For almost a decade, George Mason University has been ranked as one of the most military-friendly universities in the country. It is just one of the ways we are working to be inclusive and accessible—and to recognize you or your family member’s service.
1
A Dedicated Office
Mason was one of the first universities to create an office dedicated to helping veterans and active-duty service members navigate the admissions process. In the last 10 years, the Office of Military Services [1] has grown from a cubicle in the Office of Admissions to a full-service resource center in Student Union I. Led by Air Force veteran and current reservist Jennifer Connors, the office includes staff from almost every branch of the armed forces, and they've all used military-related education benefits.
Jennifer Connors, Air Force veteran, current reservist, and director of Mason's Office of Military Services. Photo by Nicholas Tan
2
ROTC
The George Mason Army ROTC Patriot Battalion [2] began in 1982, achieved independent status in 2000, and frequently conducts training with colleges and universities throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Since its inception, 360+ soldiers from the ROTC Patriot Battalion have commissioned.
Cadets of Mason's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program, the Patriot Battalion, at the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Alexis Glenn
3
Free Legal Clinic
M-Vets, the Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic [3] affiliated with Mason's Antonin Scalia Law School, provides free legal representation to active-duty service members, veterans, and their dependents while offering law students the opportunity to receive supervised, practical legal experience by advocating for those who serve or have served in our armed forces. M-VETS was the first clinic of its kind at any law school in the United States of America. Since its founding in 2004, the clinic has assisted hundreds of clients with negotiations and litigation in such areas as Veterans Affairs benefits, Discharge Review Boards, Boards for Correction of Military Records, family law, landlord-tenant disputes, and contract matters.
Mason Law School students. Photo M-VETS/Scalia Law School
4
Making Medical School a Reality
Each year, noncommissioned officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps have the opportunity to follow their dreams of becoming physicians with the help of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) and Mason.
In this 24-month program, candidates attend school full time at Mason’s Science and Technology Campus to prepare them to apply to medical school while remaining on active duty. The program includes full-time medical school preparatory course work in a traditional classroom setting, structured pre-health advising, formal Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation, dedicated faculty and peer mentoring, and integrated clinical exposure. Students who complete the program successfully will qualify to apply to most U.S. medical schools.
The fifth cohort started at Mason this fall. The EMDP2 students have a 95 percent acceptance rate to medical school within the first application cycle in which they apply.
Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Richter takes notes during one of his Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program classes at George Mason University in Manassas, Virginia. Photo courtesy of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
5
Providing a Creative Outlet
Since 2014, the Veterans and the Arts Initiative [4] has served as an arts and community hub for our local veterans, service members, their families, and community members. The year-round program, which is located at the Hylton Performing Arts Center, offers workshops, lessons, exhibitions, performances, and special events. Each year, the Hylton Center hosts Celebrating Veterans and the Arts, which includes an afternoon of music, art, and support from the local community. The program is just one of the initiative’s offerings that celebrate military service through the arts.
“It’s an opportunity to give back to our military,” says Niyati Dhokai, BA Music ’04, who directs the initiative. “We serve a very diverse group of people—from preschool-age children of service members to World War II veterans. It’s something I’m really proud of.”
Veterans Day at the Hylton Center
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Bringing Mason Students to VA’s Workforce
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) signed a memorandum of understanding with Mason to formalize their relationship as part of the Student Outreach and Recruitment initiative. Under this agreement, the VA will work closely with Mason’s College of Health and Human Services [5] to recruit students for internships and career opportunities. The initiative aims to help eliminate potential barriers to diverse representation within the VA’s workforce.
“We chose to partner with Mason because they are the most diverse university in the commonwealth,” says Georgia Coffey, deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the VA. “With the diversity that students bring to Mason, they bring diversity of thought, which is a tremendous asset for us.
Germaine Louis, dean of the College of Health and Human Services, and Georgia Coffey. Photo by Ron Aira
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A Pathway to a BSN
Mason’s Nursing Veteran Co-Enrollment BSN Program [6] provides students with the opportunity to complete a bachelor of science in nursing at Mason and an associate of applied science at a partner community college—typically Northern Virginia Community College—to become a registered nurse. This program was built to be a clear pathway to a degree for active-duty service members and veterans. All of the Mason classes are online and can be taken concurrently with the community college classes.
