George Mason University - George Mason University Graduate Programs

George Mason University (also Mason) is the largest research university in Virginia and is based in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County. The university's motto is Freedom and Learning.

The university was founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1957 and became an independent institution in 1972. Today, Mason is recognized for its strong programs in economics, law, creative writing, computer science, and business. In recent years, George Mason faculty have twice won the Nobel Prize in Economics. The university enrolls 33,917 students, making it the largest university by head count in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

History

The Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution in January 1956, establishing a branch college of the University of Virginia in Northern Virginia. In September 1957 the new college opened its doors to seventeen students, all of whom enrolled as freshmen in a small renovated elementary school building at Bailey's Crossroads. John Norville Gibson Finley served as Director of the new branch, which was known as University College.

The city of Fairfax purchased and donated 150 acres (0.61 km²) of land to the University of Virginia for the college's new site, which was referred to as the Fairfax Campus. In 1959, the Board of Visitors of UVA selected a permanent name for the college: George Mason College of the University of Virginia. The school is named after American revolutionary, patriot, and founding father George Mason. The Fairfax campus construction planning that began in early 1960 showed visible results when the development of the first 40 acres (160,000 m²) of Fairfax Campus began in 1962. In the Fall of 1964 the new campus welcomed 356 students.

Local jurisdictions of Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church agreed to appropriate $3 million to purchase land adjacent to Mason to provide for a 600-acre (2.4 km²) Fairfax Campus in 1966 with the intention that the institution would expand into a regional university of major proportions, including the granting of graduate degrees.

On April 7, 1972 the Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation which separated George Mason College from its parent institution, the University of Virginia. Renamed that day by the legislation, George Mason College became George Mason University.

In 1978, the George Mason University Foundation purchased the former Kann's department store in Arlington. In March 1979 the Virginia General Assembly authorized the establishment of the George Mason University School of Law (GMUSL) - contingent on the transfer of the Kann's building to George Mason University. GMUSL began operations in that building on July 1, 1979 and received provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association in 1980. The ABA granted full approval to GMUSL in 1986.

Also, in 1979, the university moved all of its athletic programs to the NCAA Division I. Enrollment that year passed 11,000. The university opened its Arlington campus in 1982, two blocks from the Virginia Square-GMU station in Arlington. In 1986 the university's governing body, the Board of Visitors, approved a new master plan for the year based on an enrollment of 20,000 full-time students with housing for 5,000 students by 1995. That same year university housing opened to bring the total number of residential students to 700.

Through a bequest of Russian immigrant Shelley Krasnow the University established the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study in 1991. The Institute was created to further the understanding of the mind and intelligence by combining the fields of cognitive psychology, neurobiology, and artificial intelligence. In 1992, Mason's new Prince William Institute began classes in a temporary site in Manassas, Virginia. The Institute moved to a permanent 124-acre (0.50 km²) site located on the Rt. 234 bypass, ten miles (16 km) south of Manassas, by the year 1997, and is now known as the Prince William Campus. The university graduated more than 5,000 students that following spring.

While George Mason University is young compared to established research universities in Virginia, it has grown rapidly, reaching an enrollment of 33,917 students in 2014.

In 2002, Mason celebrated its 30th anniversary as a university by launching its first capital campaign, trying to raise $110 million. The school raised $142 million, $32 million more than its goal. The George Mason University logo, originally designed in 1982, was updated in 2004. The new logo did not depart entirely from the old, but included the name "Mason," per the informal nickname students gave the university. According to designers, the new logo "embodies the speed, strength excitement and energy of Mason athletics."

In 2008, the George Mason School of Management celebrated its 30th anniversary. Also, in 2008 Mason changed its mascot from the "Gunston" animal to the "Patriot".

In 2014, the George Mason School of Management officially changed its name to the School of Business.

Campuses

Fairfax Campus

The main campus of George Mason University is situated on 677 acres (2.74 km²) just south of the City of Fairfax, Virginia in central Fairfax County, approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Washington, D.C. The Fairfax campus is served on the Washington Metro by the Vienna station on the Orange line. A 15 minute shuttle in addition to the CUE bus, free for students with a Mason ID card, serves the students through routes from the Metro station to the University.

