Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
Outstanding Achievement Awards: Nomination Deadline Approaching
The deadline to nominate your colleagues for Outstanding Achievement Awards is fast approaching on Feb. 25. There are 16 award categories, including excellence in customer service, diversity and inclusion, and teamwork, as well as special awards for outstanding members of the adjunct faculty, Housing and Residence Life, Mason alumni, and more.
Visit the Outstanding Achievement Awards website for more information.
New Classified Staff Performance Management Cycle
As a reminder, beginning in 2023, Mason will transition the classified staff performance management cycle to an April 1 to March 31 cycle. For classified staff, this transition will result in a shortened evaluation period of Oct. 25, 2022, to March 31, 2023.
Evaluations will open in MasonLEAPS around March 1, 2023, to kick off the new cycle. For more information, review the full announcement on the Human Resources website.
Homecoming 2023: Registration Open
Celebrate Mason during Homecoming from Feb. 10–18. Registration is now open for a series of exciting events. Show your school spirit, reminisce, and share experiences with your friends and family. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 703-993-8696 or alumni@gmu.edu.
2023 Celebration of Distinction: Nomination Form
The George Mason University Alumni Association is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Alumni Association Awards.
For more than 30 years, the Alumni Association has recognized outstanding alumni, student, and faculty accomplishments with five unique annual awards, including Alumnus/a of the Year, Alumni Service Award, Faculty Member of the Year Award, Senior of the Year Award, and Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award.
The deadline to nominate someone is Friday, March 10. For questions regarding the nominations process, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@gmu.edu or 703-993-8696.
MyHub for Office 365
Information Technology Services (ITS) recently introduced MyHub, a tool within the Office 365 environment, as the standard way to create new workspaces. To begin using MyHub, see Getting Started: Creating a Workspace with MyHub. To learn about the different workspaces you can create, see MyHub Team Types.
If you have any questions or need assistance, contact the ITS Support Center at 703-993-8870 or support@gmu.edu.
Mason Night with the Washington Capitals
Celebrate Mason Night with the Washington Capitals when the Caps take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. in Capital One Arena.
The Capitals are offering several ticket options to Mason alumni and friends. Prices include discounted seats and a Mason and Capitals co-branded beanie hat.
A pregame reception will be held at Bar Deco from 6–7:30 p.m., across from the Capital One Arena. Join your fellow Patriots for a cash bar and complimentary food, while supplies last. Registration required.
When registering for the pregame reception, consider making an additional gift to support the John C. and Louise P. Wood Endowed Scholarship Fund, which helps fund scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students. Some of the proceeds from your pregame ticket also support this scholarship.
For more information or questions, contact alumni@gmu.edu or 703-993-8696.
Intentional Acts of Kindness Day
Celebrate kindness with Mason Chooses Kindness on Thursday, Feb. 16, Mason's Intentional Acts of Kindness Day. Enjoy flowers, treats, and prizes from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Johnson Center kiosks A, B, and C. Then, enjoy warm drinks and sweet snacks from 3–4 p.m. in Northern Neck. RSVP.
Cherry Blossom Prediction Competition
Mason's Department of Statistics is holding a prediction competition to see who can determine when the cherry trees will bloom. Complete entries submitted by Feb. 28 are eligible to win up to $5,000 in cash and prizes. See competition.statistics.gmu.edu for details.
Love to Bike? Winter Bike to Mason Day is Feb. 10
Winter Bike to Mason Day is the Friday before Valentine’s Day. Join Parking and Transportation on Feb. 10 for a little bike love!
Stop by the Merten Hall lawn between 7:30–9:30 a.m. with your bike for a beverage and some biking-related giveaways. Contact transpo@gmu.edu for more information.
Training and Professional Development
Apply to the Leadership Legacy Program
Applications are now open for the 2023–24 cohort of the Leadership Legacy Program. This program is designed for full-time Mason faculty and staff who are committed to furthering their leadership development, whether they are newly entering a leadership role, wish to prepare for alternative positions, or simply wish to strengthen their capacity to lead from their current position.
The deadline to submit applications is March 20. For more information, visit the website.
Sign-Up for Mason 101
New to the Mason community? Looking to update your Mason knowledge? You are invited to sign up for Mason 101!
