George Mason University’s governing board unanimously approved a raise for its embattled president Friday and passed a resolution to eliminate some diversity, equity and inclusion programs, capping a tense meeting that some on the Northern Virginia campus and beyond thought could end in his removal. The 1.5 percent raise for Gregory Washington matches a state-mandated raise for professional faculty like him. The university’s Board of Visitors approved the increase after a three-hour closed session during which it discussed Washington’s annual review.

Washington has faced increasing scrutiny in recent weeks as the Trump administration launched a handful of investigations into George Mason over allegations the university improperly considered race in hiring and admissions, and that it hasn’t done enough to address antisemitism on campus. He has rejected the allegations, and an outside law firm led by some former Trump officials has been retained to represent the board in the federal probes.

Advertisement

Skip to end of carousel Make the most of the DMV with our newsletter (The Washington Post) Make living in D.C. a little easier and more fun. Sign up for the Post Local newsletter to get local news, weather and expert advice — where to eat, where to drink and how to get around — every weekday. End of carousel

“Regardless of how one views the events unfolding at George Mason University, today’s display of unity by the Mason community is inspiring,” Washington said in a statement released after the meeting. “It is a reminder of how centrally important our university is to northern Virginia’s families and economy.”

The board’s resolution to eliminate some DEI initiatives at the institution mirrors resolutions passed by boards of every other major public university in the state. While the board has for months weighed what to do over its DEI efforts to comply with a Trump administration order to limit such programs, the federal inquiries cast a national spotlight on what normally would be routine planning meetings for the board.

The federal scrutiny had also raised questions about Washington’s future, especially because George Mason’s board consists fully of appointees of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The concerns grew this week as conservative criticism of Washington’s policies grew louder beyond the campus, spreading to the Wall Street Journal editorial page.

Beyond the raise approval, the board did not take any other immediate public action on Washington, who has led George Mason since 2020. Rector Charles Stimson said he and the vice rector would have a follow-up conversation with Washington about his performance in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the ongoing federal investigations permeated the board’s meeting on Friday.

Advertisement

“Mason isn’t going anywhere,” Stimson said before the board went into closed session. He did not make any public comment on Washington’s performance. Stimson repeated the quote after the board approved Washington’s raise but walked away when asked what that meant for Washington’s presidency.

Earlier in the meeting, Washington defended his performance, noting that during his tenure, the university had risen 110 spots in college rankings and doubled its state funding.

“Despite the commentary you might hear, this institution is doing extremely well,” he told the board during the public part of its meeting, drawing applause from supporters watching in the room.

Also on Friday, the board passed a resolution to create a private foundation to support the Antonin Scalia Law School, among the most conservative in the country. The resolution could allow private donors, who Stimson said have expressed a desire to further support the institution, to give large sums of money without public disclosure. Stimson said two other state law schools already have private foundations.

Advertisement

The board’s DEI resolution said George Mason would “continue to apply principles of individual merit and genuine excellence” in areas such as admissions, and hiring. It calls on the university to ensure there were no efforts to “circumvent” prohibitions on considering race in admissions, hiring or otherwise and directed the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community to cut programs not required by federal or state law and, if necessary, eliminate jobs within 30 days.

Both resolutions passed unanimously after almost no public discussion among board members, drawing criticism from some faculty in attendance.

“They’re opening the door for more private monies to come in,” said Bethany Letiecq, a professor and president of GMU’s chapter of the American Association for University Professors. “And they aren’t even having a conversation about it? The board keeps voting against what the GMU community wants, which is to protect academic freedom.”

Advertisement

The resolutions passed as crowds of students and faculty packed the board room and held signs outside in the rain in support of Washington and against the board, calling for “hands of GMU.”

“The board needs to support the university and the president and academic freedom, and defend the school from the Trump administration,” said Raq Gonzalez, who earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from George Mason in 2007 and 2012, respectively. “Diversity makes us stronger. We need President Washington’s leadership for our future.”

The federal government has increased its scrutiny of George Mason in recent weeks. The Education Department announced July 1 that it was investigating an alleged failure by the university to protect Jewish students from a hostile campus. Three more investigations — including two from the Justice Department — soon followed. Some of Washington’s supporters felt the moves mirrored a playbook the Trump administration used at the University of Virginia where President James E. Ryan resigned in late June amid increasing pressure from Justice officials over DEI policies. Ryan said he stepped down with the hope of sparing the university from federal funding cuts.

Advertisement

Washington publicly defended his policies in recent weeks, rejecting allegations that he was violating civil rights law.

The probes have led some critics, many conservatives, to call for Washington’s removal. On Thursday, ahead of the board meeting, the Wall Street Journal editorial board said such a move could happen and wrote that, despite GMU’s conservative law school, “apparently its campus politics are as woke as anywhere else.”