Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
Introducing TimelyCare, a Virtual Mental Health and Well-Being Resource for Students
Mason now partners with TimelyMD to deliver TimelyCare, a virtual mental health and well-being platform crafted specifically for college students.
The TimelyCare platform augments the in-person and virtual mental health services that remain available to Mason students through Counseling and Psychological Services and Student Health Services.
With TimelyCare, Mason students will have access to a multitude of virtual mental health and well-being resources that are free and available 24/7. Students have access to TimelyCare services 365 days a year—that means during breaks, after-hours, and any time they need support.
Find out more about TimelyCare resources. For questions, contact Rachel Wernicke, associate dean and chief mental health officer, University Life.
Veterans Day Luncheon: Nov. 11
Join the Office of the President, ROTC, and the Office of Military Services as Mason celebrates and honors Veterans Day. The annual Veterans Day Luncheon will be hosted on Friday, Nov. 11, at 11:45 a.m. in the Center for the Arts lobby. Mason community members who have proudly served the country are invited and encouraged to attend the luncheon. Registration is required.
National Drug Take-Back Event
Turn in unused or expired prescription medications at the National Drug Take-Back Event hosted by Mason Police on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Items may be dropped off in the Police and Safety Headquarters lobby on the Fairfax Campus.
Accepted items include prescription and over-the-counter medications, tablets, capsules, and pet medicines.
The following items are not accepted: injectables, syringes, and needles; intravenous solutions; hydrogen peroxide; compressed cylinders; aerosols (i.e., inhalers); iodine-containing medications; thermometers; alcohol; and illicit drugs.
A prescription drug drop box is always available in the lobby of the Police and Safety Headquarters. Contact Lt. Michael Guston at 703-993-3414 with questions.
Misdelivered Packages
Parcel delivery issues are again being reported around Mason’s campuses. Some delivery drivers are leaving parcels in lobbies, at unattended desks, or dropping multiple packages off at one stop, some of which belong to units in other buildings.
If a parcel you ordered is shown as delivered and you haven't received it, or if you come upon a parcel in a lobby or other public area, please forward that information via email to Buz Grover, Operations and Business Services.
If possible, include the tracking number, name of delivery service, parcel location, and your contact information. You may also include a photo of the package label in question (noting its location), or forward a copy of the shipping notification.
This information will be forwarded to account executives at the various shipping companies, who will then work with their drivers to correct the problem.
$5 Fridays at Ike’s and Southside
Every first Friday of the month, Mason Dining offers a discounted $5 lunch to faculty and staff at Ike's and Southside. The remaining fall dates are:
- Nov. 4
- Dec. 2
November Staff Senate Meeting with Sharnnia Artis
The November Staff Senate meeting will feature guest speaker Sharnnia Artis, vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion and chief diversity officer, to provide updates following the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Conference.
Wednesday, Nov. 2
10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. – Guest speaker
10:45 a.m. to noon – General business meeting
Hosted on Zoom
The Staff Senate will accept questions and comments for the guest speaker in advance of the meeting. Submit questions by Friday, Oct. 28.
Purchasing Branded Promo Items?
To help with your branded promo needs, Mason has officially licensed vendors who have been authorized to produce merchandise bearing the university's trademarks. This includes all graphic and verbiage-based references to the university. Using officially licensed vendors is a requirement per University Policy 1130.
Trademark Licensing is a unit of Operations and Business Services. Visit trademarks.gmu.edu for more details. Check out the approved vendors list.
Contact David Atkins, executive director of business partnerships and licensing, with questions.
First-Gen Week
First-Gen Week at Mason will take place Monday, Nov. 7, through Friday, Nov. 11. This is the third year that Mason will celebrate its First-Generation Patriots (undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff), and there are several ways to participate:
- Departments that wish to host an event during the week should complete and submit this form by Friday, Oct. 28.
