Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
Veterans Day Events at Mason
Mason will celebrate and honor our veterans during a series of events:
Veteran Health and Wellness Resource Fair
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, SUB I, Rooms 3A/3B and Mobile Vet Van in Merten Hall Parking Lot
View a list of participating agencies and register on Mason 360
The United States Army Band Pershing’s Own Salute To Veterans
Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center
The U.S. Army Band presents a patriotic Salute to Veterans on the eve of Veterans Day. Enjoy the music of John Williams and other greats in this inspiring and reflective program. This performance is sponsored by the Veterans and the Arts Initiative at Hylton Performing Arts Center.
Veterans Day Luncheon
Friday, Nov. 11, 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
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.
Military Appreciation Night: George Mason Men’s Basketball vs. Longwood
Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, EagleBank Arena
Tickets (reserved level) are $10 at the door with military ID
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra: Salute to the Military
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.
Police Advisory Board Community Forum and Listening Session
Elevate and activate your voice. Learn about Mason's Police Advisory Board and share your feedback on how we can partner with Mason Police to best serve our community.
Police Advisory Board Community Forum and Listening Session
Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 4–6 p.m.
Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall or remotely via Zoom
RSVP required
This event is hosted by the Police Advisory Board in collaboration with the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence initiative and Mason's Department of Police and Public Safety.
For more information, visit the website.
Employee of the Month: Nominations Open
Do you work with an incredible Mason administrative/professional faculty, classified staff member, or wage employee who goes the extra mile, collaborates with their colleagues, and supports the university? Nominate them for Mason's Employee of the Month award.
A digital form and a printable PDF form are available to complete and submit. Additional information is available on the Employee of the Month page. Questions? Contact awards@gmu.edu.
“Earthsgiving” Sustainable Cooking Event
Join Mason’s Greenhouse and Gardens program for an "Earthsgiving.” Attendees will make a meal out of local, wild, foraged, and campus-grown ingredients. This sustainable, hands-on community cooking event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 5–8 p.m. in the Art and Design Building on the Fairfax Campus.
Starting in 2023, Mason's Greenhouse and Gardens program will focus on food security and student-focused events. Join them as they transition toward food security as the focal point of their efforts. Questions? Contact Donielle Nolan at dnolan6@gmu.edu.
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
Faculty Engagement Series: Fostering Student Engagement
The University Life Faculty Engagement Series provides information about Mason students and services, shares faculty perspectives and insights from the classroom, and identifies the ways our collective work in student success intersects and overlaps. Join the next session:
It Takes More than Just Coming to Class: Fostering Student Engagement
Speaker: Juliet Blank-Godlove, dean of students
Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 10–11 a.m.
Johnson Center, Room B, and via Zoom
For details, visit University Life Faculty Engagement Series website or email Alissa Karton.
Change Management: Helping Your Team Thrive While Growing Your Team
Join the University Life Supervision Collective for a panel conversation:
Change Management: Helping Your Team Thrive While Growing Your Team
Thursday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center, Bistro
Register
Leaders from across University Life will share experiences, strategies, and best practices for supporting and growing their teams in times of change. The panel will be immediately followed by a lunch and learn with small group discussions focused on aspects of change management.
For questions, contact Louise Higgins, University Life.
IT Security Awareness Training Deadline Approaching
The deadline to complete IT Security Awareness Training is Wednesday, Nov. 16. The training is assigned to Mason employees, affiliates, and associates in MasonLEAPS.
Information Technology Services (ITS) made a change to the program this year: Employees who do not complete their training by the deadline will have their accounts disabled, and their supervisors or managers will be notified. If your account is disabled, you will need to contact the ITS Support Center to re-enable the account to take the training.
Additionally, employees who handle sensitive information are required to take role-based training, also assigned to them in MasonLEAPS. For more information, visit the website.
Mason Alumni Career and Professional Development Week
Mason Alumni Career and Professional Development Week is happening Nov. 7–11, providing alumni and others in the Mason community with relevant, meaningful professional development, lifelong learning, and career-driven content. Career resources will also be highlighted.
Sessions include a virtual networking event, professional headshots, lunch and learns, webinars, coffee chats, mindfulness, social media challenges, and much more. Check out the schedule of events and register.
Contact Michelle Murphy, Office of Alumni Relations, with questions.
