Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
President’s Town Hall Meetings Scheduled for the Fall Semester
George Mason University President Gregory Washington will host two 90-minute town halls to discuss the state of the university and to engage with faculty and staff.
The first town hall, for Mason employees working in non-academic units, will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 3–5 p.m. on the Fairfax Campus in the Hub ballroom.
The second town hall, for employees working in academic units, will take place on Monday, Nov. 6, from 1–3 p.m. on the Fairfax Campus in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall.
For those unable to attend in person, both town halls will be livestreamed on Zoom. Please contact your respective unit leadership for Zoom links and passwords.
Mason Now: Power the Possible—Faculty and Staff Reception
The Mason community is celebrating the launch of the biggest, boldest campaign in the university’s history. Join us for an afternoon of food, fun, and giveaways as we get ready to make a difference—together!
Mason Now: Power the Possible—Faculty and Staff Reception
Thursday, Sept. 28, 4–6 p.m.
Merten Hall Lawn, Fairfax Campus
RSVP
If you are joining from another campus, parking will be available in the Rappahannock Parking Deck. Shuttles to the Fairfax Campus are also available.
Fall Flu Shot Clinics
Stay healthy and protect your community this flu season with the convenience of our on-campus flu shot clinics. Let's keep our campus safe and thriving! Sign up today to receive your flu shot at one of our on-campus events.
Appointments for the COVA flu clinics are available at SciTech (Thursday, Oct. 5), Fairfax (Thursday, Oct. 12), and Mason Square (Thursday, Oct. 19).
Employees with Kaiser should register for the Kaiser clinic on Thursday, Oct. 19, at Fairfax, or visit kp.org/flu to find an in-network provider.
Flu shots are fully covered for those with COVA, Kaiser, or Student Health Insurance. Visit the Human Resources website for more information, including student flu shot information.
Mason Nation 5K: Faculty/Staff Team Challenge
Join the Mason Nation Thriving Together 5K Faculty/Staff Team Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 14, on the Fairfax Campus. Gather your colleagues and create teams of four to participate.
The Mason Nation Thriving Together 5K is not just about wellness; it's about building camaraderie and enjoying time together.
The challenge will have two categories for team prizes: Fastest Overall Team and Most Spirited Team. Get ready to be active, have fun, and thrive together. Learn more.
Amy Takayama Perez: Celebration of Life
All are invited to celebrate the life of Amy Takayama-Perez on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 11 a.m. on the Fairfax Campus in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall.
Amy, a Mason alumna, served the university in many different roles, most notably as the Dean of Admissions from 2012 to 2020. She was so much more than what she endured over the past two years while fighting a courageous battle against breast cancer. To know Amy was to be invited into a community of abundance and light. She had a unique way of building a longer table, always making room for more. Her commitment to inclusivity and access will forever endure at Mason.
Contact Elena Johnson, Office of Admissions, at 703-993-7094 for more information.
Well-Being Wednesday and Happy Heart Walk Event on Sept. 27
Dedicate some time to nourish your well-being! Join the Faculty and Staff Engagement team for Well-Being Wednesday on Sept. 27. Activities include the Happy Heart Walk, a mindfulness meditation session, and making smoothies with the Blender Bike.
Virtual and in-person options are available at the Fairfax, Mason Square, and SciTech campuses. Register today. Contact engagehr@gmu.edu with questions.
Brand Review and Guidelines for Marketing Materials
Creative Services provides brand reviews of materials produced by Mason colleagues across the university. Formalized in University Policy 1111, one of the core functions of Creative Services is to confirm that all university marketing materials, websites, and advertising follow Mason's visual and editorial style guidelines. This policy helps ensure consistency across materials and that all units are distributing materials that support Mason's brand.
Mason departments should proactively share their projects with Creative Services for review prior to release. Submit a request for Admin 1111 review for:
- Publications: Newsletters, annual reports, magazines, and other short- and long-format pieces
- Advertising: Print ads, billboards, posters, social media ads, commercials, and other media
- Websites: New websites and marketing landing pages
- Marketing: Program flyers, brochures, postcards, emails, and other recruitment or promotional materials
To request a review of your product, submit an email request to creative@gmu.edu and include "Admin 1111" in the subject line. Please allow a minimum of three business days for review and feedback for graphics, posters, and ads, and a week for publication and multi-part or multi-page projects. More information is available on the Creative Services website.
Kindness Ambassador Nominations
Mason Chooses Kindness (MCK) is accepting nominations for the 2023–24 Kindness Ambassadorship through Tuesday, Oct. 10. Help us identify at least 100 new Kindness Ambassadors at Mason!
Nominations are open to all Mason students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Submit a nomination to explain why your nominee should be recognized as a Kindness Ambassador. For questions, contact mck@gmu.edu.
Higher Education Customer Service Appreciation Week
At Mason, we understand that our students, faculty, staff, and visitors are the heart of our institution. It is the exceptional service and dedication of our university faculty and staff that help us create a welcoming and supportive environment for all. Human Resources is excited to announce that Customer Service Appreciation Week will take place from Oct. 2–6. Events include trivia and a “walk and chat” opportunity. Learn more.
