Press Release

George Mason University announces James Soto Antony as new provost and executive vice president

Jeannine Harvey — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 15:01:37 +0000

George Mason University announces James Soto Antony as new provost and executive vice president Jeannine Harvey Mon, 04/29/2024 - 11:01

FAIRFAX, VA (April 29, 2024) – George Mason University President Gregory Washington today announced James Soto Antony as the next Provost and Executive Vice President. He is a nationally recognized higher education scholar and leader with substantial experience as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Washington, Yale University, Harvard University, and University of California San Diego. He will begin this new role on July 1, 2024.

James Soto Antony

“We searched the nation for the very best provost for George Mason University, and James Antony was our number one choice,” Washington said. “He has the perfect mix of academic credentials, knowledge, and temperament to lead our academic enterprise as this university takes its place as one of America’s new leaders in higher education. I look forward to having Jim on the team.”

Antony is currently Dean of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs at UC San Diego, where he also serves as Professor of Education Studies with a secondary appointment in the Rady School of Management. At UC San Diego, he has led a transformation of graduate and professional student financial support, created infrastructure to advance student professional development, prioritized student access and opportunity, and launched grant-funded initiatives to improve mentoring.

As Provost and Executive Vice President, Antony will help cultivate a dynamic and forward-thinking academic environment. In collaboration with senior leaders, faculty, staff, and students, he will be instrumental in advancing academic excellence, research, and scholarly pursuits in alignment with Mason’s core values and strategic direction. He will oversee all colleges, schools, and academic support units.

“George Mason University is an inspiring students-first institution that prioritizes inclusive access and opportunity. As a first-generation college student from a low-income family, this resonates deeply with me,” Antony said. “As a young top 50-ranked university with significant research investments, Mason is on a fast track as one of the most compelling institutions in the nation. I look forward to being part of the Mason Nation helping to advance student, faculty, and staff successes and collaborating to continue the university’s rise as a world-class research university.”

A national search was conducted from September through March, following the departure of Mark Ginsberg, now president at Towson University. Interim Provost Ken Walsh will return to his position as chief of staff on July 1, 2024. Megan Healy, interim chief of staff, will also return to her role as special advisor.

"James Antony shares our strong commitment to ensuring access to a world-class education, an engaging campus experience, and a culture of belonging,” added Professor and Faculty Senate President Melissa Broeckelman-Post, who chaired the 20-member search committee. “His nearly three decades of leadership experience make him an ideal provost to help Mason navigate the many opportunities and challenges ahead.”

From 2015 to 2019, Antony served as Faculty Director of the Graduate School of Education’s Higher Education Program at Harvard University, and Co-Director of the Management Development Program. From 2012 to 2015, he was an Associate Provost at Yale University, where he worked on issues ranging from faculty development to the promotion of undergraduate student leadership. From 1995 to 2012, he held faculty and leadership roles at the University of Washington, including Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy and Adjunct Professor in Sociology; Associate Vice Provost and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School; and Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Education. While at Washington, he also served as Director of the Graduate Program in Higher Education and was founding Executive Director of the Center for Leadership in Athletics, and its associated degree programs.

As a scholar, Antony’s research and teaching focus on the preparation of forward-thinking leaders in college or university settings, both domestically and globally. He has written about higher education faculty, the socialization and leadership development of future faculty and college leaders, and data-driven decision-making in higher education settings. He has taught courses in such topics as leadership theory, organizational change, assessment and evaluation, data-based decision making, introductory and advanced quantitative research methods, student affairs administration, leadership ethics, college athletics and athletic leadership, sociology of higher education, and the history of higher education.

Antony earned his baccalaureate degree in Psychology, and his master’s degree and PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change, all from UCLA.

About George Mason University

George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

Get to know Provost Antony

Did you know...

The Office of the Provost has primary responsibility for George Mason's academic mission, including supporting scholarly excellence among faculty members and fostering academic success for students on all four campuses.

Learn more about the Office of the Provost

This content appears in the Summer 2024 print edition of the Mason Spirit Magazine with the title "George Mason Welcomes New Provost."

George Mason University Engages Accenture to Transform Student Experience with Salesforce Education Cloud

John Hollis — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 19:11:34 +0000

George Mason University Engages Accenture to Transform Student Experience with Salesforce Education Cloud John Hollis Tue, 02/27/2024 - 14:11

George Mason University and Accenture finalized a two-year agreement to roll out Salesforce Education Cloud and new marketing solutions as part of the university’s efforts to transform the student experience.

Enabling improved data-driven, connected, and streamlined processes, Mason and Accenture will initially focus on data alignment through two Education Cloud tools: Student Success and Recruitment and Admissions. Accenture will also identify and deploy additional marketing and communication tools to enhance these applications.

“As we build a more modern university for Virginia’s largest and most diverse student body, Mason is committed to delivering a comprehensive and unparalleled student experience and the best education outcomes for all," said Ken Walsh, Mason’s interim provost and executive vice president. “Accenture’s experience customizing and integrating Salesforce Education Cloud into existing systems will help advance the university’s goals to comprehensively support students at every step of their academic journey at Mason and beyond.”

In March 2023, Mason issued a request for proposal for a strategic partner to improve Mason’s student lifecycle management with Salesforce Education Cloud, selecting Accenture as a result of the procurement process.

