George Mason University
George Mason University (often referred to as GMU or Mason) is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax.[3] Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County.
Named after American revolutionary, patriot, and founding father George Mason, the university was founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1957 and became an independent institution in 1972.[4][5] Recognized for its strong law, economics,[6][7] nursing and public policy programs,[citation needed] the university enrolls over 30,000 students, making it the second largest university-by-population in the Commonwealth of Virginia.[8]
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Campuses
Fairfax
The main campus of George Mason University is situated on 677 acres (2.74 km2) just south of the Fairfax, Virginia in central Fairfax County, approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Washington, D.C.
The Fairfax campus is served on the Washington Metro by the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station on the Orange line. A 15 minute shuttle in addition to the CUE bus, free for students with a Mason ID card, serves the students through routes from the Metro station to the University.
Housing & Residence Life
Fairfax is the only campus of George Mason University with on-campus student housing. There are five housing areas housing approximately 5,000 students: President's Park, DUCC (Dominion Hall, University Commons and Commonwealth Hall), TAP (Townhouses, Student Apartments), YRC (Liberty Square and Potomac Heights) and the newest housing area Chesapeake (Tidewater, Blue Ridge, Shenandoah, Piedmont and Northern Neck). A sixth housing area is currently under construction to house an additional thousand students.
Student Life
[edit] Johnson Center
The George W. Johnson Learning Center, more commonly known as the Johnson Center or JC, is the central hub on campus, completed in 1995 and named after University President of 18-years, George W. Johnson. Located in the center of campus, the $30 million, 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m2) building was built as the first of its kind building on any American campus, acting both as a main library and a student union. The ground floor includes a buffet style restaurant, the campus radio station, a coffee shop, 300-seat movie theater, and Dewberry Hall. The main floor includes the campus bookstore, a large food court with several fast food restaurants, and the ground floor of the library. The second and third floors of the Johnson Center are primarily used by the library, with multiple group meeting rooms, computer labs, and a full service restaurant located on the third floor.
Patriot Center
The Patriot Center is a 10,000 seat arena for the Men's and Women's basketball team. The Patriot Center is also host to over 100 concerts and events throughout the year, annually attracting major performers like Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Ricardo Arjona, REM, Linkin Park and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
The 68,000-square-foot (6,300 m2) Aquatic and Fitness Center opened in 1998 at a cost of $11 million. The center includes an Olympic size swimming pool containing eight 50-meter lanes, twenty-two 25-yard (23 m) lanes, two movable bulkheads, and a diving area equipped with two 1-meter and two 3-meter spring boards, a Warm-water recreational pool, Locker rooms, a whirlpool, a coed sauna, and a family changing room.
Arlington
The 5.2-acre (21,000 m2) Arlington campus was established in 1979 by the Virginia General Assembly for the newly founded law school. In 1980, graduate and professional programs were also offered in the building, a converted Kann's department store. Since then the school has grown to offer a multitude of graduate degrees. In 1996, Arlington's campus began its first phase in a three phase campus redevelopment project. In 1998, Hazel Hall was completed to house the law school, the Mercatus Center, and the Institute for Humane Studies. The second phase, to be completed in 2007 is underway for a 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m2) building to house the School of Public Policy, the College of Education and Human Development, the School of Information Technology and Engineering, the School of Management, the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution,
Ras Al Khaimah
George Mason opened a 'campus' in the Ras Al Khaimah emirate of the United Arab Emirates in 2005.[14] No one ever graduated from the Ras al Khaimah 'campus' and it never grew beyond one building.[15][16] The Ras Al Khaimah 'campus' nominally offered three undergraduate Bachelors of Science degrees in biology, business administration, and electronics and communications engineering. They subsequently added a course in "educational leadership and management."[17]
On February 27, 2009, Mason announced they would close the Ras Al Khamimah campus at the end of the Spring 2009 semester. University Provost, Peter Stearns, cited that the relationship between George Mason University and the partner foundation in RAK worked smoothly until early 2009. He explained that the foundation would be reducing the financial support as well as attempting to change the academic reporting structure. In an e-mail to students Stearns wrote, "We have not been able to reach agreement with our RAK partner on a budget and administrative structure that, in our judgment, assures our ability to provide an education that meets Mason standards."[18]Rankings
- U.S. News & World Report ranked George Mason University #1 in its new category of "Up-and-coming National Universities," 2008.[21]
- The Systems Engineering and Operations Research Department is ranked #31 by U.S. News & World Report in 2009 for Best Engineering Schools in Industrial and Manufacturing.[22]
- The School of Public Policy is ranked 1st in the nation for federally-funded public policy, public affairs, public administration and political science research.[23]
- The university is ranked 70th in North America and 86th worldwide by the web-based Webometrics Ranking of World Universities[24]
- 4th most diverse university in the nation, by the Princeton Review in 2008.[25]
- 8th in the world political economy, 30th in public economics by econphd.net.[26]
- The School of Law is ranked 41st in the nation by US News & World Report[27][28]
- 30th in the nation graduate Public Policy program by US News & World Report
- 51st in the nation graduate History program for 2005 by US News & World Report[29]
- 45th in the nation graduate Public Affairs program by US News & World Report[30]
- 63rd in the nation graduate Nursing program for 2007 by US News & World Report[31]
- 65th in the nation graduate Education program for 2008 by US News & World Report[32]
- 74th in the 2009 list of "Best Undergraduate Business Programs" by U.S. News & World Report[33]
- 152nd in the nation graduate Biological Sciences programs by US News & World Report in 2007[34]
- 6th in the nation graduate Industrial/Organizational Psychology doctoral program. US News and World Report
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