Patriot Success Survey Now Open
The Fall 2023 Patriot Success Survey opened Monday, Sept. 25, and closes Sunday, Oct. 1. The survey focuses on student food/shelter/safety insecurities, sense of belonging, likelihood to return in the next semester, and financial and academic difficulty.
Faculty and staff should encourage students to fill out the survey so they can get the appropriate assistance to enhance their Patriot experience.
Contact Adrienne White, University Life, with questions.
James M. Buchanan Collection Opening at University Libraries
The University Libraries will celebrate the opening of the Nobel Prize-winning economist James M. Buchanan papers, closed since 2021 for a project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities to organize and describe material documenting his career and research from 1930 to 2014.
The Mason community is invited to attend the opening event on Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 4–6 p.m. on the Fairfax Campus in Fenwick Library, Room 2001. Peter Boettke, Buchanan scholar and Mason professor, will be the featured speaker. Rebecca Thayer, project archivist, will join virtually. RSVP by Oct. 10 to Holly Davis.
Shuttle Schedule During Fall Break
An abbreviated Mason Shuttles schedule will be in effect during Fall Break, Oct. 8–9. For details, visit shuttle.gmu.edu. Contact shuttle@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828 with questions.
New Aunt Flow Dispensers
Aunt Flow Dispensers, which provide free period products, have been installed in select restrooms on the Fairfax, Mason Square, and SciTech campuses. Mason Facilities and Student Health Services collaborated with The Patriot Period Project, Mason NAACP, and Mason Student Government to install the dispensers in 12 different buildings. Check the list of locations.
Pitch-In on the Piedmont
Join the EDGE for Pitch-In on the Piedmont, an annual cleanup event at the SciTech Campus, on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a volunteer event to clean up the Piedmont Trail, a 1.2 mile trail through the woods of the EDGE challenge course.
Training and Professional Development
Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference
Mason faculty and staff are invited to the Innovations in Teaching & Learning conference on Friday, Oct. 6, on the Fairfax Campus. Join us for a day of workshops, panels, teaching-focused presentations, and networking with colleagues.
The conference will include a variety of in-person activities, live-streaming options, and on-demand content. Keynote speaker Flower Darby will address the topic, “Teaching in an AI World: Building Confidence and Finding our Way.” Visit the website for more information and registration details. This event is hosted by the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning.
Check out a pre-conference workshop:
"Can Chat-GPT Pass Your Course? Assignment Redesign in a Generative AI Era"
Thursday, Oct. 5, from 3–5 p.m. in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall
Safe Zone+ Program Training
The LGBTQ+ Resources Center invites the Mason community to attend Safe Zone+ Program training this fall. The primary mission of Mason’s Safe Zone+ Program, like the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, is to create a safer, more welcoming and inclusive campus environment, and to strengthen community and encourage networking among faculty, staff, and students toward the goal of supporting the well-being of LGBTQ people. All are welcome to attend. Register.
IT Security Awareness Training Deadline is Oct. 31
All Mason employees are reminded to complete their mandatory 2023 IT Security Awareness Training assigned to them in MasonLEAPS.
The training was assigned by Information Technology Services (ITS) to employees, including contractors, affiliates, and student wage workers, to equip them with knowledge about cybersecurity risks and online safety and security.
Employees must complete the training by Tuesday, Oct. 31, to avoid having their NetID disabled, which interrupts access to Mason’s IT services.
If you have problems accessing the training, contact the ITS Support Center at 703-993-8870 or support@gmu.edu.
Writing Center Workshop: Everyone Speaks with an Accent—Strategies for Improving Understandability of Speech
This workshop draws on research in the field of second language pronunciation to show that speaking English with an accent does not necessarily mean you are not as intelligible as a native speaker. You will learn strategies to improve the intelligibility and comprehensibility of your speech and will be introduced to resources and activities to help you communicate more effectively.
Everyone Speaks with an Accent: Strategies for Improving Understandability of Speech
Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 3:30–4:45 p.m.
Hosted on Zoom
Learn more and register.
Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series: Leading Multiple Generations
Mason's Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series presents Growing Leaders founder and CEO Tim Elmore, author of A New Kind of Diversity, in the next free webinar:
Leading Multiple Generations
Thursday, Oct. 12, from noon to 1:15 p.m.
Register
Today’s workplace has four to five generations working together. Far too often, we collide instead of collaborate. Elmore’s presentation will explore the characteristics of each generation working today and how to leverage them to your competitive advantage. This webinar will offer practical strategies to bring out the best in each generation.
Contact the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at cwb@gmu.edu with questions.
Resources for You
Mason's Revised Editorial Style Guide
Do you write about your department or unit for internal or external communications? Ever wondered whether to capitalize a job title or building name, or if you really should hyphenate that word?
Mason's Editorial Style Guide holds the answers to these questions and more. The guide is your comprehensive source on Mason's rules for keeping communications consistent, on brand, and grammatically correct. Check out the recently refreshed guide. (Note: Access requires Mason credentials.)
