Statement: Office of the President

We are just six weeks away from the kickoff of the fall 2021 semester, and I am thrilled to confirm that the campuses of George Mason University will be fully open to welcome a record number of students.

Over the past two years, the Mason community has undergone significant introspection through various strategic planning and branding exercises, and challenged ourselves to answer fundamental questions of who we are, who we wish to be, and why anyone should care. In other words, what does it mean to be a Patriot?

An update on the process Mason will follow to distribute this year’s increase in base compensation for all state employees.

In the coming days, the United States Supreme Court is expected to hand down several landmark decisions of a magnitude that may provoke vocal, public reactions from people on all sides of the issues being adjudicated. We also know the impact of those decisions may weigh differently, and have different consequences, for different community members.

Now, the summer season is upon us, and as many of us look forward to time away with friends and family, we must remember that COVID isn’t taking a summer break. 

For commencement at EagleBank Arena and all indoor degree celebrations, we will require all students, faculty, and guests in attendance to wear masks. We will have additional supplies on hand for those who arrive without a mask.

Effective immediately, Mason campuses are mask-optional, except in certain event venues, healthcare settings, on public transit, or childcare settings.

Our motto is “freedom and learning.” At our core, we are a place to teach, learn, and improve our understanding of the world. For most of us, this sudden turn of violence is confusing and frightening, and we need help to make sense of what is unfolding.

We have met our goal of keeping our COVID-19 testing positivity rates consistently below 4 percent for the past several weeks, and the latest guidance from the CDC indicates that all of our domestic campuses are at the “Low” level of transmission, which now means the CDC no longer recommends that masks be required indoors.

It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic news of the death of Michael Buschmann, Eminent Scholar and Chair of Mason’s Bioengineering Department in the College of Engineering and Computing. A scholar, university leader and man of compassion and integrity; his untimely death saddens all who knew and loved him.