Nursing boot camp for new Bachelor of Science in Nursing students. Photo by Ron Aira
8
Transfer Credit Options
Eighteen percent of the students in Mason’s Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) [7] program are veterans. Designed for adult learners, the BIS offers students generous transfer credit options and the opportunity to integrate other college-level learning, such as professional or military experience, into university course work. Students create interdisciplinary concentrations to meet their own educational needs, which may include advancing professionally, preparing for graduate or professional programs, or planning a path toward a career change. The BIS is the only Mason degree program that can award transfer credit for veterans’ military trainings from their Joint Services Transcripts as prescribed by the American Council on Education.
Students in the Bachelor of Individualized Study Program chat before their capstone presentations at the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Alexis Glenn
9
From the Halls of Montezuma to Capitol Hill
This fall the inaugural cohort of nine U.S Marine Corps congressional fellows began taking classes at Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government [8]. The new program enables a select group of Marines to work toward a master of public policy, after which they spend a year applying their degree in their work as military legislative liaisons for members of Congress.
The first cohort of Marine officers selected to earn masters degrees take a break from the Schar School at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. Photo by Ron Aira
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Fast-Track Forensics
Mason’s Forensic Science Program [9] hosts an intensive one-year graduate program for active-duty U.S. Army and Air Force service members. After a rigorous application process through their chosen agency, students work on an MS in forensic science. Upon completion, they are placed in forensic science officer positions through their branch of the military.
Mason students at the Crime Scene House owned by the Forensics Science Program. Photo by Ron Aira
11
Paying It Forward
Veteran and Mason graduate student Henry Thomas, BSW '17, was wounded in Afghanistan in 2011. He was awarded a Purple Heart and subsequently received a medical retirement. He and his wife, Marjorie Thomas, MPA ’17, enrolled at Mason in 2015 looking to explore new career paths.
Henry enrolled in the social work program. Marjorie started working on her master of public administration degree part time. After a few semesters, she made the difficult decision to give up her job as an administrative professional to better focus on the couple’s four young children and her studies.
With the help of an ERPi Patriot Scholarship for Veterans and Dependents of Veterans [10], as well as student loans, Marjorie was able to complete her degree in two years. She also parlayed a paid ERPi internship into a full-time position as a project manager at Fairfax-based company.
ERPi provides consulting services to federal clients in military and health sectors. Founder Chris Jones, MA ’99, established the scholarship fund in 2012. A disabled veteran himself, Jones is dedicated to helping veterans and their families.
ERPi Patriot Scholarships are available to students in the Schar School of Policy and Government [11] and the College of Health and Human Services [12]. In spring 2018, more than 20 Mason students received ERPi support.
Marjorie Thomas and her husband Henry Thomas. Photo by Ron Aira
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Dealing with the Impacts of War
Helping those who served in the armed forces learn to freely express their feelings is the goal of Coming Home: Dialogues on the Moral, Psychological, and Spiritual Impacts of War [13], a project directed by Jesse Kirkpatrick, the assistant director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy [14], housed within Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences [15].
“It’s the least I can do to give back to the 1 percent who do serve,” says Kirkpatrick, who directs the project with Edward T. Barrett, the director of research at the U.S. Naval Academy’s (USNA) Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership.
Using sources from philosophy, history, poetry, and literature as discussion prompts, the National Endowment of the Humanities-supported program brings combat veterans together for two days of conversation. The readings, which focus on conflicts from World War I to Afghanistan, have proven cathartic for veterans previously unable or unwilling to openly speak about their own combat experiences. A group of trained facilitators directs each exchange. “The point is to allow people to share their experiences however they do it best,” Kirkpatrick says.
