Statements

Updates for the Spring Semester

ltennyso — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:38:59 +0000

Updates for the Spring Semester ltennyso Wed, 01/21/2026 - 10:38

Happy New Year, fellow Patriots:

I hope everyone had a restful and restorative winter break. As students come back to our campuses to start the spring semester, I have many updates to share, mostly regarding university leadership.

Board of Visitors

The highest profile change is in the membership of our board. Late last week the Governor’s Office received the resignations of both Rector Charles “Cully” Stimson and Visitor Robert Pence, bringing the number of board vacancies to 12. I thank them for their service to �鶹��Ƶ.

On Saturday Governor Spanberger filled all 12 appointments, many of whom are alumni of the university and of the board itself. With all board seats filled once again, the board can reorganize and resume regular operations at their next meeting, scheduled for February 26.

Office of University Counsel

In addition, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones made changes to the Office of University Counsel here at �鶹��Ƶ, as Virginia law vests those decisions with the attorney general and not the university. I thank University Counsel Anne Gentry and Associate University Counsel Eli Schlam for their many years of dedicated service as our legal representatives. I will keep the community informed as next steps become clear for leadership and staffing in the Office of University Counsel.

Federal Inquiries

Amid the change, we return to campus with the various federal inquiries alleging antisemitism and discriminatory employment practices yet to be resolved. As we continue to work toward resolution on those matters, I want to reassure everyone that we continue to do what we always do: stick to our organizational values, and maintain laser-like focus on delivering our world class education to all who seek its challenge and opportunity.

Our Core Values

As always, our values guide our actions, particularly: putting students first, acting with integrity, functioning as a unified community, honoring freedom of thought and expression, and drawing on the fortifying strength of each other’s diverse origins, identities, life circumstances, and viewpoints. These core values are what sustain us, and make George �鶹��Ƶ truly all together different.

In this semester of change and renewal, I will be back in touch with updates as circumstances warrant.

Have a great semester, Patriots!

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington
President

Provost Search Committee and Timeline

ltennyso — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:09:49 +0000

Provost Search Committee and Timeline ltennyso Thu, 12/18/2025 - 14:09

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that we are beginning our national search for the next Provost and Executive Vice President of �鶹��Ƶ. I have asked the President of the Faculty Senate, Professor Solon Simmons, and Professor and Assistant Provost Melissa Broeckelman-Post to chair the search committee, and after careful consideration, we are pleased to introduce the members of the search committee:

Solon Simmons, co-chair: Faculty Senate President; Director, The Narrative Transformation Lab; Professor, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
Melissa Broeckelman-Post, co-chair: Professor of Communication, Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs
Armand Alacbay: Visitor and Secretary, GMU Board of Visitors; Faculty Senate Liaison and Chair of the Academic Affairs
Sharnnia Artis: Vice President for Access, Compliance, and Community
Lisa Billingham: Professor and Director of Choral Activities, Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Trishana Bowden: Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Relations/President, GMU Foundation
Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations
Shane Caswell: Professor, School of Kinesiology
Rick Davis: Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts; Executive Director, Hylton Performing Arts Center; Professor of Theater
Kim Eby: Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development
Cameron Harris: Instructional Associate Professor, Donald G. Costello College of Business; Assistant Chair, Business Foundations
David Hull: Senior Associate Dean; Antonin Scalia Law School
Bijan Jabbari: Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Cynthia Lum: Distinguished University Professor and Director, Evidence-Based Crime Policy; Criminology, Law and Society
Nilima Mow: President of the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), Ph.D. student and Graduate Research Assistant in Linguistics
Rose Pascarell: Vice President, University Life
Amira Roess: Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology
Catherine Sausville: Director of Undergraduate Studies and Senior Instructor, Mathematical Sciences
JP Singh: Distinguished University Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government; Co-director of the Center for Human-AI Innovation in Society
Rachel Spence: Staff Senate President; Academic Manager, International Enrollment Partnerships, Global Education Office
Dan Stephens: Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Undergraduate Student Body President (TBA)

In selecting the members of the search committee, we wanted to ensure that we represented as many constituents as possible while keeping our committee manageable in size.

To give you a sense of the timeline, we anticipate that we will select a search firm and post a position description early next semester. We expect to do interviews in April and May, including presentations that will be open to the faculty, and if all goes well, our new Provost will begin work on July 1.