- The First-Gen+ Center will collect first-gen student and staff stories about their experiences both academically and professionally. Submit a story.
- Faculty and staff who identify as first-gen are encouraged to submit their information for inclusion on the "I Am First" Faculty and Staff List.
Email questions to Nakia Waters.
Get Spooky at shopMason’s Halloween Kiosks
Trick or "treat yourself" on Monday, Oct. 31, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Johnson Center food court as shopMason units take over the kiosks. There will be free candy, giveaways, and pumpkin judging!
Applications Now Accepted for Patriot Leaders
Students may apply to serve as 2023 Patriot Leaders. These student leaders work heavily with advisors and campus partners in Orientation throughout the summer. The position description, hiring timeline, FAQs, and link to the application for the position are available at greenpolo.gmu.edu.
If you know of a stand-out student who you think would be an excellent Patriot Leader, nominate them for the role, and they will be sent additional information to apply. The application deadline is Monday, Oct. 31, at 9 a.m. Contact Michelle Healey, associate director of Orientation, with questions.
What is OBS?
Operations and Business Services (OBS) and its marketing brand, shopMason, are here to improve the quality of life on campus for all students and employees. OBS supports George Mason’s overall strategic plan by providing quality goods, innovative services, and strategic business partnerships that improve value, increase student success, and enhance financial conditions. View the services and programs offered, meet the team, and learn more by visiting the website: obs.gmu.edu.
Mason Shuttles: Thanksgiving Service Changes and Regional Transportation
The Thanksgiving holiday will bring changes to the Mason Shuttle schedules. Details are posted on the Mason Shuttles website.
Mason offers affordable transportation to regional cities for the Thanksgiving holiday. Destinations include Virginia Beach, Richmond, Philadelphia, New York City, and more. Buses will leave on Tuesday, Nov. 22, and return on Sunday, Nov. 27. View a complete list of destinations, departure times, and pick up locations.
Contact shuttle@gmu.edu with questions.
Training and Professional Development
University Life Faculty Engagement Series Addresses Mental Health and Disability
The next session in the University Life Faculty Engagement Series will be held on Friday, Oct. 28, from 10–11:30 a.m. in the Johnson Center, Room A, and via Zoom. Rachel Wernicke, chief mental health officer and associate dean of University Life, will address the topic “Mental Health and Disability” and share national trends, Mason student demographics, overall success outcomes, as well as identified interests, aspirations, and needs. Contact Alissa Karton with questions.
Webinar: Addressing the Heart and Soul of Employee Well-Being
Join the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being for a free upcoming webinar, offered as part of Mason’s Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series:
Webinar: Addressing the Heart and Soul of Employee Well-Being
Thursday, Nov. 17, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Hosted by Jessica Grossmeier, author of Reimagining Workplace Well-Being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence
Register
Contact cwb@gmu.edu with questions.
Conflict to Conversation: Introducing Verbal Aikido
The Office of the Ombudsperson, in collaboration with the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, is hosting an event to introduce the Mason community to the concept of using Verbal Aikido, a conflict de-escalation technique. The event will feature opening remarks by Kimberly Jackson Davidson, university ombudsperson, and Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of the Carter School.
Conflict to Conversation: Introducing Verbal Aikido to Mason Community
Monday, Oct. 31, 7–9 p.m.
Mason Square, Van Metre Hall, Room 120
Register
The session will be facilitated by Luke A. Archer, a specialist in communication and education. He is the founder of Verbal Aikido SASU, a conflict management training organization, and the creator and head developer of the Verbal Aikido practice.
Resources for You
Mason Takes Command at a Washington Commanders Football Game
Student Involvement invites you to attend the Washington Commanders football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. at FedEx Field. Discounted tickets are available. Enjoy a fun-filled day with friends and family, along with the Mason community.
Route Planning: Biking to Mason
Live within biking distance of Mason? Planning a commute for this autumn or maybe next spring? Volunteers are ready to help you find a biking route that is comfortable for you.
