Around Mason: Week of December 17, 2019

Faculty/Staff Announcements

Have something to share? Submit an announcement from your unit using the online form.

Deadline is close of business Wednesday for inclusion in the following Tuesday's edition.

Next Edition of Around Mason: Jan. 7

The next edition of Around Mason will be published on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Submit announcements by close of business on Wednesday, Dec. 18, for inclusion in the Jan. 7 edition.

Enjoy the break!

University Faculty and Staff Holiday Party: Wednesday, Dec. 18

You are invited to the annual George Mason University Faculty and Staff Holiday Party:

Wednesday, Dec. 18
1:30 to 4 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall

The Staff Senate will collect new and unwrapped book donations for INOVA Children's Hospital and non-perishable food, personal items, and school supplies for the Patriot Pantry in the Johnson Center Cinema lobby during the event. Click here for donation details and needed items.

SciTech Campus Holiday Reception: Tuesday, Dec. 17

Come and cozy up to the fire at the SciTech Campus "Ski Lodge" Holiday Party.

Tuesday, Dec. 17, at noon
SciTech Campus, Beacon Hall Conference Center
RSVP required to pwcadmin@gmu.edu (please include your name/email/department).

Questions? Call the SciTech Campus Executive Office at 703-993-8585.

Ski lodge wear is encouraged but not required! 

We will be collecting non-perishable food items for Northern Virginia Family Service, which helps nearly 600 Prince William Families every month through its Hunger Resource Center.

Winter Break Precautions from ITS

Information Technology Services (ITS) reminds Mason faculty, staff, and students to turn off non-essential devices—including computers, servers, printers, and monitors—before leaving for winter break.

Use caution when responding to emails and phone calls from unknown individuals/companies. Cybercriminals increase attempts to compromise computers and steal personal information during the holidays.

Be on the lookout for fraudulent emails requesting immediate action, containing misspelled words, or asking for your username/password. If an email contains links, verify the links match the URLs by hovering the mouse over it.

For questions regarding holiday cyber safety, the ITS Support Center will be open until 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20.

Retail and Dining Hours of Operation: Finals and Winter Break

As we head into finals week and winter break, be sure to check the operating hours of your favorite locations like Mason Dining, UPS, and the Mason Bookstore. Their hours may change, or they may even be closed until January.

Hours are posted at shopmason.gmu.edu/hours.

ITS Support Center Winter Break Hours

In observance of Winter Break, the ITS Support Center will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, and will re-open and resume normal business hours on Monday, Jan. 6, at 8 a.m. 

If you have an emergency while the ITS Support Center is closed, call 703-993-8870 and follow the prompts to be connected to a representative. Up-to-date information regarding alerts can be found at its.gmu.edu/alerts.

Mason Shuttles and Winter Break

Winter break brings some major changes to the Mason Shuttle schedules. Details are posted here.

Contact Parking and Transportation at 703-993-2828 or shuttle@gmu.edu with questions.

Hiring Student Employees Using Handshake

Need to hire a graduate assistant? Workstudy student? An intern to support your office with a project or big event? Handshake is your best choice for reaching and hiring Mason students!

On-campus employers have unique needs and considerations when it comes to using Handshake for short-term and long-term staffing needs. Join University Career Services to review tips and techniques that make hiring students quick and easy.

Hiring Student Workers Using Handshake: Mini-Workshop
Thursday, Jan. 16
11 a.m. to noon
University Career Services (SUB I, Suite 3400)
Register

The workshop will include:

  • Crafting job descriptions to get the candidates you want
  • Reviewing and selecting candidates
  • How students use the platform
  • Answers to the most common questions
  • Time for questions and answers

Don't have a Handshake "employer" account yet? Contact Debbie Zuiker at dzuiker@gmu.edu to create your employer account before the workshop.

Winter Break Timesheet Guidance

Winter break is around the corner. Refer to the Winter Break Timesheet Guidance for information about:

  • Holiday hours
  • Requirements to receive holiday pay
  • How the holiday may affect alternative work schedules

For questions, contact hr@gmu.edu.

Changes to the Office 365 Login Page

On Sunday, Jan. 12, the login screen for Office 365 will be updated for an improved user experience. Mason employees will notice a new graphic when they access their Office 365 accounts (email, calendar, OneDrive, ProPlus) via the web.

When accessing Office 365 via the web from mail.gmu.edu, users will still log in using their Patriot Pass Credentials (NetID and Patriot Pass Password).

For more details, visit the ITS website.

DMV2Go Schedule Change for January

DMV2Go has had to cancel its visits recently due to some significant mechanical issues. The vehicle may not be ready for its scheduled Jan. 7 visit to the Fairfax Campus.

We apologize for the inconvenience the situation is undoubtedly causing. We hope to hear about January soon. We will update the DMV2Go schedule if we learn that they will not be coming in January.

Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.