Student-Handbook-11-12.2 - Mission Statement George Mason...

1
Mission Statement
George Mason University is innovative and entrepreneurial in spirit and utilizes
its multicampus organization and location near our nation’s capital to attract
outstanding faculty, staff, and students.
Mason will
s %DUCATE THE NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY,MEN AND WOMEN
CAPABLE OF SHAPING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY WITH VISION,JUSTICE,AND CLARITY.
s %NCOURAGE FREEDOM OF THOUGHT,SPEECH,AND INQUIRY IN A TOLERANT,RESPECTFUL
ACADEMIC SETTING THAT VALUES DIVERSITY.
s 0ROVIDE INNOVATIVE AND INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERGRADUATE,GRADUATE,AND
PROFESSIONAL COURSES OF STUDY THAT ENABLE STUDENTS TO EXERCISE ANALYTICAL AND
IMAGINATIVE THINKING AND MAKE WELL-FOUNDED ETHICAL DECISIONS.
s /URTURE AND SUPPORT A HIGHLY QUALIlED AND ENTREPRENEURIAL FACULTY THAT IS
EXCELLENT AT TEACHING,ACTIVE IN PURE AND APPLIED RESEARCH,CAPABLE OF PROVIDING
A BROAD RANGE OF INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS,AND RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS
OF STUDENTS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.
s 3AINTAIN AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION FOR SUPERIOR EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SERVICE
THAT AFlRMS ITS ROLE AS THE INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL NEXUS AMONG /ORTHERN
6IRGINIA,THE NATION,AND THE WORLD.
As amended by the Board of Visitors, October 8, 2008.

2
Welcome to Mason
We are pleased to welcome you and provide the Student Handbook, one of many tools to help you become familiar
with Mason. This publication can guide you to valuable resources and information for student support and academic
success.
You will see that Mason continues to grow at an amazing pace with new buildings, improved facilities, and more stu-
dents living on campus than ever before. Mason truly has something for everyone. There are many activities to become
involved with and events to attend, ranging from basketball games at the Patriot Center and live student concerts to
faculty-led lectures through the provost’s Vision Series.
We are proud of the incredible diversity at Mason, with students representing different countries and cultures from
around the world. This diversity creates opportunities for developing unique learning experiences and relationships
while sharing an array of perspectives. We encourage you to introduce yourself and get to know someone from another
culture within your first few weeks on campus.
As you realize your educational goals, we also want to support your personal growth. Mason has a network of services
and programs to help you develop lifelong values through leadership development, student-run organizations, intra-
mural activities, and civic engagement—just to name a few. We hope you take advantage of all that Mason has to offer
while building strong connections and establishing lasting relationships.
Go Patriots!
Alan G. Merten, President
Sandy Scherrens, Vice President, University Life

3
A Letter from the Student Government
To the Class of 2015:
Congratulations on deciding to become a Mason Patriot, and welcome to Mason! The next four years of your life will
be filled with countless new experiences and opportunities that you can only find here at Mason. You are now part of a