Category: Uncategorized

Dear Fellow Patriots:

We are fewer than two weeks from the start of the Fall semester and soon will be welcoming many of our faculty, staff and students back to George Mason University’s campuses. We do so with a mix of excitement that accompanies every fall return to campus – and trepidation, because this is 2020 and the pandemic has changed just about everything.

My leadership team and I have been watching the ebb and flow of the COVID-19 virus in northern Virginia, and have determined that it is best to stay the course with our modified re-opening of campus, with continuing flexibility for faculty with respect to the format of their classes. Faculty members who will be delivering their curriculum in person or via hybrid experiences should continue to use the Safe Return to Campus Plan to guide their efforts.

Tracking pandemic conditions
While most public discussion centers on COVID-19 cases nationally and statewide, we are closely monitoring Northern Virginia pandemic conditions, because they give us a more accurate understanding of what is occurring in the communities in which we live and serve. Specifically, our decisions are driven by data from Fairfax, Arlington and Prince William counties.

One data point we track particularly closely is the Positivity Rate, the percentage of those receiving COVID-19 tests who test positive for the virus. Virginia’s seven-day rolling average as of Monday afternoon was 7.4 percent, while Fairfax County’s was 5.1 percent and dropping, and Arlington County’s was 4.2 percent.

Changing of conditions, change of plans
Unfortunately, Prince William County’s rates have headed in the other direction, and stood at 9.0 percent on Monday. And that trend has troubled us, particularly because we operate the Science and Technology Campus there, and many who work at Mason live in Prince William County. Therefore, we have made two decisions that affect classes this fall:

1. We will continue to provide faculty at all Mason campuses flexibility to offer their classes through face-to face, hybrid or fully online formats. By applying the public health and safety best practices set forth in our Safe Return to Campus Plan, we have confidence to deliver our academic programs as had been planned and given evolving circumstances. However, if individual faculty member circumstances have changed, and individuals want to request a change in their course format, they should immediately be in contact with their academic program chair/director and dean.
2. We will move to all-online instruction on November 30, following the Thanksgiving holiday. We have decided to do this upon recommendation of our Emergency Management Executive Committee and public health advisors, in order to minimize the risk of transmitting both COVID-19 and influenza, both of which are expected to begin seasonal surges around then.

   Why not just keep campuses closed and go all online?
   This is a very reasonable question, and one I am asked often, especially because many other universities have opted for online-only instruction, though no public university in Virginia is requiring all online instruction.

   The reality is, there are no good solutions to carrying out our academic mission in light of the pandemic. Every solution carries a host of negative side effects that threaten people’s ability to stay healthy and safe, and to remain affiliated with Mason.

   Quality of instruction – For many classes, online instruction is just as effective as in-person teaching; in fact, we are seeing excellence in online instruction that we could not have predicted pre-pandemic. But that is not universally true, for environments like laboratory learning, or for disciplines like the performing arts. Of course, we will adapt as necessary, but driving all courses to online environments is an option we will avoid until it is necessary.

   Inclusion of international students – By going fully online, we could exclude international students from coming to our campus, because the federal government is refusing to process student visas for international students whose course content is all online.

   Human toll for university faculty and staff – Closing the campus to all instruction would come at a significant financial loss to the university – a devastating loss if we were to re-close residence halls. Such measures would cripple the university’s ability to deliver on its education and research mission, not just for this academic year, but for years to come. The numbers of furloughs and layoffs that would be necessary to balance our budget would be staggering, made all the more challenging in an economy of 10 percent unemployment. Those employees’ ability to keep health insurance, pay their rent or mortgage, and meet basic living needs would be imperiled. Furthermore, the impact would extend beyond our campuses to surrounding communities where the affected employees live.

   Should evolving public health conditions make it necessary to fully close our classrooms, or even our residence halls, of course we will do so. But each of us should be mindful of the devastating impact this will have, not just on the university, but on the people who rely on it for their education and their livelihoods.

   The academic calendar remains the same
   Classes will begin on August 24 and end on December 16 as scheduled, with all-online instruction starting on November 30, following the Thanksgiving holiday.  As part of our effort to minimize the risks that increase in the winter months, we plan to hold Winter Graduation online.

