Beginning in Fall of 2021, George Mason University commenced its next round of periodic strategic planning.
As we celebrated our 50th anniversary as an independent institution, it was time to reflect on the university we have become and the direction we should chart for the next 50 years. Dr. Ken Walsh, Professor in Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives/Chief of Staff, led the new strategic planning effort.
The planning processes resulted in the development of an actionable, five-year strategic plan that affirms our vision and mission and solidifies the direction for George Mason through targeted priorities, strategies, and actions. The foundation of this plan was driven by the feedback we received from hundreds of stakeholders, as we aimed to make this an inclusive process that considered diverse perspectives from within and around the Mason community.
To help facilitate this effort, we engaged Attain Partners, a local consulting firm, which worked closely with a Steering Committee, Working Group, and the George Mason community to gather feedback from leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and others to help inform the strategic direction of the university. The plan was also informed by the recommendations report provided by the George Mason Innovation Commission, a group that convened some of the university’s most enterprising faculty, staff and administrators to envision, discuss and recommend strategic possibilities for the direction of the university.
George Mason University thanks the following members of our community who participated in the strategic planning process.
Mason Innovation Commission Members
Zofia Burr, Dean, Honors College
Christopher Carr, Chief Diversity Officer, College of Engineering and Computing
Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, Associate Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government
Ed Dittmeier, Vice President and Chief Audit, Risk, and Compliance Officer
Liza Wilson Durant, Associate Dean, Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement, College of Engineering and Computing
Kimberly Eby, Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs and Development
Craig Esherick, Associate Professor, College of Education and Human Development
Martin Ford, Senior Associate Dean, College of Education and Human Development
Emily Ihara, Professor and Chair, College of Health and Human Services
Alison Landsberg, Professor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
David Miller, Associate Professor, School of Business
Michael “Doc Nix” Nickens, Director of Green Machine Ensembles, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Rene Stewart O’Neal, Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning and Budgeting
Rose Pascarell, Vice President for University Life
Padmanabhan Seshaiyer, Professor, College of Science
Solon Simmons, Associate Professor, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
John Yun, Associate Professor, Antonin Scalia Law School and Director of Economic Education at Global Antitrust Institute
Co-chairs:
Keith Renshaw, Department Chair and Professor of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Ken Walsh, Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
Strategic Planning Working Group
Sharnnia Artis, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Supriya Baily, Professor, College of Education and Human Development
Tehama Lopez Bunyasi, Associate Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
Ed Dittmeier, Vice President and Chief Audit, Risk, and Compliance Officer
Gesele Durham, Vice Provost, Institutional Effectiveness and Planning
Alison Landsberg, Professor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Lance Liotta, Professor, College of Science and Co-Director, Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine
Janette Muir, Vice Provost, Academic Initiatives and Services
Rene Stewart O’Neal, Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning and Budgeting
Ken Randall, Dean, Antonin Scalia Law School
Ken Walsh, Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
Strategic Planning Steering Committee
Denise Albanese, Director, Cultural Studies PhD Program and Professor of English and Cultural Studies, College of Humanities and Social Sciences .
Paul Allvin, Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing
Ann Ardis, Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Trishana Bowden, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations
Laurence Bray, Associate Provost for Graduate Education
Melissa Broeckelman-Post, Faculty Senate Chair
David Burge, Vice President for Enrollment Management
Delton Daigle, Associate Professor and Director of Online Learning, Schar School of Policy and Government
Bill Dracos, Associate Vice President, Business Services
Carolyn Drews-Botsch, Professor and Department Chair, Public Health, College of Health and Human Services
Liza Wilson Durant, Associate Dean, Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement, College of Engineering and Computing
Kimberly Eby, Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs and Development
Mark Ginsberg, Provost and Executive Vice President
Renate Guilford, Vice Provost for Academic Administration
Carol Kissal, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance
Paul Liberty, Vice President for Government and Community Relations
Andre Marshall, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact
Veronica Mata, Student Body Vice President
Buzz McClain, Communications Manager, Schar School of Policy and Government
Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, Dean, College of Science
Rose Pascarell, Vice President for University Life
Karen Reedy, Director of the School of Dance, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Keith Renshaw, Department Chair and Professor of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Erin Iacangelo Rogers, Staff Senate Chair
Sumeet Shrivastava, President, Alumni Association
Patrick Soleymani, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, School of Business
Bethany Usher, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
Ken Walsh, Chief of Staff and Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Gregory Washington, President
Steven Zhou, President, Graduate and Professional Student Association
If you have questions or comments about the Strategic Direction, contact University Business Consulting at ubc@gmu.edu