Editing George Mason University (section)

===21st century===
Following Merten's retirement in 2012, [[Ángel Cabrera (academic)|Ángel Cabrera]] was appointed the university's sixth president on July 1, 2012.

In a resolution on August 17, 2012, the board asked Cabrera to create a new strategic vision that would help Mason remain relevant and competitive in the future. The drafting of the Vision for Mason, from conception to official outline, created a new [[mission statement]] that defines the university.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vision.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/MasonVision.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919025551/http://vision.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/MasonVision.pdf |archive-date=September 19, 2015 |url-status=live |title=Mason Vision |website=vision.gmu.edu}}</ref>

On March 25, 2013, Cabrera held a press conference to announce the university's decision to leave the [[Colonial Athletic Association]] to join the [[Atlantic 10 Conference]] (A-10). The announcement came just days after the Board of Visitors' approval of the university's vision document that Cabrera had overseen. Mason began competition in the A-10 during the 2013–2014 academic year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ahistoryofmason.gmu.edu/exhibits/show/vision/contents/a10 |title=A History of George Mason University – 2012–present: Vision : Mason Moves from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Atlantic 10 Conference |work=gmu.edu}}</ref> ''[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]]'' listed Mason as one of the "Great Colleges to Work For" from 2010 to 2014.<ref name="GreatColleges">{{cite web |title=Great Colleges to Work For |publisher=The Chronicle of Higher Education |url=http://chroniclegreatcolleges.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2014-Colleges-Recognized-by-Enrollment-Size-and-Category.pdf |website=chroniclegreatcolleges.com |access-date=April 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709034100/http://chroniclegreatcolleges.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2014-Colleges-Recognized-by-Enrollment-Size-and-Category.pdf|archive-date=July 9, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' listed Mason as one of the "Top Workplaces" in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |title=Top Workplaces 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-tran/capital-business/top-workplaces |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621193429/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-tran/capital-business/top-workplaces |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 21, 2014 |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=April 24, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:George Mason College, decal, ca. 1970.jpg|thumb|Decal of George Mason College]]The WorldatWork Alliance for Work-Life Progress awarded Mason the Seal of Distinction in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=WorldatWork |url=http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=78343 |website=www.worldatwork.org |access-date=April 24, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150318180954/http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=78343|archive-date = March 18, 2015|url-status = dead }}</ref> The [[AARP]] listed Mason as one of the Best Employers for Workers Over 50 in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=Employers – George Mason University, Life Planning Seminars for 50-plus Workers |url=http://www.aarp.org/work/2013-aarp-best-employers/george-mason-university-aarp-best-employers/ |access-date=April 24, 2015 |publisher=AARP}}</ref> [[Phi Beta Kappa]] established a chapter at the university in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Phi Beta Kappa, Here We Come! {{!}} George Mason|url=https://www2.gmu.edu/news/1093|access-date=October 27, 2020|website=www2.gmu.edu}}</ref>

In 2018, a [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act]] lawsuit revealed that conservative donors, including the [[Charles Koch Foundation]] and [[Federalist Society]], were given direct influence over faculty hiring decisions at the university's law and economics schools. GMU President Ángel Cabrera acknowledged that the revelations raised questions about the university's academic integrity and pledged to prohibit donors from sitting on faculty selection committees in the future.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/us/koch-donors-george-mason.html |title=What Charles Koch and Other Donors to George Mason University Got for Their Money |first1=Erica L. |last1=Green |first2=Stephanie |last2=Saul |work=The New York Times |date=May 5, 2018 |via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>

Cabrera resigned his position on July 31, 2019, to become president of [[Georgia Tech]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stirgus|first=Eric|date=June 13, 2019|title=Ga. Board of Regents hires Ángel Cabrera to lead Georgia Tech|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/just-board-regents-hires-angel-cabrera-lead-georgia-tech/FXemE23fUu1j2mpH3MNPPO/|access-date=June 26, 2020|website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Anderson|first=Nick|date=June 20, 2019|title=Anne Holton named George Mason U. interim president|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/06/20/anne-holton-named-george-mason-u-interim-president/|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> Following Cabrera's resignation, [[Anne Holton|Anne B. Holton]] served as interim president until June 30, 2020.<ref name=":0" />

On February 24, 2020, the Board of Visitors appointed [[Gregory Washington]] as the university's eighth president, and he assumed that role on July 1, 2020. Washington is the university's first African-American president.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.gmu.edu/news/583236|title=Gregory Washington named George Mason University's eighth president &#124; George Mason|website=www2.gmu.edu}}</ref>

On March 23, 2020, George Mason shifted to exclusively online instruction during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia|COVID-19 pandemic]]. Hybrid instruction occurred during the Fall 2020, Spring 2021, and Fall 2021 semesters during which the university offered a combination of online and in-person instruction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.gmu.edu/coronavirus|title=Are Classes being held?|access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref>

Mild unrest occurred on George Mason's campus in the aftermath of the [[October 7, 2023 attack]] of [[Hamas]] on [[Israel]] and the resulting [[Gaza war|war]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 November 2023 |title=Message about Tuesday event on campus |url=https://president.gmu.edu/news/2023-11/message-about-tuesday-event-campus |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240723031351/https://president.gmu.edu/news/2023-11/message-about-tuesday-event-campus |archive-date=23 July 2024 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=Office of the President |publisher=George Mason University |language=en}}</ref> Statements denouncing [[antisemitism]] and [[Islamophobia]] were made by the Office of the President.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 November 2023 |title=Statement on President's Patriot Plan for Community Safety and Well-Being |url=https://president.gmu.edu/news/2023-11/statement-presidents-patriot-plan-community-safety-and-well-being |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231105223144/https://president.gmu.edu/news/2023-11/statement-presidents-patriot-plan-community-safety-and-well-being |archive-date=5 November 2023 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=Office of the President |publisher=George Mason University |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=28 November 2023 |title=Denouncing Islamophobia |url=https://president.gmu.edu/news/2023-11/denouncing-islamophobia |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240220220310/https://president.gmu.edu/news/2023-11/denouncing-islamophobia |archive-date=20 February 2024 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=Office of the President |publisher=George Mason University |language=en}}</ref> An encampment on nearby [[George Washington University]]'s campus was organized in part by George Mason students.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rosenzweig-Ziff |first=Dan |date=8 December 2024 |title=Campus ban for two pro-Palestinian activists sparks outcry at George Mason |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/12/08/george-mason-university-pro-palestinian-activists/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209144322/https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/12/08/george-mason-university-pro-palestinian-activists/ |archive-date=9 December 2024 |access-date=9 December 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |quote="George Mason was one of many campuses that experienced a wave of protests after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel and the resulting war. Three people were detained but not arrested in November 2023 after an altercation at a protest. In the spring demonstrations — which brought some schools across the country to a halt and led to the arrest of thousands of students — some pro-Palestinian students from George Mason helped organize a regional encampment at George Washington University to call for that school to cut ties with Israel. This fall, messages voicing support for Hamas have intensified on some campuses."}}</ref>