of our upcoming efforts, the Campus Program Activation Task Force, will evaluate how to strengthen the visibility, utilization, and academic impact of all campus locations, with particular attention to SciTech and Mason Square.
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Modernizing Resource Allocation: With the new budget model approved, it’s time to put our plan into action. This year, we will implement the redesigned budget model, operationalize key elements, and explore new areas of focus. One of the most significant efforts this year will be the fee simplification project, which aims to streamline and clarify the way fees are structured and applied. New working groups will soon be launched to support these efforts. Check the budget model website for the latest updates.
Over the next few months, I’ll be visiting each college and school to share more details about the initiatives tied to these priorities as well as hear your thoughts, questions, and ideas on advancing academic excellence at George Mason. Your voices are essential in shaping the future of our university.
I wish you all a productive and successful semester ahead.
Sincerely,
James Antony
Provost and Executive Vice President
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Patriot Connect: As usage of Patriot Connect picks up this semester, faculty and staff can take advantage of 30-minute micro-trainings and office hours to refresh their knowledge of the platform. Join the Patriot Connect Training Community to explore resources and stay up to date.
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New Academic Standards Training: A training module designed to help faculty fully understand the new Academic Standards Code is now available in MasonLEAPS. To ensure consistent application of academic standards across the university, faculty are encouraged to take this training at the start of the fall semester.
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Teaching Excellence Awards: The Teaching Excellence Awards recognize the significant work that faculty members devote to course planning and preparation; curriculum development; and innovative teaching, advising, and undergraduate and graduate mentoring. Nominate an outstanding educator today—the deadline is September 28.
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MasonVotes Civic Toolkit: In advance of the upcoming fall elections, MasonVotes has developed a partisan-neutral toolkit to support student voting and civic engagement. For more curated assistance, instructors and organizational leaders can also request support from Mason Voting Ambassadors.