Category: Official University Communications

Mason announces new safety guidelines

Dear Patriots,

We have just completed one of the most challenging times in the history of George Mason University, and I am grateful for the important role that everyone played in making this year a tremendous success.

This week, I am pleased to share that we are reporting just one active case of COVID-19 on our campuses. Think about that for a moment. That’s an amazing accomplishment for our community and it is a testament to the number of people who have been vaccinated.

As we turn our attention to the Fall Semester, we must all continue to do our part and work together to keep Mason safe. This starts with new policies for COVID-19 vaccination, testing and masking. Below is a summary of what we will require, so please read this carefully.

COVID-19 Vaccination

Students: Mason will require that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 by August 1. This policy does not apply to students who take online courses only and do not come to any campus, or to individuals who have an approved medical or religious exemption.Plan ahead: Depending on the type of vaccine you receive, you may have to receive your first dose no later than July 4 to meet the August 1 requirement.Upload COVID vaccination documentation to the Health Services Patient Portal. Visit the Student Health Services website for FAQs, information on how to upload your COVID vaccine documentation (all students), or submit your Mason Immunization Record Form (newly admitted students). If you are an international student with limited access to COVID vaccines, please email [email protected] to request an extension. Students with approved extensions must get vaccinated when they arrive in the United States.
Faculty and Staff: All faculty and staff are expected to be fully vaccinated in time for the Fall Semester, and are strongly encouraged to receive vaccines over the summer. All employees are required to disclose whether or not they have been vaccinated in Mason Covid Health Check by June 11, 2021. Those who have been fully vaccinated will be required to upload vaccination documentation into the Health Services Patient Portal before August 1. We anticipate full FDA approval of at least one COVID vaccine over the summer. At that time, we anticipate requiring that all employees receive the vaccine. An exemption process will be made available.We encourage everyone to learn about the vaccine and get immunized. Mason will continue to host vaccination clinics on campus at no cost through the fall semester. To set up an appointment, go to vaccine.gmu.edu.

Masking

Mason will lift mask requirements for all fully vaccinated individuals on campus as of May 29 – except in medical facilities, public transit, child care facilities and in accordance with the Governor’s policy.
Unvaccinated individuals should continue to wear masks on campus, per the Governor’s new executive order. Masks may be removed while eating, drinking, playing instruments and for other exemptions allowed.
Mason will encourage everyone to wear masks in classes and indoors this summer, to allow more time for people to get vaccinated, and will support anyone who wants to continue wearing a mask after that.
See Mason’s updated mask policy.

Testing

Unvaccinated individuals will be required to participate in COVID testing at least once a week and as frequently as three times a week, depending on conditions.
Vaccinated faculty, staff and students may be required to participate in less frequent testing, based on the guidance from public health officials and testing capacity.
Symptomatic individuals, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, should still self-isolate and seek evaluation and diagnostic testing.

Additional Safety Policies

Physical Distancing: Mason will require physical distancing of three feet during the summer; in the fall, we anticipate being able to remove physical distancing requirements once vaccination rates exceed 80 percent
Mason COVID Health Check: Mason will continue to require everyone’s participation in the daily health check this summer; we will reassess the need for continuing in the fall, based on the vaccination data received.

We have made tremendous strides during this extraordinary time. I continue to be amazed by the resilience of the Mason Nation. Let’s keep working together to keep Mason safe.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington
President

Moving forward after the Derek Chauvin trial

Dear Patriots,

The verdict is in on the Derek Chauvin trial, and he has been held accountable for the injustice that occurred to George Floyd. We can breathe a collective sigh of relief that jurors reached the verdict they did. With that being said, the nation must sustain its quest for systemic change to its criminal justice system, to ultimately make such episodes exceedingly rare. This verdict is not a replacement for systemic change. Rather, it makes space for us to move ahead. We still have much work to do in this regard.

This verdict was about more than an individual trial, and it will provoke reactions across many ideologies. It is important to note the humanitarian aspect of what was on trial. While we were not in-person eyewitnesses to the event that took place on May 25, 2020, there were many people of all races and ethnicities who were at the scene and provided commentary that something was wrong. The outcome of this case mirrored the sentiment of the individuals present at the scene.

As a university community, we are committed to all points of view. Our adage of Freedom and Learning is a powerful thing in moments like this, and I encourage everyone to exercise their First Amendment rights to free expression responsibly. Speech that brings harm, violence, or destruction of property is not appropriate and we have an obligation to ensure our community remains a safe place to live, study, and express ourselves.