For details and regions covered, visit Mason’s biking resources page and choose the Bike Volunteer Program. Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Mason Exhibitions: Reception and Artist Talk with Justyne Fischer
Join Mason Exhibitions and artist Justyne Fischer in Buchanan Hall on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 6–8 p.m. for a reception and artist talk.
Fischer is presenting her exhibition, Fragments of Truth: A Shared History, which examines the legacy of racism and memorializes pivotal figures and events in American history. Working between woodcut printing on paper and fabric, and using wood-burning on live-edge wood panels, Fischer’s socially conscious images offer graphic indictments of systemic racism and ask us to remember both the victims of injustice and those who have fought against oppression. The exhibition will be on view until Nov. 12. Read more.
TIAA Financial Webinars
TIAA has a number of upcoming financial seminars. Topics include tax planning, Social Security considerations, market-proofing your retirement, managing debt, and more. For more information and to register, visit the Human Resources and Payroll website.
Barry’s Bootcamp at Mason Square
Get ready to experience a strength and cardio interval outdoor fitness class that provides a dynamic, high-intensity workout that’s as effective as it is fun. All you need is a yoga mat and a water bottle. All levels welcome. Join on Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 6–7 p.m. on the plaza at Mason Square.
Did you know that free community events happen every weekday on the plaza at Mason Square? Check out the full schedule through Oct. 31.
Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group
The College of Visual and Performing Arts welcomes the Mason community to the Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group, which meets on Fridays from 1–2:30 p.m.
The reading group calls upon and discusses the work of Black scholars, authors, activists, artists, musicians, poets, dancers, and playwrights. The discussions encourage participants to critically question and consider their roles as artists, thinkers, citizens, and creatives in a society founded on racist values and practices.
Join the meeting on Friday, Oct. 28, for the following topic: “Serena Williams: Black Feminist Analysis of Motherhood." This event is free and open to the public. Fall meetings continue through Nov. 11.
Faculty/Staff Bike Commuter Choice Program
Like to bike? Live within biking distance of the Mason location where you work? Thinking that maybe it’s time you changed up your commute to include a few days of biking per month?
Consider the Faculty/Staff Bike Commuter Choice program, and find joy in commuting to campus on two wheels:
- Four tiers of financial support tied to the number of rides per quarter. Join the program for as few as five rides per quarter.
- Earn complimentary parking passes.
- Ride more than 10 miles each way to work to earn a distance bonus.
- Ride at Tier 2 or Tier 3 all year to receive funds for a complimentary bike check.
- Program can be used in conjunction with Commuter Choice.
Conditions apply—the big one is that the program, unlike Commuter Choice, is taxable per the IRS. But don’t let that stop you. Check out the details at bike.gmu.edu.
Staying Safe: Traveling at Dusk
A reminder from Parking and Transportation that the days are growing shorter and it’s getting darker earlier. As we prepare to “Fall Back” when Daylights Savings Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 a.m., keep in mind that it is difficult to see and be seen at dusk. Use care whether you are driving, biking, or walking.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Mason School of Theater: Head Over Heels
Oct. 27–29, at 8 p.m.
Oct. 29–30, at 2 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Head Over Heels is the bold new musical comedy from the visionaries who rocked Broadway with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q, and Spring Awakening. This laugh-out-loud love story follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their kingdom from extinction. This hilarious story is set to the music of the iconic 1980s all-female rock band The Go-Go’s, including the hit songs “We Got the Beat” and Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth.”
