Faculty/Staff Announcements
Have something to share? Review announcement guidelines and submit an announcement from your unit through the online form.
Campus Updates
Update Your Hours of Operation
Help patrons find ways to reach your office or department by updating the hours on hours.gmu.edu.
Just click the "update" link near the top of the page to adjust your current listing, or add your office to the site. Contact Campus Information and Visitor Services at infodesk@gmu.edu with questions.
Glass Recycling Pilot Launches at the Fairfax Campus
Mason community members can recycle glass bottles and jars at new drop-off locations on the Fairfax Campus. The trailers are large, purple, and labeled with helpful glass recycling information.
Drop-off bins will be available on the following schedule:
- First and third weeks of the month: Southside Dining Hall and Lot R (near Potomac Heights)
- Second and fourth weeks of the month: Rogers Hall and the Student Townhouses
Recycling glass means less sand mining and less production of new glass. Review Mason’s waste disposal guidance to dispose of all waste correctly. For questions, contact the Facilities Customer Service Center at 703-993-2525 or email gogreen@gmu.edu.
Mason Shuttles Updates
Spring Shuttle Service
There are some significant changes to Mason Shuttle service for the spring semester:
- Fairfax/SciTech: Departure times have changed. The scheduled time between Sandy Creek and Colgan Hall has been reduced from 80 minutes to 70 minutes. Weekend service departure times have changed, as well as service is being expanded.
- West Campus: There will be one bus on the West Campus route Monday–Friday, with service every 40 minutes between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.
- Gunston Mason: A second bus has been added to the Gunston Mason route between 8:45 a.m. and 6:45 p.m., Monday–Friday.
- Fairfax/Mason Square: The Commerce Building on University Drive has been added as a stop on this route.
Reminder: Fairfax/SciTech Shuttle Survey
Parking and Transportation, in partnership with the Shuttle Advisory Committee, invites faculty, staff, and students to complete a short survey on the Fairfax/SciTech Shuttle. They are interested in hearing from those who currently use the shuttle, as well as those who live in Prince William County or points further west and do not currently use the shuttle.
The survey should take less than five minutes to complete. This is purely informational; no changes to the route are currently in development. The survey will be open through January. Complete the survey.
View the Mason Shuttle schedules at shuttle.gmu.edu. Contact Parking and Transportation at 703-993-2828 or shuttle@gmu.edu.
Homecoming: Registration Now Open
Celebrate Mason during Homecoming from Jan. 19–28! Register today to show your school spirit as we invite you to reminisce and share the experiences with your friends and family. For more information or questions, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@gmu.edu or 703-993-8696.
Resources for You
Mason Night with the Washington Capitals
Celebrate Mason Night with the Washington Capitals. The Mason Nation will fill the arena to watch the Caps take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, March 20.
Join an optional pregame reception at Yard House from 6–7:30 p.m. before attending the hockey game at 7:30 p.m.
The Capitals are offering an array of special ticket pricing options, along with a Mason and Capitals co-branded baseball hat. Get more information and purchase tickets.
Build Connections at Mason through a ProjectConnect Group
Connect with others in the Mason community and strengthen your well-being through a spring 2024 ProjectConnect group. Register by Wednesday, Jan. 17.
ProjectConnect helps faculty and staff build a stronger community and enhance workplace well-being at Mason. Faculty and staff who participate in ProjectConnect will meet in groups of 4–6 participants over the course of five one-hour sessions and engage in a series of thought-provoking questions and fun activities. Learn more. ProjectConnect is also available for Mason students.
For questions, contact Zareena Khan, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being.
Galileo's Science Café
Galileo’s Science Café is starting the spring semester with a free science discussion on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 6–9 p.m. at the SciTech Campus. This month’s topic, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Spatiotemporal Methodologies for Climate Factor Analysis,” will be presented by Qian Liu, research assistant professor, geography and geoinformation science.
The evening will start with a light dinner from Mum Mum Thai, followed by the presentation in Verizon Auditorium in Colgan Hall. The event is open to the community, so bring your family and friends. Learn more and RSVP.
Love to Bike? Winter Bike to Mason Day Is Friday, Feb. 9
Winter Bike to Work Day is the Friday before Valentine’s Day. Join Mason Parking and Transportation on Friday, Feb. 9, for a little bike love. Stop by the Merten Hall Lawn on the Fairfax Campus between 7:30–9:30 a.m. with your bike for a beverage and some biking-related giveaways.
Register for a Faculty/Staff Book Discussion Group about Friendship
Fostering a sense of belonging and deepening our social connections are integral to well-being. Mason students, faculty, and staff are invited to join the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being and ProjectConnect for a small-group book discussion on the topic of friendship.
