President Angel Cabrera sat down and answered questions from George Mason’s Subreddit as part of an Ask Me Anything chat on Friday, April 19. Here are several of Cabrera’s responses.
Q: I actually went to GWU, not GMU, but I’m interested in knowing how you view your term in office? Is it similar to how President Knapp of GW works (donor focused, leaving the student affairs to the Provost), or more like a Trachtenburg (Student focused, furthering the “campus/student life” mission)?
Cabrera: 5 year contract. Functions are both internal and external, with great people helping me on both sides, including our provost Peter Stearns who overseas all academic and student affairs.
Q: I am coming from a Graduate Student perspective here, but what is your opinion on the support given to graduate students and their research? My research is heavily into retention and I’m ironically finding that there is not enough helping me stay on this campus due to competition for funding of tuition and networking.
Cabrera: We have to do much, much better in graduate student support. It is a priority that we need to solve as soon as we can identify some funding.
Q: How can you continue to balance the value of art in a STEaM society? I know Mason has a College of Visual and Performing Arts that is growing, but all the emphasis from the government seems to be focused entirely on Science Technology Engineering and Math. Can Mason continue to support the Arts as it has, or will it fall as state- supported funding feeds other programs instead?
Cabrera: We need to focus on STEAM, not just STEM. Technology and science need creativity to deliver solutions and outcomes that matter to society. I hope we will find ways for our CVPA to help students across the university to develop their creative side!
Q: Will you move all the econ faculty/classes to Arlington? Fairfax is basically in West Virginia.
Cabrera: If Fairfax is West Va, what do you think about Front Royal? Hawaii?
Q: Why don’t you support the sports? All you have to do is show up.
Cabrera: I go to all games! Where were you? Don’t you support athletics?
Comments