Some members of our community may find themselves in need of help processing the events of the day. We have services that exist to help, including the Employee Assistance Program, Counseling And Psychological Services, and the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment. If you feel that engaging any of these services will help, I encourage you to seek them out.

As a community, we must be sustained by those things that united us so we are not divided by our disagreements. For it is only through thoughtful, tolerant and respectful discourse that we can develop solutions that strengthen and progress our humanity.

Gregory Washington
President

President Washington announces plan to begin vaccinating Mason community; reminds people to follow safety guidelines

Dear Patriots,

We are at an important moment in our fight against COVID, and I want to applaud everyone for their help in making George Mason University the safest campus it can be. We have done an incredible job this year of creating a safe environment. To date we have minimized the spread of COVID on our campuses through testing and by following safety guidelines. The university has also provided vaccinations to more than 40,000 people at clinics on our campuses, and we are ready to begin expanding vaccinations to our community.

This is an exciting time for our university, and I know that many of us are feeling more hopeful about the months ahead. I am, too. But I also know that some people are starting to let down their guard. Let me remind you that everyone must continue to follow safety guidelines, even after being vaccinated. Now is not the time to relax our standards, but to keep our focus on safety and remember why we have been so successful.

Let’s start with some good news: Mason has received the go-ahead to begin vaccinating faculty and staff this weekend, and students later this month:

Faculty and staff who are currently employed by the university and receive a W-2 are eligible to sign up. This week, the Office of Safety, Emergency, and Enterprise Risk Management (SEERM) will send a subsequent email inviting faculty and staff (which includes student wage workers) to sign up for an appointment on Saturday, April 10, or Wednesday, April 14. The number of slots is limited and appointments are first come, first served, so please be patient. If everyone cannot be vaccinated during those two dates, we will add additional dates this month. Our goal is for every eligible employee to receive the first dose by the end of April.
Students will be invited to receive a vaccine later this month, with dates to be announced shortly. Given the number of students in our community, we expect the timeline to complete vaccinations to be a little longer than for faculty and staff. Our goal again is to offer a vaccine to all students who want one.

The vaccine is a critical step to protect our community, and I encourage everyone to get vaccinated. But receiving one doesn’t mean you should stop following safety guidelines. COVID-19 is still highly contagious and new variants pose greater threats of infection. Vaccines are safe and effective, but it is still possible to spread COVID-19; please continue to follow Mason’s public health and safety guidelines even if you have been vaccinated.

So please remember the following:

Everyone should continue to participate in COVID surveillance testing when they are invited to do so. Many people can carry and spread the virus without being aware. Testing helps minimize the spread, and it takes only a few minutes.
Masks are still required of everyone in public spaces – even those who have been vaccinated. The latest public health guidelines do allow for groups of vaccinated people to gather without masks, but this is only in private settings. Please continue to wear masks in public.
Continue to practice physical distancing and participate in the Mason COVID Health Check, even after you have received your vaccine.
The Governor’s orders continue to ask employers to allow employees to telework when possible. Mason will continue to offer flexibility to our employees.

I’m grateful for everyone’s contribution in making Mason a model for success. Together, we can defeat COVID, so let’s keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington
President

Mason adds in-person graduation options for 2021 and 2020 graduates

Kelsi Gray. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

Dear Patriot,

We are delighted to invite the Spring 2021 graduating class and all 2020 graduates to the Fairfax Campus to celebrate in-person graduation recognition events during the week of May 10. Graduates may choose one of two in-person options, and their family and friends are also invited to attend.

The official University Commencement will be held virtually at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, May 14, and all 2021 graduates are encouraged to participate. Commencement will be live-streamed and the link will be posted on the graduation website at gmu.edu/graduation. In addition, these new in-person events are opportunities for you to celebrate your academic accomplishments while still adhering to COVID-related health restrictions.

So that Mason can accommodate as many graduates as possible, you may select either the Patriot Procession or the Mini Ceremony. Registration is required to participate in either event. All doctoral candidates and graduates please see the information below for the Doctoral event on May 14.

Option one: The Patriot Procession is a unique opportunity for graduates, doctoral candidates, and their guests to celebrate this tremendous achievement together in a very personal way. The Patriot Procession will take place at the soccer stadium on the Fairfax Campus. Graduates choose a preferred time and may bring up to 8 guests. Graduates will have their moment on stage and their name will be announced. They will have several photo opportunities that will conclude with a photograph with their family and friends. Wearing your graduation regalia is encouraged but not required. Registration is required and will remain open as long as time slots are available. The Patriot Procession will be ongoing during the week of May 10, with the schedule posted at gmu.edu/graduation.