Abandoned “As Is” Bike Sale
Parking and Transportation’s “As Is” Abandoned Bike Sale will be held on Friday, Sept. 29, from 2–4 p.m. in the visitor section of the Shenandoah Parking Deck. 65-70 bikes are available this year. One bike per customer. Mason students, faculty, and staff only. Learn more. Questions? Contact Parking and Transportation at 703-993-2828 or transpo@gmu.edu.
Fall for the Book Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary
The 25th annual Fall for the Book festival offers readers opportunities to connect with authors and literature in new and vibrant ways.
The festival is sponsored by George Mason University, the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County Public Library, the Fairfax Library Foundation, and other businesses and organizations. Events are hosted at Mason’s Fairfax Campus, in the City of Fairfax, and at Fairfax County Public Library branches.
Preview events begin Oct. 4, and the festival continues through Oct. 14. Events are free and open to the public. Learn more.
Washington Commanders: Virginia State Employee Day and Discounted Tickets
The Washington Commanders will celebrate Virginia State Employee Day at FedExField on Sunday, Nov. 19, against the New York Giants. Bring friends, family, and colleagues to enjoy a fun-filled day at the stadium.
Discounted tickets are also available for games against the Chicago Bears (Oct. 5) and Philadelphia Eagles (Oct. 29). Learn more and purchase discounted tickets.
$5 of the proceeds from each ticket will be donated directly to the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC), the Commonwealth's only annual workplace giving program.
Ticket Discount: Cirque du Soleil, Echo
Virginia state employees are eligible for discounted tickets to Cirque du Soleil's Echo at Under the Big Top in Tysons through Oct. 22. Learn more and purchase tickets.
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.
The program is offering the following upcoming workshops, open and free to veterans, servicemembers, military family members, and military caregivers:
- Eco-Graphic Arts Workshops
- Veterans Virtual Guitar Workshops, Level I and Level II
- Improv for Military Kids
Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group
The Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group will resume its meetings from Sept. 29 to Nov. 10, on Fridays from 1–2:30 p.m. Kritikos engages topics such as writing about the arts, critical studies, translation, the artist in society, and art as speech. Learn more.
Join them for the topic, “Affirmative Action: Knowledge and Solidarity as Strategies of Resistance,” on Friday, Sept. 29, from 1–2:30 p.m. on Zoom.
Upcoming Arts Events and Performances at Mason
Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel: Glorious Impromptus of Chopin and Schubert
Sunday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Welcome back Jeffrey Siegel for the return of Keyboard Conversations with a program featuring impromptus that are among the most beloved in the piano repertoire. In Glorious Impromptus of Chopin and Schubert, Siegel invites you into the 19th century to discover these compositions. Hear the backstory to the featured pieces and then enjoy Siegel’s performance of the full works.
Best of Film at Mason Showcase
Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m.
Mason Exhibitions Arlington (3601 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia)
Best of Film at Mason is a showcase of recent notable and award-winning films. This year's program captures student work ranging from documentary filmmaking, fiction film directing, and senior thesis films. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
Virginia Opera: Siegfried
Saturday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 8, at 2 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
Reenter the fantasy realm of gods, heroes, and an epic quest for true love in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen (the “Ring” cycle) with Virginia Opera’s production of Siegfried. The most lighthearted of the four epic operas tells of Siegfried’s journey into adulthood. Infused with Wagner’s ingenious short musical themes (leitmotifs) to weave together the tale, this is a must-see event in Virginia Opera’s grand multi-year experience. Sung in German with English surtitles.
Mason Symphony Orchestra Concert
Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
The Mason Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Soo Han, comprises outstanding string, wind, and percussion players from throughout the School of Music.
Visual Voices with Aimée Beaubien
Mason School of Art
Thursday, Oct. 12, at 4:45 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom
Aimée Beaubien reorganizes photographic experience while exploring networks of meaning and association between the real and the ideal in collages, artists books and immersive installations. Her work has been exhibited widely. Beaubien is an associate professor of photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Coco in Concert
Friday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m.
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Disney and Pixar’s award-winning film, Coco, thrills the whole family when shown with a 20-piece Latin music ensemble performing the soundtrack live in Coco in Concert. The movie follows 12-year-old Miguel, an aspiring musician who wants to take the stage and astonish crowds like his musical idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. The music from the film includes the 2018 Oscar-winning Best Original Song “Remember Me” by songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and make new family memories this year with Coco in Concert.
JAZZ4JUSTICE: Celebrating the Legacy of Anthony Maiello
Dewberry School of Music
Saturday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
The 22nd annual Jazz4Justice will include Distinguished Professor of Music Anthony Maiello as the special guest conductor. Established in 2001 by Fairfax attorney Edward L. Weiner and founder of Mason Jazz Studies Jim Carroll, Jazz4Justice is an award-winning annual concert presented by Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV) and Mason Jazz Studies. Proceeds from the evening benefit LSNV to continue its mission of service to the community, and the Mason Jazz Studies department for scholarships, trips, recordings, and student projects.