Strategic Direction

Each year, Mason Nation unites for 24 hours to support the mission and vision of George Mason University. Mason Vision Day 2025 encouraged donors to support what means the most to them. They came forward in record numbers—with record-breaking results.

The state budget, signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin on May 2, represents the Commonwealth of Virginia’s continued investment in George Mason University as the state’s leading university for access, innovation and upward mobility. The funding goes into effect July 1, 2025.

George Mason University has launched Mason Career Academy, a new online learning resource that is free for current students, faculty, and staff to develop new skills, and is available to displaced workers, including federal workers and contractors in the region, for a small registration fee. Mason Career Academy offers access to more than 90 online micro-credential courses and industry-recognized certifications in fields.

At its May 1 meeting, the George Mason University Board of Visitors (BOV) voted 10-4 to keep in-state tuition flat for the 2025-26 academic year, citing the university’s standing as an affordable option for students and families across the commonwealth, and approved a tuition increase for out-of-state students as well as an increase in mandatory student fees for all students.

George Mason professor Celso Ferreira recently redesigned his Flood Hazard Engineering and Adaptation course to work with community partners to deliver real projects as part of the Institute for a Sustainable Earth’s (ISE’s) NSF Accelerating Research Translation (ART) Seed Translational Research Project (STRP) Program.

The ADVANCE Program, a highly successful transfer partnership between Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and George Mason University, is showcased in the newly released Transfer Playbook 2.0, a joint publication of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Community College Research Center.

George Mason University Korea and the U.S. Embassy Seoul recently hosted the 2025 U.S.–Republic of Korea (ROK)–Japan Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Regional Workshop Series on the Mason Korea campus. The workshop featured sessions on peace technology led by experts from the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason and the Faculty of Letters at Soka University in Japan.

The Carnegie Foundation and American Council on Education (ACE) announced Thursday that George Mason University was named to the highest tier of its list of Opportunity Colleges and Universities: Higher Access, Higher Earnings, in recognition of the university’s commitment to accessibility, return on investment, and upward mobility. 

On April 10, eight final student and alumni teams—two from each track—pitched panels of entrepreneurs at 2025 Patriot Pitch competition, organized by the Costello College of Business.

George Mason University’s Outstanding Achievement Awards celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of faculty and staff in support of the university's values and mission. Awards are sponsored by Human Resources and other university departments. A ceremony honoring this year’s awardees was hosted on the Fairfax Campus on Tuesday, April 15.