Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
Get Ready to Participate in the Faculty and Staff Experience Survey
Mason has partnered with Gallup, a leading third-party survey administrator, to administer the Faculty and Staff Experience Survey (FSE). All faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to participate in this survey when it launches on Wednesday, April 3.
New for the 2024 survey administration is a partnership between Human Resources, Gallup, and Faculty Senate. After completing the FSE questions, instructional/research faculty will advance to the Faculty Evaluation of Administrators (FEA) portion of the assessment.
Before taking the survey, learn more about how your responses will shape Mason’s future by exploring the Faculty and Staff Experience Survey website. Contact engagehr@gmu.edu with questions.
April Staff Senate Meeting with President Washington
Mason President Gregory Washington will be the guest speaker at the April Staff Senate meeting.
Wednesday, April 3
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. – General Business Meeting and presentation from Greg Farley, director, University Sustainability
11 a.m. to noon – President Gregory Washington (guest speaker)
The Staff Senate will collect questions in advance for consideration. Live questions will be accepted during the meeting, time permitting.
Mason Empty Bowls
Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement by artists around the world to raise money for food-related charities. The Mason Empty Bowls event on Wednesday, April 3, from 7–9 p.m. at the Center for the Arts on the Fairfax Campus will benefit the Student Food and Housing Insecurity Fund, which supports the Patriot Pantry and other services for students in need.
The event includes dinner and music from Green & Gold Soul. A silent auction will also be available. Get more information and purchase tickets.
Qualtrics License Extended to 2027
Information Technology Services is pleased to announce that Mason has extended its licensing of Qualtrics for an additional three years. The term for this new agreement is February 28, 2024, through February 27, 2027. Learn more about Qualtrics at Mason.
Registration Open: Bike to Mason Days
Spring is here! Join Parking and Transportation at Bike to Mason Days:
- SciTech: Tuesday, April 23, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Colgan Hall patio
- Mason Korea: Tuesday, April 23, 8:30–10:30 a.m., George Mason statue
- Fairfax: Wednesday, April 24, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Merten Lawn
- Arlington: Thursday, April 25, 3–7 p.m., Plaza
There will be food, biking resources, and fun giveaways. RSVP. Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Pitch in on the Piedmont: Campus Cleanup Event with The EDGE
Organized by The EDGE, and in partnership with University Life at the SciTech Campus, Pitch in on the Piedmont is a volunteer event aimed at cleaning and maintaining the Piedmont Trail, a 1.2 mile trail on Mason’s SciTech Campus.
This event fosters environmental stewardship and provides an excellent community service opportunity for individuals to come together, connect, and make a tangible difference.
Pitch in on the Piedmont
Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SciTech Campus, The EDGE. Meet at the big green and white tent adjacent to Katherine Johnson Hall and the Freedom Center.
Register on Mason 360 (students, faculty, and staff)
Register on Eventbrite (community members)
Reminder: Charter Buses on Campus
If your department is hosting an event involving any number of charter buses on campus, please coordinate their visit with Parking Services. Even one charter bus needs to be accommodated for drop off, pickup, and parking. Charter buses should not be advised to pick up or drop off riders at Rappahannock River Lane or the Sandy Creek Transit Center. Both locations are transit hubs, and there is not sufficient space to allow charter bus access.
Parking Services is happy to help select a location and make arrangements—include them in your event planning process. Contact separk12@gmu.edu or 703-993-2065.
Parking Contract Survey Underway
As part of a contractual agreement, Parking and Transportation has a short survey underway regarding SP+, the parking contractor for Mason. Share your feedback.
Training and Professional Development
Call for Programs: 2024 University Life Student Success Symposium
Mason faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to submit program proposals for the 2024 University Life Student Success Symposium.
This annual event is the division’s signature professional development experience. Connect with colleagues and focus on the new and continued work of student affairs professionals in the ever-changing landscape of higher education. The pre-conference will take place on Wednesday, May 22, and the symposium will be held on Thursday, May 23.
Program proposals are due Wednesday, April 3, by 11:59 p.m. Read the proposal guidelines and criteria.
General registration for the symposium will open April 15.
