Provost Newsletter

New Academic Standards Office to implement training for faculty and students

P Shepherd — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 20:07:16 +0000

New Academic Standards Office to implement training for faculty and students P Shepherd Mon, 04/29/2024 - 16:07

In This Story

Starting in fall 2024, George Mason University will change how it approaches academic integrity and honor code violations. A review by the Office of Audit and Compliance found that student violations have been handled inconsistently and as such, a slate of new standards has been adopted and will replace the honor code. These new standards are affirmative, rather than prescribing exact sets of behavior that is disallowed.

“The honor code was a carryover from when George Mason University was part of the University of Virginia,” notes Janette Muir, vice provost for Academic Affairs. “This change provides us the opportunity to create fair and universal standards that are consistent with where Mason is going as a university. We are grateful to Tim Leslie, Academic Affairs Faculty Fellow, and his implementation team, for leading the efforts to reimagine Academic Standards and align sanctions across the university.”

In conjunction with these changes and following the recent approval by Interim Provost Ken Walsh and support by the Faculty Senate, the Office of Academic Integrity has been renamed the Academic Standards Office. Also included in this update is a standardized set of sanctions, guidance for faculty on how to handle cases that do not rise to the level of a violation, as well as guidance on when escalated sanctions are proscribed. Starting Fall 2024, all faculty will be required to take a virtual academic integrity training module on a recurring cycle. This will ensure faculty are up to date on developing trends, university processes, and evolving guidance to maintain our academic standards. Details on training modules will be released shortly.

Beyond the faculty, starting in spring 2025 all incoming undergraduate and graduate students—as well as those students who are found in violation—will be required to take academic integrity modules that complement the information learned during orientation and UNIV 100, ensuring that all students understand the expectations and importance of academic integrity. Local academic units will be required to invite the Academic Standards Office to at least one faculty meeting every other academic year to review academic integrity policy and processes, which will increase awareness and the ability to appropriately address academic integrity issues in ways that follow evolving institutional guidance and policy.

Email questions to Tim Leslie, chair of the Office of Academic Integrity Implementation team.

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Faculty Volunteers Needed to be University Marshals

P Shepherd — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 20:03:52 +0000

Faculty Volunteers Needed to be University Marshals P Shepherd Mon, 04/29/2024 - 16:03

George Mason University seeks faculty volunteers to serve as University Marshals for a multi-year commitment. University Marshals are critical to the success of large and special events such as commencement or investitures, creating dignified and beautiful celebrations. They are assigned a variety of tasks such as name readers during commencement and line conductors who guide students, other faculty, alumni, and guests of honor to their designated places for ceremonies. University Marshals from all colleges are needed. Individuals interested in being considered should email Janette Muir, vice provost for academic affairs, for more details.

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Students and faculty grow through undergraduate research

P Shepherd — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 20:01:00 +0000

Students and faculty grow through undergraduate research P Shepherd Mon, 04/29/2024 - 16:01

In This Story

Dr. Jesse Guessford

Undergraduate research experiences that include a mentoring relationship can be incredibly powerful, positively impacting the lives and work of both the student and faculty. And while many universities focus faculty mentoring efforts on graduate students, George Mason University’s goals to not only “expand the impact of Mason’s research, scholarship, and creative enterprise” but also to “deliver a distinctive and inclusive student experience” provide a vast wealth of opportunities for undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience under the direct supervision from faculty who are leaders in their disciplines.

Many of these relationships are made possible through the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR), which supports undergraduates who want to participate in a research or creative project by connecting them to opportunities, helping to fund their projects, and identifying mentors. It is a reciprocal and beneficial relationship that allows faculty and students to learn from one another, providing a path to knowledge transfer, and helping one another in whatever capacity that they can.

“Through mentoring undergraduate research, the [faculty] mentor can spark the student’s passion for research and their interest in their discipline. For many, this is their only opportunity to work with undergraduate students one-on-one on a meaningful project,” Jesse Guessford, director of curriculum and initiatives in Undergraduate Education, said.

Faculty who mentor undergraduate researchers not only have the opportunity to pass on their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, they can also experience a renewed enthusiasm for their work and gather ideas for other projects as a result of a student’s contribution. The relationship also allows them assistance in the pursuit of their own scholarly endeavors. Research that actively involves undergraduates achieves a number of benefits for faculty, including: keeping them intellectually vigorous, allowing them to make contributions to the field, and enhancing their quality of teaching.

For assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry Fei Wang, most of his research projects and proposals have been funded by OSCAR. As a result, he has had the opportunity to work with undergraduate students for years which he finds gratifying.

“It’s really fulfilling to see students grow and to see their points of view. There is nothing more rewarding as an educator to see students become independent learners and independent thinkers, be equipped with these necessary tools to solve real world problems,” Wang said.

Afra Saeed Ahmad, associate professor of psychology, understands the importance of undergraduate research from both a student and faculty perspective—as an undergraduate student in the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program and graduate student responsible for running labs, as well as a faculty mentor who has the opportunity to work with and support the next generation of students and scholars.

“[As a mentor] it’s fun to get students who apply for different opportunities like a book chapter proposal or grant application and when they get it, they see what they’re capable of accomplishing,” she said.

For students, participating in research can alter their path for the rest of their career not only at George Mason, but also for the rest of their lives. Creating a close relationship with their mentor gives students a sense of belonging at the university and within their field. Through these mentoring relationships, the students learn how to research and create, how to share their findings with the world, and how to become advocates for their educational passions.

Kinesiology major Kayleigh Newman applied for an OSCAR award “on a whim” two years ago, not thinking she would get it. To her surprise, however, she was presented with the opportunity to work on a Summer Team Impact Project in kinesiology. “Everyone I’ve worked with, from the undergrads I started doing research with and the PhD students I’ve been working with, have taught me so much,” she said.

Victoria Gonzales, a double major in computational data science and statistics described her favorite part of undergraduate research as “working in a team. George Mason is diverse, I love working with all types of people and learning more about new perspectives.” She described her mentor, assistant professor of information science Myeong Lee, as “a huge contributor” to her success.

A virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Impact is showing through Friday, May 3.

Visit the OSCAR website to learn more about this year's recipients and their projects.

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George Mason University announces James Soto Antony as new provost and executive vice president

Jeannine Harvey — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 15:01:37 +0000

George Mason University announces James Soto Antony as new provost and executive vice president Jeannine Harvey Mon, 04/29/2024 - 11:01

FAIRFAX, VA (April 29, 2024) – George Mason University President Gregory Washington today announced James Soto Antony as the next Provost and Executive Vice President. He is a nationally recognized higher education scholar and leader with substantial experience as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Washington, Yale University, Harvard University, and University of California San Diego. He will begin this new role on July 1, 2024.

“We searched the nation for the very best provost for George Mason University, and James Antony was our number one choice,” Washington said. “He has the perfect mix of academic credentials, knowledge, and temperament to lead our academic enterprise as this university takes its place as one of America’s new leaders in higher education. I look forward to having Jim on the team.”

Antony is currently Dean of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs at UC San Diego, where he also serves as Professor of Education Studies with a secondary appointment in the Rady School of Management. At UC San Diego, he has led a transformation of graduate and professional student financial support, created infrastructure to advance student professional development, prioritized student access and opportunity, and launched grant-funded initiatives to improve mentoring.

As Provost and Executive Vice President, Antony will help cultivate a dynamic and forward-thinking academic environment. In collaboration with senior leaders, faculty, staff, and students, he will be instrumental in advancing academic excellence, research, and scholarly pursuits in alignment with Mason’s core values and strategic direction. He will oversee all colleges, schools, and academic support units.

“George Mason University is an inspiring students-first institution that prioritizes inclusive access and opportunity. As a first-generation college student from a low-income family, this resonates deeply with me,” Antony said. “As a young top 50-ranked university with significant research investments, Mason is on a fast track as one of the most compelling institutions in the nation. I look forward to being part of the Mason Nation helping to advance student, faculty, and staff successes and collaborating to continue the university’s rise as a world-class research university.”

A national search was conducted from September through March, following the departure of Mark Ginsberg, now president at Towson University. Interim Provost Ken Walsh will return to his position as chief of staff on July 1, 2024. Megan Healy, interim chief of staff, will also return to her role as special advisor.

"James Antony shares our strong commitment to ensuring access to a world-class education, an engaging campus experience, and a culture of belonging,” added Professor and Faculty Senate President Melissa Broeckelman-Post, who chaired the 20-member search committee. “His nearly three decades of leadership experience make him an ideal provost to help Mason navigate the many opportunities and challenges ahead.”