   Staff on campus
   As the campus reopens, staff should work with their unit leaders to determine the proper balance of their work to be performed on campus versus from home. With the goal being to de-densify the campus and observe all health and safety protocols, every department has been required to submit its own safe return plan. As a general guideline, employees should avoid spending more than 50 percent of their time on campus. Social distancing rules will be in effect for all offices, just as they are in classrooms.

Residence halls will stay open throughout the semester
Mason’s residence halls will remain open under all of our planning scenarios. We will reduce occupancy from 6,200 students to approximately 3,350 students to achieve appropriate physical distancing. In the event of another Governor’s stay-at-home order, we anticipate considering residence halls to be our students’ homes away from home. We will take appropriate measures to keep them as safe, hygienic, and comfortable as possible, as well as offer appropriate public health and safety measures to the university employees who staff residence halls and dining facilities. In addition, University Life has planned a robust line-up of programming to ensure residential students continue to experience a full and satisfying on-campus experience.

Pre-move in testing required for all residential students
All students planning to live on campus in Mason’s residence halls have been recommended to self-quarantine two weeks ahead of their arrival. In addition, Mason has contracted with a vendor to provide comprehensive at-home testing kits to all students who plan to live on campus. Residential students are in the process of receiving and returning their test kits. Starting August 15, at move-in, every student will be required to have both a health screener green light as well as proof that they have taken a COVID-19 test to be cleared to stay in a Mason residence hall.  We anticipate that residential students will be tested again periodically throughout the semester.

Daily health checks required for all who step onto campus
All students, faculty and staff who come to campus must complete an online health survey every day before arriving on campus. This tool – the Mason COVID Health Check™, an online health screening protocol developed by the College of Health and Human Services – will serve as a quick and effective way to track the health conditions of all students, faculty, staff and contractors who will work, study or live on campus.

Voluntary testing throughout the semester
Throughout the semester, students, faculty and staff working on campus will be asked to engage voluntarily in random COVID-19 tests. This protocol, recommended by Mason faculty experts and in collaboration with university leadership, will help to track the spread of the virus, should cases emerge. We encourage all members of the Mason community to agree to be tested if requested to do so.  Working in partnership with our local public health officials, case investigation and contact tracing protocols also will be in place.

Safety measures being taken in our classrooms
Our classroom spaces will look and feel different this fall. Classrooms and instructional spaces have been modified such that seating has been spaced out to allow for six feet of distance between students; faculty have been allocated more space, up to 100 square feet. Some classrooms will have seats noting they should be left empty to ensure physical distancing; others will simply have fewer seats. High-contact surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected with an EPA-approved disinfectant twice each day during normal operation hours, in addition to regular overnight cleaning. In addition, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer stations are available in or near classrooms.

Reminders to do our part
Signage will be posted throughout campus to illustrate required physical distancing and point to hygiene practices such as frequent hand washing. All students, faculty and staff will be required to wear face coverings. Everyone will be given two reusable face coverings to use. And a multimedia communications campaign is planned to encourage all Mason community members to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

This will be a Fall semester unlike any other we have experienced. The unknowns far outnumber the certainties. But together, we will continue to deliver on our academic mission, and I deeply appreciate the dedication and innovation of each and every one of you at this historic moment for George Mason University, the nation and the world.

With gratitude,

Gregory N. Washington, PhD
President

Dear Patriots,

We hope you are doing well. We write to provide information on the funding that has been allocated to George Mason University from the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund provides money to institutions to provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mason’s total allocation is $10.4 million to support students with significant financial needs. These funds will be dispersed in two ways:

1. COVID-19 CARES Act awards will be allocated proactively to students with the highest urgency as determined by Financial Aid
2. Supplemental funding will be allocated to students who apply through the COVID-19 Student Emergency Assistance Funding process

Per federal guidelines, students are only eligible to receive CARES Act funding through option one OR option two as outlined above.

The eligibility guidelines for the COVID-19 CARES Act awards proactively allocated by Financial Aid are as follows:

• Students must be Title IV eligible;
• Students must not have been enrolled in a fully online program prior to the pandemic;
• Students must be currently enrolled as a graduate or undergraduate in good Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP);
• Graduate students must have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $5,576 or less;
• Undergraduate students must have an EFC of $9,999 or less, with unmet financial need of $1,000 or more;
• Students must have filed a valid/complete FAFSA;
• Students must have accepted all the financial aid offered to them.