Registration Open: Engagement Strategies for Supervisors
Supervisors are encouraged to join one of two interactive sessions focused on faculty and staff engagement. Participants will take part in discussions surrounding the Gallup survey engagement data and current best practices, as well as learn new strategies to enhance the faculty and staff experience at Mason.
View the schedule and register for an upcoming session. Contact Faculty and Staff Engagement at engagehr@gmu.edu with questions.
Webinar: Compassionate Communication in Times of Societal Crisis
Societal crisis and secondary trauma, as a result, affect every participant and aspect of the classroom. External occurrences permeate classroom communities and disrupt the daily functions and structures of learning. Join an upcoming webinar:
Compassionate Communication in Times of Societal Crisis: Practices and Tools for Inclusive Excellence
Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m.
Hosted on Zoom
Panelists will discuss what it means to be “trauma-informed,” share guidance on practical interventions, and outline how compassionate communication is the best tool for advancing the feelings of psychological safety and assisting in reducing anxiety and stress for a supportive learning experience for all students.
This panel discussion is open to all Mason faculty and staff and hosted by the Diversity Office in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Resources for You
Fall Handmade Marketplace from The MIX
The MIX will host a Fall Handmade Marketplace in Horizon Hall on Thursday, Nov. 17. Come browse handmade items made by Mason students, faculty, and staff. Vendors will be set up from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Items range from artwork, knitted and textile creations, custom jewelry, and more. Contact mix@gmu.edu with questions.
Commuter Choice Benefit Increasing in 2023
Beginning in January 2023, the maximum Commonwealth Commuter Choice benefit at Mason will increase by $20 to $300 per month. Currently, an Executive Order gives full-time state employees in Northern Virginia up to $280 per month to commute by public transit or vanpool. This is a tax-free benefit paid by the university.
To take advantage of this increase beginning with the January benefit, be sure to submit your Commuter Choice Monthly Benefit Request form by Thursday, Dec. 8. If you are new to the program, please also submit an Enrollment Form.
For more information and links to the forms, visit the Mason Transportation website.
Bank On Your Success: Estate Planning Overview
This webinar from Truist Bank will assist employees with trusts and estate planning, covering the following:
- Role of corporate trustee
- Individual vs. corporate trustee
- Importance of updating your current estate plan (i.e., power of attorney, health care proxy, will, insurance, trusts, etc.), and more.
Join the webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. This webinar is offered for Commonwealth of Virginia employees. Register today.
Washington Commanders Celebrate Virginia State Employee Day with Discounted Tickets
The Washington Commanders will celebrate Virginia State Employee Day at FedExField against the New York Giants on Dec. 18. Bring friends, family, and colleagues to enjoy a fun-filled day at the stadium.
Discounted tickets are also available for the game against the Dallas Cowboys in January.
Five dollars from each ticket sale will be donated to the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, the commonwealth's only annual workplace giving program.
Check out the full list of state employee discounts, including theme park tickets, vacation packages, entertainment, flowers, and more. Be sure to check back often for updates on discounts for you and your family.
Potential New Vanpool from Gainesville on the I-66 Corridor
Are you a faculty/staff member who commutes from Gainesville? Come to the Johnson Center, Kiosk G, on Thursday, Nov. 10 between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to learn how riders in new vanpools of five or more pay only $150 per month through March 2023. Plus, if you are a full-time Mason faculty/staff member, Mason picks up the monthly $150 vanpool fare to make your commute trip free.
All I-66 outside the Beltway to Mason commuters are welcome to attend. For details, call 703-927-1046 or email felicia.woodruff@transform66vanpool.org.
For questions about how Mason supports vanpooling for full-time faculty and staff, contact Mason Parking and Transporation at 703-993-2828 or transpo@gmu.edu.
Pet Care Resources from Bright Horizons
Looking for someone to walk the family dog while you’re at work? Need someone to watch your cat while you’re away? Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports has you covered.
Mason employees get free member access to the following services through Bright Horizons' online database:
- Find pre-screened dog walkers, pet sitters, groomers, trainers, and more
- Get free basic background checks to ensure reliable care
- Schedule daily or extended pet care in your own home
- Post a job or search pet sitters to find the right fit
Visit the Bright Horizons website to get started.