Mason 101 is a one-time, two-hour session that shares the history, organizational structure, and resources of George Mason University, including a virtual tour of all Mason sites and updates on the future of Mason. Upcoming training dates:
- Friday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to noon, Merten Hall, Room 2001 (in-person)
- Friday, March 10, from 10 a.m. to noon (hosted on Zoom)
- Friday, April 14, from 10 a.m. to noon, Merten Hall, Room 2001 (in-person)
- Friday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to noon (hosted on Zoom)
Visit the website for registration information. With questions, contact Philip Stamper at 703-993-5308.
Faculty and Staff Can Apply as Teacher-Mentor for UNIV 100 Courses
University Studies within the Office of Undergraduate Education is Mason’s one-stop center that offers transition courses to students throughout their college years. These courses provide the support students need during the various phases of transition from matriculation to graduation.
University Studies is now accepting applications from Mason staff to teach and serve as a role model for first-year students in UNIV 100: Introduction to Mason courses for fall 2023. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, Feb. 24. Apply today. Email questions to University Studies.
Resources for You
shopMason Valentine’s Kiosk Day
Stop by the Johnson Center on Tuesday, Feb. 14, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for sweet treats and giveaways. Engage with shopMason units and ask any questions you may have for different campus service units.
Mason Square Valentine’s Pop-Up Shop
Treat yourself to special pop-up holiday shopping this Valentine’s Day at Mason Square, featuring gifts by Made in Arlington vendors. Discover unique items by local artisans and makers.
Vendors include Northside Social, Village Sweet Bakery, Karina Gaull Handmade, Kingsbury Chocolates, Devine Healing, Soul Good Kitchen LLC, Fast Snail Creative Greetings & Design, and Trapillo Art.
Stop by the Van Metre Hall lobby on Feb. 14 from noon to 4 p.m.
Mindful Mason Moments
Mindful Mason Moments sessions for the spring semester will take place online via Zoom. Take a well-being break while facilitators hold space for you to slow down and reconnect with yourself, so you can move through your day with more awareness, connection, and ease.
Sessions will take place from February through April, on the following dates and times:
- Mondays and Tuesdays from 4–4:20 p.m. (No session on April 25)
- Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 12:20 p.m. (No session on April 12)
Note: There will be no sessions during Mason’s spring break (March 13–17). For more information about Mindful Mason Moments, contact Katie Clare.
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 group holds a commitment to relationship-building, awareness, reimagining, transformation, and action around anti-racist practices, racial justice, the creation of conversations, as well as systems of compassion and healing. The group continues to focus on anti-Black racism and its effects on society.
Join the meeting on Friday, Feb. 10, for the following topic: “Fugitive Pedagogy." Spring semester meetings will occur from Feb. 10 to March 31 (no meeting March 17). This event is free and open to the public.
Faculty and Staff Meal Plans
Faculty and staff can purchase meal plans, too! Faculty and staff Byte Plans are available with the following options for the spring semester:
- 50 Meal Swipes: $395 ($7.90 per meal)
- 25 Meal Swipes: $215 ($8.60 per meal)
- 10 Meal Swipes: $95 ($9.50 per meal)
Door prices (without meal plan):
- Breakfast: $9.50
- Lunch: $11
- Dinner: $12
Swipes can be used at Southside, The Globe, and Ike’s. Byte Plans can be purchased in person in the Mason Card Office located in SUB I, Room 1203 (bring your Mason ID) or online.
Note: Byte Plan balances carry over from fall 2022 to spring 2023. The remaining swipes expire May 17. All balances will be zeroed out and are not refundable.
Create an Account: MasonCommutes.com
What is MasonCommutes.com? It’s the go-to site for planning your commute to Mason. Going home for the weekend? See if others want to join you. Looking for someone with whom to share a ride? See who lives in your general area and might be coming to campus at similar times. Want to track your commutes and see how much CO2 you’re reducing? Check it out!
The more people who create an account, the more robust the site will quickly become. Create an account today. Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Artist Workshop: Love Letters to Nature
Join Mason Exhibitions on Valentine’s Day to learn more about Nicole Salimbene’s artistic practice relating to the lost art of the letter and how letters can be used for metaphysical transformation. Guests will participate in a letter-art workshop inspired by the natural world.
Artist Workshop: Love Letters to Nature
Feb. 14, Multiple time slots - updated (10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.)
Fairfax Campus, Art and Design Building, Gillespie Gallery
RSVP
Contact Yassmin Salem with questions.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Poetry Night with Bennie Herron
Friday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m.
