George Mason's Third Decade Begins, Ends with Higher Education Bonds
By Daniel Walsch
If George Mason University's third decade, 1992 to the present, could be placed
on a bookshelf, then its bookends would in all likelihood be two general obligation
bond referenda.
In 1992, Virginia's voters were asked to approve a $472 million bond referendum
that would support construction of needed capital projects at each of the commonwealth's
colleges and universities. Passage of this unprecedented proposal was far from
a sure thing, however, despite the well-documented needs that had been identified
by each institution. At George Mason, for instance, monies were being requested
to support a new university union that would combine a library with a student
learning center, a classroom building in Fairfax, and new buildings on the Prince
William and Arlington Campuses.
George Mason president George Johnson took the lead in organizing a well-coordinated,
statewide effort to inform voters of the referendum's importance. The result was
that on election day, 74 percent of Virginia's voters gave their support. These
monies contributed significantly to what later became the George W. Johnson Center,
the Enterprise Hall, Prince William I, and Arlington I.
Now, 10 years later, Virginia voters will be asked in November to pass judgment
on a similar bond referendum that, if approved, will provide nearly $1 billion
in construction monies for colleges and universities. Of that total, George Mason
would receive $75 million that would support construction of Academic Building
IV and Housing Building V at Fairfax, Academic Building II at Arlington, Academic
IIIA at Prince William, and renovation of the Commonwealth and the Dominion housing
facilities.
"The pressures on Virginia's institutions of higher education with the anticipated
increase in college-bound high school graduates makes funding for new buildings
a critical need," said President Alan Merten at the time this latest bond referendum
was announced.
In many ways, these two legislative initiatives typified much of the decade
for George Mason and, on a more general level, all of higher education in Virginia.
George Mason and its sister institutions had to contend with enrollment freezes,
dwindling state support, tuition caps, and tighter budgets. Nevertheless, George
Mason continued to grow in terms of size and degree programs and initiatives.
In 1992, the university's enrollment totaled 20,829. According to a survey
conducted that year by the Office of Institutional Planning and Research, one-third
of George Mason's students were married and more than one in five students had
children; more than one-quarter of students lived in homes where a foreign language
was spoken; between two-thirds and three-quarters of all commuter students lived
with family members; and more than three-quarters of students had full- or part-time
jobs.
One noteworthy initiative offered in 1993 by the Provost's Office provided
undergraduate students with an avenue by which to create programs of study to
help them better prepare for anticipated challenges of the 21st century. Called
"zero-based curriculum," this initiative later came to be known as New Century
College.
That same year, George Mason broadened its outreach efforts by sparking the
creation of the Northern Virginia Roundtable and the Virginia Business Higher
Education Council, two organizations that have since consistently made their presence
known throughout the commonwealth.
As for construction, 1995 and 1996 were landmark years for the university.
In 1995, construction of the university learning center (renamed the George W.
Johnson Center the following year) and Enterprise Hall was completed. The following
year, ground was broken for a new campus in Prince William County.
The year 1996 also saw George Mason's first change in leadership since 1978.
Johnson, who came to the university following a 10-year stint as dean of the College
of Liberal Arts at Temple University, was replaced by Alan Merten. Merten, too,
had 10 years' experience as a dean prior to coming to George Mason: 3 years as
dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Florida and
7 years as dean of the Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Upon his arrival, Merten applauded the successes and growth of the university
since 1972. "We have gained a national reputation for innovation and commitment
to academic excellence," he said. "By any standards, George Mason's first years
have been an extremely impressive first chapter."
This article completes our series of three articles describing George Mason's
growth and milestones during its first 30 years as an independent university.
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