Design and construction

In the early 1960s, four buildings were constructed around a lawn in Fairfax, appropriately named East, West, North (later, Krug Hall), and South (later, Finley Hall). The first four structures, today dubbed "The Original Four," "around a lawn" were understood as a clear reference to the buildings around The Lawn of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. In addition, in the words of the architects, the architecture of the buildings was meant to reflect Jeffersonian influence through the use of red brick with buff colored mortar, white vertical columns, and sloped shingled roofs.

Master plans were developed to incorporate further development, which saw new additions such as Fenwick Library and Lecture Hall. By 1979 master plan development was handled by the firm of Sasaki & Associates, which continued to work alongside the university in the years that followed. Student housing first became available in 1977. The 1980s saw the university expand with a new building being added on each year, including the Patriot Center. As well as the construction of the Fairfax campuses network of hot and cold water piping that provides power efficient, centralized heating and cooling for the university's buildings.

Recent years have once again brought a new construction boom to the Fairfax campus, which is currently undergoing a massive, $900 million construction campaign (between 2002-2013) based on the 2002 University Master Plan. This has brought about a huge influx of new buildings to campus, and renovations of existing buildings, most recently:

Building Name / Type / Description - Completion Date

• Southside - New - All you can eat style dining hall - Fall 2008
• Recreation and Athletic Complex [RAC] - Renovated/Expanded - Fall 2009
• Hampton Roads - New - Student housing for ~400 - Fall 2010
• Pilot House - New - Late night dinner open from 5pm to 4am - Fall 2010
• Performing Arts Building - Expansion - Expanded teaching and performing space for College of Visual and Performing Arts - Fall 2010
• Student Union I [SUB I] - Renovation/Expansion - Fall 2011
• The Hub (formerly Student Union II [SUB II]) - Renovated - Spring 2011
• Rogers and Whitetop Halls- Suite and Apartment style Residence Halls - houses 600 students- Spring 2012
• Science & Technology II Renovation/Expansion - Under Renovation/Construction - 2013
• Fenwick Library Renovation/Expansion - Design Phase -

Housing and residence life

Fairfax is the only campus of George Mason University with on-campus student housing. The campus is divided up into three neighborhoods, which combined house approximately 5,400 students. A seventh housing area is currently under construction to house an additional 600 students and more dining facilities. A biometric, iris recognition system is used for entry to the Fairfax campus.

Shenandoah (formerly Southeast):

• Liberty Square - Upperclassmen - Completed 2003, and housing approximately 500 students in two and four person apartments. Each apartment is fully furnished, and contains a kitchen and living/dining area.
• Potomac Heights - Upperclassmen - Completed 2004, and housing approximately 500 students in apartments which can accommodate two, four or six students in single and double bedrooms. Each apartment is fully furnished, and contains a kitchen and living/dining area.
• Presidents Park - Freshmen - Completed in 1989, and housing approximately 1,100 students in twelve halls (Adams, Kennedy, Roosevelt, Harrison, Lincoln, Truman, Jackson, Madison, Wilson, Jefferson, Monroe, Washington). All rooms are fully furnished and residents reside in double, triple, or quad rooms and use shared common bathrooms cleaned daily by janitorial staff. By Fall 2011 all halls will have been renovated within the last 4 years. The twelve resident halls surround Eisenhower hall in the center, a non-residential building which contains a late night diner called Ike's (open until 4am), a large study lounge, a handful of small group study rooms, HDTV lounge with a pool table and vending machines.

Rappahannock (formerly Central):