Aida Cuevas: Yo Creo Que Es Tiempo
Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
All hail the “Queen of Ranchera Music,” Aida Cuevas! In her debut at the Hylton Center, this GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner will fill Merchant Hall with lively mariachi music, the powerful energy of her stage presence, and the rich effervescence of her voice. Don’t miss one of Mexico’s leading voices in a concert celebrating 45 years of ranchera prominence. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Farruquito: Intimate Farruquito
Sunday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
International flamenco megastar Farruquito ignites the stage with raw emotion, extraordinary artistry, and captivating energy. His newest show, Intimate Farruquito, opens a window into the history of flamenco dance, as well as songs that have most influenced his artistry. With a stellar cast of dancers, live musicians, and vocalists, Farruquito’s tangos, bulerías, and alegrías bring the expressive beauty of flamenco to life! This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Visiting Filmmakers Series: The Slow Hustle with Mahrya MacIntire
Film at Mason
Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 4:30 p.m.
Johnson Center Cinema
The Slow Hustle chronicles the unsolved death of Baltimore police detective Sean Suiter, fatally shot in 2017 while in the line of duty, and explores the ongoing speculation about what really happened that day. With candid interviews from members of the Baltimore Police Department, Suiter’s widow and children, journalists, lawyers and political leaders, The Slow Hustle examines the continuing mystery surrounding Suiter’s death and the multiple theories that emerge in the investigation of the case, including that Suiter’s death was a calculated murder hit or a suicide.
Visual Voices Lecture with Ellen Lesperance
Mason Exhibitions and School of Art
Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m.
Digital Event on Zoom
Ellen Lesperance’s paintings on paper, rendered in gouache in universal knitting shorthand, can be followed as patterns to recreate historic garments worn by women activists, warriors, and cultural figures. For the past decade, she has additionally archived protest knitwear worn by the separatist feminists of the Greenham Common Women’ Peace Camp who demonstrated against U.S. nuclear weapons storage in Berkshire, England (1981–2000). In 2020, Lesperance published a book of this archive titled Velvet Fist.
Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company: Āhuti
Mason Artist-in-Residence
Saturday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Set to the sounds of live flute, violin, harmonium, manjira, and drums onstage, Āhuti is a mesmerizing performance and collaboration between Mason Artist-in-Residence Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and the Chitrasena Dance Company. Through the classical movements of Odissi dance, Nrityagram Dance Ensemble brings stories of the Hindu epics to life with their bodies. Chitrasena has been leading the development of Kandyan dance in Sri Lanka, being a key proponent to opening this dynamic style to women, whilst also preserving it as a cultural tradition. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Pass It On: 60th Anniversary Musical Celebration
Sunday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s iconic and exuberant “Big Easy” sound will have you up and dancing from the beginning to end of their concert. People from around the globe make pilgrimages to Preservation Hall, a humble, much-loved room in New Orleans’s French Quarter dedicated to keeping the past and future of jazz alive. This fall, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band is embarking on a pilgrimage of its own—a nationwide tour to celebrate the Hall’s 60th anniversary. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Virginia Opera: A Taste of Opera
Matinee Idylls
Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 1:30 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Opera lovers, rejoice in an afternoon brimming with all the drama, poetry, history, and romance that makes opera so heart-thrilling. Singers fresh off of the Virginia Opera stage will perform beloved arias and duets selected from both classic and contemporary repertoire. Luxuriate in the pure sound and piercing emotion with rising opera stars performing highlights from Virginia Opera’s radiant 2022–23 season.
Mason School of Dance – Fall: New Dances
Friday, Nov. 11, and Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m.
Harris Theatre
Step out of this cool autumn weather and into the theater for a performance filled with diverse choreography and talented dancers. Join us in supporting the School of Dance as we present Fall: New Dances.
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra: Salute to the Military
Jim Carroll, conductor
Darden Purcell, vocals
Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Celebrate Veterans Day with Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra’s Salute to the Military. Vocalist Darden Purcell, Mason director of jazz studies and jazz voice, joins artistic director and virtuoso saxophonist Jim Carroll and his Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of jazz standards celebrating our veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Founded by Carroll, the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra comprises the finest jazz performers in the metro region and is always a treat for our audiences. This performance is appropriate for all ages.