Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Campus Updates
Police Advisory Board Community Forum and Listening Session
Elevate and activate your voice. Learn about Mason's Police Advisory Board and share your feedback on how we can partner with Mason Police to best serve our community.
Police Advisory Board Community Forum and Listening Session
Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 4–6 p.m.
Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall or remotely via Zoom
RSVP required
This event is hosted by the Police Advisory Board in collaboration with the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence initiative and Mason's Department of Police and Public Safety.
For more information, visit the website.
$5 Fridays at Ike’s and Southside
Every first Friday of the month, Mason Dining offers a discounted $5 lunch to faculty and staff at Ike's and Southside. The remaining fall dates are:
- Nov. 4
- Dec. 2
November Staff Senate Meeting with Sharnnia Artis
The November Staff Senate meeting will feature guest speaker Sharnnia Artis, vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion and chief diversity officer, to provide updates following the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Conference.
Wednesday, Nov. 2
10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. – Guest speaker
10:45 a.m. to noon – General business meeting
Hosted on Zoom
Contact staffsenate@gmu.edu with questions.
Misdelivered Packages
Parcel delivery issues are again being reported around Mason’s campuses. Some delivery drivers are leaving parcels in lobbies, at unattended desks, or dropping multiple packages off at one stop, some of which belong to units in other buildings.
If a parcel you ordered is shown as delivered and you haven't received it, or if you come upon a parcel in a lobby or other public area, please forward that information via email to Buz Grover, Operations and Business Services.
If possible, include the tracking number, name of delivery service, parcel location, and your contact information. You may also include a photo of the package label in question (noting its location), or forward a copy of the shipping notification.
This information will be forwarded to account executives at the various shipping companies, who will then work with their drivers to correct the problem.
Employee of the Month: Nominations Open
Do you work with an incredible Mason administrative/professional faculty, classified staff member, or wage employee who goes the extra mile, collaborates with their colleagues, and supports the university? Nominate them for Mason's Employee of the Month award.
A digital form and a printable PDF form are available to complete and submit. Additional information is available on the Employee of the Month page. Questions? Contact awards@gmu.edu.
Fuse at Mason Square: Open House
Learn more about Fuse, the new building currently under construction at Mason Square. Speak with members of the project team and discover more about this new digital innovation building coming in summer 2024.
Fuse at Mason Square: Open House
Monday, Nov. 7, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Mason Square, Mason Pilot Space (Vernon Smith Hall, lobby level)
This community session is open to the public. RSVP.
Purchasing Branded Promo Items
To help with your branded promo needs, Mason has officially licensed vendors who have been authorized to produce merchandise bearing the university's trademarks. This includes all graphic and verbiage-based references to the university. Using officially licensed vendors is a requirement per University Policy 1130.
Trademark Licensing is a unit of Operations and Business Services. Visit trademarks.gmu.edu for more details. Check out the approved vendors list.
Contact David Atkins, executive director of business partnerships and licensing, with questions.
What is OBS?
Operations and Business Services (OBS) and its marketing brand, shopMason, are here to improve the quality of life on campus for all students and employees. OBS supports George Mason’s overall strategic plan by providing quality goods, innovative services, and strategic business partnerships that improve value, increase student success, and enhance financial conditions. View the services and programs offered, meet the team, and learn more by visiting the website: obs.gmu.edu.
Mason Shuttles: Thanksgiving Service Changes and Regional Transportation
The Thanksgiving holiday will bring changes to the Mason Shuttle schedules. Details are posted on the Mason Shuttles website.
Mason offers affordable transportation to regional cities for the Thanksgiving holiday. Destinations include Virginia Beach, Richmond, Philadelphia, New York City, and more. Buses will leave on Tuesday, Nov. 22, and return on Sunday, Nov. 27. View a complete list of destinations, departure times, and pick up locations.
Contact shuttle@gmu.edu with questions.
Parking and Transportation Holiday Donation Drive
Would you like to help someone in need? Parking Services is holding its annual holiday donation drive. Now through Dec. 15 at 4 p.m., you can reduce the cost of an outstanding parking citation by making a donation to benefit the Patriot Pantry. Donations may be dropped off at any Parking Services office.
For important details, visit transportation.gmu.edu/donation.