Option two: Mini ceremonies offered by each of Mason’s academic colleges for the Spring 2021 graduates will take place outside EagleBank Arena. In addition, 2020 graduates will have their own celebratory mini ceremony on May 14. Those who participate in the mini ceremony are required to wear graduation regalia. Graduates may bring up to three guests, who will be seated with them. These one-hour ceremonies will include brief congratulatory remarks followed by the reading of graduates’ names as they cross the stage and are photographed. There will be no formal procession or recession during mini ceremonies. Registration is required and will close at 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 16. Once registration is closed, a finalized schedule will be announced and graduates who have registered will receive an email with instructions on how to claim their tickets. A tentative schedule will be posted soon that lists the dates by college/school/event, along with information to rent regalia, at gmu.edu/graduation.

REGISTER for the Patriot Procession or Mini Ceremony at go.gmu.edu/grad2021

Doctoral Ceremony: Spring 2021 Doctoral candidates and all 2020 Doctoral graduates are invited to participate together in a live, university-wide event where their names and degrees will be announced on the morning of Friday, May 14. Based on current public health guidelines, hooding of doctoral candidates will not be part of the ceremony. Each graduate may invite up to three guests. Please indicate your desire to participate by completing the registration form by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 16. The ceremony details will be finalized at that time and you will receive an email with instructions to claim your tickets. If you are a doctoral candidate, please register for the doctoral ceremony and not your academic unit’s mini ceremony, however you may register for the Patriot Procession if you choose.

REGISTER for the Doctoral Ceremony at go.gmu.edu/phd2021

All events will take place rain or shine.

All events will follow current Virginia public health guidelines and will include social distancing. Face coverings are required to be worn at all times while on campus, except when photographs are being taken at the Patriot Procession or Mini Ceremonies. All graduates and their guests are required to complete the Mason COVID Health Check on the day of the event and must be prepared to show their green health check confirmation email to be admitted to their respective events. All attendees, including graduates, must show their ticket for admittance to comply with contact tracing protocols.

Go to gmu.edu/graduation for all the latest information or contact University Events ([email protected]) with any questions. We look forward to celebrating your academic achievements!

Sincerely,

Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice President

Rose Pascarell
Vice President, University Life

Updates to spring commencement plans

Dear Patriots,

We have some wonderful news! This week, the Governor’s Office issued new guidance on how universities could conduct commencement ceremonies this spring based on revised COVID-19 restrictions.

Under the new rules, outdoor commencement events would be limited to 5,000 people or 30 percent of the venue’s capacity – whichever is less. Indoor events would be capped at 500 people or 30 percent of the venue’s capacity – whichever is less.

After reviewing this new information, we are pleased to share that we will be able to expand on our plans for a virtual commencement by offering some in-person celebrations for our students and their families. We ask for your patience as we consider our options and expect to have more information for you in the next two weeks.

We know that this has been a challenging time and we look forward to finding appropriate ways to celebrate our graduates who have worked so hard to reach this important milestone.

Thank you.

Gregory Washington
President, George Mason University

President Washington: We stand with our Asian community after senseless act of violence in Atlanta

Dear Patriots,

Tuesday’s mass murder in Atlanta returns us to terrible, familiar ground, as we try again to make sense of violence, and calm the terror that was already building within an entire cultural community.

Whether it was intentional or incidental that six of the eight victims were Asian-American women, the tragedy has had the same effect. These vicious killings have shaken the nation’s Asian communities to their cores. The murders came as hate and violence rise against communities scapegoated for the pandemic. The increase in reported attacks mark another painful moment in the long history of exclusion, segregation, and violence in America.

Two weeks ago, we held our second university town hall addressing anti-racism and inclusive excellence at Mason. Tuesday’s acts of targeting and violence remind us how much is riding on that vital work. Because today, members of our Asian communities feel unsafe in their own places of business, their own neighborhoods, and their own homes.

