The George Mason University Board of Visitors announced Thursday that it will postpone its May 6 board meeting, when it was scheduled to vote on the university fiscal 2021 budget. The decision was made to allow more time to get a clearer picture on the Commonwealth’s budget and the broader financial outlook, which are both being affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Mason Rector Tom Davis made the announcement during a public meeting that was also broadcast via Webex and GMU-TV, where the board heard comments from students on the hardships they have endured during the crisis.
Mason has been working closely with commonwealth officials to track what implications the COVID-19 outbreak will have on the state economy and support for higher education in particular. The Virginia General Assembly is scheduled to hold its reconvened session on April 22, after which time Mason expects to have more clarity about the state budget for next year.
In addition to rescheduling the May 6 budget vote, Davis said he would like to schedule a second meeting where students, faculty and staff can provide public comment. The board’s budget deliberations will include whether the Board should increase tuition for next year and if so by how much.
“We have limited facts today,” Davis said. “We will have a much more robust discussion in the next six weeks from now when we come to a decision point. Our financial circumstances are fluid between now and the decision-making time.”
There were 215 people who attended the meeting via Webex, with more watching the live broadcast. Three current or former students shared their views on the potential tuition increase during the public comment portion of Thursday’s meeting, and written comments were received from students and others as well.
“It is important for the board to have that student input,” Davis said. He added that the budget is “about real people who made an investment in this university, and that commitment. We are in this together.”
During the meeting, Mason Interim President Anne Holton reminded students that the university’s Student Emergency Assistance Fund is a resource for students facing serious financial consequences. The fund has received more than $1.5 million in requests. Holton is asking Mason supporters to provide additional resources to the fund, including through Patriots Helping Patriots, held in lieu of the university’s typical annual Giving Day.
Holton said additional time to understand the state budgetary impact will better enable the university to make difficult budgetary decisions for the coming year.
“The governor has essentially put all of the agency heads, which includes the universities, on notice that all new money is still being reviewed and considered,” Holton said. “We won’t know until April 22, and even then, what we get may be some kind of contingency decisions.”
Carol Kissal, senior vice president for Administration and Finance, outlined for the board and viewing audience Thursday different financial scenarios based on the effect COVID-19 will have on the 2020-21 budget. She described the financial challenges the university will be facing, many of which are shared by education institutions generally, and stressed that nevertheless strategic investment will be important and can hasten economic recovery.
“As we modify plans to adapt to our current environment, we will continue to focus on our mission, focus on our strengths, [and] develop mitigation strategies to offset the downside of risk,” Kissal said. “We will pursue opportunities [and] establish priorities that continue to invest in areas that we know will achieve success.”
Jeannette Chapman, Director of Mason’s Stephen S. Fuller Institute, provided an overall view of COVID-19’s potential ramifications on the regional economy.
“This is not a typical business cycle economic recession,” Chapman said. “This is an economic recession that’s being caused by a health crisis. And so unlike other recessions, the economic conditions will not dictate the path of the current or future economy. It will primarily be determined by the length and the severity of the pandemic.”