Faculty/Staff Announcements
Have something to share? Review announcement guidelines and submit an announcement from your unit through the online form.
Deadline is close of business Wednesday for inclusion in the following Tuesday's edition.
Campus Updates
Celebrate Distance Learning Week
The Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning invites you to celebrate Distance Learning Week from Nov. 8–12.
Check out the many resources Mason provides for online teaching and learning:
- Get Blackboard Ready: View recorded trainings about Blackboard basics and tools. Contact Blackboard Support.
- Creating Accessible RESources Guide (CARES Guide): Find guidance for creating accessible instructional materials, and how to use Blackboard Ally to check the accessibility of your online course documents. Contact Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI).
- Online Course Quality Checklist and Guidelines: Use the Faculty Self-Checklist to review your online course and online teaching. Contact Stearns Center.
- Online Learning Basics: Share this website about online education at Mason with your students. Contact Mason Online.
- Guide to Online Learning: Direct your students to Mason Learning Services for online study tips. Contact Learning Services.
Contact Darlene Smucny, Stearns Center Digital Learning, at dsmucny@gmu.edu or 703-993-1907.
Honoring Our Veterans
Mason's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and the Office of the President will honor Veterans with a luncheon on Friday, Nov. 12. Mason community members who have proudly served the country are invited and encouraged to attend the luncheon.
George Mason University celebrates and honors Veterans Day, which is nationally recognized on Nov. 11. This is a day that commemorates Veterans of all wars and those who have proudly served and made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of America and its values.
At Mason, we aspire to serve our Veterans with as much dedication and devotion as they have provided to our country. We hope all Veterans have a memorable Veterans Day and know that Mason celebrates you.
Registration is required.
Space is limited. RSVP early.
Questions? Contact Lesley Irminger at lirminge@gmu.edu or 703-993-2124.
2021 Hunger Banquet
Social Action and Integrative Learning (SAIL) invites you to George Mason University's 2021 Hunger Banquet on Nov. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. in The Hub Front Ballroom.
You may think hunger is about too many people and too little food. That is not the case. Our rich and bountiful planet produces enough food to feed every woman, man, and child on earth.
Hunger is about power. Its roots lie in inequalities in access to resources.
Few experiences bring to life these inequalities more powerfully than a Hunger Banquet. This event can help raise awareness, as participants experience first-hand how our decisions affect others in the world.
Register in advance.
Contact Patty Mathison, SAIL Director, at 703-993-2900 or pmathiso@gmu.edu, with questions.
Thanksgiving Service Changes on Mason Shuttles
The Thanksgiving holiday will bring changes to the Mason Shuttle schedules. View the modified schedules.
Find more information about Mason Shuttles at shuttle.gmu.edu. Contact shuttle@gmu.edu with questions.
Training and Professional Development
Reminder: IT Security Awareness Training Deadline is Nov. 15
Information Technology Services (ITS) reminds all employees to complete their required annual IT Security Awareness Training by Monday, Nov. 15. The training takes about 30 minutes.
- Employees can access the training at masonleaps.gmu.edu using their NetID and Patriot Pass Password.
- Select “IT Security Awareness Training” in the “Your Action Items” box to the right.
Also, employees who are privileged users or system administrators have additional role-based training to complete, which is listed as LinkedIn Learning assignments in their accounts.
Problems accessing the training? Contact the ITS Support Center at 703-993-8870 or support@gmu.edu.
Workshop: Don't Stop Me Now! From Side Gig to Main Gig
Are you interested in becoming a full-time freelancer? Whether you're only at the idea stage or you have a steady side gig that you're looking to transition into your full-time job, this workshop will walk you through everything you need to know; from how to set realistic rates to how you can set better boundaries with clients.
Join the University Libraries and SP@RC for the upcoming workshop:
Workshop: Don't Stop Me Now! From Side Gig to Main Gig
Tuesday, Nov. 9, 3–4 p.m.
Horizon Hall, Room 2107
More information and registration
Contact LeighAnn Skeen at lskeen@gmu.edu or 703-993-2673 with questions.
Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group
The Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group is grounded in the knowledge that it is not a question of whether we are racist, but rather, how racism is expressed and experienced in ourselves, our lives, our behaviors, and our institutions. The group explores materials that allow us to critically question and consider our roles as artists, thinkers, citizens, and creatives in a society founded on racist values and practices. The reading group will continue to focus on anti-Black racism and its effects on society.
The next meeting will discuss the topic of "Black Joy and Self-Compassion: Setting Boundaries" on Friday, Nov. 12, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Visit the website for more details.
Contact Kristin Johnsen-Neshati, College of Visual and Performing Arts, at kneshati@gmu.edu with questions.
Webinar: Inclusive Course Design and Teaching
Mason has one of the most diverse student populations in the nation, and our online students also reflect this diversity. How can we incorporate our students’ diverse identities, backgrounds, and ways of knowing to make online learning inclusive, relevant, and meaningful for all, including students from minorities or underrepresented groups?