“Higher education leaders recognize the opportunities to redesign the student journey, from recruitment through graduation and beyond, by focusing on the moments that matter to each individual,” said David Metnick, Accenture public sector and education lead for Virginia. “Mason’s move to the cloud will substantially strengthen its digital core, allowing it to deliver excellent student services and meet ever-evolving needs as new tools and opportunities emerge.”

Accenture will integrate the new technology into the university’s existing infrastructure, consolidating data and operations. This will provide faculty and staff with tools to improve collaboration by connecting and streamlining diverse information and processes. It will also help Mason support students’ individual needs and provide educational opportunities to ensure their success.

“Our mission at Salesforce is to empower institutions with the tools they need to deliver better student experiences and outcomes,” said Balakrishnan Subramanian, VP & GM of Education at Salesforce. “We’re excited to see George Mason and Accenture work together to implement Salesforce Education Cloud to create a student-first experience for learners, increase enrollment, and improve the admissions process.”

“We are excited to embark on this journey with Accenture,” added Renate Guilford, Mason’s vice president for academic administration. “Together we’ll build an integrated system that enhances Mason’s technological framework while keeping our students at the center of our operations.”

About George Mason University

George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 743,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. For more information on the Accenture and Salesforce relationship, visit www.accenture.com/salesforce.

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Contacts:

Joe Dickie
Accenture
512-694-6422
Joseph.r.dickie@accenture.com

John Hollis
George Mason University
571-396-1578
Jhollis2@gmu.edu

Salesforce, Education Cloud and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce Inc.

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George Mason University Launches its First Mason Academy with Germanna Community College

Melanie Balog — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 16:39:31 +0000

George Mason University Launches its First Mason Academy with Germanna Community College Melanie Balog Tue, 06/07/2022 - 12:39

Fredericksburg, VA – George Mason University and Germanna Community College have announced a new partnership bringing the first Mason Academy program to Virginia students. The Mason Academy is a localized guided degree transfer program that is in alliance with a Virginia community college and is part of the Mason Virginia Promise (MVP) initiative. The partnership was formalized during a signing ceremony at Germanna’s campus in Fredericksburg on June 6, 2022.

“The Mason Virginia Promise is built on the belief that education and success should be available to everyone. This is a critical time in our nation for students and families with a shifting economy and rapid technologic growth requiring a new skilled workforce,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “Mason is redefining what it means to be inclusive and allow everyone to participate in a thriving economy. We are committed to providing pathways for all Virginians, through education and business, and to ensure students are equipped in addressing the grand challenges to our planet and society.”

Mason President Gregory Washington and Germanna President Janet Gullickson celebrate the Mason Academy at Germanna on June 6, 2022. Photo by Germanna Community College.

The new Mason Academy at Germanna delivers a locally focused and streamlined pathway for degrees in Business, Cyber Security and other programs that can align with Germanna’s College Everywhere initiative. The Academy highlights one-time admissions and financial aid process, significant cost savings and access to additional grant programs, as well as a dedicated advisor for each student through their college journey to ensure success with no loss of credits. As part of financial aid, Mason will also reimburse its tuition and fees for Mason Academy transfer students if they have met other grant-based scholarship and family household income level requirements.

"Germanna and George Mason are both committed to bringing higher education within reach of every Virginian. Earning an associate's degree at GCC makes the pursuit of a bachelor's degree more affordable,” said Germanna President Janet Gullickson. “Our accelerated, online College Everywhere program makes a two-year degree more accessible for students, who work while taking classes and caring for families. And the new Mason Academy offers Germanna graduates a pathway and a supportive bridge to a bachelor's degree at a top university.”

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 80 percent of students attending community colleges say they want to earn a four-year degree, but only 30 percent of community college students succeed in transferring to a four-year institution in 2020. The 2021 update shows that lower-income students were half as likely as their higher-income peers to have transferred to a four-year institution and attain a bachelor’s degree within six years of first entry to a community college

Part of the Mason Virginia Promise initiative, the Mason Academy program will be available to select Virginia community colleges, and is an extension of the successful ADVANCE program partnership with NOVA Virginia Community College (NOVA) that was launched in 2018. George Mason’s MVP initiative also includes training and financial support for all Virginians who aspire to start a business through Mason Enterprise’s suite of entrepreneur and small business programs, including 27 Small Business Development Centers, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, five Northern Virginia technology incubators, and other federal, state and local support programs. Last year, the Mason Enterprise team advised and supported 11,000 small businesses with 42,000 hours of one-on-one counseling. In addition, 20,000 entrepreneurs took part in 753 no-cost or low-cost training programs. Mason’s entrepreneur and small business programs have made a $1.6 billion impact in the commonwealth.

Germanna’s College Everywhere is an innovative, streamlined 100 percent online program that has been particularly successful in enrolling male students, a demographic that’s declined at most colleges around the country, with a high student success rate.

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About George Mason University

George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls nearly 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. In 2022, Mason celebrates 50 years as an independent institution. Learn more at gmu.edu.

About Germanna Community College

Germanna Community College is a community college in Virginia with campuses in Locust Grove, Fredericksburg, Stafford and Culpeper. Founded in 1970, the college takes its name from a group of settlers at Germanna Ford on the Rapidan River, where Governor Alexander Spotswood established a frontier fort and settlement in 1714 for the German miners and their families. Learn more at germanna.edu.