To the Asian communities at George Mason University, I offer this: Mason is your home, and you are loved and supported here. Your safety and sense of belonging are of utmost importance to everyone. As always, our personnel are on watch to ensure your security and wellbeing, so you can resume what you came here to do: to simply learn, live, and grow to your fullest potential.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington
President

President Washington: A promising outlook for the fall

Hello Mason Patriots,

We are approaching the midpoint of the Spring semester, and I’m pleased to say that our community continues to do a remarkable job of showing how to thrive during this pandemic. A crisis can be an opportunity to learn and lead, and we have done both.

This spring we leaned into the expertise of our faculty and staff to improve and advance testing on campus while reinforcing the safety guidelines offered by public health officials. The results have been impressive: we are testing thousands each week and the number of active cases on our campus is currently 57 – which is well below many of our peers at institutions around the Commonwealth. Additionally, George Mason University has played an important role in helping distribute vaccines to the most vulnerable in Northern Virginia, working with our local public health departments to conduct clinics on our Fairfax Campus and in Prince William County.

Our people are working hard to help end this crisis, and we are starting to see real results. More people are vaccinated. Cases nationally are declining. Children are returning to K-12 schools. And this week, President Biden said the nation was on track to have enough supply of vaccines for every adult in America by the end of May.

With more progress on the way, we are looking to expand operations in the fall and resume a more normal campus environment. This includes:

Bringing classrooms back to their original capacity with some modifications to ensure safety, with a goal of having at least 75 percent of instruction on-campus.
Building a schedule that supports choice of instruction for students, with a focus on robust on-campus engagement, while continuing opportunities for hybrid and online modes of learning that are integrated within our curricula.
Creating a vibrant and safe campus environment, filled with more on-campus activities, programs and opportunities to connect and enrich the student experience.
Expanding capacity in residence halls to near normal levels.
Continuing to require masks, testing and enhanced safety protocols until public health guidance changes.

Students deserve a choice to learn in an environment that works best for them, and we will do our best to offer multiple modes of learning and experience. At the same time, we are mindful of concerns raised by faculty and staff, and we will continue to follow the guidance of public health officials. We are prepared to change course, if necessary.

I’m excited to see more people on campus and feel the full impact of Mason Nation spirit. Now’s not the time to drop our guard, but to double down on safety and look forward to a promising fall. Thank you and best wishes for the remainder of the semester.

Gregory Washington
President, George Mason University

President Washington: Please wear masks, complete COVID Health Check daily

Dear Patriots,

We are approximately one month into the Spring Semester, and our move to dramatically increase testing on campus has helped us to manage the virus. I’m proud of how Mason Nation has responded as a community. Now is not the time to ease our standards. We must remain vigilant and not let down our guard.

Across Virginia, some of our peers at other universities are seeing significant spikes in cases in recent days, and experts warn this is likely due to the more contagious strains of the virus that have emerged in the past month. Even here at Mason, where cases have been remarkably low, we are now starting to see increases that could be the result of this new strain. This includes 14 new student cases from last week.

Our testing is a critical tool in identifying these cases early. However, it doesn’t work without our other robust proactive measures. The best evidence shows that when people wear masks, practice physical distancing, wash hands regularly and stay home and isolate when they feel sick, we greatly limit the spread and are safer as a community. It is also important to cooperate with our partners at the Fairfax County Health Department contact tracing team. This protects your Mason colleagues, students, friends and our entire community.

Finally, I want to remind everyone that we all must fill out the Mason Daily COVID Health Check™ every day. This is not a request. The health check is an important public health tool, and it only works when everyone participates. It takes less than a minute each day, and it is vital to our efforts to track cases on our campus. Please don’t take this lightly. Everyone must do this – whether they are coming to campus or not – and be prepared to show the green all clear email, if they do come to campus. We have come this far together, let’s not ease up now.

Together we can keep Mason safe.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington
President

Reflecting on Dr. King’s determination and resolve

Fellow Patriots:

This holiday weekend overflows with irony. When I think of any march on Washington, the image that immediately comes to mind is that of Martin Luther King Jr., arguably America’s greatest leader of non-violent social change, at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.

Contrast that with the images of the more than 25,000 soldiers who currently occupy our capital as a direct result of what former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund described as a “violent attack … unlike any I have experienced in my 30 years in law enforcement here in Washington, D.C.”

This irony creates many more questions than answers: How did a protest that was supposed to dispute an election get corrupted with guns, multiple Confederate flags, and racists and anti-Semitic slogans? The lack of a meaningful outcry from the protestors and their supporters that these elements did not represent their ideals left many to believe the protestors were in support of the vandalism, hatred and anti-American symbols and sentiments. It’s really illuminating that these were some of the very issues that King fought against.

