Virginia General Assembly
Editor's Blog: Why is there so much disagreement about how much Medicaid expansion will affect Virginia?
|Virginia Medicaid Expansion Debate: Explained
The topic is in the headlines several times a week, and has been designated as one of Governor McAuliffe’s top legislative priorities.
While Governor McAuliffe has made it one of his top legislative priorities, House GOP leaders have repeatedly said that it is unlikely for General Assembly to expand the program.
Proposed student conduct changes would likely cost Mason $100,000, report says
|According to Mason’s current code of conduct, students are not allowed to have a lawyer represent them during hearings with representatives from the Office of Student Conduct.
A proposed bill in the Virginia General Assembly could change that system to make certain student conduct hearings look more like court proceedings. In cases where a student is at risk of being suspended for 10 days or more, or expelled, they would be permitted to have a lawyer represent them during conduct hearings.
Mason community lobbies for greater support from state legislators
|In an effort to push state officials for more funding, members of the Mason community traveled to Richmond on Jan. 30 to discuss the importance of higher education with members of the General Assembly.
Bill could allow students to have legal representation in conduct hearings
|According to Mason’s current student code of conduct, students are not allowed to have a lawyer represent them during hearings with representatives from the Office of Student Conduct.
“Students may be accompanied in a disciplinary proceeding by an advisor of his or her own choosing and at his or her own expense,” reads the current code. “Advisors may only consult with the respondent and are not permitted to speak on the respondent’s behalf or address the hearing board or officer.”
Editor’s Blog: Top higher education bills to watch in the upcoming General Assembly session
|The Virginia General Assembly will convene its 2014 legislative session on January 8th. The session, which only lasts until the beginning of March, is a whirlwind of policy debate that affects all Virginians. As a public university, George Mason University is heavily influenced by decisions made by state policymakers. This year, there are a number of bills that could impact Mason and its students. Here is a brief roundup of some of those bills:
1. Restrictions on out-of-state enrollment
Mason facing budget shortfall after new state requirements
|At a budget town hall on April 15, Senior Vice President J. J. Davis and Provost Peter Stearns discussed increasing student tuition and the 2014 fiscal year budget.
Tuition rates are expected to rise, however, the exact amount of the increase is yet to be determined. Stearns hopes that it will be less than 4.2 percent, which is the expected increase for other Virginia public universities.