The George Mason University Board of Visitors met on May 11 to conclude its academic year, approving a six-year capital plan and a tuition and fees increase for the 2026-27 academic year. The board also recognized graduates from the Early Identification Program, received updates on university athletics, and heard proposals for new facilities from college leaders.
The meeting highlighted key developments at the university. Andre Marshall, vice president for research, innovation, and economic impact, reported that 41 proposals were submitted for the Grand Challenge Initiative. He said that “this initiative strengthens George Mason’s competitiveness for large interdisciplinary awards. It also reshapes how we organize our institutional research. Finally, most importantly, it positions us to lead solutions to some of our most urgent societal needs, living up to our responsibility as a top-tier research university.”
Athletics was another focus of the meeting. Marvin Lewis, assistant vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics, shared successes in corporate sponsorships and fundraising efforts—including $2 million raised on Giving Day—and introduced men’s basketball coach Tony Skinn. Under Skinn’s leadership, the team has achieved three consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history and will seek its first NCAA men’s basketball berth since 2011 next season. Skinn said that an upcoming Basketball and Academic Performance Center “will be transformational” by combining athletic and academic resources: “Through men’s basketball, I believe a return on investment reaches far beyond the game itself… That is what a successful basketball program can do for this university.”
Trishana E. Bowden reported that more than $639 million has been raised toward George Mason’s $1 billion fundraising goal through Mason Now: Power the Possible campaign.
The board congratulated graduates from the Early Identification Program (EIP), which supports first-generation students beginning in eighth grade. Monica Amaya shared her experience: “When I arrived here at George Mason… I felt supported, and most importantly, I felt like I belonged… My success didn’t happen by chance. It started with access; it started with support; it started with EIP.”
Leaders from several colleges presented facility plans including Alpaslan Özerdem’s proposal to expand Point of View into a retreat center focused on conflict resolution; Rick Davis’s vision for an updated Center for the Arts; and Patrick Soleymani’s case for a new business school building to match regional workforce demands.
The approved six-year capital plan sets out project priorities to be submitted annually to state authorities.