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An interview with
George Mason’s Alan Merten
Related
Story:
Virginia’s 800-pound
gorilla
Virginia
Business
July 2003
Alan
G. Merten is president of George Mason University, the
most prominent school of higher learning in Northern
Virgnia. Virginia Business Publisher Doug Forshey interviwed
President Merten for this month’s section on Fairfax
County
Q:
What is the biggest issue facing George Mason and other
higher-education institutions in Virginia?
A: “The biggest issue facing higher education
today is that we are all dealing with a growing student
body brought on by the baby boom “echo” and
the simultaneous decrease in the funding that comes
from the state. As a university we are expected to do
more with less money and at the same time meet the growing
expectations of our students. We did a study in 2001
and said we wanted to increase our student population
from 25,000 to 35,000 by 2011. What has happened is
that in just two years we have already increased to
28,000 while the state has cut funding by $30 million.
Over that same period we were able to raise $15 million
through tuition increases, but that still leaves us
$15 million behind. At this point we can’t afford
to grow — we have the land, the location and the
organizational infrastructure but not the funding. Ultimately
this will result in a reduction in certain areas of
the education we can offer. It’s just not in the
best long-term interests of the state.”
Q: How does George Mason see its role in relation
to Northern Virginia?
A: “When we, as an organization, select areas
of excellence we first look at how they either draw
upon or contribute to the region. Some of the areas
we excel in are information technology, public policy,
law, economics and the performing arts. Being close
to the nation’s capital and in the heart of a vibrant
technology region, these are natural areas to focus
on because these are an integral part of our area.
“Eighty
percent of our alumni live and work in the Washington,
D.C. area so the university remains a big part of the
fabric of the community. George Mason has three campuses
— Fairfax, Arlington and Prince William County
— and last year we had more than 2 million non-student
visitors coming to concerts, attending business and
social functions and using our facilities because they
provide a unique venue in the area. For instance, in
June we held sixteen different high school commencement
ceremonies at the Patriot Center on our Fairfax campus.
“The
university also plays an important role in promoting
the cultural diversity of the area. George Mason has
moved from being regional, to national, to international
in nature and I’m proud to say that more than 120
countries are represented in our student body. In fact,
35 percent of our students are foreign, foreign-born
or first-generation immigrants. That is making a significant
impact on Northern Virginia.”
Q: How is George Mason utilizing technology to facilitate
learning and drive innovation?
A: “Six years ago we instituted a program called
Technology Across the Curriculum as a way to increase
the use of technology in as many areas of the teaching
process as possible. This has in effect changed the
way many courses are taught. We started with simple
CD-ROM technology and have moved to Web-based learning
initiatives that involve large repositories of information.
As an example, GMU is host to the largest repository
of information about the (Sept. 11) Pentagon tragedy,
which has been funded by the Sloane Foundation. This
was a direct outcome of our technology initiative.
“At
George Mason we are very innovative in what we do and
how we do it. The university acts more business-like,
taking risks and operating in a faster mode than a traditional
facility of higher-education. Most colleges and universities
are very cautious. I call it the “ready —
aim — aim” syndrome. In many cases we are
more like “ready — shoot — aim.”
This spirit of innovation started with (former President)
George Johnson, who guided GMU from a small liberal
arts college into a major university. In his eighteen
years as president, the university acquired doctoral
status, established a law school, instituted thirty-four
new programs and expanded with campuses in Arlington
and Prince William counties. And that innovative spirit
continues today. We're the first university to offer
Masters and Ph.D. degree in the emerging fields of Bioinformatics
and Bioterrorism.
Q: Looking back over your seven year tenure, what
are you most proud of?
A: “I take great pride in the students, faculty
and alumni of this institution. GMU is now considered
a world-class learning facility and to see the progress
we have made is really gratifying, especially having
done all this in the middle of a down economy.”
Return
to Virginia Business - July 2003
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