• Chesapeake - Upperclassmen - Completed 2004, and housing approximately 800 students among its 4 halls (Blue Ridge, Sandbridge (formerly named Shenandoah), Piedmont, Tidewater) in suite-style apartments for four people which vary in combining single and double bedrooms, all which share a common bathroom. Each apartment is fully furnished, and each floor of every building contains at least two large study rooms (in some cases three). Blue Ridge currently houses the One Stop Patriot Shop convenience store on its lower level. Additionally, Tidewater is the location of GMU's very own Red Mango and Auntie Anne's, open in Fall 2011.
• Dominion - Upperclassmen - Completed in 1981, and housing approximately 500 students in suite-style double occupancy rooms, which share bathrooms with the adjacent suite. All rooms are fully furnished and each floor contains a single study lounge. Renovations are being planned.
• Eastern Shore - Freshmen Honors College Students - Completed in 2009, and housing approximately 200 students in suite-style rooms holding up to four residents sharing a single bathroom. Each cluster of 16 students has access to a common living room, kitchen and study space.
• University Commons - Freshmen - Completed in 1986, and housing approximately 500 students in seven halls (Amherst, Brunswick, Carroll, Dickenson, Essex, Franklin, and Grayson). All rooms are fully furnished and residents reside in single, double, or triple rooms and use shared common bathrooms cleaned daily by janitorial staff. Renovations were completed in 2012.
• Commonwealth - Upperclassmen - Completed in 1981, and housing approximately 500 students in suite-style double occupancy rooms, which share bathrooms with the adjacent suite. All rooms are fully furnished and each floor contains a single study lounge. Renovations are currently being planned.
• Hampton Roads - All Students - Completed in 2010 and housing approximately 400 students. Hampton Roads is also home to the Pilot House (open until 4am), Mason's second on-campus late night diner.
• Northern Neck - Upperclassmen - Completed in 2008 and housing approximately 400 students. Northern Neck is also home to Mason's first Starbucks, located in its first floor.

Aquia (formerly Northwest):

• Student Apartments - Upperclassmen - Completed in 1977 and housing approximately 500 students, in bedroom apartments, each bedroom accommodating two students and each suite sharing one bathroom. Suites has between one, to three bedrooms and are fully furnished, and contains a small kitchen and combined living/dining area.
• Townhouses - Upperclassmen - 35 two-bedroom townhouses located 1/8 of a mile north of the campus on State Route 123
• Rogers and Whitetop - Upperclassmen - Opened spring 2012 and housing approximately 300 students. In Rogers Hall, four students live together in fully furnished suite-style units with full kitchens and living and dining areas. The lower level has a convenience store and laundry and vending facilities. Rogers is adjacent to Whitetop, the location of the neighborhood 24-hour service desk. Whitetop opened in spring 2012 and is home to approximately 300 residents. This six-floor building offers three- and four-person suites, where residents share a common entryway and bathroom. Each floor has multiple common areas and kitchens. The lobby houses the neighborhood 24-hour service desk and laundry and vending facilities. These buildings will temporarily house the residents of University Commons during dorm renovations.

Former Buildings:

• Patriot Village

In summer 2008 the Patriot Village area was demolished to make room for the RAC (an on campus gym complex). Patriots Village consisted of dozens of permanent modulars located just outside of Patriot Circle, east of Ox Road, offering modular and suite-style units.

Notable campus buildings

Johnson Center

The George W. Johnson Learning Center, more commonly known as the Johnson Center or JC, is the central hub on campus, completed in 1995 and named after University President of 18 years, George W. Johnson. Located in the center of campus, the $30 million, 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m²) building was built as the first of its kind building on any American campus, acting both as a library and a student union. The ground floor includes a buffet style restaurant named the Bistro, the campus radio station WGMU Radio, a coffee shop named Jazzman's, 300-seat movie theater, and Dewberry Hall. The main floor includes the campus bookstore, a large food court with several fast food restaurants, a patisserie and the ground floor of the library. The second and third floors of the Johnson Center are primarily used by the library, with multiple group meeting rooms, computer labs, a news and media resource, and a full service restaurant named George's located on the third floor.

The Johnson Center serves as the center for student life with many activities and productions sponsored by Program Board and Student Government. In 2004 during the Democratic Primaries, Senator John Kerry, the eventual Democratic Nominee for President, visited George Mason University and gave a speech on the floor of the Johnson Center. In 2007, shortly after announcing on his website that he would establish a presidential exploratory committee, Senator Barack Obama gave a speech at the "Yes We Can" rally at the Johnson Center atrium. The next week he formally announced his intentions of running for president.

Robinson Halls

Robinson Halls A and B house many different classrooms and offices. One fun fact about this building is that on September 13, 1992 the first Komodo dragon was born into captivity. Robinson Hall A is the home to many departmental offices around campus, including offices for professors of Mason's Global Studies program, along with offices for the College of Health and Human Services. Robinson Hall B is the home to George Mason University's English department, housing offices for professors.

Center for the Arts

The Center for the Arts includes a 2,000-seat Concert Hall built in 1990. The concert hall can be converted into a more intimate 800-seat theater. Most Center for the Arts events take place here, including operas, orchestras, ballets, and musical and theatrical performances such as Kid Cudi in 2010. The Center for the Arts also hosted President Obama during his 2012 campaign for President. Its Provisions Library houses special collections focusing on social change and the arts.