Join the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning for an upcoming webinar:
Webinar: Inclusive Course Design and Teaching
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 1–2:30 p.m.
More information and registration
Contact stearns@gmu.edu with questions.
Resources for You
Thanksgiving Regional Transportation
Mason offers affordable transportation for the Mason community to regional cities for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Destinations include Virginia Beach, Richmond, Philadelphia, and New York City. Buses will leave on Tuesday, Nov. 23, and Wednesday, Nov. 24, and return on Sunday, Nov. 28.
For a complete list of destinations, departure times, and pickup locations, visit shuttle.gmu.edu or view directly on the Thanksgiving Regional Transportation Schedule.
Nonprofit Fellows Program
The Nonprofit Fellows are a select group of students who earn a minor in Nonprofit Studies through a semester-long immersion experience. The 20–25 Nonprofit Fellows are enrolled in three courses and complete a six-credit internship with a local nonprofit organization.
The program is offered by the School of Integrative Studies in partnership with the Schar School of Policy and Government.
Applications for spring are due Nov. 15. Please help share this information with your students.
Visit the website for more information. Contact Sam Frye, School of Integrative Studies, at sfrye4@gmu.edu with questions.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Fall: New Dances
School of Dance
Friday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Step out of this cool autumn weather and into a performance filled with diverse choreography and talented dancers. Join us in supporting the School of Dance as we present Fall: New Dances.
Virginia Opera
Concept and Adaptation by Keturah Stickann and Bruce Stasyna for San Diego Opera
Saturday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Virginia Opera, the official opera company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, returns to the Center for the Arts with a condensed version of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème: Rodolfo Remembers. This stunning production is the perfect way to reunite with opera and to welcome newcomers to the art form.
Mason Staff and Faculty Discount: $25 tickets for select orchestra seats with discount code CANDLE
Offer is limited to four tickets per order, and service charges apply. Offer is not applicable on previously purchased tickets.
The War and Treaty: A Concert Celebrating Veterans and the Arts
Sunday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Drawing on traditional folk, country, R&B, and spirituals, The War and Treaty have earned praise for their dynamic and passionate performances. Named Americana Music Awards 2019 Emerging Act of the year, this husband-and-wife duo of Michael Trotter, Jr., and Tanya Blount will dazzle in their debut at Merchant Hall, performing songs from their two acclaimed albums, Healing Tide and Hearts Town. The powerhouse couple brings their very relatable struggles to their music including Trotter’s battle with PTSD as an Army Veteran.
Mason Jazz Vocal Night
Dewberry School of Music
Monday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Join Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice studio, and Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook.
Wind Symphony Concert featuring Samantha Clarke
Dewberry School of Music
Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Join the Wind Symphony and the Symphonic Band for their winter concert, conducted by Professor Mark Camphouse and doctoral student Samantha Clarke. The George Mason University Wind Symphony is a select ensemble comprised of outstanding wind, brass, and percussion players in the School of Music and the university. The Mason Symphonic Band provides music majors and non-music majors alike an opportunity to study and perform a variety of traditional and contemporary wind band literature.
Arcadia Variety Show
Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Virtual Event
Arcadia Variety Show is a pre-recorded performance that invites viewers to consider the interconnectedness of humanity and nature. It features work by students and recent alumni who use biological materials, processes, and imagery as departure points to explore themes of transformation and the healing potential of personal communion with the natural world. The artists have been inspired by a recent installation brought to Mason called Arcadia, an environmental public art installation by artist and musician, Sam Nester.
Jazz Combos Night
Dewberry School of Music
Thursday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Performance by the Mason Jazz Combos under the direction of jazz pianist Wade Beach.
Love’s Labors: Quarrels and Cravings
School of Theater
Multiple Performances, Nov. 18–21
Fairfax Campus, deLaski Performing Arts Building
Love’s Labors: Quarrels and Cravings explores the many ways lovers play, fight, and live and die together in an unexpected collection of Shakespeare scenes. From seething bromances to sacrificial love, we will navigate the dreamscape of desire in this physical, 90-minute heartbeat.
Jazz4Justice™
Dewberry School of Music
Saturday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Join us in celebrating 20 years of the incredible impact of Jazz4Justice™, an award-winning annual concert presented by Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV) and Mason Jazz Studies. Jazz4Justice™ is a truly unique event where attorneys, judges, students, and members of the Northern Virginia community gather to celebrate their love of jazz. Proceeds from the evening benefit LSNV to continue its mission of service to the Northern Virginia community, as well as provide financial support for the Mason Jazz Studies Department.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: The Glorious Music of Chopin
Sunday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Siegel, in his signature Keyboard Conversations® series, combines dynamic performances of Chopin’s greatest works with fascinating stories and insights into the composer’s life and place in history. Perfect for newcomers and aficionados alike. An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program.