Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
Celebrating Mason at 50
We’ve always been green and gold—and now we’re golden! Throughout 2022, the Mason community will celebrate 50 remarkable years of growth and achievement.
RSVP for upcoming events through the links below:
Mason Square Groundbreaking
Wednesday, April 6, at 2 p.m.
Arlington Campus, Mason Square
50th Anniversary Commemorative Celebration and Mason Vision Day
Thursday, April 7, at 11:30 a.m.
Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center Atrium
Mason at 50: Special Guest Russ Banham
Thursday, April 7, at 2 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center Atrium
SciTech Campus Groundbreaking: Life Sciences Engineering Building and Town Center
Friday, April 22, at 10 a.m.
SciTech Campus, Beacon Hall
Visit 50th.gmu.edu for a complete list of events and activities. It's Mason's time.
Mason Vision Day: April 7
Get ready to show your Patriot Pride and support the #1 pep band in the nation!
Mason Vision Day is an opportunity for the Mason community to come together and support a deserving initiative on campus. This year, on April 7, we are asking you to support the Green Machine.
For more information, visit masonvisionday.gmu.edu. You can also make your gift early.
General Faculty Meeting Scheduled for April 20
Join President Gregory Washington for this year’s General Faculty Meeting on Wednesday, April 20, from 3 to 4:15 p.m. This meeting, provided by the Faculty Handbook, is an opportunity to engage with and hear from the president, provost, and key university leaders in a public forum on institution-wide initiatives, as well as participate in discussions on several issues that are important to the general faculty. The event will be held both in-person (Merten Hall, Room 1201) and via Zoom.
Announcing the Launch of the Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning (CECiL)
The Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning (CECiL) has formally launched as part of Mason’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), titled “Transformative Education through Anti-Racist Community Engagement.”
The CECiL office will provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage with community partner organizations through both curricular and co-curricular experiences. The goals of the CECiL Office are to:
- Build the infrastructure to support community engagement and civic learning at Mason,
- Expand student understanding of racism and anti-racism through community engagement, and
- Provide opportunities for students to participate in engaged courses by investing in faculty training and curriculum development.
Check out cecil.gmu.edu and the CECiL campus guide for more information.
Spring into Well-Being: April 18–22
Enjoy Mason’s annual well-being celebration, Spring into Well-Being, from Monday, April 18, to Friday, April 22. Individuals from the Mason Nation and beyond will have the opportunity to participate in well-being events.
Each day features a theme to help you thrive:
- Day 1: Kindness (#MasonChoosesKindness)
- Day 2: Physical Health
- Day 3: Strengths and Resilience
- Day 4: Mental Health
- Day 5: Thriving Together (community well-being)
Search “SIWB22” in Mason 360 to find all event details and register. Use the hashtag #SIWB22 to post about your Spring into Well-Being experiences on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Vision Series: Gabrielle Tayac
The next installment of the Mason Vision Series will be hosted on Wednesday, April 20, from 7 to 8 p.m. Gabrielle Tayac, historian and activist scholar, will discuss the topic of “Living Native American Histories Across Generations.”
The Mason Vision Series will be live-streamed through GMU-TV. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in the discussion by submitting questions via email or Twitter by using #VisionSeriesMason. RSVP today.
Victims' Rights Run/Walk
Registration is open for the Victims' Rights Run/Walk (VRRW). This annual event, hosted by the Student Support and Advocacy Center and campus/community partners, benefits the Mason Victims’ of Violence Fund.
This year, the VRRW has in-person, virtual, and hybrid options—giving participants an opportunity to “5K Their Way.” Events will take place in-person and virtually April 20–27.
We recognize that everyone enjoys different activities. We want to encourage you to run, walk, dance, swim, do yoga, etc. No matter how you choose to participate, you are supporting victims and survivors and bringing awareness to an important cause.
For over 20 years, Mason's VRRW has honored the legacy of former student-athlete Aimee Willard. The VRRW continues to support victims and survivors and to spread awareness. Learn more and register at vrrw.gmu.edu.