Learn how to enjoy strong friendships in an era of distraction, burnout, and chaos—especially in a society that often prizes romantic love at the expense of other relationships. In Platonic, Marisa G. Franco explains that to make and keep friends you must understand your attachment style: secure, anxious, or avoidant. That is the key to unlocking what’s working (and what’s failing) in your friendships. Participants will receive a free copy of the book.
Register by Friday, Jan. 19, to join the discussions starting in February. For questions, contact Zareena Khan, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being.
Reminder: Nominations for the Rick Holt Active Transportation Advocate Award
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 award. The awardee will be recognized 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. The deadline is Friday, Feb. 23. Read more. Contact Parking and Transportation at 703-993-2828 or transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Veterans and the Arts Initiative: Upcoming Workshops
The Veterans and the Arts Initiative at the Hylton Performing Arts Center serves as an arts and community hub for military-connected people. The program offers free, hands-on workshops, art exhibitions featuring veterans’ artwork, and concerts for local veterans, servicemembers, and military family members.
Have you always wanted to try the guitar or refresh your skills? Musicians of all skill levels are invited to participate in a 10-week series of virtual lessons with Glen McCarthy, guitar instructor for the Veterans and the Arts Initiative. Workshops are offered at Level I and Level II. The workshops are open and free to veterans, servicemembers, military family members, and military caregivers.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Mason Cabaret Presents Over the Rainbow: The Music of Judy, Ella, and Barbra
Fairfax Campus, Harris Theatre: Friday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 27, multiple performances
SciTech Campus, Hylton Center, Gregory Family Theater: Friday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m.
The School of Theater's Mason Cabaret return with a fresh line up of stellar vocalists offering showstoppers, ballads, and duets. This year’s cabaret honors American icons Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, and Barbra Streisand. Ticket sales will support The Mason Players.
Hamid Rahmanian’s Song of the North
Saturday, Jan. 27, at 4 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
Experience “breathtaking fireworks of creativity” (La Monde) with Hamid Rahmanian’s newest large-scale cinematic shadow play, Song of the North. With more than 500 handmade puppets and an original score by renowned Iranian composer Loga Ramin Torkian, you’ll be transported to a magical and ancient landscape. This thrilling multimedia adventure combines state-of-the-art animation with the age-old art of shadow puppetry to showcase a collection of ancient Persian legends and Iranian national treasures.
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra: Carnival Celebration
Saturday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m.
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Celebrate Mardi Gras early with Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra in Carnival Celebration: Music from New Orleans to Rio to the Islands. Dress up in your Mardi Gras beads, don a mask, and enjoy a remarkably lively night of pulsating rhythms, upbeat parade brass, and plenty of improvisational jazz.
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Sunday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) returns with pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. Under the direction of Maestro Vasily Petrenko, RPO plays Debussy's Danse (orchestration by Ravel) and Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic poem, Scheherazade.
‘Just The Two of Us’ Film Screening with Filmmaker Jada Salter
Saturday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center, Cinema
Join College of Visual and Performing Arts alum Jada Salter (BA Film and Video Studies ’20) for a premiere screening of her full-length documentary film, Just The Two of Us. Experience the captivating documentary that dives into the extraordinary life of William "Bill" Salter, the renowned songwriter, composer, and musician, who has earned multiple Grammy awards. Through the lens of Jada Salter, Bill Salter's eldest granddaughter, embark on a heartfelt journey as she captures the essence of her grandfather's influential legacy. Prepare to be inspired by the remarkable story of Bill Salter and his unforgettable contributions to the world of music.
Virginia Opera: Sanctuary Road
Saturday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
Based on the writings of William Still, an African American leader on the Underground Railroad, Virginia Opera is thrilled to introduce the contemporary opera Sanctuary Road by composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell. In a pledge to nurture the next generation of artists, Moravec and Campbell transformed these daring stories of courage, perseverance, and sacrifice into an enthralling historical oratorio. Sung in English with English surtitles.
Cirque Mechanics: Zephyr – A Whirlwind of Circus
Saturday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m.
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Modern acrobats and aerialists Cirque Mechanics draw inspiration from the machinery that powers our world to tell ingenious stories that are eye-widening and heart-stopping. In Zephyr – A Whirlwind of Circus, Cirque Mechanics dramatizes humanity’s relationship to wind. In this exhilarating circus performance featuring a giant 20-foot-tall rotating windmill, performers embrace the energy of air to fly, balance, float, and more.