Sam Douglas/Fourth Estate
Speakers discuss DEI, tuition and recent federal changes
BY SAM DOUGLAS, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
On April 1, Mason’s Board of Visitors held a meeting and public comment session, where students and faculty were able to comment to the visitors in-person or submit a comment through an online form.
Since President Donald Trump’s second term began, a series of federal executive orders and government overhauls have swept across higher education, including the proposed dismantlement of the Department of Education and the blockage of federal funding to schools such as Columbia University and Brown University.
Mason has felt the effects of these actions: including the renaming of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to the Office of Access, Compliance and Community (ACC) in early March. Around this time, The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights named Mason as one of the 60 schools under investigation for anti-semitic harassment.
Three audience members spoke during the public comment session; the first comment session held during the 2024-2025 academic school year. Commenters spoke on the matters of protecting DEI on campus.
“Please take a stand for principles and values of openness, diversity, equity and inclusion and join us so that we can all get to the important work of building a better Mason for all students, no matter who they are, where they came from or what they believe,” Tim Gibson, an associate professor at Mason and vice president of the Mason chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) said.
Bethany Letiecq, a professor and president of the Mason chapter of AAUP, spoke during the public comment session as well, stressing the importance and historical value of DEI.
“Today, I urge you to stand up for us, stand with us, stand for DEI and commit to the free exchange of ideas and upholding the economic freedom right of all who come to Mason to make the world a better place,” she said.
Visitor Reginald Brown responded to Letiecq, defending the board’s recent actions and stance on DEI. “The reality is that Mason is, in fact, the most diverse institution in the state. The reality of that is a strength. I don’t believe that we are diverse or successful specifically because of the DEI policies at the University today,” Brown said.
A major focus of the meeting covered tuition and Mason’s budget for the upcoming 2025-2026 academic calendar year. One speaker encouraged the board to ensure that the tuition money continues going to services, such as the ACC, that benefit the diverse student body.
The 2025-2026 university budget vote is scheduled by the Finance and Land Use Committee on April 10, and if approved, it will be voted on May 1 during a full board meeting.