Share the Ride Using MasonCommutes
Travel on I-66 to get to Mason? When the Transform 66 project is completed (scheduled for December 2022), HOV-3 express lanes will be available. Ride for free in the express lanes with rideshare!
Line up your carpool now. Save money, save time behind the wheel, potentially reduce the length of your commute, and reduce your carbon footprint—all by deciding not to drive alone.
Find potential rideshare partners by creating an account at masoncommutes.com. Additional financial incentives to carpool are sponsored by the Transform 66 project. Learn more.
Veterans and the Arts Initiative Workshop
Workshop: Exploring Innovative Collage Techniques through Botanical Imagery
Veterans and the Arts Initiative
Friday, Nov. 18, 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19, 2 p.m.
Off-campus: Haymarket Gainesville Library
Collage is a versatile art-making technique that combines various things together to create a work. This workshop starts with historical botanical imagery combined with 21st-century mediated imagery. Participants will learn how to incorporate a range of materials and methods to produce contemporary imagery that can be both a vehicle for storytelling and decorative innovation. Free and open to veterans, servicemembers, military family members, and military caregivers.
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 final meeting of the semester on Friday, Nov. 11, for the following topic: “Michael R. Jackson: The Joy of Loving and Celebrating Our Full Selves." This event is free and open to the public.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Virginia Opera: The Pirates of Penzance
Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m.
Center for the Arts
The Pirates of Penzance has everything—whimsical melodies, hilariously memorable characters, and one of the most terrific earworms of all time, “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.” Frederic is ready to resign from his life of piracy, but fate is determined to alter his course. Add the affection of a girl, a long-winded but well-intentioned father, a band of merry pirates set on finding sweethearts, and the resulting confection is pitch-perfect pandemonium. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
SUGAR SKULL! A Día de los Muertos Musical Adventure
Presented by Mexico Beyond Mariachi
Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Vita Flores thinks her family is loco to be planning a party for the dead. But things change suddenly when her abuelita’s candy skeleton jumps to life, launching her into a magical world. SUGAR SKULL! is a perfect family outing, whether you’re new to the Day of the Dead or have celebrated the holiday with your loved ones for years. Recommended for ages four and up.
Mason Jazz Vocal Night
Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Monday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Join Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice studio, and the Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook.
Jazz Workshop Concert
Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m.
Harris Theatre
Jazz faculty member John Kocur directs the Mason Jazz Workshop big band in their concert. The Jazz Workshop performs music by Thad Jones, Mike Tomaro, Alan Baylock, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Neal Hefti, and many others.
Jazz4Justice™ Concert: Jazz and Blues in America
Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Friday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
George Mason University’s Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music presents the 21st annual Jazz4Justice™ concert and fundraiser. The event raises funds to directly support vital legal services for low-income Northern Virginians, as well as financial support for the Mason Jazz Studies department, including scholarships, trips, recordings, and student projects. This year’s concert, Jazz & Blues in America, explores the roots and development of America’s greatest contribution to the arts—Jazz. Jazz4Justice™ is presented in partnership with Legal Services of Northern Virginia, a nonprofit legal aid organization that has served the region for more than 40 years.
Mason School of Theater: Sutta
Nov. 18–19, at 8 p.m.
Nov. 20, at 2 p.m.
TheaterSpace
It's 2017, and a young doctoral candidate is in the final throes of his dissertation on ancient religious traditions in the modern world. His research takes him to a Buddhist monastery where he grapples with identity, history, culture, and ultimately with who is entitled to enlightenment. Sutta combines movement, music, and text as theatrical language, and this production marks its world premiere.
American Roots Series: The Seldom Scene
Saturday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
The Seldom Scene, Washington, D.C.’s favorite bluegrass band and pioneers of the “new-grass” movement, are back for an encore set of American Roots Series performances. Their time-tested sound stretches and blends seamlessly in the realm of country, rock, pop, and jazz and has led to a devoted local and international following. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Immortal Impromptus
Sunday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel is for both music aficionados and those that aspire to be so. He will draw you into the composers’ lives by sharing details about their creative processes. In Immortal Impromptus, Siegel explores Romanticism with passion-filled, freestyling impromptus by Chopin, Schubert, and Fauré. Learn more about the artists and how they expressed the ideals of an era through their musical compositions. An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program. This performance is appropriate for all ages.