Patriot Center

The Patriot Center is a 10,000 seat arena, located on the Fairfax campus of Northern Virginia's George Mason University, home court for the Men's and Women's basketball team. The Patriot Center is also host to over 100 concerts and events throughout the year, annually attracting major performers like the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Aquatic and Fitness Center

The 68,000-square-foot (6,300 m²) Aquatic and Fitness Center opened in 1998 at a cost of $11 million. The center includes an Olympic size swimming pool containing eight 50-meter lanes, twenty-two 25-yard (23 m) lanes, two movable bulkheads, and a diving area equipped with two 1-meter and two 3-meter spring boards, a Warm-water recreational pool, Locker rooms, a whirlpool, a coed sauna, and a family changing room.

The RAC (Recreation and Athletic Complex)

Encompassing 120,000 square feet, the Recreation and Athletic Complex (RAC) boasts three gymnasiums, racquetball courts, squash courts, and a two story fitness gallery. Recently renovated and re-opened in 2009, The RAC serves as the home for Mason Recreation programs, three intercollegiate sports (tennis, volleyball, and wrestling), ROTC Offices, as well as a classroom and offices for the School of Recreation, Health and Tourism.

Fenwick Library

Fenwick Library was originally built in 1967, with additions in 1974, a tower in 1983, and renovations in 2005-2006. It was named for Charles Rogers Fenwick, one of George Mason's founders. Fenwick Library is the main research library at George Mason. Its resources include: most of the university's books, microfilms, print and bound journals, government documents, and maps. Electronic resources include networked and stand-alone CD-ROMs, the libraries' online catalog, a number of databases available through the libraries' membership in various consortia, and Internet access. Another important collection of research materials housed in Fenwick is the Government Documents collection. This collection includes both federal and Virginia state documents. Both sets of documents contain items from the administrative, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and constitute an invaluable source of primary source materials for students and faculty in political science, public policy, sociology, business and other fields. There is also a special GIS center in Fenwick Library which conducts GIS drop-in sessions every week.

George Mason University is a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, granting it access to resources of thirteen other libraries in the District of Columbia.

Currently Fenwick Library is undergoing a face lift to provide students with a more technologically advanced library. The roof will now sport a roof garden that is naturally rain irrigated along with adding new study rooms for students. The renovations are expected to be done in 2015

Mason Global Center and INTO Mason

In July 2010 George Mason University opened a 148 room hotel on its Fairfax Campus. The Conference Center & Hotel was LEED-certified Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council, and was the only full-service, upscale hotel in Fairfax and near George Mason University. The Mason Inn was operated by Crestline Hotels & Resorts, and hosted conferences, business meetings, scholastic events and area social occasions. Bringing the outside in, the public spaces and each of the 148 guest rooms at The Mason Inn were appointed in earth tones accented by shades of red and orange.

Each guest room featured a work area, sitting area and high speed wireless Internet access, as well as flat-panel TVs and in-room safes. Public spaces, including the 20,000 square foot IACC Conference Center, incorporated touches that are reminiscent of the spirit of George Mason. Carpet on guest room floors replicated the script of George Mason's handwritten letters and a copy of the Virginia Constitution is displayed in the Lobby.

The Mason Inn closed in the summer of 2014. The facility is now the Mason Global Center and the housing unit of INTO Mason students.

RAC The Recreation and Athletic Complex

Re-opened in 2009, the Recreation Athletic Complex is one of the gyms at George Mason University. It encompasses 120,000 square feet in total space. It includes a weight training area, a cardio gallery, a martial arts/dance room, and a yoga/pilates room. There are numerous courts including 6 basketball/8 volleyball courts, 2 racquetball/wallyball courts, and 2 squash courts. The RAC is the site of the men's and women's basketball and volleyball practices. Freshens smoothie bar is located on the main floor. There are numerous classrooms for the School of Recreation, Health and Tourism. The ROTC offices are also located here.