Writing and Well-Being Workshop
Rewarding and exciting as it can be, writing at the graduate level is often synonymous with stress. In this workshop, participants will learn about mindful writing as a means of easing the stress and fatigue of graduate writing. Prepare to leave with mindful writing practices and resources you can use in your thinking, writing, and researching.
This workshop is cohosted by the Office of Graduate Student Life, University Career Services, and the Writing Center as part of Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week.
Wednesday, April 3, 2:30–4 p.m.
Register on Mason 360
Resources for You
Faculty and Staff Book Scholarship: Call for Applications
Mason faculty and staff are invited to apply for the 2024 Faculty and Staff Book Scholarship, a $250 scholarship dedicated to paying for textbooks and supplies needed for Mason degree or certificate courses.
Apply by Friday, May 24. For further information, visit the webpage. Email awards@gmu.edu with questions.
Camps and Youth Programs at Mason
Send your kids to summer camp at Mason. Visit camps.gmu.edu for a listing of camps offered at Mason. The website includes camps sponsored by Mason programs/departments, as well as external groups. Camps cover a wide variety of topics and activities, including academics, the arts, recreation, and sports.
Is your department or office sponsoring a summer camp that could be advertised to the community? Learn more about hosting a camp or youth program at Mason.
Learn to Ride a Bike
Want to experience the joys of biking, but haven’t gotten around to learning? The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling (FABB), the City of Fairfax, and Mason Parking and Transportation will host an adult “Learn to Ride” biking class on Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Attendees must be ages 18 and up and from Mason, City of Fairfax, or Fairfax County. Bikes and helmets provided. The cost is $10. Registration is required. Contact Mason Transportation at transpo@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828 with questions.
Queer Parents and Caregivers Group
The LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance is hosting a Queer Parents and Caregivers Group meetup on Monday, April 8, from 9–10 a.m. This event is open to all faculty, staff, and GTAs/GRAs who are LGBTQ+ parents, caregivers, and queer individuals in the process of building a family. The group will meet at the Johnson Center Starbucks on the Fairfax Campus.
Bring coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or other morning beverages, and enjoy some casual conversation with colleagues and friends. Reach out to Andrew Lane with questions.
National Walking Day: April 3
Wednesday, April 3, is National Walking Day. Walking can contribute to multiple facets of your well-being. Could walking become part of your active transportation commute? Try it out on April 3! Contact Mason Transportation at transpo@gmu.edu for help finding a route.
Health and Nutrition Tips from Mason Dining’s Dieticians
March is National Nutrition Month. The Faculty and Staff Engagement team and Mason Dining dietitians are sharing health and nutrition tips to enhance employee wellness:
- Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic (or Relevant), and Timely. Sample goal: Do 30 minutes of strength training, three times per week
- Connect new habits to existing ones
- Swap unhealthy habits for healthier ones
- Be patient with habit changes. It takes approximately 66 days for new habits to stick!
For more employee wellness information, contact engagehr@gmu.edu. Stay tuned for more tips from Mason’s dietitians, Brooke Tresch and Sandy Ma.
Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group
The Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group will meet on Friday afternoons this spring, Kritikos engages in discussions on writing about the arts, critical studies, translation, the artist in society, and art as speech. Learn more.
Join them for the topic “Charles Blow and the New Migration Manifesto” on Friday, March 29, from 1–2:30 p.m. on Zoom.
Upcoming Performances and Arts Events at Mason
Visual Voices with Mendi+Keith Obadike
Mason Exhibitions and Mason School of Art
Thursday, March 28, at 4:45 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center Cinema (Zoom also available)
Mendi + Keith Obadike are artists, composers, and writers. Their works sit at the intersection of art, music, and language and draw upon histories of experimental media art and performance. Their early collaborative works were pioneering pieces for the Internet.
Artists in Conversation: Small Island Big Song
Co-presented by the City of Fairfax and the Center for the Arts
Saturday, April 2, at 7 p.m.
Off-campus: Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Boulevard, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Leading up to Earth Day, join the Indigenous artists of Small Island Big Song for a powerful lecture-demonstration and musical performance, shining a light on the devastating effects of climate crisis on our world’s oceans.