Jesse Kirkpatrick is assistant director for the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy. Photo by Ron Aira
13
A Veterans Society
Mason’s Veteran Patriots [16] is the university’s chapter of the Student Veterans of America (SVA), a national network of 1.1 million military-connected students and veteran supporters with service-focused chapters on university campuses across the United States. The chapter works closely with Mason’s Office of Military Services [17] to connect student veterans to industry recruiters, attend national conferences, and plan service projects to benefit the campus community and beyond.
“As citizens and students of a global university, we have a responsibility to everyone around us to start leading right now,” says communication major and veteran EJ Delpero, who worked for the U.S. Navy’s Riverine Force. “SVA represents a way to answer the call of responsibility at our university and for others to make the most out of their experience as students.”
The chapter recently won a Seeds of Change Award for Outstanding Partnerships for working alongside other organizations in support of Mount Vernon High School’s A Place To Stand, an initiative to eliminate hunger and homelessness in Northern Virginia.
Students from the Mason Veteran Patriots. Photo by EJ Delpero
14
Tribute to a Trailblazer
Former Mason faculty member General Hazel Johnson-Brown was also the first African American woman to become an Army general and chief of the Army Nurse Corps. She made military history in 1979 when she was promoted to brigadier general and, at the same time, given command of the 7,000 nurses in the Army Nurse Corps. Her uniform is on display [18] at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
After retiring from the Army, Johnson-Brown joined Mason as a nursing professor and founded the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics [19]. She also inspired and mentored hundreds of students and colleagues at Mason’s College of Health and Human Services [12]. Johnson-Brown died in 2011. The General Hazel Johnson-Brown Scholarship Fund [20] celebrates her service and supports nursing students who are in financial need.
General Hazel Johnson-Brown
15
High-Flying Fellowships
Mason’s Department of Communication [21] offers a fellowship program in conjunction with the United States Air Force (USAF). Students undergo the USAF’s competitive selection process, and then they must apply for the department’s MA in communication program. If admitted, these students have 18 months to complete their degrees—their course work serves as their Air Force assignment. The fellowship prepares students for a career in the USAF Public Affairs Office—when they graduate, students serve in the Pentagon.
Captain Daniel Boothe, Master of Music Orchestral Conducting ’08, is a music conductor and public affairs specialist for the U.S. Air Force Bands. He is pictured at the Air Force Memorial. Photo by Alexis Glenn
16
Standing by You
The Military Alliance Program [22] offers specialized training to Mason faculty and staff that provides an understanding of how to best support military students at Mason. Once they complete the training, participants are certified as being Military-Friendly Staff, a designation that they can then display in their offices or on their syllabi to signal that they are available to offer specialized support to the Mason military community.
Mason’s Center for Counseling and Psychological Services [23] (CAPS) also provides treatment for children of veterans, veteran couples, and individual veterans who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Staff at CAPS also collaborate with Virginia’s Department of Veteran Services to provide evaluations for veterans working on benefits claims for PTSD and traumatic brain injuries related to military service, and they work with lawyers throughout the process. Additionally, CAPS is part of Serving Together [24], a centralized hub of resources for veterans that includes housing, food, and psychological services.
Patriot Battalion. Photo by Evan Cantwell
17
Paws for a Cause
In the spring, veteran Dylan Arthur, BS Management ’18, organized Paws for a Cause on the Fairfax Campus with the help of Mason’s Office of Disability Services [25] and the Student Health Advisory Board [26]. The event aimed to educate students, faculty, and staff on how best to interact with service, therapy, and emotional support animals.
A former Marines police officer, Arthur was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and four traumatic brain injuries after a car crash. When Arthur’s PTSD symptoms are triggered, his service dog, Bella, acts as an interrupter and puts a paw on Arthur, licks his face, or jumps on him. But Bella, a black Lab-shepherd-husky mix, is a cutie, and strangers often pet her without asking permission, despite the indication on her vest that she is a working dog, complete with a patch that says “do not pet.”
“And as soon as somebody does that,” Arthur says, “her focus is gone, and she can’t do her job, and that puts my health in jeopardy.” According to Disability Services, there are 10 to 20 registered emotional support animals on campus.
“We’re trying to educate the Mason community,” says Jason Northrup, associate director of Disability Services. “We’re seeing more and more students come to campus requesting to have emotional support animals with them in the dorms. We want students, faculty, and staff to have a better understanding of when service animals come into the classroom, what guides that.”
