Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
Summer Staff Appreciation Events
The Staff Senate will host Staff Appreciation Events to kick off summer and the fiscal new year. Refreshments will be provided by Rita's Ice.
Classified and non-student wage staff are invited to register for a time slot at the location of their choosing using the links below:
- Mason Square: Wednesday, June 28, from 1–2 p.m., Plaza
- SciTech: Thursday, June 29, from 1–2 p.m., Katherine Johnson Hall Patio
The Fairfax Campus event was hosted on Thursday, June 22. Contact staffsenate@gmu.edu with questions.
Mason Science Series
Join the College of Science for a panel conversation on Preparing for a New Normal: Making Mason and the Commonwealth of Virginia More Resilient to the Impacts of Climate Change.
The event will be hosted on Wednesday, June 28, 4–6 p.m., at Country Club of Fairfax.
Panelists include:
- Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, dean, College of Science
- Jim Kinter, director of the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies
- Gerry Connolly, U.S. representative (D-VA)
Mason Continues Vonage Implementation
Information Technology Services (ITS) is actively implementing Mason’s new telecommunications system, Vonage Inc. As ITS moves through buildings, impacted users will be notified of how to prepare and what to expect during the change. Details and the implementation schedule are on the Telecom System Replacement Roadmap.
Contact the ITS Support Center at support@gmu.edu or 703-993-8870 with questions.
Contactless Card Readers to be Installed on Mason Printers
Operations and Business Services (OBS) is upgrading the printers on Mason’s campuses to use the same contactless smart card readers as campus doors and retail locations. This enhancement will enhance security and improve ease of use.
This transition will impact the generic copy cards some departments still use. These generic copy cards will need to be replaced with contactless smart cards which, due to their security features, are more expensive to produce. Those replacing existing generic cards can get replacements at a cost still being determined. Departments that request generic copy cards in the future will need to purchase a contactless smart card for $25.
Questions about the contactless smart card transition? Contact OBS at business@gmu.edu
Mason Shuttles and Independence Day
A reminder that there is no Mason Shuttle service on Tuesday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. Contact shuttle@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828 with questions.
Training and Professional Development
Faculty/Staff Engagement Summer Workshop Opportunities
The Faculty and Staff Engagement Team is offering several engagement workshops this summer, including:
- Workplace Appreciation
- Engagement in Action: Strategies for Supervisors
- Engagement in Action: Non-Supervisor Contributions
Visit the website for details and registration information. Supervisors: To schedule a Gallup Access tutorial, a review of your team's 2022 Gallup survey data, or a personalized session for your unit, email the Faculty and Staff Engagement team at engagehr@gmu.edu.
Performance Management Summer Training Opportunities
The Performance Management Team is offering several performance management trainings this summer, including:
- Performance Management for Supervisors and Non-Supervisors
- Setting Performance Goals and Objectives
- Self-Evaluation Learning Labs
Visit the website for details and registration information. If you have questions, email the Performance Management team at leaps@gmu.edu.
Opioid Overdose Response and Naloxone Training
Mason's Employee Health and Well-Being, a division of Safety, Emergency, and Enterprise Risk Management, provides Opioid Overdose Response and Naloxone Training on the Fairfax Campus. Register for a training. Email questions to ehw@gmu.edu.
Resources for You
Workshops at The MIX
The Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX) hosts workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics. Check out a workshop this summer—topics include 3D printing, woodworking, sewing and textiles, soldering and electronics, podcasting, and more. Visit mix.gmu.edu for more details. Workshops are hosted on the Fairfax Campus in Horizon Hall.
The MIX promotes innovation across the entire Mason community, providing access and training on equipment ranging from 3D printers, woodworking and metalworking machinery, sewing and textiles, virtual reality, electronics and robotics, and more.
The MIX is also the home of the Incubator, which provides entrepreneurship training and support for startups. The MIX is available to everyone at Mason, including students, faculty, and staff. Whether you are just exploring an idea or are ready to launch your own business, the MIX is here to support you.
Mason Night at Nationals Park
Join Mason alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends, and fans on Wednesday, September 6, for an evening at the ballpark. Let's cheer on the Nats as they take on the New York Mets. Discounted game tickets include a new, limited-edition, co-branded quarter zip pullover. You must purchase the special Mason ticket to receive this giveaway. Get the details.
LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance and University Life Partner on Summer Lunch Series
In collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance, staff from Student Success Coaching in University Life are hosting the Queer Lunch Series for faculty and staff.
Throughout the summer, they will create space for queer-identifying folks at Mason to be in community with one another for fellowship and learning. These sessions will involve social time and an opportunity for professional development.
Commuter Choice Programs
Commuter Choice
Full-time faculty and staff are eligible for the Commuter Choice program, which covers qualified transit/vanpool expenses (not parking) up to the IRS limit of $300/month, based on actual commuting costs. Check out the details. The deadline to receive August funds is Monday, July 10.
Bike Commuter Choice
Do you live within a few miles of campus and think biking to work could be good for your well-being? All faculty and staff (non-student) are eligible to participate in the Bike Commuter Choice Program.
The program has four tiers of support. The more you ride, the greater the financial incentive. The introductory tier is just five rides per quarter. For details, visit bike.gmu.edu and select the Faculty/Staff Bike Commuter Choice Program.
Need help finding a comfortable route to campus? Visit Mason’s biking resources webpage.
For questions on either program, contact Mason Transportation at transpo@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Disney Descendants: The Musical
ARTfactory's Pied Piper Theatre
Multiple performances, July 7–8
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Pied Piper Theatre presents Disney Descendants: The Musical, based on the popular Disney Channel original movie. Imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost, the teenage children of Maleficent, Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella De Vil have never ventured off this island—until now, when the four troublemakers are sent off to attend prep school alongside the children of beloved Disney heroes. They have a difficult choice to make; should they follow in their parents' wicked footsteps, or learn to be good?
Prince William Little Theatre and Manassas Symphony Orchestra: Oliver
Multiple performances, July 14–16
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Prince William Little Theatre and Manassas Symphony Orchestra join forces to present this Tony and Olivier Award-winning Broadway classic. One of the few musicals to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, Lionel Bart's iconic musical, based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, transports the audience to the streets of Victorian England where orphan Oliver navigates the city’s streets of crime searching for a home, family, and love.
The Addams Family: School Edition
ARTfactory's Pied Piper Theatre
July 28–29, multiple performances
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
The Addams Family: School Edition is a comical feast and original story that embraces the wackiness in every family. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family—a man her parents have never met. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner party for Wednesday's "normal" boyfriend and his parents.