Faculty/Staff Announcements
Have something to share? Review announcement guidelines and submit an announcement from your unit to efiles@gmu.edu.
Deadline is close of business Wednesday for inclusion in the following Tuesday's edition.
Campus Updates
Volunteers Needed for Patriot Procession and Mini Graduation Ceremonies
Graduation celebrations are around the corner! University Events is seeking assistance from faculty and staff volunteers for the Patriot Procession and Mini Ceremonies from May 10–15. Read more about this year's celebrations on the graduation website.
Faculty Marshals will guide groups to seating and/or the stage, help with dismissal, and serve as readers during the events. Faculty Marshals may sign up for the Mini Ceremonies and/or the Patriot Procession.
Staff and alumni volunteers will operate information/registration tables, guide graduates and guests, and help VIPs at the mini ceremonies. Staff/alumni volunteers may sign up for the Mini Ceremonies and/or the Patriot Procession.
Faculty Regalia: Faculty members are asked to wear regalia to add a festive note to the events. The cost of rental regalia, if needed, may be covered by the graduation budget.
Thank you for supporting Mason's 2020 and 2021 graduates. Contact University Events at gmuevent@gmu.edu with questions.
Updates from Parking and Transportation: Summer 2021
Parking Permit Sales
Summer parking permits go on sale on Monday, May 10 (online only). Visit parking.gmu.edu for details. Reach out to parking@gmu.edu with any questions.
Shuttle Schedules
Mason Shuttles summer service begins on Monday, May 17. Service will continue Monday–Friday only, including a limited Fairfax/SciTech route (one bus) and the On-Demand shuttle (two buses). Schedules are posted at shuttle.gmu.edu. Contact shuttle@gmu.edu with questions.
Note: The spring 2021 shuttle schedules are in effect through Friday, May 14. No weekend service. There is no shuttle service on Monday, May 31, in observance of Memorial Day.
Parking and Transportation COVID-19 FAQ Updated for Summer
COVID-19 continues to bring a number of changes to Parking and Transportation procedures and programming. Check out the updated Parking and Transportation COVID-19 FAQ for summer 2021. After reviewing the FAQ, contact 703-993-2828 or transpo@gmu.edu with any other questions.
2021 Teaching Excellence Award Winners Announced
The Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning is proud to announce the recipients of the 2021 Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA).
The Celebration of Excellence will be held virtually from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, May 7.
Visit the website to learn more about this year’s winners and to congratulate your colleagues on their well-deserved award by signing the Congratulations Book.
Hours of Operation during Final Exams and Summer 2021
If your office will change its hours of operation during final exams or summer, make sure the information is updated on the central Hours of Operation website at hours.gmu.edu.
Submit your department's hours using the online form. You can include in-person, virtual, and phone contact hours.
For questions, contact Lauren Reuscher, University Information, at lclarkg@gmu.edu.
End of Semester Career Services Programming and Job Fair
Employers are still looking for Mason students and alumni! Share these end-of-semester career resources with your students:
- Career Launch: This series of live and on-demand workshops has everything needed to get back out there to find a job or internship.
- Just-in-Time Hiring Fair: The final job fair of the semester will take place virtually May 17 from 3 to 6 p.m.
Contact Bernadette Davey, University Career Services, at bdavey@gmu.edu with questions.
Live Views of Campus Construction
Check out the latest views of Mason's campus construction projects, happening in real-time. Even if you are off-campus, see the changes with these live cameras at major project sites.
Arlington Campus: Original Building demolition
Fairfax Campus: Core Campus Project camera views (Robinson Hall B demolition and Wilkins Plaza improvements)
Read more about these projects at construction.gmu.edu.
Training and Professional Development
Prospective Staff Senator Information Session
The May Staff Senate meeting will feature an information session for those interested in running for Staff Senate. The annual Staff Senate election will occur in July, with nominations accepted in June.
Prospective Staff Senator Information Session
Wednesday, May 5
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
General meeting will follow from 11 a.m. to noon
Zoom Meeting: https://gmu.zoom.us/j/97615034925?pwd=dHhrSy9OeUxxMW1Ic2liV0F0czlmdz09
Passcode: SS123
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Webinar ID: 976 1503 4925 / Passcode: 572793
All are welcome to attend Staff Senate meetings.
