The Stylus

Keep your friends close, keep ICAR closer

Photo by Annabelle Ombac

“ICAR is smaller than the other George Mason schools, and it does not have as many staff and students,” said Graduate Admissions and Student Services Director Erin Ogilvie. “At the Masters of Science program we have 260 students, and 97 Ph.D. students in total. The admissions program is keeping the ICAR community small because they want small class sizes and a cohort feel to enhance the student experience. It is like a boutique program, a stand-alone unit with a director instead of a dean but we function as a small school [that] has a dean.”

Ogilvie has worked for the school since June of 2006. Although it is a smaller school, ICAR has a functional career center which services its students and alumni.

“ICAR has a community network [that] is an online social network, a Ning.com site,” says Ogilvie. “This is a closed environment for ICAR.  These networks are separate because they have very different structures. Some ICAR alumni attend events, but there is not much of an active alumni chapter, rather, it is more of an involved network.”

“Each semester there are résumé clinics, and I join Duane Bradshaw to review résumés and offer recommendations,” said Ogilvie. This service is open to SPP and ICAR students. We collaborate mostly with the SPP students. There are occasions when students need specific information so one career center worker will call [his or her] respective career center.”

“I meet once a month with other student directors at the Law School and the School of Public Policy, and we meet with Lori Cohen, University Life director for Arlington Campus. Then we meet other representatives to discuss what we are doing on the departmental level,” she continued.

“Many of our events are open to the entire Arlington community. The primary challenge for student interaction is that many of the students are working full time and they then come to take courses late in the evening. Also, each school has its own community.  Students identify with their unit more than their campus. When we speak with Lori Cohen, we try to find events where all the students can come together, because . . . the structure can be compartmentalized.”

“I think things have been getting better over the past four years, with events such the Pizza and Perspectives events, which Lori Cohen initialized; students can get together and talk about topics that are of interest to the ICAR, Law and SPP students.  There were about three events this spring semester, and they were all successful.”

The ICAR building looms above.... Photo by Annabelle Ombac

Ryan  Dunn,  Stylus Correspondent