How can we make sense of a nation that suddenly needs 25,000 troops in its capital just to safeguard the peaceful transition of power from one president to the next?

Is there really an equivalency between the protest in Washington, D.C. this summer following the deaths Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, and the protest on January 6th? Did law enforcement treat these entities as equivalent?

And how on earth do we make sense of this at a time when we are supposed to be reflecting and taking meaningful action toward nonviolent social advancement?

I have found inspiration in the teachings of Dr. King himself, particularly from his Letter From Birmingham City Jail. He wrote it in 1963 as he sat in solitary confinement, having been arrested for peacefully protesting the oppressive segregation of Bull Connor’s Birmingham.

He is described as having felt despair and panic in his isolation. It is evident that many Americans share this sentiment today whether they are protesting police brutality or the election results.

During King’s incarceration, a sympathetic guard smuggled him a newspaper, which contained a scathing open letter to him from eight local clergy, who condemned him as an “extremist,” and his protests as “unwise and untimely.”

Out of his despair, he regained resolve and penned his now-immortal response. Three points in particular resonate with me on this weekend, and I invite you to reflect on them, as well:

Reject violence, no matter what.

In his letter, he described how he and his fellow protestors had to steel themselves for the violence they knew their peaceful protests would draw out. He would tell them: “We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself.”

King goes further to remind us that, “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” These statements were lessons for his followers at that time but are equally true in this moment.

Progress toward social justice is not automatic.

“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability,” Dr. King wrote from his jail cell. It takes constant work and the effective use of time. “We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. … Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.”

As we prepare to inaugurate a new president, we have reached a moment of sobering national reckoning about who we have been, who we are, and therefore, in time, who we might become. Just as we were told after each mass shooting over the last decade that “now is not the time” to address the root causes of gun violence in America, Dr. King was chided that his social movement was “untimely.” Waiting was always the advice he would receive, and thankfully reject.

We were not ready for the events of January 6. We as a nation will never be ready, or be comfortable, with the gut-wrenching truths that these events and the social justice events of 2020 now demand that we examine. It is time to stop waiting until we are “ready,” because such a comfortable moment will never present itself.

We are all extremists.

Dr. King initially bristled at being called out as an “extremist.” Then he thought more deeply about it and concluded that anyone who believes wholly in their cause will be characterized as an extremist. And so, he embraced his mantle as an extremist for love, justice, and equality.

“So, the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be,” he wrote. “Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?”

So, Patriots, in keeping with this holiday as a day “on” and not a day “off,” here is a homework assignment for all of us: How can we be extremists for love and the extension of justice? Because today is ripe to do right.

Gregory Washington
President

A call for unity from President Washington

Fellow Patriots:

Tonight more than ever we need to be Patriots with a capital P. It’s easy to feel helpless at the events that unfolded just east of our campuses today, but we can be of service to our communities and our nation.

To be clear, we are living through a moment in our American history that we can scarcely comprehend as it unfolds. Network news outlets show our US Capitol building overtaken while our leaders exercise a cherished ritual of our democracy. They are using words such as “coup attempt” and “insurrection.” And they are reminding us that America has not experienced such a seizure of its Capitol building since the British sacked it in the War of 1812.

Many of us are also struggling to reconcile the dissonance of this response with that of protests that occurred in Washington last year. Those legal acts of civil disobedience provoked far more violent and forceful law enforcement actions. We are left with far more questions than answers tonight.

History in the moment rarely makes sense, and it can easily evoke intense emotions that invite reactions of raw passion. But the fact remains that today’s events are still a shared experience for all of us as Americans, even though we view them as a deeply divided nation. Through it all, we are all still in this American experience together.

What can we do as a university community? First, we must stay safe, take care of ourselves, and look out for each other in this moment of extreme volatility. Second, we have to remind ourselves and each other that we will make it through this and come out a better nation – because we always do.

And finally, we are a university, which gives us both great privilege and a great responsibility to observe, learn, teach, and act as first interpreters of moments such as these, with all of their violence, complexity, contradictions, and ambiguities.

The nation is struggling to understand what is happening, how to react, and how to move beyond this. Academic communities like Mason’s are at their best when they step into moments like these to offer perspective, clarity, and when necessary, hard truths that force us to grow even as we seek to heal.

So tonight, be safe and be well. And when this moment has passed, Patriots, let’s get back to work, doing what we do best.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington
President