From 2015 to 2019, Antony served as Faculty Director of the Graduate School of Education’s Higher Education Program at Harvard University, and Co-Director of the Management Development Program. From 2012 to 2015, he was an Associate Provost at Yale University, where he worked on issues ranging from faculty development to the promotion of undergraduate student leadership. From 1995 to 2012, he held faculty and leadership roles at the University of Washington, including Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy and Adjunct Professor in Sociology; Associate Vice Provost and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School; and Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Education. While at Washington, he also served as Director of the Graduate Program in Higher Education and was founding Executive Director of the Center for Leadership in Athletics, and its associated degree programs.

As a scholar, Antony’s research and teaching focus on the preparation of forward-thinking leaders in college or university settings, both domestically and globally. He has written about higher education faculty, the socialization and leadership development of future faculty and college leaders, and data-driven decision-making in higher education settings. He has taught courses in such topics as leadership theory, organizational change, assessment and evaluation, data-based decision making, introductory and advanced quantitative research methods, student affairs administration, leadership ethics, college athletics and athletic leadership, sociology of higher education, and the history of higher education.

Antony earned his baccalaureate degree in Psychology, and his master’s degree and PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change, all from UCLA.

About George Mason University

George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

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Listening and information session set for April 17

P Shepherd — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 18:43:51 +0000

Listening and information session set for April 17 P Shepherd Mon, 04/15/2024 - 14:43

The George Mason University Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Just Societies invites the campus community to a Listening and Information Gathering Session at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 17, in the JC Cinema. This committee, commissioned by President Washington, has been asked to offer recommendations to the Board of Visitors relative to Mason’s DEI support units and the Just Societies component of the Mason Core. Committee members would like to hear input on these issues directly from students, faculty, and staff during this session. Those participating by Zoom will have the opportunity to provide written comments. For more information, including the Zoom link, please refer to the email that was sent on Friday, April 12.

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Did You Know… Student Evaluations of Teaching

P Shepherd — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 16:07:57 +0000

Did You Know… Student Evaluations of Teaching P Shepherd Mon, 04/15/2024 - 12:07

The end of the spring term is rapidly approaching and Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) will be open for most full-semester courses on Friday, April 19. SETs are administered throughout the semester for Mason’s multiple part-of-term courses. The full schedule can be found on the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP) website.

A few facts about the administration of SETs at Mason:

SETs are administered prior to final exams.
All enrolled students are notified multiple times by email and via Blackboard alerting them to the opportunity to evaluate their courses. Courses must have at least three students for an evaluation to be generated.
The length of time an evaluation remains open is related to the length of the course. The default for most full-semester courses is 10 days. The default for part-of-term courses is five days. 
Instructors can monitor response rates in real time on the Blue dashboard. 
OIEP developed and maintains the SET Response Rates Dashboard which provides response rates filtered by Term, School/College, School/College by Department, and Instructional Mode & Level. Individuals must be on the campus network or VPN to access the dashboard.

More SET information and resources are available on the OIEP website, including FAQs for instructors and students, tips to maximize student participation, and the SET questionnaire. Email questions to oiepset@gmu.edu.

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President Washington to host town hall meetings in April

P Shepherd — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 16:10:19 +0000

President Washington to host town hall meetings in April P Shepherd Mon, 04/01/2024 - 12:10

In This Story

Gregory Washington

George Mason University President Gregory Washington will host two 90-minute town halls to discuss the state of the university, and to engage with faculty and staff.

The first town hall, for Mason employees working in units within the Office of the Provost, including Office of Research, Innovation and Economic Impact, and University Life, will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, in the HUB Ballroom. The second town hall, for employees working in academic units, will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, in the Johnson Center Bistro.

For those unable to attend in person, both town halls will be live streamed on Zoom. Please contact your respective unit leadership for Zoom links and passwords.

Captioning will be available on the live stream. Sign language interpreters are available through the Office of Disability Services.

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MESA MyData transfers to Microsoft 365 in April

P Shepherd — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 16:06:29 +0000

MESA MyData transfers to Microsoft 365 in April P Shepherd Mon, 04/01/2024 - 12:06

All individual files located in George Mason University’s current enterprise file storage system, MESA M: mydata, will migrate to OneDrive in April.

