I'm curious what people believe Mason's future is headed. What kind of university does the school aim to be? What realistically can it become? Can it ever hope to challenge Tech as the #2 school (academically, research, sports, you pick) in VA? Is that even a goal of Mason?
I didn't mention JMU, VCU etc. because each school has strengths over the others with no clear cut favorite imo, but I think everyone can say Tech is #2 behind UVa (and W&M is a smaller "niche" school). Can/will Mason ever clearly surpass those schools? Can Mason surpass Maryland as the #1 big school in the DC metro area? Is that even a goal?
I'm curious what people believe Mason's future is headed. What kind of university does the school aim to be? What realistically can it become? Can it ever hope to challenge Tech as the #2 school (academically, research, sports, you pick) in VA? Is that even a goal of Mason?
I didn't mention JMU, VCU etc. because each school has strengths over the others with no clear cut favorite imo, but I think everyone can say Tech is #2 behind UVa (and W&M is a smaller "niche" school). Can/will Mason ever clearly surpass those schools? Can Mason surpass Maryland as the #1 big school in the DC metro area? Is that even a goal?
That is an interesting question with a lot of facets and more than one answer. However, let's make a couple of points.
1.) No university can be a "Be All and End All" school. Even UVA has limitations - although few. It is an established university with a good law and medical school. So it come close. It is interesting you think Tech is the #2 school - aside from its land footprint (although more than half of its 2000 acres is an airport) - its has strengths in some areas and weaknesses in others. In engineering, agriculture, and some other academic areas its strong - but not so much a Law or medical school. However, it does have a lot of buildings (some look like prisons but hey) and does dominate Blacksburg.
2.) JMU and VCU both have their strengths - JMU has solid undergrad programs, liberal arts type program - VCU has a solid school of medicine and school of Art.
3.) I think Mason is trying to position itself in the middle of these spheres. While we have a 680 acre main campus (plans to add 100-120 acres) and a couple of large satellite campii - we are not going to have the physical footprint of VA Tech - but we are close (if you discount the land taken up by the regional airport on their campus). We are peers of JMU and VCU and probably UR. However, we do have a Tier I law-school, we are moving into the top 50 research universities in the US (as measured by research budget and projects), we have solid school of economics, ranked software engineering program (nationally and internationally), well known school of nursing, and I would argue one of the best accounting programs in the state. So we are trying to ply our strengths in three-four key areas - but are also building research programs and a law school that JMU and VCU do not have. We also have a great Center for the Arts (been to a classical concert there - it is first rate). So want to have a presence in the Arts.
Having said that - when one looks at the development plans for just one half of our Fairfax Campus - I wonder what kind of plans the Admin has - it seems very aggressive. Look at the plans mentioned in this thread - the Northeast and Southwest sector plans will give us three visually impressive cores on campus, lots of on campus housing (also for professors), a first class hotel and conference center, research facilities, and very well equipped academic buildings built to modern standards and to compete with large more established universities in and out of Virginia. Look at the impressive amount of construction and development going on at the campus NOW and what is coming in the near future. Look at the amentities the Admin wants our main campus to have and see what our peer schools in the CAA have. How many have a conference center and hotel on campus?? How many have a Krasnow institute - on campus? How many have the research facilities we have - on campus? How many will have as much housing that is almost brand new on campus like we are building now? How many will provide professors first rate housing - on campus as a means to incentivize talented professors to come to Mason? I sometimes wonder if Merten wants to really pole-vault Mason into another level. I am stunned at his ability to get money from the state and private donors to fund all of this stuff.
I remember one of my marketing professors telling me that Mason's plans and goals - as documented in their plans - were always very aggressive. He told me Mason had a key advantage that would enable them to do it - the land and location in one of the wealthiest and fastest growing regions in the country.
If these plans are nay indication - we are seeing that plan starting to come to fruition.
There's no reason Mason can't become a 1st rate school, especially in areas such as government, accounting, and the arts.
As recently as 15 years ago Tech was not the school it is today - a 3.0 in high school could have gotten you in.