Mason Exhibitions Arlington
Join artist Bennie Herron and his friends for poetry, music, and an artist talk. Origin Stories, featuring the work of Bennie Herron, is open at Mason Exhibitions Arlington through March 11. Herron’s paintings channel and concentrate the currents of his poetry. Using a consistent formal vocabulary, he depicts emotionally charged busts of figures in dramatic contours, filled with dynamic and often fractured interiors. He has characterized these larger-than-life figures as “mirrors.” Mason Exhibitions Arlington is located at 3601 Fairfax Drive, two blocks away from Mason Square.
Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble: Pepperland
Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Legendary choreographer Mark Morris celebrates The Beatles in his critically acclaimed Pepperland. Thanks to Morris’s distinctive wit, musicality, and inventiveness, Pepperland transforms The Beatles’ music into a performance that fills the stage with color and high-energy dance. Founded in 1980, the Mark Morris Dance Group is lauded as the world’s preeminent dance company. You won’t want to miss this much-anticipated cultural event of the season. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Bay Area Children’s Theatre: Llama Llama Live
Sunday, Feb. 12, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Bedtime has never been so exciting in this clever, imaginative, and heartwarming musical. Based on the beloved children’s book series by Anna Dewdney and Netflix TV series, Llama Llama Live, presented by the Bay Area Children’s Theatre, will have the whole family in stitches. Recommended for ages three and up.
Czech National Symphony Orchestra
Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m.
Center for the Arts
The acclaimed Czech National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) returns to the Center with an uplifting program of masterworks and embraces the sheer joy and optimism of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. This good-for-your-spirit concert also showcases GRAMMY-nominated violinist Robert McDuffie, performing Brahms’s electrifying Violin Concerto in D Major (Brahms’s only violin concerto). This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Mason Jazz Festival
Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Harris Theatre
The Mason Jazz Festival is an invitational event open to middle school, high school, collegiate, and community Jazz ensembles. Featured performances include the Ben Patterson Group (1 p.m.) and the Mason Jazz Ensemble and U.S. Navy Band Commodores (7 p.m.). No tickets or registration required to watch performances.
Visual Voices Lecture with Jaewook Lee
School of Art
Thursday, Feb. 23, at 4:45 p.m.
Hosted via Zoom; registration required
Visual Voices is an online artist presentation and Q&A that provides exposure to a variety of practicing artists.
Jane Franklin Dance Response to Bennie Herron Artworks and Poetry
Saturday, Feb. 25, 1–4 p.m.
Mason Exhibitions Arlington
RSVP
Dancer Jane Franklin will perform a dance response to Bennie Herron’s Origin Stories exhibition.
American Roots Series: Artist-in-Residence Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience
Saturday, Feb. 25, at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Welcome Hylton Center Artist-in-Residence Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience for the soulful, rootsy sound born in South Louisiana. Performing two shows in the intimate Gregory Family Theater, the Zydeco Experience will be an unforgettable event from one of the most accomplished artists in American roots music today. As a Hylton Center Artist-in-Residence, Simien will also work with the community through classes and workshops during the week leading up to the performance. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Chloé Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies LIVE!
Saturday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Viral tap dance phenomenon Syncopated Ladies LIVE! is the brainchild of D.C. native and Emmy Award-nominated tap dancer and choreographer Chloé Arnold. This fierce all-female troupe of hoofers has amassed more than 100 million video views online for their hypnotic and rhythmic performances. These ladies are reinvigorating the artform of tap. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
L.A. Theatre Works – Lucy Loves Desi: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom
Sunday, February 26 at 4 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Stroll down memory lane in this behind-the-scenes look at one of America’s best-loved TV shows of all time. From 1951 to 1957, America tuned in to see what crazy plans Lucy concocted with her bestie, Ethel. L.A. Theatre Works’ radio-style production of Lucy Loves Desi: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom presents the hilarious true story behind America’s beloved comedy. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Musical Valentines
Sunday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts
In this stirring Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel, be swept away with music of infinite passion, poetry, and longing by Brahms, Schumann, Liszt, and Chopin, and learn how the composers were inspired by the loves in their own lives. A delight for experienced and novice classical music appreciators alike, Jeffrey Siegel’s Keyboard Conversations® are a unique concert going experience. An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program. This performance is appropriate for all ages.