Arlington Campus

The 5.2-acre (21,000 m²) Arlington campus was established in 1979 by the Virginia General Assembly for the newly founded law school. In 1980, graduate and professional programs were also offered in the building, a converted Kann's department store. Since then the school has grown to offer a multitude of graduate degrees. In 1996, Arlington's campus began its first phase in a three phase campus redevelopment project. In 1998, Hazel Hall was completed to house the law school, the Mercatus Center, and the Institute for Humane Studies. The second phase, to be completed in 2010, is underway for a 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m²) building named Founders Hall is to house the Schools of Public Policy, Education and Human Development, Information Technology, Engineering, Management, the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Computational Science, and the College of Visual & Performing Arts and academic and student supports services. Arlington's campus is projected to reach an enrollment of 10,000 students by the completion of its redevelopment.

The Arlington campus is served on the Washington Metro by the Virginia Square-GMU station on the Orange line. The station is located approximately two blocks west of the campus.

Prince William Campus

George Mason's Prince William campus opened on August 25, 1997 in Manassas. It is located on 124 acres (0.50 km²) of land. The campus offers a high-tech/bio-tech and emphasizes bioinformatics, biotechnology, forensic biosciences educational and research programs in addition to computer and information technology. The campus also offers creative programs of instruction, research, and public/private partnerships in the Prince William County area.

Prince William offers an M.A. in New Professional Studies in Teaching, an M.A.I.S. with a concentration in Recreation Resources Management, a B.S. in Administration of Justice, undergraduate programs in health, fitness, and 'Recreation Resources', graduate programs in exercise, fitness and 'Health Promotion', and nontraditional programs through continuing and professional education in geographic information systems and facility management.

Prince William also boasts the 300-seat Verizon Auditorium, the 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m²) Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center, and a 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m²), $46 million Hylton Performing Arts Center which opened in 2010. Other buildings on the Prince William campus include the Occoquan Building, which houses various academic, research, and administrative resources including a Student Health clinic, Bull Run Hall, a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²) building which opened in the fall of 2004, and Discovery Hall, which was completed in 1998 at a cost of $20.4 million.And Beacon Hall, which is a graduate dorm opened in November 2012.

Loudoun Campus

In the fall of 2005, the university opened a site in Loudoun County, Virginia. Several months later, it announced the gift of 123 acres (0.50 km²) of land by Greenvest, LLC, to build a fourth suburban campus. The campus was scheduled to open in 2009. However, the proposal was voted down by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, as part of the larger Dulles South project. Greenvest rescinded the gift. Committed to expanding its presence in Loudoun, the university has now proposed a possible joint campus with Northern Virginia Community College. The campus would be located in Broadlands, Virginia.

Mason's current Loudoun site offers several graduate programs; an MA in Business Administration, Masters and doctoral programs in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), a graduate degree in nursing, and a Master of Science in telecommunications. The Loudon campus also offers five undergraduate programs; a minor in business and management, certificates in the College of Education and Human Development, a BS in health science, a minor in information technology, and an introductory course in social work. Other graduate level courses, such as those offered by the Department of Information and Software Engineering, are periodically taught at the site.

Mason Korea

In March 2014, Mason opened Mason Korea. The campus is in Songdo, in South Korea's Incheon Free Economic Zone, a 42,000-acre site designed for 850,000 people. It's 25 miles from Seoul and a two-hour flight from China and Japan. Matthew Zingraff is president and provost of Mason Korea. Students attending Mason Korea will earn a Mason degree just as they would if they took classes on Mason's Virginia campuses. Mason Korea students will spend the fourth and fifth semesters (third year) on the Fairfax Campus, with all other course work to be completed in Songdo. Economics and management are the first course offerings and were specifically requested by Korea's Ministry of Education. Future degrees include global affairs, conflict analysis and resolution and computer gaming.

The South Korean government approached Mason in 2008 about opening a Mason campus in Songdo. A $1 million grant in 2009 from the Korean government made it possible for Mason to begin detailed planning. The Korean government will subsidize Mason's Songdo campus for at least the first five years, including free use of buildings and utilities.

Academics

Mason offers 81 undergraduate degrees, 88 master's degrees and a law degree at its Fairfax, Arlington, Prince William and Loudoun County campuses.

Mason also offers a variety of study abroad options through its Center for Global Education.

As of fall 2014, the University had 33,791 students enrolled, including 21,672 undergraduates, 7,022 seeking master's degrees, 2,264 seeking doctoral degrees and 493 seeking law degrees.

The student-faculty ratio is 16:1 and the average class size ranges from 25 to 35 students.

