(Sam Douglas / Fourth Estate)
Mike Meese to serve as next rector of university’s governing board
BY SAM DOUGLAS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Michael J. Meese was elected as rector of the George Mason Board of Visitors today in the governing body’s first meeting since their overhaul following the January inauguration of Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
The rector presides over the board and gavels full board meetings. Meese had previously served as vice rector since the start of the 2024 academic year. He replaces Rector Cully Stimson, whom he had served under and who resigned shortly after Spanberger’s inauguration.
Meese is one of only four visitors remaining who were nominated to the board by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin. While some other newly appointed visitors have been part of Mason’s BOV in the past, Meese is the longest active visitor, having served on the board since 2022.
(Sam Douglas / Fourth Estate)
Much of Meese’s tenure as vice rector coincided with a period of unrest and controversy surrounding the BOV. The governing body had lacked a quorum from Sept. 2025 to Jan., sparking protests when they continued to meet in executive community meetings.
Along with President Gregory Washington, the board has been combating lawsuits from the federal government since the summer.
Previously, they had passed resolutions on antisemitism and DEI that were unpopular among some registered student organizations on campus.
During the end of the Academic Affairs committee meeting today, Tim Gibson spoke in disapproval of the decision to elect Meese as rector. Gibson is vice president of the GMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, an organization that has organized multiple protests against the actions of the board.
“We are swearing in 12 new members today because the previous board abandoned their fiduciary duties and used their positions to advance a highly partisan and ideological agenda,” Gibson said, stating that he expresses the discontent of his colleagues regarding Meese’s election.
“We need new leadership, uncompromised leadership, leadership untainted by the past [and] leadership dedicated to their fiduciary duties and focused on the work of defending the bedrock values of the American higher education system,” Gibson concluded.
Along with being a board member, Meese also serves as the president of Armed Forces Mutual, a not-for-profit organization that provides life insurance to members of the armed forces and their families.
(Sam Douglas / Fourth Estate)
Sumeet Shrivastava was also elected as vice rector. Shrivastava, a Mason alum, was one of the 12 new visitors sworn in during the Feb. 26 meeting.
Along with Meese, Secretary Armand Alacbay and visitors Jeffrey A. Rosen and Jon M. Peterson remain from the previous board.
