By the time they reach Richmond by bus on Wednesday, the George Mason University students participating in Mason Lobbies, the annual pilgrimage to the state capital, will be well versed in the nuances of the issues most directly affecting George Mason, including student financial aid and faculty and staff compensation.
While Winter Storm Jonas delayed the event, originally planned for January, a still-hearty group is preparing to make the trip this week.
Each of the 30 or so Mason students will have undergone on-campus training sessions prior to meeting state legislators, so they can brief the elected officials accurately and convincingly.
“The most important issues, forever and always, will relate to the people that make up George Mason University. That means working to enhance financial aid for students and salaries for faculty and staff,” said Sabena Moretz, Mason’s manager for State Government Relations. “Helping students afford the cost of college and retaining our dedicated faculty and staff with enhanced compensation are our top priorities every year.”
Nearly 60 percent of Mason’s students receive some form of financial assistance and a quarter of first-year students receive Pell Grants. Mason students will make the case for a $1.8 million increase in the first year and $3.6 million in the second year of the two-year budget cycle.
While Mason’s location is an advantage in most every respect, when it comes to faculty/staff retention, it can present challenges.
“If a professor leaves a job at Virginia Tech, it means leaving Blacksburg. But a Mason professor can go across a bridge and find other terrific professional opportunities without having to sell a home or relocate a spouse and family,” Moretz said.
As a result, compensation and competitive benefits are key to maintaining and growing the quality of the university’s programs.
Also on the General Assembly’s docket will be funding for the renovation of Robinson Hall on the Fairfax Campus. The funding is bundled in a bond package with construction projects planned for other state universities and agencies.
Moretz said the students come away from Mason Lobbies day with a better understanding of how the legislative process works.
“It’s experiential learning,” she said. “And a great many of them have never been to Richmond, the place that makes so many decisions that influence not just higher education but our lives in general. Hopefully, they’ll be more engaged citizens after graduation and continue to help raise Mason’s profile with legislators as alumni.”
Students are looking forward to being recognized on the floor of both the Senate and the House of Delegates, and having a chance to meet Mason’s legislative alumni, of whom there are now six: delegates Tag Greason, Charniele Herring and Michael Webert, and senators Jeremy McPike, Bryce Reeves and Glen Sturtevant.