Bike to Mason Days
We’re back in person after three years! Whether you bike to campus regularly for school/work or are contemplating starting to bike, this event is open to all Mason cyclists.
- SciTech: Tuesday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Colgan Front Patio
- Fairfax: Wednesday, April 20, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Merten Hall Lawn (noon: Safety Ride on Patriot Circle with Mason Police)
- Arlington: Thursday, April 21, 3–7 p.m., Founders Plaza
Enjoy food, resource information, and fun giveaways. Register today. Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Save the Date for SpringFest
SpringFest is coming up! Join us on the Merten Hall Lawn on Tuesday, April 19, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for free food, giveaways, and more.
Engage with shopMason units like the Mason Bookstore, Dining, Mason Card Office, Student Centers, Coca-Cola, and several off-campus Mason Merchants and Patriot Perks members in this exciting outdoor event. Learn more.
Rescheduled: Staff Senate Meeting with President Washington
The April Staff Senate meeting with Mason President Gregory Washington has been rescheduled for June 15 from 11 a.m. to noon. Virtual meeting information will be shared closer to the meeting date.
The April Staff Senate general meeting will not feature a guest speaker. Instead, the senate encourages staff to participate in the 50th Anniversary celebration events hosted throughout the week of April 4–8.
Staff Senate General Meeting
Wednesday, April 6, 10–11 a.m.
Hosted on Zoom
Contact staffsenate@gmu.edu for more information.
2FA Required for Blackboard Effective April 5
Information Technology Services (ITS) has enabled Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for Blackboard, Mason’s learning management system. All users, including students, faculty, and staff, are now required to authenticate using 2FA with their Patriot Pass credentials when accessing Blackboard/myMason services, including Organizations and Courses.
Information about this change is available on the 2FA Roadmap. Contact the ITS Support Center for assistance at 703-993-8870 or support@gmu.edu.
Training and Professional Development
Fiscal Transformation Boot Camp: April 27
Registration is now open for the 2022 Fiscal Transformation Boot Camp on April 27. Join Fiscal Services and the Chart of Accounts Redesign team for this immersive learning experience.
During this inaugural Boot Camp, participants will learn how individuals interact within the new Chart of Accounts (Chart P). The focus will be on the Chart of Accounts Redesign and introductory training to all levels of the Mason community as we embrace our new business structure.
The 2022 Boot Camp will be virtual, and each session will be recorded. This will allow you to actively participate in one session (per time slot) during the Boot Camp and review other sessions at your convenience after the event. Visit the website for more information.
Contact Jessi Adams with questions at 703-993-5966.
Leadercast 2022 Coming to the SciTech Campus
Leadercast 2022: The One Thing is coming to Beacon Hall on the SciTech Campus on Wednesday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Prince William Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Prince William are teaming up to host this annual simulcast event.
This year, 10 influential leaders will all answer the question: “What is the one thing that makes a leader worth following?”
Register today. For questions, contact Donna Tressler, SciTech Executive Office, at 703-993-8355.
Webinar: Bicycle Commuting 101
Biking to campus can be fun and great for your well-being. Join Delia Johnson from the College of Visual and Performing Arts (and a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor) for an upcoming training:
Bicycle Commuting 101
Wednesday, April 13, at noon
Hosted on Zoom
Register
Delia will share information to help you feel more confident about getting to campus on two wheels. This session is open to faculty, staff, and students. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the webinar link.
Mental Health First Aid
Learn more about mental health, the stigma surrounding mental illness, and how you can help people dealing with a mental health crisis. Mason students and employees may register for the next Mental Health First Aid training, which will take place April 21–22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days, online. Read more information and register.
Money Smart Day
Strengthen your financial well-being on Money Smart Day, happening Wednesday, April 13. Learn smart financial strategies by attending virtual or in-person seminars. All sessions are free and open to Mason students, employees, and alumni.