Dewberry School of Music: Jazz Workshop Concert
Wednesday, April 3, at 8 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Harris Theatre
The Jazz Workshop explores the intersection of improvisation and composition in the tradition of the great dance and studio jazz bands. Enjoy rare and beautiful arrangements by jazz legends from many eras of jazz history. New original compositions by Mason students and faculty will be featured as well.
Mason School of Theater: 1,001 Plays
Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m.
Virtual event
1,001 Plays is an annual 10-minute play festival presented by Global Partners worldwide—the first international new play exchange of its kind. Students write, perform, direct, and dramaturg original works for the stage, exploring multiple perspectives on a single idea. These short student works are performed live online and followed by a talkback, allowing both students and audiences the opportunity to share, reflect and respond.
Mutts Gone Nuts
Saturday, April 6, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts)
Sunday, April 7, at 1 and 4 p.m. (SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall)
Canines and comedy collide in Mutts Gone Nuts, a show that includes some of the most talented dogs in the world doing barrel tricks, dancing, magic, and jump rope routines! The talented lineup even includes a Guinness World Record holder for the highest jump by a dog, a world champion frisbee dog, comedian Jonathan Burns, and more.
Chorale Broadway Showcase: Broadway at the Movies
Dewberry School of Music
Saturday, April 6, at 8 p.m.
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
This annual showcase event brings together talented University Chorale members who sing and dance to create an entertaining experience for the audience. The concert celebrates the rich history of Broadway and its influence on the world of cinema. It features iconic songs from beloved musicals that have been adapted into movies, as well as original songs created specifically for the big screen. Join us for a sing-along finale to conclude the event.
American Festival Pops Orchestra: American Icons
Saturday, April 6, at 8 p.m.
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Presenting the soundtrack of our great nation, the American Festival Pops Orchestra performs a concert of iconic works by some of America’s greatest composers including Leroy Anderson, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, John Philip Sousa, and John Williams. The program features Artistic Director and Maestro Peter Wilson, as well as special guests throughout the evening.
Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel: Three Great Romantics
Sunday, April 7, at 7 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
Experience musical gems from three popular Romantic-era composers: Grieg, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms, with storyteller and pianist Jeffrey Siegel’s unique “concerts with commentary” performance. Siegel details the evening when the three musicians met for the first and only time at an 1888 New Year’s Day party.
Visiting Filmmakers Series: Confessions of a Good Samaritan with director Penny Lane
Monday, April 8, at 5 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center Cinema
The Visiting Filmmakers Series will host a free screening of Confessions of a Good Samaritan, followed by a live Q&A with the film's director, Penny Lane. Lane’s decision to become a “good Samaritan” by giving one of her kidneys to a stranger launches her on an unexpectedly funny, intimate, and provocative personal quest to understand the nature of altruism.
Mason Jazz Vocal Night
Dewberry School of Music
Monday, April 8, at 8 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
Join Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice Studio, and Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook. Special guest high school choir to be announced.
University Singers: Flying to the Stars: DaVinci and Beyond
Dewberry School of Music
Tuesday, April 9, at 8 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
Flying to the Stars is a choral concert dedicated to the beginnings of flight from the time of Leonardo da Vinci to the exploration of space. The concert will feature a multimedia presentation of Eric Whitacre’s Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine and contemporary choral works by Erik Ešenvalds, Mason alum Peter Kadeli, and more. Join a curtain talk on the history of DaVinci’s forward-thinking engineering and genius prior to the concert.
Mason Symphonic Band Concert
Dewberry School of Music
Wednesday, April 10, at 8 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts
The Mason Symphonic Band is an ensemble comprising music majors and non-music majors from across myriad disciplines at Mason. This ensemble performs historical and contemporary works from diverse composers spanning multiple genres and styles.
Mason School of Theater: Thrive, or What You Will (an epic)
April 11–14, multiple performances
Fairfax Campus, de Laski Performing Arts Building, TheaterSpace
This is a story about a gender-nonconforming 18th-century herb woman who’s trying to carve out a larger sense of space and ends up on a journey around the world. Her name was Jeanne Baret, and nearly everything known about her life comes from the journals of the men who knew her. An epic tale of historical fiction, Thrive blends the style and language of the past and present in order to interrogate the nature of "discovery" and its legacy, of (mis)categorizing the world, of species and survival, of power and access, of gender and identity, and of the subjective nature of both history and self.