Campus and Facility Preparations Support Successful Fall Semester Launch
Extensive summer preparations resulted in a smooth start to the fall semester, with Facilities receiving 20 percent fewer work orders during the fall student move-in. Some of the preparation work completed included:
- 5,000 residences readied for student move-in
- Solar panel installation on the President’s Park Greenhouse
- Combined heating and cooling plant chiller installed
- 400 pounds of campus-grown produce redistributed
- 11,000-plus pounds of Patriot Packout items re-homed
- 38 tons of cardboard recycled from student move-in
- 29 Classrooms refreshed
- 139 elevator phones transferred to cellular service
A&O Holds Leadership Retreat to Shape Direction of Department
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Julie Zobel hosted the first A&O leadership retreat for Administration & Operations (A&O) on August 7 and 8, gathering the department’s unit leaders and their direct reports at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. The 40-person group conducted Emergenetics teambuilding, organizational visioning, and identified priorities for the newly formed department.
SciTech Job Fair Draws More Than 1,400 Local Residents and Displaced Federal Workers
SciTech’s job fair on August 15, drew far more participants than expected, requiring additional space and support for the surprisingly high turnout. Held at the request of U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), the successful collaboration provided support to the region’s workforce and strengthened community partnerships, while demonstrating the campus’s utility as a host for large-scale events.
University Affordable Housing Initiative Acquires Ten Innovation Town Center Condominiums
George Mason has closed on ten condo units in the Innovation Town Center, adjacent to the SciTech Campus, as part of the university’s $10 million commitment to making housing more affordable for faculty, staff, and graduate students. The units will be available below market rates, similar to Fairfax’s Masonvale housing, where rents were recently reduced. This initial acquisition strengthens Mason’s presence in the emerging Innovation District, with additional purchases anticipated to support long-term growth and engagement.
Updated Emergency Preparedness Training Launched
Annual mandatory Emergency Preparedness Training was updated and launched in August on MasonLeaps, the university’s online, self-service learning and performance system. Based on feedback from the university community, training is condensed, easier to navigate, and a test-out option is now included. These changes will reduce the time and compliance burden on faculty and staff and is expected to improve training compliance.
Canon Awarded Contract for University Print, Mail, and Copy Services
Canon USA, George Mason’s partner in print, mail, and copy services since 2016, has been awarded a new five-year contract that began on July 1, 2025, with an option for a five-year extension. The agreement includes a $150,000 signing bonus, and technology upgrades such as a refreshed multi-function-device (MFD) fleet, a new smart locker system in the HUB, cloud-based support, and Wi-Fi compatible devices.
Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center Sets All-time Annual Membership Record
Annual membership rates continue to grow at the SciTech center, closing out July 2025 with over 500 more memberships than in July 2024, and breaking the previous high membership watermark from 2019. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the center’s post-pandemic recovery, having achieved a positive net operating result for FY 2025. The growth is attributed to a concerted effort to increase marketing campaigns and community partnerships, while leasing underutilized space to generate revenue and provide enhanced offerings to members.
Risk, Safety, and Resilience Security Initiatives
Emergency Management and University Events partnered to implement a physical security rubric into George Mason’s event registration process, 25live. George Mason will pilot this security process enhancement in FY26 to determine security requirements for internal and external events, before establishing it permanently in FY27, incorporating learnings from the pilot phase.
A working group has been established to examine the installation, use, maintenance, and testing of panic buttons installed throughout the university; procedures will be produced to mitigate false alarms and improve the utility of panic buttons.