Announcing the Sale of GW’s Virginia Science and Technology Campus

Dear Members of the GW Community,

I am writing today to share an important event regarding GW’s Virginia Science and Technology Campus (VSTC). Earlier today, the university closed on the sale of VSTC. This decision was made after careful consideration by the GW Board of Trustees and university leadership and is part of a broader strategy to strengthen GW’s long-term financial health and to invest more deeply in our academic mission and community. Due to confidentiality provisions in the sales agreement, we are precluded from sharing any specific details regarding the transaction at this time.

To our community members who have spent countless hours learning, teaching, working, and conducting research at VSTC, I am sure you have, and will have, many questions and feelings about this announcement. You will be included in the transition planning, and we are committed to a smooth, well-planned process that ensures continuity of VSTC programs and services. 

The agreement we reached, which includes very favorable terms for the university, ensures that GW has the option to keep programs at VSTC for up to five years, allowing the university to continue operating while we plan thoughtfully and deliberately for the future. During this time, our foremost priority will be to support the people most impacted by this transition.

VSTC holds a special place in GW’s history. It was launched in 1991, thanks to the generosity of GW Trustee Emeritus and local philanthropist Robert H. Smith and to the vision of President Emeritus Stephen J. Trachtenberg. Today, the campus supports innovative research in engineering, physics, and chemistry and is home to outstanding academic programs and critical administrative services. We are deeply grateful to the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners who have contributed to the campus’s success over the years. VSTC is more than a collection of classrooms, labs, and offices; it is a place of discovery, mentorship, and community, and we honor that legacy.

At the same time, as stewards of the university’s mission, we must continually assess how best to use our resources in service of our community and future generations of GW Revolutionaries. This includes our real estate portfolio, a critical asset that supports our academic mission, the students, faculty, and staff who advance it, and the university’s long-term financial strength. With this in mind, the university had to take seriously the opportunity to realize the extraordinary benefits a sale at this time would yield.

Prior to the sale’s closing, the GW Board of Trustees passed a resolution directing that a significant portion of the proceeds be used to establish a new endowment to advance GW’s priorities, as outlined in our strategic framework: Raising Higher: OneGW’s Path to Preeminence. The proceeds from the endowment will be used to make strategic investments in our research and teaching missions and to increase resources available for student financial aid. More information on the specific uses of this endowment will follow as they are developed.

The Board resolution included a proposal submitted by the administration to use some of the funds to provide a one-time bonus payment to eligible GW faculty and staff. This bonus is not a replacement for the merit increases that did not occur this fiscal year. Rather, this one-time payment is to recognize and thank our faculty and staff for the extraordinary work they continue to do in the face of the many challenges facing GW. Additional details, including eligibility, will be provided by Human Resource Management and Development soon.

While the sale of VSTC strengthens our financial position, it does not resolve the underlying causes of the structural deficit, which the recently announced Foundational Excellence Initiative is designed to address. Nevertheless, the sale of VSTC is a pivotal moment for GW as we continue taking concrete steps to strengthen our foundation, align our resources with our strategic priorities for long-term financial health, and build the GW of the future, a university positioned to thrive for decades to come.

Thank you for your continued commitment to GW.

Sincerely,

Ellen M. Granberg
President