The George Mason University Board of Visitors, a 16-member board responsible for policy decisions and oversight, is seeking two student representatives.

According to the BOV website, the student representatives serve for one year. One student represents the Arlington campus, while the other represents Prince William and Fairfax campuses.

“I would highly recommend the position to other students,” said Danielle Miller, a student representative currently serving on the Board of Visitors. “Sitting as the undergraduate student representative on the board has given me a much better insight on how the University operates.”

“Traditionally, we do not receive many applications for this position,” said Nancy Murphy, the administrative assistant to the vice president of University Life. “This position can really make an impact at the university.”

The positions are non-voting and require the student representatives to participate in all board activities. All student applicants are required to have a 2.0 GPA or higher. The applications require at least one letter of recommendation, though applicants may not include more than three letters of recommendation.

“The board members are actually incredibly receptive to the concerns expressed from the [student] representatives,” Miller said.

Miller said the undergraduate representative works closely with Student Government.

“The students are the voice of the student body,” Murphy said.

The Board of Visitors was established by an act of Virginia’s General Assembly when Mason cut its ties with the University of Virginia and became an independent institution. The board has a rector, a vice rector and a secretary.

Completed applications can be submitted to the Office of the Vice President for University Life in Mason Hall, Room D105. The application deadline is March 28 at 5 p.m.

Murphy said leadership experience is a plus and also pointed out that the representatives get to introduce new issues and concerns to the board as well.
“They are the voice for student concerns,” Murphy said.

More information and an application can be found at ulife.gmu.edu/bovstudent.