Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Deadline is close of business Wednesday for inclusion in the following Tuesday's edition.
Campus Updates
Happy Heart Walk
Bring your walking shoes! It's time for the annual Happy Heart Walk on Sept. 29 at noon. Join fellow students, faculty, and staff to promote heart health. You may participate in-person or virtually.
Join the walk in-person at one of the meeting locations. Complete the Mason COVID Health Check and obtain a GREEN status before attending the event in person.
Or, join the walk virtually on Facebook Live by visiting the Human Resources and Payroll Facebook page.
Whether you’re participating in-person or virtually, share your Happy Heart Walk photos on Twitter or Instagram with #HappyHeartWalk, and @GMUHRandPayroll may reshare them.
No need to register. View the flyer for more details. Questions? Contact Tamira Colbert at tcolber2@gmu.edu.
Package Delivery Problems
Mason is experiencing ongoing parcel delivery issues with several delivery services. Some drivers are leaving packages at Information Desks, loading docks, or other unattended public areas rather than delivering these parcels as addressed. This issue primarily impacts faculty and staff, as student parcels are distributed via lockers in the mail room.
In light of this issue, using the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver items is the safest bet, as those parcels are processed through the mail room and delivered with campus mail. Mason’s current mail contract does not contain a provision to have packages centrally delivered for other delivery services, though that option is being explored and funds sought for it.
If you encounter an unattended or misdelivered package, please send a picture of the label and/or tracking number to Buz Grover so the appropriate delivery service can be contacted and the issue addressed with their delivery staff.
Questions or comments? Reach out to Buz Grover, Operations and Business Services, at 703-993-5784 or hgroveri@gmu.edu.
Changes to Shuttle On-Demand Effective Sept. 27
To respond to the peaks of requested service while staying within current budget parameters, Mason Shuttles is revising the availability of the Shuttle On-Demand. Late-night demand for the shuttle has been very limited, and service hours will be reduced to increase the number of buses available in mid-afternoon and early evening.
Starting Monday, Sept. 27, service hours for the Shuttle On-Demand will be:
- Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
- Saturday/Sunday, 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
- Note: Rides must be requested by 10:30 p.m. for pick-ups between 10:30 and 11:30 p.m.
Also beginning Sept. 27, West Campus and Vienna Metro will only serve as pick-up/drop-off locations for the Shuttle On-Demand from 7:30–11:30 p.m. Monday–Friday and during all regular service hours on Saturday/Sunday. Please use the fixed route shuttles until 7:30 p.m. Monday–Friday.
Visit transportation.gmu.edu/shuttles/on-demand-shuttle for more information. Contact shuttle@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828 with questions.
Mason Nation Thriving Together 5K: October 15-18
Strengthen your well-being, have fun, and support Mason students by running or walking the Mason Nation Thriving Together Virtual 5K anytime from Oct. 15–17. Participating in the 5K is free, and we encourage those who are able to donate to do so. All proceeds will directly benefit Mason students in need.
The 5K will celebrate Mason’s Family Weekend and Exercise is Medicine Month. Anyone from the Mason community and beyond can participate. All participants will be entered to win prizes. Learn more and register at mason5k.gmu.edu.
Shuttle Schedule During Fall Break Weekend
An abbreviated Mason Shuttles schedule will be in effect during Fall Break Weekend from Oct. 10–11. For details, visit the Mason Shuttles website. Contact shuttle@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828 with questions.
Fall Cleaning on Patriot Web
To keep the semester going on the right foot, let’s do some fall cleaning on Patriot Web. Update your information, such as addresses, phone numbers, and emergency contacts.
Training and Professional Development
Student Loan Repayment Information Session for University Employees
This virtual session will discuss student loan repayment and ensure university employees are prepared when the COVID deferment on student loan payments expires in January. This session is open to all Mason faculty and staff, whether you have debt or just want to learn more.
Student Loan Repayment Information Session for University Employees
Tuesday, Sept. 28, noon to 1 p.m.
Register
Presented by Shannon Osborne, assistant director of financial well-being with Mason's Student Support and Advocacy Center, in partnership with Human Resources and Payroll.
Contact fwb@gmu.edu with questions.