Training and Professional Development
Mason Alumni Career and Professional Development Week
Mason Alumni Career and Professional Development Week is happening Nov. 7–11, providing alumni and others in the Mason community with relevant, meaningful professional development, lifelong learning, and career-driven content. Career resources will also be highlighted.
Sessions include a virtual networking event, professional headshots, lunch and learns, webinars, coffee chats, mindfulness, social media challenges, and much more. Check out the schedule of events and register.
Contact Michelle Murphy, Office of Alumni Relations, with questions.
Registration Open: Engagement Strategies for Supervisors
Supervisors are encouraged to join one of two interactive sessions focused on faculty and staff engagement. Participants will take part in discussions surrounding the Gallup survey engagement data and current best practices, as well as learn new strategies to enhance the faculty and staff experience at Mason.
View the schedule and register for an upcoming session. Contact Faculty and Staff Engagement at engagehr@gmu.edu with questions.
Webinar: Compassionate Communication in times of Societal Crisis
Societal crisis and secondary trauma, as a result, affect every participant and aspect of the classroom. External occurrences permeate classroom communities and disrupt the daily functions and structures of learning. Join an upcoming webinar:
Compassionate Communication in times of Societal Crisis: Practices and Tools for Inclusive Excellence
Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m.
Hosted on Zoom
Panelists will discuss what it means to be “trauma-informed,” share guidance on practical interventions, and outline how compassionate communication is the best tool for advancing the feelings of psychological safety and assisting in reducing anxiety and stress for a supportive learning experience for all students.
This panel discussion is open to all Mason faculty and staff and hosted by the Diversity Office in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Register today.
Webinar: Addressing the Heart and Soul of Employee Well-Being
Join the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being for a free upcoming webinar, offered as part of Mason’s Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series:
Webinar: Addressing the Heart and Soul of Employee Well-Being
Thursday, Nov. 17, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Hosted by Jessica Grossmeier, author of Reimagining Workplace Well-Being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence
Register
Contact cwb@gmu.edu with questions.
Resources for You
Pet Care Resources from Bright Horizons
Looking for someone to walk the family dog while you’re at work? Need someone to watch your cat while you’re away? Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports has you covered.
Mason employees get free member access to the following services through Bright Horizons' online database:
- Find pre-screened dog walkers, pet sitters, groomers, trainers, and more
- Get free basic background checks to ensure reliable care
- Schedule daily or extended pet care in your own home
- Post a job or search pet sitters to find the right fit
Visit the Bright Horizons website to get started.
Share the Ride Using MasonCommutes
Travel on I-66 to get to Mason? When the Transform 66 project is completed (scheduled for December 2022), HOV-3 express lanes will be available. Ride for free in the express lanes with rideshare!
Line up your carpool now. Save money, save time behind the wheel, potentially reduce the length of your commute, and reduce your carbon footprint—all by deciding not to drive alone.
Find potential rideshare partners by creating an account at masoncommutes.com. Additional financial incentives to carpool are sponsored by the Transform 66 project. Learn more.
Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group
The College of Visual and Performing Arts welcomes the Mason community to the Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group, which meets on Fridays from 1–2:30 p.m.
The reading group calls upon and discusses the work of Black scholars, authors, activists, artists, musicians, poets, dancers, and playwrights. The discussions encourage participants to critically question and consider their roles as artists, thinkers, citizens, and creatives in a society founded on racist values and practices.
Join the meeting on Friday, Nov. 4, for the following topic: “Nina Simone: Artist as Activist." This event is free and open to the public. Fall meetings continue through Nov. 11.
Faculty/Staff Bike Commuter Choice Program
Like to bike? Live within biking distance of the Mason location where you work? Thinking that maybe it’s time you changed up your commute to include a few days of biking per month?
Consider the Faculty/Staff Bike Commuter Choice program, and find joy in commuting to campus on two wheels:
- Four tiers of financial support tied to the number of rides per quarter. Join the program for as few as five rides per quarter.
- Earn complimentary parking passes.
- Ride more than 10 miles each way to work to earn a distance bonus.
- Ride at Tier 2 or Tier 3 all year to receive funds for a complimentary bike check.
- The program can be used in conjunction with Commuter Choice.
Conditions apply—the big one is that the program, unlike Commuter Choice, is taxable per the IRS. But don’t let that stop you. Check out the details at bike.gmu.edu.