Topics include: Health insurance, first-time home-buyers, salary negotiation, investments, student loan repayments, and more. View a complete list of sessions and register.
Resources for You
5th Annual Summit for Programs, Events, or Camps (PEC) Serving Minors
Organizations hosting programs, events, or camps (PEC) serving minors are invited to attend Mason's 5th annual PEC Summit, hosted virtually on Wednesday, April 6, from 10 to 11 a.m. Q&A session will follow from 11 a.m. to noon.
Presenters from Operations and Business Services will demonstrate the new PEC registration process. Other PEC policy stakeholders and service providers will be available to answer questions regarding summer programming needs.
Those who attend the monthly PEC committee meetings will receive a virtual event invitation. Others who are thinking about hosting a program serving minors should contact Buz Grover to receive the PEC Summit event link.
National Walking Day: April 6
The first Wednesday in April is National Walking Day. Walking can contribute to multiple facets of your well-being. See if walking can be part of your active transportation commute. Try it out on April 6!
Contact Mason Transportation for more information about active commuting.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Dewberry School of Music: Mason Broadway Chorale Showcase
Saturday, April 9 at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
The University Chorale presents a series of Broadway classics for their 2022 spring showcase. The Broadway Showcase is a popular feature of the choral program at Mason each spring semester. Students assist with the design, coaching, and creating choreography for the production.
Virginia Opera: The Marriage of Figaro
Saturday, April 9, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Mozart’s beloved four-act comic opera, The Marriage of Figaro, is the kind of mad and frantic bedroom farce of which guilty (and not-so-guilty) pleasures are made. It is all driven by the music of Mozart at his most spirited and conceived in collaboration with his most entrusted and successful librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte. Full of scheming and wooing, flirting and folly, Figaro’s hilarious and absurd twists and turns pile the outrageous on top of the scandalous to joyful effect. Sung in Italian with English surtitles.
Mason Jazz Combos
Dewberry School of Music
Wednesday, April 13, at 8 p.m.
de Laski Performing Arts Building, Room 3001
Join the Mason Jazz Combos, directed by Wade Beach, in their spring concert. Featured groups include Combo 327, Combo 336, and Combo 338, performing original compositions and arrangements of Jazz standards. The Mason Jazz Combos are a vital part of the Jazz Studies curriculum, providing students opportunities in improvisation, composition, and arranging, as well as small group performing experience. The Jazz Combos are open to music and non-music majors, instrumentalists and vocalists of all musical abilities. This performance is free and open to the public.
Spring: New Dances
Mason School of Dance
Friday, April 15, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 16, at 8 p.m.
Harris Theatre
The Mason Dance Company performs a concert of new work created by a collective of emerging Mason choreographers.
In a Sentimental Mood: The Music of Duke Ellington performed by The Mason Cabaret
Mason School of Theater
Thursday, April 14, at 8 p.m. (free preview)
Friday, April 15, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 16, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
de Laski Performing Arts Building, Theaterspace
A perennial favorite, our Musical Theater ambassadors, The Mason Cabaret, return with a fresh lineup of stellar vocalists offering showstoppers, ballads, and duets from Broadway. As Sondheim once wrote, “Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone...” This “fun-raiser” will have you dancing in your seat and humming all the way home! Ticket sales will support Mason’s Musical Theater program.
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra
Saturday, April 16, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
GRAMMY Award-winning composer, conductor, and Mason Artist-in-Residence Maria Schneider leads Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra in a night of cool, expressive jazz. Witness jazz perfection, comprised of the most remarkable jazz performers in the metro region, in this highly anticipated event. “To call Schneider the most important woman in jazz is missing the point . . . She’s a major composer– period,” (TIME Magazine). A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, located on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Symphonic Band
Dewberry School of Music
Wednesday, April 20, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Watch the Symphonic Band present its spring concert, conducted by Professor Mark Camphouse and doctoral student Samantha Clarke. This concert will include traditional wind band repertoire in addition to solo works featuring two student soloists.