Strategic Direction

Dear Fellow Patriots and Friends of George Mason,

2022 marked our 50th anniversary as George Mason University. In our first half century as a university, George Mason has grown remarkably, into the largest, most diverse, and most innovative public research university in the Commonwealth of Virginia, ranked America's No. 1 young university. Yet, even as we celebrate all we and our predecessors have accomplished, we must turn our attention to the next half century and beyond, because a new and very different world is fast emerging, and the future of higher education belongs to those universities that can best adapt. George Mason has the raw materials, community goodwill, and vision to become a university of choice in the world to come. What we need is a plan. Those we educate today and tomorrow will face multiple existential threats that are unprecedented in the human experience. But they will also benefit from opportunities and human advances that will be without precedent, all while leading America's first-ever society without an ethnic majority. Indeed, the world we are entering will be fundamentally different than the one we are leaving. To adequately prepare future generations, society needs universities that are poised to be, as we say at George Mason, All Together Different.

This plan is a blueprint to give George Mason the capacity to be such a university. It contains the often underappreciated but vital steps necessary to meticulously create university infrastructure and human capacity to lead in the unfolding world. This plan will give George Mason the operational capacity to fulfill its aspirations to:

• welcome 5,000 more students onto our campuses, and an additional 5,000 online;
• recruit hundreds of next-generation faculty and staff, as up to 40 percent of our personnel retire over the next decade;
• increase our national leadership in academic disciplines beyond current national rankings; and
• tackle the world's intertwined grand challenges so that we may leave a healthier planet and people, thriving economies, and more just societies to the generations to come.

Our ability to offer accessible and affordable education, with minimal achievement gaps, is a distinctive and defining characteristic of Mason. We prepare learners for the future through inclusive and high-quality education and by committing to a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment. George Mason has the highest graduation and admissions rates among a diverse group of ethnicities and is the first to have accomplished this both regionally and nationally. We pride ourselves on meeting the challenges that others won't in a new model that emphasizes success and flexible planning, strategic partnerships, and an enhanced focus on mental health and well-being.

Our future depends on considering how all our George Mason community stakeholders can make a lasting impact in shaping the future. This involves making a concerted effort in equipping our students, faculty, and staff to succeed, and collaborating with business, alumni, and community partners to not only build a lasting connection to George Mason, but to also drive economic and social impact. Everyone and anyone should see themselves reflected in this plan. Okay, fellow Patriots. Let's get to work.