With the impending departure of Dr. Peter Stearns, who will step down to join the history department, the search is underway for a new provost. The Provost Search Committee has narrowed the search down to four candidates, each of whom will give a presentation to Mason faculty, staff, and students before the final decision is made.

The provost search committee presented Dr. Diane Chase as one of their four  finalists chosen for the position of university provost on  Feb. 4.

Chase, currently the executive vice provost at the University of Central Florida, is an anthropologist by training, who spent the session presenting her relevant credentials and experience, as well as answering the questions of the various Mason faculty members and staff in the audience. 

Senior university administrators held a forum on Jan. 28^th on the current budget situation at Mason as well as the implications as to what the governor’s proposed budget would be.

According to Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance, J.J. Davis, there are many internal and external factors  placing pressure on the way forward for the university, ranging from the presence (or lack thereof) of state support to the national conversation around student debt and affordability of higher education.

On Jan. 28, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recognized Mason seniors Yara Mowafy and Jordan Bivings for their efforts in setting up the Student Meal Assistance Fund at Mason.  

Mowafy and Bivings set up the assistance fund last November to assist homeless students by giving the students vouchers to be used at dining locations to help them get meals on campus.

"We're just trying to make it aware to students, that, you know, someone who's sitting next to you may not be able to afford to eat," Bivings said.