Staying Safe: Traveling at Dusk
A reminder from Parking and Transportation that the days are growing shorter, and it’s getting darker earlier. As we prepare to “Fall Back” when Daylights Savings Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 a.m., keep in mind that it is difficult to see and be seen at dusk. Use care whether you are driving, biking, or walking.
Upcoming Performances at Mason
Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company: Āhuti
Mason Artist-in-Residence
Saturday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Set to the sounds of live flute, violin, harmonium, manjira, and drums onstage, Āhuti is a mesmerizing performance and collaboration between Mason Artist-in-Residence Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and the Chitrasena Dance Company. Through the classical movements of Odissi dance, Nrityagram Dance Ensemble brings stories of the Hindu epics to life with their bodies. Chitrasena has been leading the development of Kandyan dance in Sri Lanka, being a key proponent to opening this dynamic style to women, whilst also preserving it as a cultural tradition. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Pass It On: 60th Anniversary Musical Celebration
Sunday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s iconic and exuberant “Big Easy” sound will have you up and dancing from the beginning to end of their concert. People from around the globe make pilgrimages to Preservation Hall, a humble, much-loved room in New Orleans’s French Quarter dedicated to keeping the past and future of jazz alive. This fall, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band is embarking on a pilgrimage of its own—a nationwide tour to celebrate the Hall’s 60th anniversary. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Virginia Opera: A Taste of Opera
Matinee Idylls
Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 1:30 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Opera lovers, rejoice in an afternoon brimming with all the drama, poetry, history, and romance that makes opera so heart-thrilling. Singers fresh off of the Virginia Opera stage will perform beloved arias and duets selected from both classic and contemporary repertoire. Luxuriate in the pure sound and piercing emotion with rising opera stars performing highlights from Virginia Opera’s radiant 2022–23 season.
Mason School of Dance – Fall: New Dances
Friday, Nov. 11, and Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m.
Harris Theatre
Step out of this cool autumn weather and into the theater for a performance filled with diverse choreography and talented dancers. Join us in supporting the School of Dance as we present Fall: New Dances.
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra: Salute to the Military
Jim Carroll, conductor
Darden Purcell, vocals
Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Celebrate Veterans Day with Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra’s Salute to the Military. Vocalist Darden Purcell, Mason director of jazz studies and jazz voice, joins artistic director and virtuoso saxophonist Jim Carroll and his Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of jazz standards celebrating our veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Founded by Carroll, the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra comprises the finest jazz performers in the metro region and is always a treat for our audiences. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
Virginia Opera: The Pirates of Penzance
Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m.
Center for the Arts
The Pirates of Penzance has everything—whimsical melodies, hilariously memorable characters, and one of the most terrific earworms of all time, “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.” Frederic is ready to resign from his life of piracy, but fate is determined to alter his course. Add the affection of a girl, a long-winded but well-intentioned father, a band of merry pirates set on finding sweethearts, and the resulting confection is pitch-perfect pandemonium. This performance is appropriate for all ages.
SUGAR SKULL! A Día de los Muertos Musical Adventure
Presented by Mexico Beyond Mariachi
Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Vita Flores thinks her family is loco to be planning a party for the dead. But things change suddenly when her abuelita’s candy skeleton jumps to life, launching her into a magical world. SUGAR SKULL! is a perfect family outing, whether you’re new to the Day of the Dead or have celebrated the holiday with your loved ones for years. Recommended for ages four and up.
Mason Jazz Vocal Night
Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Monday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Join Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice studio, and the Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook.
Jazz Workshop Concert
Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m.
Harris Theatre
Jazz faculty member John Kocur directs the Mason Jazz Workshop big band in their concert. The Jazz Workshop performs music by Thad Jones, Mike Tomaro, Alan Baylock, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Neal Hefti, and many others.
Jazz4Justice™ Concert: Jazz and Blues in America
Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Friday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
George Mason University’s Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music presents the 21st annual Jazz4Justice™ concert and fundraiser. The event raises funds to directly support vital legal services for low-income Northern Virginians, as well as financial support for the Mason Jazz Studies department, including scholarships, trips, recordings, and student projects. This year’s concert, Jazz & Blues in America, explores the roots and development of America’s greatest contribution to the arts—Jazz. Jazz4Justice™ is presented in partnership with Legal Services of Northern Virginia, a nonprofit legal aid organization that has served the region for more than 40 years.