Admission to the Honors College is based on a holistic review of each student's academic performance as well as any other information included in the general application, such as rigor of coursework, standardized test scores, class rank, essay response, teacher recommendations, outstanding leadership, and commitment to community service. Admission to the Honors College requires an application and is open to both freshmen and transfer students.

Approximately 20 students each year are named University Scholars, Mason's highest academic distinction, which includes a full tuition scholarship.

The 3+3 Accelerated Program offers highly motivated George Mason University undergraduate students a fast track to earn both a bachelor's degree and a law degree in six, rather than seven, years of study.

Colleges and Schools

• College of Education and Human Development
• College of Health and Human Services
• College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• College of Science
• College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study
• School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution
• School of Law
• School of Business
  Previously the School of Management, re-named July 15, 2014.
• School of Policy, Government and International Affairs
  Previously the School of Public Policy and the department of Public and International Affairs, combined Aug. 1, 2014.
• Volgenau School of Engineering

Athletics

Division 1 Teams

The George Mason Patriots are the athletic teams of George Mason University located in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference for most sports. About 485 student-athletes compete in 22 men's and women's Division I sports - baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Intercollegiate men's and women's teams are members of the Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, the Atlantic 10, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL), and the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A)

Club Sports

In addition to its NCAA Division I teams, George Mason University has several club sports. The club sports offer students a chance to compete at a high level without the time commitment of a D-I/Varsity team in sports including - badminton, baseball, basketball (women's), bowling, cricket, crew, cycling, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse (men's and women's), paintball, quidditch, rugby (men's and women's), running, soccer (men's and women's), swimming, tae kwon do, trap & skeet, triathlon, ultimate frisbee (men's and women's), volleyball (men's and women's), wrestling, and underwater hockey. Clubs have a competitive range from regional competition to yearly participation in U.S. National College Club Level Championships.

Student Life

George Mason offers more than 200 clubs and organizations, including 16 fraternities, 15 sororities, 24 International-student organizations, 25 religious organizations, a student programming board, student government, club sports, debate team, and student media. In a 2004 survey of 357 universities Mason was ranked number one for diversity. The Office of Student Involvement at Mason administrates Student Government, Program Board, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Recognized Student Organization (RSO), Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), and Weekends at Mason (WAM). Mason also offers an Army ROTC program, called The "Patriot Battalion." Mason's club sports include Ice Hockey, ultimate frisbee, crew, equestrian, field hockey, football, lacrosse, underwater hockey, fencing, and rugby. A new sport in 2013 is Quidditch.

Forensics

The George Mason University Forensics program is one of the top ranked competitive speech teams in the United States and has achieved international recognition in the field of communication studies.

The team was founded in 1970 and has won nearly 10,000 individual speech awards. From 2010 to 2012 the team placed 4th at the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament and has won the International Forensics Association Championship each of the last five years. The Forensics Program has been extremely active on the George Mason campus with an active Community Service Committee. Mason hosts the annual Virginia Is for Lovers collegiate speech tournament, the Patriot Games Classic (which in 2009 had over 1,000 entries), and hosted the 2011 Catholic Forensics League Grand National Tournament. Currently Dr. Peter Pober is the Program Director with Jeremy Hodgson as Assistant Director.

Debate Team

The George Mason University Debate Team is a nationally ranked Policy Debate program. The team competes nationally as well as regionally, frequently attending the National Debate Tournament, the Cross Examination Debate Association National Tournament, and the American Debate Association National Tournament. The director of the team since its inception in 1975 is Dr. Warren Decker. In the 2012-2013 season, the debate team was ranked first in NDT-CEDA points for a majority of the season, ultimately finishing second behind Liberty University (See NDT-CEDA Rankings). In the 2013-2014, the debate team won a National Championship by finishing first in NDT points. The team is regionally and nationally competitive in the Novice, Junior Varsity, and Varsity divisions.

