Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance J. J. Davis said George Mason University continues to be fully engaged in maintaining its pillars of affordability, accessibility and quality of education, despite navigating the financial challenges posed by declining state subsidies.
“Mason has an entrepreneurial climate,” Davis said at a Nov. 2 town hall budget meeting for faculty and staff. “We’re innovative. We like to get together and figure out how to get things done.”
The meeting, in the Johnson Center Cinema on the Fairfax Campus, could also be viewed on the Arlington, SciTech and Loudoun Campuses and at Front Royal via videoconferencing.
The presentation by Davis and Provost David Wu covered a myriad of topics.
Davis said the university is committed to retaining faculty and staff, and that President Ángel Cabrera and the Board of Visitors considered the 2 percent retention bonuses critical after the state pulled a proposed 3 percent raise.
“We’re a people-driven industry,” Davis said. “We’re great because of you, and we take that seriously.”
The 10-year agreement with Wiley Educational Services is a way to grow the online presence of George Mason’s graduate programs. The Faster Farther campaign is breaking fundraising records, and an emphasis on student enrollment and retention helped push the student population past 35,000.
Wu explained several university initiatives such as emphasizing inclusion as well as diversity. One way to do that, he said, is with a faculty population that reflects the composition of the student body. Wu also committed to deepening the campus dialogue to “encourage a diversity of thought” and to strengthening the partnership with Northern Virginia Community College, which sends more students to Mason than any other in-state institution.
As for financial challenges, Davis said, the biggest is the state’s declining contribution to Mason’s operating budget. It provided 28 percent this fiscal year, down from 67 percent in 1985.
“The reality is our financial future is more dependent on us,” Davis said.
Diversification of revenue streams is key, she said, referencing the new budget model and the collaboration with Wiley. Davis called a review of tuition pricing a critical issue, as is prioritizing capital, though she emphasized the university’s commitment to the rebuilding of Robinson Hall and the planned infrastructure upgrades.
“Everything is geared toward how we diversify our revenues and become less reliant on the state,” Davis said. “That’s the process, and the trend is not reversing.”