Students who were given a proactive award from Financial Aid were notified on May 8, 2020.  If you would like to check whether or not your received one of these awards, please check PatriotWeb.  Funding recipients are required to acknowledge the financial impact due to COVID-19 before Mason may release any funds. The link to this acknowledgement/certification form was sent in an email from the Financial Aid Office. You can also access the link by logging in to your PatriotWeb portal. We recommend all students make sure their mailing address is current in PatriotWeb and/or enroll in Direct Deposit to assist us in processing these, or future, funds.

IF YOU DO NOT QUALIFY FOR A COVID-19 CARES ACT AWARD OR DID NOT RECEIVE AN AWARD FROM THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE but you still require financial support due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can apply for emergency funding by visiting the COVID-19 Student Emergency Assistance Fundinginformation page and application.  CARES ACT funding is just one of the funding sources used to make emergency awards.

There will be additional opportunities to apply for emergency funding for summer and fall semesters.  Information is forthcoming.

We will distribute emergency funding as quickly as possible and we appreciate your willingness to comply with the guidelines noted above.  Further clarification is available by reading CARES funding FAQs.

If you have questions about an award that has been posted on your financial aid account, please contact finaid@gmu.edu. We will respond as soon as possible.

If you have questions about the COVID-19 emergency assistance funding process, please contact University Life at ulife@gmu.edu.

Sincerely

David Burge
Vice President for Enrollment Management

Rose Pascarell
Vice President for University Life

Dear Patriots,

We hope you are healthy, safe and well.

We are pleased to announce that registration for the fall 2020 semester begins this Friday, May 1. Your registration time will be e-mailed directly to you from the Office of the University Registrar.

We know that many of you have questions about the fall semester. University leadership continues to monitor the health crisis and is considering the best options for how classes will be delivered this fall, with the safety of the university community as our main priority.

At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring you stay on track. Therefore, we encourage you to work with your academic advisor now to register for the classes that will advance your progress toward degree completion. If you need to change your schedule after these decisions are made, you will be able to update your registration.

As options are considered for fall 2020 semester classes, know that the university will keep you informed about plans and any possible adjustments that may be necessitated by the COVID-19 crisis and guidance provided by public health officials or directives by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please check the university’s coronavirus information page for updates.

We are all adjusting and adapting to the implications of COVID-19. At Mason, our foremost concern is your health, safety and well-being. The university is committed to supporting you, your learning and your continued academic and professional development.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Ginsberg
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President

Doug McKenna
University Registrar

Dear Mason Patriots:

The Board of Visitors will host a listening session on the university’s budget for 2020-2021 at 10 a.m. on May 6. We invite our entire campus community to participate, particularly our students.

This listening session is an opportunity for you to share your views with university leadership and ask questions specific to the 2020-2021 Financial Plan and tuition. Interim President Anne Holton and Visitor Simmi Bhuller will join me for the listening session, which will be conducted virtually.

We know the coronavirus has affected everyone differently, and has created financial anxiety and uncertainty for many of our students. The Board of Visitors needs to hear from you as we consider the budget for the upcoming school year.

We ask that you register your comments in advance using this link so that we can hear from as many people as possible during the listening session. All comments submitted through the survey link will be read and reviewed by the board in advance of our May 20 meeting to vote on the budget.  You may also request to deliver your comments live during the session. A link to the May 6 meeting will be available on the university’s home page.

We hope to move back to more normal operations as soon as we can, but we recognize the need especially in the current circumstances to be careful stewards of our resources so that we can maintain our mission of providing access to excellence for our students.

I hope you will take this opportunity to share your thoughts and feedback with us.

Sincerely,

Tom Davis
Rector, George Mason University

Dear Patriot,

We hope your online classes are going well and that you are staying safe and healthy during this time. We recognize that collecting your belongings and moving out have been heavily on your mind and we appreciate your patience through this evolving process. We have created a flexible move-out process that allows students  two move-out options in an effort to accommodate varying needs. Students must select their option by June 1st.

Students can enter the Housing Portal and select their option as soon as their assigned timeslot opens and will be able to complete and submit the form until close of business on June 1^st.

