January 2014
Black White and Thread exhibits the history of black hair
|The Art and Design Building’s Fine Art Gallery springs into the semester with work by VCU professor and artist, Sonya Clark, in her exhibit “Black and White and Thread All Over.”
The exhibit will be shown until Feb. 21, in conjunction with the Department of African and African American Studies and in honor of Black History Month.
[PREVIEW] George Mason vs. Fordham -- Men's Basketball
|Mason men’s basketball travels to the Bronx, NY to take on Fordham tonight at 7 p.m. at Rose Hill Gym.
Fordham at a glance
This will be the second meeting between the Patriots (7-11, 0-4 A-10) and the Rams (7-10, 0-4 A-10) in program history, with Fordham taking the last decision, 64-55, in the Cable Car Classic in Santa Clara, CA on Dec. 30, 2000.
Projected Starting Lineup
2013 – 2014 Statistics
Shari Arison’s winter commencement address protested
|Around 75 graduates and audience members walked out during the winter commencement protesting the ceremony’s commencement speaker, Israeli-American billionaire-businesswoman Shari Arison.
The student group that organized the walkout, Students Against Israeli Apartheid, listed its grievances against Arison and her business conglomerate in an open letter coauthored by recent graduate Tareq Radi (’13) and Professor Craig Willse. The letter criticized the university for honoring Arison “given the central role the Arison Group plays in Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid state.”
Five higher ed problems that will face Virginia’s next Secretary of Education
|As Anne Holton, wife of Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, prepares for her new job as Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth, she'll be faced with a number of issues ranging from early childhood development to university research funding. Here are a few challenges that she'll find in Virginia's higher education system:
1. Meeting the financial needs is becoming a huge problem
Low enrollment leads to Law School tuition freeze
|During its final meeting of 2013, the Board of Visitors voted on Dec. 12th to freeze the tuition of Mason’s law school for the upcoming school year.
The tuition freeze was prompted by low enrollment numbers at the law school, which have been dropping steadily since 2010, with a decrease of approximately 84 students from 2010 to 2012.
Dan Polsby, the dean of the law school, attributes the low enrollment numbers to the economic recession and a limited job market for new lawyers.
Editor's Blog: Virginia officials to study "Pay It Forward, "Pay It Back" program
|In an online forum with Virginia21, a non-profit lobbying group that focuses on higher education issues, State Senator John Edwards spoke about a new tuition model that may alleviate some of the burden of college tuition.
General Assembly to address burdensome interstate online education regulations
|Incorporating online education into Mason’s academic programs was a key component of the strategic plan that was adopted in December of last year.
Proposed state budget could provide support to Mason’s growing financial aid problem
|Every year, Virginia undergraduates who demonstrate financial need get a part of their tuition covered by the student financial assistance program (VSFAP).
The amount of money allocated to financial need students has actually been rising steadily over the past few years. In 2007, $108 million was slated for the program, and about $150 million was allocated in 2012.
[PREVIEW] George Mason vs. VCU -- Men's Basketball
|George Mason men’s basketball opens Atlantic 10 conference play against long-time rival Virginia Commonwealth University today at 7 p.m. in Richmond, VA at the Siegel Center.
VCU at a glance
The Patriots (7-7, 0-0 A10) and the Rams (12-3, 0-0 A10) meet for the first time since the 2011-2012 season. VCU leads the all time series, 31-18, with the Rams taking the last two meetings between these two teams.
Cabrera expresses opposition to Israeli academia boycott
|George Mason University President Ángel Cabrera recently joined a multitude of other university administrators in the Washington D.C. region in opposition to the American Studies Association academic boycott of Israel.