Mason Korea holding the Town Hall meeting via Zoom
Established in 2014, George Mason University Korea has achieved many accomplishments despite numerous obstacles. The rate of student enrollment has increased, school programs have become more diverse and qualified, and its community has expanded. However, there have been some chaotic periods that resulted in some students leaving the school or transferring to other institutes. Mason Korea has responded to those problems by implementing new policies and programs gradually over time. For the last six years, the school has succeeded in accomplishing some of its goals in its upcoming three-year plan: academic excellence, community value, global mindset, and establishing a foundation for the future. However, a new three-year plan will begin next year as Dean Matz announced at the Town Hall Meeting of April 2021, and it seems to have significant impacts on students.
Mason Korea has shown a lot of improvements in academic areas. In 2014, only a few majors were offered to students, but more major and minor programs such as Computer Game Design have been added. The number of courses offered has also increased gradually over the last few years. The students can now have a broader spectrum for both majors and courses when they register for classes every semester.
In addition, the school has succeeded in offering more internships, career, and research opportunities to students. Ever since the Career Development Center (CDC) was established, many Mason Korea students have received career counseling, and some of them have done internships at various organizations. Especially for students majoring in Global Affairs (GLOA) or Conflict Analysis and Resolution (CONF), they could also learn more practical skills and knowledge and participate in research programs through the Center for Security Policy Studies Korea (CSPS-Korea) and Peace and Conflict Studies Center Asia (PACSC Asia).
Scholarships and financial aid systems for students were not adequate in the first couple of years after the school opened. Only a few students received some amount of money. Insufficient scholarships and financial aid were some of the primary reasons for students leaving or transferring to other schools. In response to this, Mason Korea began to provide more chances for students to receive financial support by creating different scholarships and funding programs. While it allows more students to pursue their education at Mason Korea, the amount of financial aid or scholarships is still not enough for them to cover tuition.
According to the new three-year plan, the school announced that they will provide more scholarship opportunities to students, such as the endowment of 30,000,000 won by the International Bank of Korea to assist those who struggled due to COVID-19 and talk with the Korean Student Aid Foundation so that Korean students who attend Mason Korea can receive financial aid. If successful, it would lessen students' burdens on paying tuition.
The last agenda in the new three-year plan is the school's budget plan without governmental subsidies. Since its establishment, Mason Korea has received 1 million dollars per year as governmental subsidies from the Korean government. Also, the school has not required the rent for facilities. With governmental financial support, the school could achieve its four main goals - academic excellence, community value, global mindset, and foundation for the future. However, as announced in April’s Town Hall Meeting, Mason Korea will lose all subsidies because the contract period with the government is over. The sole revenue for the future would be tuition from students. Based on the budget plan, while 31 percent of the revenues are used for scholarships and reserves, only 16 percent will be allocated to help students. It means the school's rainy-day funds will go to cover rental fees and facility maintenance costs.
Since its foundation in 2014, there have been changes at Mason Korea. GMUK seems to succeed in dealing with issues in academic areas by offering a wider variety of courses, majors, internships, and research opportunities. On the other hand, in terms of scholarships, financial aid, and operating fees, the school still needs to improve to support the students. In particular, as a new-three-year plan will begin soon with the removal of government subsidies, the school should ensure to put their students and quality of education in their most priority when allocating their annual budget. Also, the school would need to find other sponsors for a more stable and smooth operation since tuition fees would be their primary revenue in the future.
Written by Jeongeun An, Staff Writer
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