Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
Summer Staff Appreciation Events
The Staff Senate is hosting "Grab and Go" Staff Appreciation Events to kick off summer. Events are open to classified staff and non-student wage employees.
Complimentary refreshments will be provided by Rita’s Ice. Come out to meet your senators and receive a giveaway item.
Employees must register in advance. Very limited walk-in slots will be available. You may reserve a space at your home campus, or the campus closest to your telework location.
To register, visit the Staff Senate website and select a location and time window.
Upcoming event dates/times:
- Mason Square: Tuesday, June 7, 1–2:30 p.m., Plaza
- SciTech: Wednesday, June 8, 1–2:30 p.m., Katherine Johnson Hall Patio
Note: The Fairfax Campus event took place on Monday, June 6.
Contact staffsenate@gmu.edu with questions.
Staff Senate Special Session with President Washington
Mason President Gregory Washington will join the Staff Senate for a special session:
Wednesday, June 15
11 a.m. to noon
Hosted on Zoom
The Staff Senate will collect questions for consideration in advance. Submit a comment or question through the online form by June 8. Provide your contact information if you would like to ask your question live. Otherwise, a senator will ask the question on your behalf.
Traffic Advisory: High School Graduations at EagleBank Arena
Heavy traffic is expected on the Fairfax Campus for regional high school graduation ceremonies at EagleBank Arena through Friday, June 17. EagleBank will host up to three ceremonies on many days, so traffic will be entering and exiting campus from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. Please allow extra travel time to and from campus. View a complete list of upcoming ceremonies.
Mason faculty, staff, and students should use the general permit area of Rappahannock River Parking Deck or the Field House parking lots to avoid delays. Shenandoah Parking Deck levels 4 and 5 will be open for limited overflow student, employee, and event parking on weekdays when graduations occur.
Follow Parking and Transportation on Facebook and Twitter for updates. Contact Parking Services at parking@gmu.edu or 703-993-2710 with questions.
No Mason Shuttle Service on Juneteenth (Observed)
There will be no Mason Shuttle service on Monday, June 20, in observance of Juneteenth. The university will be closed that day. Contact shuttle@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828 with questions.
Training and Professional Development
Apply Now for Mason’s Fall 2022 Leadership Coaching Programs
Learn how to make positive change happen by becoming a leadership coach through Mason’s Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being program. Apply by July 15.
Already a leadership coach? Earn your Master Certified Coach (MCC) credential in Mason’s Masterful Coaching program. Apply by October 7.
Both programs will take place online with live instruction. Contact Mary Horner, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, at 703-993-6090 with questions.
Custom Diversity/Equal Opportunity Trainings
Education is essential in maintaining an environment free from discriminatory harassment and retaliation. Mason staff and employees interested in learning more about navigating an increasingly diverse universe are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for consultation, and to discuss the possibility of a customized DEI training session for their department, unit, or team.
For questions or to schedule a consultation, contact Kyle Warfield.
Assistive Technology Initiative
In addition to providing assistive technology resources for individuals with disabilities (such as text-to-speech tools), the Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI) works to ensure equivalent access to all information and communications technology resources for individuals in the Mason community with different learning styles and abilities. For more information, visit the ATI website.
Certification of Applicant Pool Training
With the goal of supporting Mason’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Talent Acquisition Team in Human Resources and Payroll offers a course on how to certify the diversity of applicant pools for job searches. The course teaches those identified as Talent Equity Advisors (TEA) to securely analyze demographic (personally identifiable information) data voluntarily provided by applicants during the application process for positions at Mason, in order to certify the diversity of an applicant pool.
The course also teaches the TEA how to share data responsibly and support hiring authorities when an applicant pool cannot be certified. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, the TEA must be someone who does not serve as part of a search committee as coordinator, chair, or committee member.
The designated individual will operate under the title of Talent Equity Advisor for purposes of reviewing applicant data. If you wish to have an individual in your administrative or academic unit participate in this training, email Dwala Toombs.
Document Accessibility Specialist Faculty/Staff Training Cohort
Assistive Technology Initiative staff will host a Document Accessibility Specialist (DAS) faculty/staff training cohort this summer. Participants will learn how to identify and remediate accessibility issues in Word, PowerPoint, and PDF documents, how to add alternative text descriptions for images, using proper document structure, how assistive technology interacts with documents, etc.
The DAS Initiative comprises self-paced training modules, hands-on exercises, assessments, and drop-in discussions. The expected start date is June 20, and the cohort will last approximately six weeks. Participants would be expected to successfully complete the self-paced trainings, hands-on exercises, and assessments within that time frame.
Contact ati@gmu.edu for more details.
Resources for You
Art of Mindfulness Summer Series
Bring your inner artist and get creative at Mason Square. Art is a natural way to practice mindfulness. In this outdoor painting workshop series, you will learn the fundamental approach to channeling emotions through guided meditation while creating a personal 2-D artwork.
The sessions will start with a mindful drawing warm-up followed by color mixing and painting basics. No experience required, and all are welcome to join the fun.
RSVP for upcoming workshops:
- Wednesday, June 22, noon to 1:30 p.m.
- Friday, July 22, 5–6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, August 11, 5–6:30 p.m.
Contact University Life with questions.
Join CommonHealth's 35-Day Wellness Challenge
Mason's Employee Engagement Team is excited to partner with CommonHealth on their 35-Day Wellness Challenge—part of CommonHealth's 35th anniversary celebration.
Select your personal wellness goal for the 35-day challenge period, receive weekly tips and motivation, and post pictures on social media using #MasonEngage for a chance to win $25 gift cards and/or Mason flair.
The challenge runs from June 6 to July 10. For more information and to register, visit Mason's CommonHealth website.
Bank on Your Success: Trusts and Estate Planning Webinar
This BB&T/Truist Bank webinar for Commonwealth of Virginia employees will review the following:
- Role of corporate trustee
- Individual trustee vs. corporate trustee
- Importance of updating current estate plan (i.e., power of attorney, healthcare proxy, will, insurance, trusts, etc.)
The webinar will take place on Thursday, June 9, from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Register today.
Contact worklife@gmu.edu with questions.
Summer Camps at Mason
Visit camps.gmu.edu for a list of summer camps and youth programs offered at Mason. The website includes camps sponsored by Mason programs/departments, as well as external groups that host camps on a Mason campus.
Summer camps at Mason cover a wide variety of topics and activities, including academics, the arts, recreation, and sports. Both in-person and virtual options are listed on the website.
Questions about individual camps should be directed to the camp organizers.
For questions about the summer camps website, contact gmutoday@gmu.edu.
Cinema at Mason Square
Kick off the summer with George Mason University's Cinema at Mason Square outdoor movie series on the plaza. Bring your family and friends, a blanket, lawn chairs, and snacks for a fun evening event.
These events are free and open to the public. Free popcorn will be provided. Follow the links below to RSVP for an upcoming date:
- Friday, June 24, 8 p.m., Moana
- Friday, July 15, 8 p.m., The Goonies
- Friday, August 19, 8 p.m., Legally Blonde
Contact University Life with questions.
Vanpool Formation: Loudoun County to Fairfax Campus
Are you a full-time Mason employee living in Loudoun County and working on the Fairfax Campus? Would you like to have your commuting costs reimbursed up to $280/month (tax-free), avoid doing all the driving, park for free at Mason, and reduce carbon emissions?
If so, consider vanpooling. Parking and Transportation has developed a short vanpool match survey.
More detailed information about vanpooling is available on the Parking and Transportation website. If you have questions about vanpooling—whether you live in Loudoun County or not—contact transpo@gmu.edu.