The Mason Spirit

When you start a new position, it can be a little disconcerting to have key leaders tell you, “You’ve got a really tough job ahead of you.” In my first weeks at Mason last fall, I heard that phrase three times from three different people. But it doesn’t really faze me. I know I won’t…

Continue Reading 150,000 Strong

Ever since I arrived at George Mason University a year ago, I’ve been asked about my background—where I came from and how I got here. So for those of you who are curious, let me tell you a little bit about that. I was born and reared in the great city of Madrid, the second…

Continue Reading A Great Public Education

Flash Mobs and Classroom Rethinking I loved the (spring 2013 Mason Spirit), especially the flash lecture piece on page 6. “Rethinking the Classroom” on pages 12 to 29 was great, too. However, the “Going the Distance” sidebar was interesting. Videotaping for content for distance education (DE) classes (albeit wedding planning) with the goal of emulating…

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I also love that Mason is an inclusive community, one that does not define itself by how many students it leaves out but by how many lives it helps transform every year. From a small teaching satellite campus, we’ve grown into a comprehensive, multicampus, metropolitan, research university serving more students than any of our peer institutions in Virginia. And in doing so, we have found ways to serve an incredibly diverse community composed of people not just from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds but with a wide variety of lifestyles and needs.

Continue Reading Love What You Are

I am honored to serve as the new president of the George Mason University Alumni Association. In July, Mason embarked on a new era when Dr. Àngel Cabrera began his tenure as president. We look forward to working with President Cabrera as he builds on the strong foundation laid by former president Alan Merten.

Continue Reading Greetings, Fellow Patriots

Since I announced that I was stepping down as Mason’s president, people often ask me whether I am going to miss _______. They fill in this blank with a variety of things. I refuse, at least for now, to use the word “miss” because it implies sadness. I’m trying to celebrate everything I have done and what I am going to do. There is so much to celebrate and feel good about.

Continue Reading Being There

Our students and alumni reflect Mason’s global presence, and we will continue to have a lasting impact on the world. Quite a statement! As we think about Mason’s core educational mission and our hopes for Mason’s future students, we are reminded about the role each of us has in continuing the Mason legacy by ensuring that future students enjoy the same opportunities that we enjoyed.

Continue Reading As Mason Turns 40

With respect to all of Mason’s global activities, I think our China activities have been some of the most exciting and groundbreaking. The China 1+2+1 program has brought students to us from incredible institutions in China, students who contribute to campus life in ways we never imagined, and it has allowed us to meet the…

Continue Reading The Challenges of Going Global

Greetings, Mason Alumni The Alumni Association worked right through the summer, and now staff and board volunteers prepare for our annual Alumni Weekend (September 29 to October 2, 2011) and Homecoming (February 2012). Reconnecting alumni with each other and the university is central to the mission of the Alumni Association. I am particularly mindful, as…

Continue Reading Greetings, Mason Alumni!

*Ducking* Please continue to publish letters such as the one from Merton L. Bland (“More Grammar Goofs,” fall 2010). I am disappointed that a linguist would reject rules outright rather than embrace the delicate balance between usage and rules. But we can disagree about such things (and many other things)—that is the very purpose of education,…

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