The Staff Senate represents all classified and non-student wage employees at George Mason University. Working closely with university administration, we address concerns that have an impact on the quality of work-life for the Mason community. The work of the senate is accomplished through open and continuous communication with its constituents. Find ways to virtually engage with the senate before, during, and after general meetings.
Faculty Writing Retreat
Mason’s faculty writing retreat will be held virtually from May 18–20. This three-day event—co-sponsored by Writing Across the Curriculum, the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development—offers an active approach to uninterrupted writing time, a chance to learn from our guest speakers, and a supportive and collegial community of peers to boost your writing productivity.
Participants work on a variety of research and creative projects at all stages of completion. Read more details.
To participate, complete the registration form by Monday, May 10.
Mason International Collaborative to Host Connection Summit
All are invited to participate in a two-hour virtual summit hosted by the Mason International Collaborative on Tuesday, May 18, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Conversations will address comprehensive internationalization as Mason celebrates the completion of a two-year learning cohort of the American Council on Education Internationalization Laboratory.
Dr. Susan Carvalho, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Alabama and senior associate for internationalization at the Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement, will serve as keynote speaker. Register here.
Resources for You
Add Mason Money to Your Mason ID
Did you know your Mason ID offers you the opportunity to add Mason Money to your card for easy purchases at on- and off-campus participating restaurants, retailers, and services?
Visit masonmoney.gmu.edu for more information on how to fund your Mason Money account on your Mason ID card and where Mason Money can be used on campus and at local Mason Merchants.
For questions, contact Mason Card at masonid@gmu.edu or 703-993-1004.
It’s Bike Your Way May: Spring Cycling Opportunities
National Bike Challenge
May is National Bike Month! Help grow Mason’s biking culture. Parking and Transportation invites you to join the National Bike Challenge run by LovetoRide.net. Registration is free, and you can sign up as an individual. For details, visit nationalbikechallenge.org.
Bike to Work Day: Friday, May 21
Celebrate the Washington region’s 20th anniversary of Bike to Work Day. Start your day off cycling, with pit stops all over the D.C. Metro area. COVID protocols will be in effect, including staggered hours. For details and to register, visit biketoworkmetrodc.org.
Virtual Bike to Mason Week Recordings Available
Couldn’t join the events from April 19–23? Many of the sessions were recorded. Check out details at transportation.gmu.edu/virtual-bike-to-mason-week-2021.
Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Hylton Celebration of Arts Alliance
Thursday, May 6, 7 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Virtual Event
This first-ever event will highlight the outstanding artistic contributions and achievements of the Arts Alliance, celebrate their long history with the Hylton Center, and raise funds to support their creative work. Based locally in Prince William County and the City of Manassas, the Arts Partners and Arts Affiliates comprise the Hylton Center Arts Alliance and are evidence of the extraordinary talents and resources that exist in our region.
Black Voices Screening with Sankofa Danzafro
Friday, May 7, 7:30 p.m.
Mason Arts at Home
Virtual Event
The Black Voices project is a storytelling and movement initiative based on lived experiences of students from Mason’s School of Dance. With a process created by Rafael Palacios, artistic director of Afro-Colombian dance company Sankofa Danzafro, to keep artists engaged during COVID-19 lockdowns and to honor personal stories inspired by racial justice movements around the world, the Black Voices project aims to provide a space for students to translate their words into a movement-based performance, centering around their personal experience.
A Song of Freedom: Featuring world premieres by Evelyn Simpson-Curenton and Michael W. Nickens
Dewberry School of Music
Sunday, May 8, 8 p.m.
Virtual Event
The Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music closes the semester with a program that celebrates unity and resilience in the face of division and uncertainty. The concert showcases works by Black composers as well as selections inspired by the African-American experience. The program features two world premieres commissioned by the Dewberry School of Music from renowned composer Evelyn Simpson-Curenton and Mason’s own Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Green Machine Ensembles Michael W. Nickens (Doc Nix).