Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Deadline is close of business Wednesday for inclusion in the following Tuesday's edition.
Campus Updates
February Staff Senate Meeting
The February Staff Senate meeting will feature David Farris, executive director of safety and emergency management. David will provide updates on Mason community COVID cases and our current COVID safety policies and protocols.
Wednesday, Feb. 2
10 a.m. to noon (Guest speaker will present from 11 a.m. to noon)
The general meeting will precede from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Hosted on Zoom
Visit the Staff Senate website for more information.
Homecoming 2022: Brave, Bold, and BACK
Let’s join together for Homecoming 2022, which kicks off Mason's year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary!
Event highlights:
- Feb. 4: Tip-Off Party
- Feb. 9: Day of Service
- Feb. 12: Tailgate/Festival
- Feb. 12: Men’s Basketball vs. VCU
- Feb. 13: Women’s Basketball vs. Saint Joseph’s
- And much more!
For complete event details and registration/ticket information, visit homecoming.gmu.edu.
Faculty/Staff Spouse and Dependent Tuition Benefit Survey
In response to the Faculty Senate’s and Staff Senate’s joint resolution supporting tuition benefits for spouses and dependents of Mason employees, Human Resources and Payroll is working toward understanding the implications and developing an implementation plan. Take this brief survey that will allow the university to gauge the degree to which this benefit might be used.
Outstanding Achievement Awards: Call for Nominations
The Outstanding Achievement Awards honor Mason’s faculty and staff across 16 award categories celebrating their hard work, dedication, and contributions to the university. Nominate a colleague for an award by the deadline of Feb. 25. (Note that departmental awards may have different deadlines.)
The Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony is scheduled for April 7, 10–11:30 a.m., in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall.
For more information, visit the Outstanding Achievement Awards website or email awards@gmu.edu.
Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) Application Open
Applications for the summer Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) are due March 15.
URSP gives undergraduates an authentic research, creative, or scholarly experience under the guidance of a mentor. Students can submit proposals semesterly to apply to get funding for their independent research projects and a living stipend. They will work one-on-one with a mentor expert and participate in seminars while completing their research or creative activity.
Students can find more information and the application at oscar.gmu.edu. Please encourage your students to apply.
Vision Series: Hack the Stars
The next installment of the Vision Series will feature Hakeem Oluseyi, astrophysicist, cosmologist, inventor, educator, science communicator, author, actor, humanitarian, and Visiting Robinson Professor, who will “Hack the Stars.”
Vision Series: Hack the Stars
Monday, Feb. 7, from 7 to 8:15 p.m.
Live streamed through GMU-TV
RSVP
Participants may engage in the discussion by submitting questions via email to gmuprov@gmu.edu or via Twitter by using #VisionSeriesMason.
Love to Bike? Winter Bike to Mason Day is Feb. 11
Winter Bike to Mason Day is the Friday before Valentine’s Day! Join Parking and Transportation on Feb. 11 for a little bike love. Stop by the Merten Hall Lawn between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. with your bike for a beverage and some biking-related giveaways.
Rick Holt Active Transportation Advocate Award: Deadline Extended to Feb. 28
The Rick Holt Active Transportation Advocate Award honors Rick, “the Mason bike dude,” who passionately advocated for and encouraged active transportation at Mason and beyond. Nominations are open for this new award. The recipient will be honored at the Outstanding Achievement Awards in April.
If you know a faculty or staff member who embodies Rick’s enthusiasm and commitment, submit a nomination. Check more details on the Parking and Transportation website.
Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Training and Professional Development
Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series
The Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series presents Brian Levenson, author of Shift Your Mind: 9 Mental Shifts to Thrive in Preparation and Performance, in How to Cultivate 9 Mental Shifts to Supercharge Your Performance. Join this free, online event on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at noon.
Learn about the power of shifting between complementary mindsets, a technique that high achievers rely on for preparing effectively and delivering when it counts.
Resources for You
Guaranteed Ride Home
Faculty and staff who bike, carpool, vanpool, use mass transit, or walk to work at least two times per week always have a ride backup with Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH).
Sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, GRH is free to sign up and free to use. Once you register, you can use GRH up to four times per year.
If a qualifying emergency arises, call Commuter Connections, and they will arrange transportation for you (e.g. taxi, car rental, transit). It is a good idea to sign up before you need it.
Conditions apply. For details and to register, visit the Mason Parking and Transportation website.
Reminder: Sustain and Save Program
Sustain & Save is a program offered by Commute66 to assist in reducing traffic along I-66 and improving daily commutes. Enrolled participants will receive $100 each month they participate in a sustainable commuting mode.
To join Sustain & Save, you must be a full-time faculty or staff member at the Arlington Campus, currently drive along I-66 and pay tolls, and willing to switch to an eligible commuting mode (public transit, carpool, vanpool, walking, or biking).
For more information, visit the website.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Mason Jazz Festival
Saturday, Feb. 26
Fairfax Campus (multiple locations)
The Mason Jazz Festival is an invitational event open to middle school, high school, collegiate, and community Jazz ensembles. This festival will take place Saturday, Feb. 26, on the Fairfax Campus. Sponsored by Mason Jazz Studies and the Jazz Education Network, participating groups will perform a 20–30 minute set, followed by a clinic by Mason Jazz faculty and special guests. The closing festival performance ensemble will be the United States Army Blues Jazz Ensemble at 7 p.m. in Harris Theatre. All performances are free and open to the public.
Virginia Opera: Three Decembers
Saturday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 6, at 2 p.m.
Center for the Arts
By Jake Heggie with libretto by Gene Scheer, Virginia Opera’s production of Three Decembers is a two-act chamber opera about family—the ones we are born into and those we create. Based on Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally’s unpublished play, Some Christmas Letters, this new addition to the repertoire grapples with contemporary issues wrapped in timeless music. Sung in English with English surtitles.
The Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic Orchestra
Saturday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Traveling far from the cultural hotspot of Gdansk on the Baltic Sea, the Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic Orchestra will rouse spirits with an evening of innovative works that explore themes of resiliency and freedom. Formed in 1944 out of the ashes left from World War II, the orchestra has grown to become the largest music institution in eastern Poland and often features the most prominent Polish musicians and many world-famous artists.