May 1^st at 9:00am = Adams, Amherst, Blue Ridge, Brunswick, Carroll, Commonwealth
May 1^st at 9_30am= Dickenson, Dominion, Eastern Shore, Essex, Franklin, Grayson
May 1^st at  10:00am= Hampton Roads, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson
May 1^st at 10_30am= Kennedy, Liberty Square, Lincoln
May 1^st at 11_00am= Madison, ACGC, Monroe, Northern Neck
May 1^st at 11_30am= Potomac Heights
May 1^st at 12_00pm= Piedmont, Rogers, Roosevelt
May 1^st at 12_30pm= Sandbridge, Taylor, Tidewater
May 1^st at 1_00pm= Townhouses, Truman, Washington, Whitetop, Wilson

• Beginning on May 1^st students will be able to login to the Housing Portal to select a two-hour timeslot between June 10th-30^th to remove their belongings and complete the move-out process. Only one student in a room/suite/apartment will be allowed to move-out at a time.
• Housing and Residence Life will not issue green bins for the move-out process. Students are encouraged to bring their own hand trucks and dollies to assist with the move-out process.
• Students are allowed to bring one guest to assist with the move-out process and are required to wear face coverings during the move out process. Face coverings will not be provided by HRL.
• Students are expected to remove all personal items and trash within their rooms. Housekeeping ​will deep clean all spaces after students complete move out.
• Should a student not be able to come and pick up their belongings in person, a proxy may be designated to pick up belongings. The proxy should also be provided with an inventory of the belongings to be packed. Students utilizing the proxy option will need to select a move-out time that falls between Monday-Friday.
• Students will be provided a parking pass to utilize in the event they or their guest do not have a Mason pass. The parking pass should be displayed while the student is completing the move out process.
• Please note that students who miss their appointment should contact housing@gmu.edu for assistance. It is not guaranteed that students will receive a new appointment time and may be required to participate in the full-service move out option.

• Housing will identify an approved moving company to pack up and store the belongings of students that are not able to or are not comfortable with returning to campus to finish the move out process.
• Students who select this option will have their belongings packed up and stored in a facility located in Springfield, VA.
• Students will need to complete an online inventory of their belongings, both in their room and any common areas of the assigned space.
• Students will be responsible for covering the cost of this move.  Estimates for moving expenses will be approximately $700 which includes packing, moving, and storage. Students are responsible for any fees associated with shipping or retrieving their items directly from the facility.
• Students will be responsible for contracting directly with the selected company by June 10th in order to have their belongings packed after all other students have moved out. If the student does not complete the contract with the moving company then the students’ belongings will be packed and moved for them by the selected moving company. Housing is not responsible for any damages or losses that may occur with the move.
• Should a student have their belongings returned to campus for move-in and not pick up their belongings, Housing and Residence Life will retain the student’s belongings at an additional storage cost of $300 for 120 days. If the belongings are not claimed within 120 days, then the items will be disposed of for the student.

• Students who do not select an option by 5:00pm on June 1st will have their belongings packed and stored at their expense.
• The anticipated expense per student is $700 for packing and storing student’s belongings, but could be higher dependent upon how many students select the full-service move option.
• Housing and Residence Life is not responsible if any items are damaged or go missing during this process and as such, students who do not select an option are encouraged to work with their own insurance agency to obtain full value coverage for their belongings.
• Should a student not pick up their belongings when they have been returned to campus, Housing and Residence Life will retain the student’s belongings at an additional storage cost of $300 for 120 days.

• If you have already removed all of your personal belongings and do not need to utilize any of the options outlined above, please be sure to complete the Express Check-Out Form in the Housing Portal by June 1st.
• If you have already completed this form, no additional actions are needed.
• Students who may have moved out, but have not filled out the Express Check-Out form may be charged for belonging removal if items are not claimed prior to the moving company process
• If a student has completely moved out but has not returned their hard keys to HRL, they should be mailed to the following address and include the student’s name and G# (Mason ID or copy of ID not necessary). Students will have until June 30th to return these keys before a charge will be issued to their student account.
  
  Housing and Residence Life
  4400 University Dr., MS 5C7
  Fairfax, VA 22030

Dear Patriots,

I hope you are doing well.  I want to check in with you to learn about your Mason experience particularly since we made the decision to move to a distance learning format in response to the current pandemic.  Please fill out Mason Pulse Survey – it will take less than 5 minutes – so we can gauge your experience, continue to address areas that need improvement, provide you with any needed support, and plan for the future.

