GMU: Adjunct Arrested on Drunk in Public Charge Won't Remain on Payroll

By C2M Staff Reporter Rachael Dickson

An adjunct professor who was arrested on a charge of being drunk in public on the George Mason University campus will no longer be employed by Mason past the month of October.

According to the George Mason University Police Department's Daily Police Incident Record, Charles “Chip” Hauss was arrested on Oct. 5 at 6:43 p.m. on suspicion of being drunk in public in Enterprise Hall. The arrest occurred less than 40 minutes before he was supposed to teach his weekly Introduction to International Politics class (GOVT 132), according to the class profile and syllabus available on the Department of Public and International Affairs website.

Assistant Chief George Ginovsky of University Police said he was not prepared to give out any more information on the incident than what was available on the blotter.

"At the end of this month, he will no longer be on the university payroll," Mason Press Secretary Dan Walsch said.

A woman who would not identify herself answered repeated calls to Hauss's phone number and said he would not comment.

As of Oct. 15, Hauss's profile is not accessible via Mason’s PeopleFinder or the Public and International Affairs website. According to Patriot Web, that Monday night class is now taught by Sonja Taylor.

Since he was hired by Mason in January 1993, Hauss taught classes in various topics including political science and conflict resolution. Hauss has written 11 books on comparative politics, conflict resolution, and French politics. According to his LinkedIn profile, he works as a director of policy and research at Search for Common Ground USA. He is listed as a visiting fellow for the Woodrow Wilson Institute. In addition, he is listed as a government liason and a member of the Board of Directors for Alliance for Peacebuilding.

As personnel records are confidential, further details of Hauss's departure cannot be discussed by Mason officials. As a public university, Mason operates under the Commonwealth of Virginia's Human Resource Policy. According to Policy Number 1.05, Alcohol and Other Drugs, the impairment in the workplace from the use of alcohol is a violation that can be punished to the full range of disciplinary actions, including discharge. The severity of disciplinary action for violations is determined on a case-by-case basis. The policy specificies that within 30 days of receiving notice of a violation of the alcohol and drug policy, management must take appropriate disciplinary action against the employee.