The Provost has a central role in shaping any institution, and I am confident that we will select a chief academic officer who will help us build a bright future together.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington

President

Statement from Board of Visitors in response to House Judiciary Committee Findings

blongcha — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 22:52:17 +0000

Statement from Board of Visitors in response to House Judiciary Committee Findings blongcha Thu, 11/06/2025 - 17:52

Today, the Board of Visitors received an interim staff report from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. We are reviewing the report and consulting with University counsel and counsel for Dr. Washington.

The Board remains focused on serving our students, faculty and the Commonwealth, ensuring full compliance with federal law and positioning GMU for continued excellence.

The Board of Visitors
�鶹��Ƶ
November 6, 2025

Statement on faculty hiring

ltennyso — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:39:43 +0000

Statement on faculty hiring ltennyso Tue, 09/09/2025 - 09:39

Dear �鶹��Ƶ Faculty:

I hope this message finds you well, and that your fall semester is off to a great start. As we welcome yet another record student body to our campuses, I want to remind you that for more than any other reason, our students came here to learn from each of you.

I am writing to touch on a Washington Post story published last Friday about the ongoing federal inquiries into �鶹��Ƶ’s faculty hiring practices, which has prompted conversation and questions about the state of diversity among our faculty.

I am writing to offer further depth and clarity on one matter included in the article, the complexity of which could not be captured in the story. Nor could the nuances of the faculty hiring process.

The article listed the percentage of current tenured, tenure-track, and research faculty by demographic identities, which demands a deeper dive to fully understand. As you surely know, the university, and I personally, stand accused of creating a pervasive environment of discriminatory hiring practices against white and Asian faculty applicants.

The article accurately states the percentage of white faculty at �鶹��Ƶ as around 60 percent. While that number has gradually declined in recent years that predate my arrival in 2020, I hasten to make clear that an examination of hiring data shows that this was not caused by racial discrimination, and certainly not because anyone put their thumb on the hiring scale to achieve certain outcomes.

The faculty hiring process itself is governed by the Faculty Handbook, which is written and voted on by our faculty, and ratified by the Board of Visitors. Contrary to the narrative about my supposed heavy-handed drive to force faculty diversification, the president and the provost have very little sway over the faculty hiring process. Appropriately, it is a bottom-up process ratified by the board.

The shifts in faculty ethnic diversity reflect two realities. First, a disproportionate number of Asian applicants were hired into our rapidly proliferating engineering faculty, reflecting the demographics of the prevailing applicant pool. Second, late-career and more generationally white faculty have left, primarily due to retirements, some of which was due to incentives we began offering to all faculty in 2021 and others because of the natural progression of their careers. Their successors have come earlier in their careers, with generational demographics that are naturally more ethnically diverse.

But even these realities have not greatly moved faculty demographics. In fact, 80 percent of the 211 tenured and tenure-track faculty hires during my time here have been either white (42.6%) or Asian (37.4%). Black, Latino, Native American/Alaskan, and multiracial faculty combined accounted for just 19% of our hires. By contrast, 177 of the 234 faculty who retired or otherwise left the university during that same time – more than 75% – were white. In raw numbers, the university has only experienced a net gain of eight black, eight Hispanic, and two Native American/Alaskan faculty since my arrival in FY 2021, and experienced a net loss of two multiracial faculty.

With that said, it is important to return to George �鶹��Ƶ’s definition of diversity, which is far broader than the current and exclusive federal focus on ethnic diversity. At George �鶹��Ƶ, “diversity” is defined as one’s origin, identity, life circumstances, and viewpoint. We are the world in microcosm, which I believe should be celebrated and emulated.

The Post article itself even showcases our viewpoint diversity by including defenders and critics alike from within our own faculty. That is as it should be, as this is the �鶹��Ƶ Way. I will continue to defend every faculty member’s right to speak, think, research, and teach freely, unfettered by ideological threats or intimidation. It’s one aspect of our campus that truly makes it special.

Have a great semester, fellow Patriots!

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington

President

Statement on status of SJP

ltennyso — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:58:27 +0000

Statement on status of SJP ltennyso Mon, 09/08/2025 - 12:58

A recently-posted Instagram video from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) that has raised safety fears and alarm among members of the university community was taken down by SJP on September 2 at the university’s insistence, citing its non-discrimination policy.