Media

Mason also sponsors several student-run publications through its Office of Student Media, including Connect2Mason.com, an online media and news convergence website, the VoxPop, a feature magazine,Volition, an undergraduate student literary and art magazine, Phoebe, a graduate literary journal, So to Speak, a feminist literary journal, GMView and Senior Speak, an annual yearbook publication and video, New Voices in Public Policy, School of Public Policy student journal, and Hispanic Culture Review, a student bilingual (Spanish/English) journal on Hispanic literature and culture. Mason also sponsors several academic journals including, TABLET, the International Affairs Journal of George Mason University. Between approximately 1993 and 1998, the University was also the home of The Fractal: Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Mason offers one regular print publication, Broadside, a student newspaper. Mason also operates a Campus radio station, WGMU Radio. The online radio station offers music, entertainment, news, and public affairs relating to the University community, regional area and the country. GMU-TV is the university's professional Educational-access television station. GMU-TV is an award-winning leader in educational, informational and public interest programming. The unit offers a broad spectrum of content, ranging from public affairs and humanities to science, medicine and the arts. The Mason Cable Network, or MCN, is the student organized and operated station, and offers student produced entertainment and information on campus channel 89, available on the Fairfax campus of Mason.

Between 1990 and 2005, the underground newspaper Expulsion was distributed on the Mason campus. It also experienced a brief online resurgence in 2007.

The staff of the Center for History and New Media produces a podcast called Digital Campus.

In fall 2008, the satirical online newspaper, The Mason Squire, premiered. The site featured fake news stories criticizing the university. The newspaper's mottos were "Because fake news doesn't report itself" and "Fake news just got a whole lot sexier." However, the site has been inactive since late 2009.

Fraternity and Sorority Life

George Mason University does not have traditional Fraternity & Sorority housing or a "Greek row." For several years, three Panhellenic Council organizations had established "Living/Learning Floors" in the University Commons. Alpha Omicron Pi had a floor 2004-2010, Gamma Phi Beta had a floor 2006-2010, and Alpha Phi had a floor 2007-2010.

Officially, Mason refers to "Greek Life" as "Fraternity & Sorority Life" to avoid confusion with the Hellenic Society club, a student organization focusing on the people and culture of Greece.

Most organizations in the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council (PHC) hold one or two large charitable events each year. Most organizations in the National Pan-Hellenic Council(NPHC) and Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) hold a series of smaller charitable events throughout the year. The NPHC is also known for its annual Step Show.

The most well-known event associated with Fraternity & Sorority Life on campus is held each spring and is called Greek Week. This annual event includes competitive sporting and trivia events, charitable fund raising, and is usually ended with Greek Sing. Organizations participating in Greek Sing put together 10-15 minute themed shows which have included extravagant costumes, set designs, lighting displays, multimedia presentations, dances, singing, and more. Other Greek Week events include Shackathon where organizations construct shacks decorated to fit a theme. Greek swim is another popular Greek Week event in which organizations perform in a synchronized swimming competition.

PHC holds a formal recruitment each fall. Informal recruitment is held in spring. Many PHC organizations also offer continuous open recruitment (or continuous open bidding) after the designated recruitment period. IFC has a designated one-week rush period in the fall and spring. This week is regulated and monitored, but participants are not registered or tracked.

Presidents past and present

• Lorin A. Thompson, (1966-73)
• Vergil H. Dykstra, (1973-1977)
• Robert C. Krug, (1977-1978)
• George W. Johnson, (1978-1996)
• Alan G. Merten, (1996-2012)
• Ángel Cabrera, (2012-Present)

Notable alumni

Corporate/non-profit

• Muna Abu-Sulayman, Secretary General and Executive Director, Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation
• Yusuf Azizullah, consultant
• Erden Eruç, president and CEO of the non-profit Around-n-Over and the first solo human-powered circumnavigator of the globe
• Zainab Salbi, President, Women for Women International
• Will Seippel, business executive
• Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association
• Martin Andrew Taylor, former senior executive Corporate VP of Windows Live and MSN, Chief of Staff to Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

Government and politics

Literary and media

• Brolin Walters, author, CNN

Sports and entertainment

Other

Notable faculty

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Economics

School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

• Kevin Avruch - Henry Hart Rice Professor of Conflict Resolution and Professor of Anthropology and Dean of S-CAR
• Marc Gopin - James H. Laue Professor of World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution
• Susan Hirsch - Professor of Conflict Resolution and Anthropology
• Richard E. Rubenstein - University Professor of Conflict Resolution and Public Affairs

School of Public Policy

• Zoltan Acs
• David S. Alberts, Director of Research for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
• Kenneth Button
• Thomas M. Davis, former U.S. Congressman from Virginia
• Desmond Dinan
• Richard Florida
• William Conrad Gibbons
• Marc Gopin
• Stephen Haseler
• Michael Hayden, former CIA Director
• Seymour Martin Lipset
• Patrick Mendis, US Diplomat, NATO military professor, and author
• Patrick Michaels
• Thomas J. Miller, US Ambassador to Greece, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bill Schneider (journalist), CNN's senior political analyst
• Louise Shelley
• Jeremy Shearmur
• Richard Norton Smith
• John N. Warfield

