‘Major announcement’ set following special BOV vote Thursday

The BOV announced Monday a special meeting set for this week. (Screenshot)

George Mason University’s Board of Visitors will hold a meeting Thursday, Dec. 15 that will include a vote on an action that will “significantly impact the future of the institution.”

The BOV posted to its website Monday an announcement of the special meeting, which breaks from its regular monthly schedule. Mason officials published further information on Wednesday, indicating a press conference would immediately follow the meeting, and that the special meeting would contain a vote “on a proposed action that will significantly impact the future of the institution.”

The announcement follows a scheduled confidential closed meeting of members of the Faculty Senate and the final candidates to replace the university’s outgoing president, Alan Merten. Once the Presidential Search Committee has made its selection, the BOV must vote to approve the action before a decision is official.

When asked if the meeting will announce the next university president, University Press Secretary Dan Walsch said he wouldn’t confirm the notion but hinted at the possibility.

“You can kind of figure out what’s been going on,” Walsch said. “But I can’t spell it out.”

Walsch said the event will include a “major announcement” and that “all will be revealed tomorrow.”

The BOV meeting will be held at 8 a.m. in the Junior Ballroom of the Mason Inn Conference Center, and though no public comment will be taken, it is open to all members of the Mason community. Following the meeting, a press conference will be held in the Grand Ballroom at 8:30 a.m.

Thursday morning’s schedule was made public on the Mason Gazette Wednesday morning and was additionally sent to the Mason community via email.
 

C2M Executive Editor Kevin Loker contributed to this report.