Let's examine Mason's unique strengths:
1) Location - we are near a destination city. That attracts out of state applicants who want to come to Washington D.C.. Furthermore, Mason's tuition isn't obscene like American, GW, or Georgetown. As a government major, I can attest to ridiculously overqualified professors. For example, my 100 level intro to international politics class was taught by a man who didn't have a PhD, but had decades of experience in the CIA and State Department. I got a better education from him than I would a true professor. (Compare our location to a place like JMU, which offers nothing besides some nice mountains and I-81 gutting the campus.)
2) Age - By the time Mason's construction boom ends, most of the buildings on campus will be new. Students will like to live in new apartments than, say, Va Tech two ancient towers. Also, studying engineering in a brand new, state of the art building with Smithsonian art outside will be a nice perk.
3) Athletics - Hopefully, Mason can become the strongest Basketball program in the state. Really.
What are some of Mason's weaknesses?
1) Alumni - The amount of money alumni donate to Mason is a pittance compared most other Va schools. That will change.
2) Quality of life - Mason is draconian about having fun. Hopefully this will change.
3) Parking this will become less of an issue as Mason transitions from commuter school to traditional live on campus school.
Overall, I think it is entirely realistic to think Mason can become a nationally recognized, respected school in 10-15 years. On par with Va Tech and in some areas, dare I say it, UVA.
Pikapp and Laxmatt, thanks for seriously responding to my question.
Quick explanation of my criteria, I placed UVa at the top because it seems like it has a more renowned reputation over W&M of being good to excellent at everything: undergrad, law, medicine, lots of good grad degrees, research, athletics (well, they have nice facilities...), etc. While W&M seems, and I don't know if this is even true but to be more of an excellent, smaller niche school. I placed Tech at #2 because they just seem to have a reputation of being the #2 big school in Virginia. I don't even know if they really are that much better, but it seems to have that reputation. May just be all my Tech friends superior attitudes are subconsciously affecting me.
I have read that the DC area for its size and importance is lacking a really good, large research university. I read that in an article when one of our Econ guys left to go to Toronto. He said that Mason didn't have the resources to keep him, and the DC area really needs to invest in a school because right not it is lagging behind. In 10-20 years is Mason going to fill that void? Or, will we head down the road of an Akron or Kent State or others? They got big, but didn't get very good. Pretty much can't climb out of the third or fourth tier and doomed to usually be the safety schools of Ohio State or others. What steps does a school have to take to avoid that? Or do we even want to? There is something to be said about being an open and welcoming school that gives everyone a good college education.
My opinion, Mason's growth over the last decade has been extraoridinary, and combined with these new plans, I can't see how Mason can be relegated to "third tier" status much longer. Furthermore, because of it's location in a fast growing, wealthy area that it has the capacity to surpass JMU and VCU to really challenge Tech for that #2 spot among big, prestigious Virginia universities. My opinion is that JMU seems more headed towards the W&M spot: small and extremely good in the things it does, but lacking the breadth that Mason will have.
Or, will we head down the road of an Akron or Kent State or others? They got big, but didn't get very good. Pretty much can't climb out of the third or fourth tier and doomed to usually be the safety schools of Ohio State or others.
One huge difference: kids from Moosejaw, Montana do not dream of going to Ohio; they dream of going to Washington, D.C..
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My opinion is that JMU seems more headed towards the W&M spot: small and extremely good in the things it does, but lacking the breadth that Mason will have.
Completely disagree. Honestly, I think JMU has peaked. What does it really offer? It's a place for the B+ student from Northern Va to get fucked up for 4 years. It's principal selling point is something of a curse and a blessing: it's a party school. Furthermore, JMU is much, much bigger than W&M with a completely different culture. (Nerdy vs. booze hound.)
What will push Mason to the nest level is alumni involvement. Think of schools like UVa and Tech. They can raise $100 like it's nothing. (UVA recently raised 1 billion - billion - from alumni donations in their latest drive. Yet they still get state money.) Mason, after its final four run, went from $19 million in donations to $22 million. A large alumni donor base will allow Mason to fund research, as well as hook up students with jobs when they graduate.
Re: Official Mason Campus Development Plan Thread
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