College of Science

• David Albright
• Ken Alibek, Colonel in the Soviet Union in charge of biodefense
• Robert Axtell
• Caroline Crocker, immunopharmacologist who teaches creationist claims about evolution
• Peter J. Denning
• Genevieve Grotjan Feinstein, mathematician and cryptanalyst
• Klaus Fischer, mathematician
• Peter A. Freeman
• Robert Hazen, Clarence Robinson Professor of Earth Science, and author
• Abul Hussam, inventor of the Sono arsenic filter, for which he received the 2007 sustainability prize awarded by the National Academy of Engineering
• Thomas Lovejoy
• Angela Orebaugh
• Suresh V. Shenoy
• Fred Singer
• Jagdish Shukla, founding member of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics
• John P. Snyder, cartographer
• James Trefil, physicist, and author
• Ernst Volgenau, chairman and founder of SRA International
• Edward Wegman, statistician
• Boris Willis
• Christine Fox, acting deputy secretary of defense

School of Business

• Teresa J. Domzal, dean of the School of Business
• Jim Larranaga, Mason's head men's basketball coach from 1997-2011
• Anthony Sanders, Distinguished Professor of Real Estate Finance
• Raymond W. Smith

School of Law

• Jonathan H. Adler, American legal commentator and law professor
• Helen M. Alvaré, an advisor to Pope Benedict XVI's Pontifical Council for the Laity, as well as an ABC News consultant
• Peter Berkowitz
• David Bernstein
• Lawrence J. Block, Federal Judge
• Frank H. Buckley
• Henry N. Butler, Republican Candidate for member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 11th congressional district
• Susan Dudley, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under President George W. Bush
• Victoria Espinel, United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator
• Adrian S. Fisher, lawyer, diplomat, and politician during the 1960s and 1970s
• Sandra Froman, President of the National Rifle Association of America
• Sigrid Fry-Revere, founder and president of Center for Ethical Solutions
• Ernest Gellhorn
• Douglas H. Ginsburg, judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and Ronald Reagan's nominee to the United States Supreme Court
• Irving Kayton, founder of the Patent Resources Group, Inc. (PRG)
• William Kovacic, former member of the Federal Trade Commission
• Michael I. Krauss, former Commissioner for Québec's Human Rights Commission
• William H. Lash, former United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce
• James LeMunyon, former United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce
• Robert A. Levy, is the chairman of the libertarian Cato Institute and the organizer and financier behind District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court Case that established the Second Amendment as affirming an individual right to gun ownership.
• Leonard Liggio, Vice President of Atlas Economic Research Foundation
• Deborah Platt Majoras, former chairman of the Federal Trade Commission
• Henry Manne
• James C. Miller III, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and Budget Director for President Ronald Reagan
• John Warwick Montgomery
• Timothy Muris, former chairman of the Federal Trade Commission
• Paul F. Nichols, is a former delegate to the Virginia General Assembly.
• Raymond O'Brien
• Daniel D. Polsby, Dean of Law
• Jeremy A. Rabkin
• Steve Ricchetti, he served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the administration of President Bill Clinton and on March 5, 2012 he was appointed to be counselor to Vice President Joe Biden.
• Chuck Robb, former Governor of Virginia and former U.S. Senator
• William J. Roberts, copyright royalty judge
• Kyndra Miller Rotunda, Army JAG officer
• Hans-Bernd Schäfer
• Loren A. Smith, Federal Judge
• Michael Uhlmann
• Clay T. Whitehead, former director of the White House Office of Telecommunications Policy
• Todd Zywicki, former Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission

School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism

• Steve Baumann, Chief Executive of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
• Charley Casserly, General Manager of the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans
• Craig Esherick, former head coach of the Georgetown basketball team

George Mason University Press

George Mason University Press is the official publishing extension of George Mason University. GMU Press is distributed through University of Virginia Press.

Accreditation

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

References

External links

• Official website
• Official Athletics website
• Connect2Mason Student Run Blog

Interesting Informations

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