SJP was suspended as a student organization last academic year, one of its leaders was expelled from the university, and three individuals were trespassed from campus until November 2028 as a result of a university police investigation into acts of vandalism on campus. SJP has been reinstated as a registered student organization following all university policies and procedures. University officials recently met with SJP leaders to reiterate the institution’s zero-tolerance enforcement approach.

The GMU Police Department has pursued its investigation into the August 2024 vandalism incident as far as the law allows, which included a home search of two leaders of SJP in November 2024. Despite these efforts, the Commonwealth’s Attorney declined to file charges based on the evidence presented.

Statement from Board of Visitors regarding Department of Education resolution

ltennyso — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 20:32:13 +0000

Statement from Board of Visitors regarding Department of Education resolution ltennyso Fri, 08/29/2025 - 16:32

In compliance with the deadline set by the Department of Education, the �鶹��Ƶ Board of Visitors informed the Department that it would like to negotiate a resolution to its violation determination. It will be doing so, through counsel, alongside counsel for President Washington. The Board remains committed to ensuring that George �鶹��Ƶ complies with all federal civil rights law and remains hopeful that a favorable resolution can be reached.

The Board of Visitors

�鶹��Ƶ

August 29, 2025

Statement from Board of Visitors Regarding Department of Education’s OCR Findings

ltennyso — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:52:07 +0000

Statement from Board of Visitors Regarding Department of Education’s OCR Findings ltennyso Fri, 08/22/2025 - 10:52

Today, the Board of Visitors received notification from the United States Department of Education that the University has been in violation of federal civil rights law. This is a serious matter.

The Board is reviewing the specific resolution steps proposed by the Department of Education. We will continue to respond fully and cooperatively to all inquiries from the Department of Education, the Department of Justice and the U.S. House of Representatives and evaluate the evidence that comes to light. Our sole focus is our fiduciary duty to serve the best interests of the University and the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Board of Visitors

�鶹��Ƶ

August 22, 2025

Statement from Board of Visitors regarding transmission of responses to federal government requests

ltennyso — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 20:43:47 +0000

Statement from Board of Visitors regarding transmission of responses to federal government requests ltennyso Fri, 07/25/2025 - 16:43

In keeping with our commitment to keep the public informed, today, we are beginning to transmit GMU’s detailed responses to the federal government’s requests.

The Board’s responsibility and singular focus is serving the best interests of the University and the Commonwealth. GMU must continue to excel as a world-class academic institution.

One aspect of excellence is full compliance with all federal anti-discrimination laws. We are cooperating fully with the Departments of Education and Justice.

Like other leading universities, we have, through the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, engaged outside legal counsel with experience and expertise in navigating these issues. These attorneys are in communication with the Board, University leadership and the U.S. Government to ensure complete, transparent and timely compliance with all requests.

The Board of Visitors

�鶹��Ƶ

July 25, 2025

Statement from Board of Visitors regarding new federal investigations

jharve9 — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 19:30:07 +0000

Statement from Board of Visitors regarding new federal investigations jharve9 Tue, 07/22/2025 - 15:30

The University received notice yesterday from the Department of Justice regarding new Title VI investigations alleging racial discrimination in admissions, scholarships and student benefits and the University’s response to antisemitism on campus. This is in addition to the previously announced Title VII investigation relating to hiring and promotions and earlier notices from the Department of Education. The Attorney General of Virginia has appointed outside counsel to represent and assist us with responding to these inquiries. Our attorneys are communicating with the DOJ and are working with the University to respond fully to the Government’s requests. The Board of Visitors will ensure GMU complies with all federal anti-discrimination laws as it continues to excel, provide a world-class education, and serve the Commonwealth.

The Board of Visitors

�鶹��Ƶ

July 22, 2025

Statement from Board of Visitors regarding federal investigations

ltennyso — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 18:36:59 +0000

Statement from Board of Visitors regarding federal investigations ltennyso Mon, 07/21/2025 - 14:36

�鶹��Ƶ is an institution of excellence that plays a special role in educating Virginians and students from across the country and around the world. The Board of Visitors has a fiduciary obligation both to �鶹��Ƶ as an institution and to the Commonwealth of Virginia to ensure that the University continues to thrive as the largest public university in Virginia. This includes making sure that GMU fully complies with federal anti-discrimination laws as it excels in its mission. The University and the Board will respond fully and promptly to the requests from the U.S. Government and intends to keep the public informed along the way.

The Board of Visitors

�鶹��Ƶ

July 21, 2025