In 2022, George Mason University turns fifty years old. Fifty years is young for a university, but it is what you do with the years that counts. And Mason has done a lot. In fifty years:
Our student body has increased tenfold, from about 4,000 to about 40,000.
We have added three additional campuses, two more in Northern Virginia and one in (ahem) Korea.
We have entered the highest category of research-intensive universities in the US, one of about 130, as the youngest member of the group.
We have been an engine of opportunity for students in Northern Virginia and across the world, from our consistently high graduation rate across all ethnicities to our innovative programs, including in Mason Korea, for supporting international students.
We have been named the top university under fifty years old in the US.
There’s a lot to celebrate, and Mason Korea, along with George Mason University, will be celebrating all year long. But a special date in this anniversary year is April 7th, the day in 1972 when George Mason officially became an independent university. This April 7th, we’ll be joining all of George Mason University’s campuses in commemorating the day.
As at Mason's campuses in the US, Mason Korea’s celebration will be part reflection on what we’ve done, part reflection on what we’re going to do, and, as part of Mason Vision Day, an opportunity to support a great Mason tradition, the Mason Green Machine. (If you’ve never heard the best pep band in the USA, check them out.)
Most of all, April 7th will be an opportunity to celebrate our community and the accomplishments we have achieved together. Also, the weather will be turning warm, and there will be a great, big anniversary cake. So come join us! You are invited.
I’m honored and grateful that I have been part of this community for twenty-nine of Mason’s fifty years. When I started teaching at Mason in 1993, I could never have imagined the university would take me to Korea.
I think my Mason experience is not unusual—for Mason students, faculty and staff alike. Mason’s commitment to personal and institutional growth means that Mason can take you where you want to go, and then some.
There is, indeed, much to celebrate.