Virtual Performance Conversations Playlist
Access the Virtual Performance Conversations Playlist for tools and resources supervisors and employees can use as they prepare for upcoming performance conversations. (Login required.)
The playlist can be accessed through MasonLEAPS and LinkedIn Learning. Contact hr@gmu.edu with questions.
Resources for You
Recruiting Vanpool Riders from Fairfax to the Arlington Campus
Are you a full-time employee who lives in the Fairfax area and works on the Arlington Campus? Would you like to have your commuting costs reimbursed up to $270/month (tax-free), not have to do all the driving, park free at Mason, and reduce carbon emissions?
If so, consider vanpooling. Parking and Transportation is continuing its vanpool outreach and has developed a short vanpool match survey for a possible Fairfax to Arlington vanpool. Complete the survey to participate.
Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Well-Being Wednesday Flu Awareness Webinar from Kaiser Permanente
Attend the Well-Being Wednesday Flu Awareness Webinar from Kaiser Permanente on Sept. 29 from noon to 1 p.m. Register to find out:
- The scoop on the latest news with the flu
- The difference between the flu and a cold
- What you can do to prevent both
Take the opportunity to learn more about the flu before Mason's Winter Wellness Flu Shot Clinic on Oct. 14.
You do not need to be a Kaiser Permanente member to participate.
Time to Feel Better, Mason: Live CommonHealth Webinar
How much time do you spend sitting each day? If you’re like most people, more than half of your waking hours are spent parked in a seated position. Even if you dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to formal exercise (such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming), it’s still important to get up and move for at least a few minutes, many times throughout the day.
Join an upcoming CommonHealth webinar:
Time to Feel Better
Thursday, Sept. 30, 1–2 p.m.
Register
Contact worklife@gmu.edu with questions.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Arts Emerging: A Celebration of Renewal
Saturday, Sept. 25, 5–9 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts (Outdoor and Indoor Event)
Welcome back to campus for a one-night-only, family-friendly extravaganza full of arts, food, and community to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts! The event features outdoor and indoor performances by current students and alumni, as well as food trucks, visual art exhibits, interactive gaming activities, an artist marketplace, and more.
Visual Voices Lecture with Dario Robleto
Thursday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Mason Arts at Home
Visual Voices is the Professional Lecture Series of the School of Art and represents a window into the professional world of art and design. Dario Robleto is an American transdisciplinary artist, researcher, writer, teacher and “citizen-scientist.” His research-driven practice results in intricately handcrafted objects that reflect his exploration of music, popular culture, science, war, and American history.
The Grascals
Sunday, Sept. 26, 4 p.m.
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center (Outdoor Performance)
Hylton on the Hill
Straight from Nashville, The Grascals make their debut appearance at the Hylton Center with a lively outdoor performance filled with bluegrass and classic country tunes. This six-piece band won over audiences at the Grand Ole Opry with their blend of modern sophistication steeped in traditional charm, and now they will capture your heart at this Hylton on the Hill performance.
Mason Artist-in-Residence: CARTOGRAPHY
Co-created by Kaneza Schaal and Christopher Myers
Saturday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Five young refugees set out searching for a new place to call home in this “stunning” (The New York Times) and timely theatrical work. Inspired by the artists’ creative work with refugees worldwide, this interactive performance charts a new map for its characters using visual arts, storytelling, and filmmaking. CARTOGRAPHY creates an onstage virtual storm that rises up in response to the actors’ voices, uses cell phones to depict memories being made, and features live sculpture creation to represent their journeys.
Carly Harvey’s Kiss & Ride
Sunday, Oct. 3, 4 p.m.
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center (Outdoor Performance)
Hylton on the Hill
2021 Wammie Award-winning artist Carly Harvey leads the energetic ensemble Kiss & Ride in a lively fusion of original music, blues classics, and unique arrangements of pop favorites for their Hylton on the Hill outdoor performance. Based in Washington, D.C., Carly Harvey’s rich and emotional sound calls to mind Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald. Carly Harvey’s Kiss & Ride project is intended to extend blues to wider audiences and bridge the age gap between blues aficionados by combining current music with blues arrangements in the same set with blues standards, blues funk, and soul—bursting with her original sound, too.