Dylan Arthur, BS Management '18, and his service dog Bella. Photo by Bethany Camp
18
Going Global
With more than 200 study-abroad opportunities taking place in 60 countries, Mason can take all of its students anywhere in the world they want to be. Students using funds from the Department of Veterans Affairs may be able to apply some of their benefits to studying abroad if their degree program requires them to travel. A new Thank You Veteran Study-Abroad Award has also been established, which will help cover costs traditionally not covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
School of Integrative Studies faculty and students pose with students visiting from South America, as part of a study abroad program with the State Department, at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Photo by Alexis Glenn
19
Building Bridges with the U.S. Navy
Oscar Barton Jr., chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering [27] in Mason's Volgenau School of Engineering [28], received a grant from the U.S. Department of the Navy to establish the Mason-Navy Ambassadors Program. Ambassadors are undergraduate students who will promote participation in Navy programs to local middle and high school students through face-to-face forums and at Mason’s annual Engineering Youth Conference, held prior to the start of Engineers Week each February.
Engineering students prepare for a steel bridge competition. Photo by Evan Cantwell
20
It's an Honor
SALUTE! is the only national honor society that recognizes and honors the service and the scholastic achievements of student veterans. The Mason chapter is one of 230 chapters nationwide, and nearly 12,000 student veterans have been inducted since the society was started in 2009.
21
Find Your Tribe
Several student organizations at Mason have a military focus. The Military Law Society [29] is dedicated to promoting knowledge and awareness of military law issues affecting students, law professionals, and members of America's armed forces. The society is open to all students who wish to study the interface between the military, government, and the wider legal system. Mason also has its own chapter of the Society for American Military Engineers [30].
Members of the Veteran Engineering and Technology Students organization greet students, faculty and staff of the Volgenau School of Engineering in the atrium of the Nguyen Engineering Building during Welcome Week at the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Alexis Glenn
22
Support through Scholarships
In addition to general scholarships, the university has funds set aside solely for members of the Mason military community. These include the Kevin and Veronica McCrohan Endowed Scholarship, the Kara Anne Lang Endowed Scholarship, the Cornell Wells Endowed Scholarship, and the Veterans Endowed Scholarship. The requirements and award amounts vary among each fund, but all are reserved for Mason students who are active duty, reservists, or veterans.
Outside of scholarship opportunities, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has generously funded a Veteran Emergency Fund to assist veterans with solution-focused aid during times of need. The Office of Military Services [17] runs the program.
This American Flag Memorial was set up to raise money for the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.
23
Solving Real-World Problems
More than 24 percent (or nearly $28 million) of Mason's annual research expenditures are connected to Department of Defense (DoD) projects. DoD support runs the gamut from scholarships for graduate and doctoral students in cybersecurity, to research to develop a framework for integrating data on the structural performance of defense engineered systems (e.g., naval vessels), and research using novel ultrasonic sensing of muscle activity for control of prostheses.
24
Active Duty and On Campus
Mason hosts multiple funded scholar programs from both military and Department of Defense agencies. Each semester active-duty officers attend Mason as part of the Army Advanced Civil Schooling Program and the Air Force Institute of Technology. Both programs assist officers in pursuing educational goals that meet the needs of the Army and Air Force.
25
Training Cyber Warriors
Mason is one of six top-tier universities and 12 employers partnering with the Army Reserve in a first-of-its-kind effort to create educational pathways for future cyber warriors.
"The [Government Accountability Office] estimates that there is currently a need for 40,000 cybersecurity professionals just to satisfy the government's demand," says Lt. Gen. Jeffery Talley, chief of the U.S. Army Reserve. “Our belief is the [Army Reserve Cyber Private Public Partnership] effort will serve as a seed to enhance these critical efforts and lessen the skilled soldiers shortage gap."
Mason is among the universities tailoring its curriculum to address the military’s needs. The goal is to train and educate Army Reserve soldiers to be elite cybersecurity professionals through classroom work and field experience.