When you submit your completed survey, you will be entered into a random drawing. We will give away five pairs of Beats by Dr Dre Studio Noise Cancelling Headphones.  We will notify winners and mail Beats directly to you.

We really want to hear from you.  Knowing how you are doing is incredibly important to us, particularly at this moment in time.  Please complete by Wednesday, April 29.

Thanks,

Rose

​Rose B. Pascarell
Vice President for University Life

Dear Patriots:

We are approaching the end of the spring semester in what has been an extraordinary year at George Mason University and throughout the world. In other years, this would be a happy time, when longer days and warmer weather bring new life to our campus. We all look forward to returning to that time soon.  In the meanwhile, I’m grateful to our community and the way it has rallied to support one another. That is what makes us Mason Nation, and I’ve never been as proud to be part of this university.

The global pandemic has affected our community in so many different ways. We are all dealing with challenges, stress and uncertainty. I know that many of you have questions. The one I’ve heard the most is, what happens this fall?

First:  Let me say that we never closed the university. Our faculty and staff rallied to deliver classes online and keep our students on track academically. In this time of uncertainty, we believe our greatest contribution is to continue our mission of providing Access to Excellence, and because of the impressive work of our faculty, staff and students, more than 9,700 students will earn degrees this month, and thousands more will be one step closer to completing their degrees.

Second:  Our intention is to bring students back to campus and resume face-to-face instruction in the fall, with appropriate guidance of public health officials and with modifications as needed to ensure the safety of our entire community. To find the best solutions for how to navigate the challenges of safely moving back to a more normal learning environment, we have put together a committee of individuals from throughout the university—the provost’s office, faculty, university life, human resources, finance, facilities, emergency, health and safety and more. This group is called the Tiger Team, in a nod to NASA’s Tiger Team that figured out the solution that allowed the astronauts on Apollo 13 to safely return to Earth after their module malfunctioned.

This team is charged with exploring options for how we can best open our campus safely. That includes evaluating options for lower density classes to allow for appropriate physical distancing, continued use of distance learning, appropriate hygiene and cleaning protocols, reduced occupancy in residence halls, and more. We are blessed to have Vice President for Academic Innovation and New Ventures Michelle Marks leading this effort before she becomes Chancellor at the University of Colorado, Denver in July. Once the Tiger Team delivers its report to the University administration, we will be better positioned to make decisions for a successful fall 2020.

After questions about whether we will be open in the fall, the second most asked question is, what will tuition be? The Board of Visitors will adopt a budget at its meeting now scheduled for May 20, and that budget will include tuition rates for the next academic year.  This will require the Board to navigate a difficult balancing act, weighing the impact on students at this difficult time along with the need for critical investments in faculty and staff to enhance student outcomes.  My administration and the Board of Visitors have been seeking feedback all spring to guide us on this difficult task.

The Board held a session for public comment on April 2, and today we had an additional productive listening session with Rector Tom Davis and Visitor Simmi Bhuller, receiving feedback from more than 160 students and other community members, including dozens who spoke publicly. You can see an archived version of the town hall broadcast here. We also have received input from student surveys, along with guidance from state budget leaders. If you would like to give feedback on the upcoming year’s budget, please share your comments here.

Registration for the fall is open, and I urge you to start planning for the coming academic year. We know there are still many uncertainties, but one thing that is certain is our commitment to our goal of educating students, keeping them on track to graduate, and ensuring the fullest possible learning experiences in the current environment.  Student registrations will help the faculty and administration plan courses effectively for the fall. As you consider your plans, please reach out to your advisers and to other faculty members in your department – they are eager to help keep you on track and answer your questions.

We know many students face real and sustained financial impact because of the coronavirus. I encourage you to apply for financial assistance through the Student Emergency Assistance Fund or the Stay Mason fund.

As the semester comes to a close, I hope you’ll take a moment to recognize and appreciate all that we have accomplished as a university in the face of these unprecedented challenges. Our students, faculty and staff have exceeded expectations for success during this time. That entrepreneurial spirit is what makes Mason such a strong community and a great university.

I look forward to sharing more details about fall with you soon. Stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Anne Holton
Interim President

An “Interactive Demo – Change Grade Mode” video can be found on the University Registrar’s website.