Migrations will take place over several weekend periods, organized alphabetically by NetID, beginning on Friday afternoons and completed by Monday mornings. Prior to their scheduled dates, users will receive details regarding how to prepare and what to expect.

Friday, March 29 (A-I) (Complete)
Friday, April 5 (J-M)
Friday, April 12 (N-Z)

It is important for all users to note that OneDrive is not approved to store highly sensitive data (HSD). If there is institutional HSD in a MESA mydata folder, it must be deleted or moved to an approved department MESA shared folder. Users should contact their technical point of contact for assistance. Information Technology Services (ITS) is scanning MESA mydata folders for HSD. If a significant number of HSD records are found, ITS will contact the owner to discuss their needs and develop a strategy for storage before continuing with their migration to OneDrive. The requirements for storage differ depending on the type of data. For details, see data classification and storage requirements.

To provide further support, ITS will hold weekly office hours via the Collaboration Collective MS Team – MESA Migration Project channel. Contact the ITS Support Center with questions at (703) 993-8870 or support@gmu.edu. Full project details and training resources are available at MESA to M365 Roadmap.

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Recipients of 2024 summer team Impact projects announced

P Shepherd — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 16:03:13 +0000

Recipients of 2024 summer team Impact projects announced P Shepherd Mon, 04/01/2024 - 12:03

In This Story

Keith Renshaw, PhD

The Office of Undergraduate Education recently awarded five groups with Summer Team Impact Project Grants, which will support multidisciplinary summer projects of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members. The summer grants are part of the larger Mason Impact program that prepares students to tackle significant global questions and challenges by investigating meaningful questions, engaging multiple perspectives, and creating new knowledge.

“These grants combine support for faculty from multiple disciplines to develop and tackle a research question with support for students to engage in that research effort—they are one of the purest examples we have of realizing our mission of access to excellence,” Keith Renshaw, senior associate provost for Undergraduate Education, said. “They also yield high-impact results—past projects have sown the seeds for what is now the Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial, the bruise and injury detection research in the College of Public Health, and more.”

Summer Team Impact Projects tackle global questions and challenges within all three focus areas of Mason Impact which include Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities, Community Engagement and Civic Learning, and Career, Industry, and Entrepreneurship. Faculty present a question to a team of undergraduate students who work throughout the summer to create a solution and then present their findings, action plan, or prototype to the Mason community. The following teams have received funding for their topics:

Investigating the link between civic engagement, E-health, and health outcomes of older immigrants

Limei Chen, assistant professor, social work (College of Public Health)
Jung Yeon (Ellie) Park, assistant professor, quantitative research methods (College of Education and Human Development)
Kyeung Mi Oh, associate professor, nursing (College of Public Health)

Assessing Supports to Address Suicidality Among Northern Virginian Middle- and High- Schoolers

Melissa Villodas, assistant professor, social work (College of Public Health)
Anna Parisi, assistant professor, social work (College of Public Health)

Addressing the International Artificial Intelligence Cyber Question with US Cyber Command

Brian Ngac, instructor, information systems and operations management (Costello College of Business)
Nirup Menon, professor, information systems and operations management (Costello College of Business)

Recording the lived experiences of patients with chronic pain from minoritized and underserved communities

Samuel Acuña, research assistant professor, bioengineering (Volgenau School of Engineering)
Kevin Lybarger, assistant professor, information sciences and technology (College of Engineering and Computing)
Seiyon Lee, assistant professor, statistics (College of Engineering and Computing)
Siddhartha Sikdar, professor, bioengineering (Volgenau School of Engineering)

How do we recruit and retain a diverse, new generation of Virginia teachers?

Margaret Weiss, associate professor of special education (College of Education and Human Development)
Holly Glaser, assistant professor elementary education (College of Education and Human Development)

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Submit textbook orders to bookstore by May 1

P Shepherd — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:06:11 +0000

Submit textbook orders to bookstore by May 1 P Shepherd Mon, 03/25/2024 - 09:06

The George Mason University bookstore is collecting textbook orders for the fall 2024 semester. Faculty can place orders three ways: through their department, individually via the Adoption and Insights Portal, or email the bookstore. All fall textbook orders are due May 1.

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