Faculty/Staff Announcements
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Deadline is close of business Wednesday for inclusion in the following Tuesday's edition.
Homecoming Week: Feb. 17–23
The George Mason University Alumni Association has expanded the Homecoming event lineup to cover a week of unforgettable experiences from Feb. 17–23. Enjoy Mason basketball games, show off your creativity by decorating your office door for the contest, party with us at the Alumni Faculty and Staff Soiree, and more!
Early Bird prices and an All-Access Pass are available through Feb. 3. Visit alumni.gmu.edu/homecoming2020 for a full list of events.
Reminder: Valid Mason ID Required on Mason Shuttles
Mason Shuttles moved to an all Mason ID check with the start of the spring semester. While the checks officially began on Jan. 21, enforcement started on Feb. 3.
The Mason ID check is in place for all routes and stops, except the West Campus route. The Mason ID check helps ensure that the shuttles are only used by Mason community members or those with business at Mason.
Along with the Mason ID check, Parking and Transportation has introduced a $4 all-day visitor shuttle pass for Mason to Metro routes only (Sandy Creek and Global). The pass provides an option for Mason visitors to use the Metro to Mason shuttles. For details on how to purchase a shuttle pass, direct visitors to shuttle.gmu.edu.
Contact 703-993-2828 or transpo@gmu.edu for more information.
The UPS Store Now a University-Approved Printer
The UPS Store in Merten Hall is proud to announce that it is now an authorized printer for George Mason University!
Print anything from business cards to posters, postcards, banners, flyers, booklets, and much more. Email your print jobs to store6272@theupsstore.com or drop by with an original or flash drive.
The UPS Store strives to provide quick turnaround and friendly service. Free delivery is available anywhere on the Fairfax Campus.
Mention this post when you send your print job to receive 20 percent off your first printing project.
For any questions, call 703-865-5544.
Mason Jazz Festival
The Mason Jazz Festival is an invitational event open to middle school, high school, collegiate, and community jazz ensembles.
Mason Jazz Festival
Saturday, Feb. 29
10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Fairfax Campus, Harris Theatre
All performances are free and open to the public. No tickets or registration required.
Sponsored by Mason Jazz Studies, National Jazz Workshop, and the Jazz Education Network, the closing festival performance will be the United States Air Force, Airmen of Note, at 7 p.m.
Free parking will be available in Lot K. Paid parking will be available in the Mason Pond Parking Deck.
Visit the website for more information.
Love to Bike? Winter Bike to Work Day is Feb. 14
Winter Bike to Work Day coincides with Valentine’s Day!
Join Parking and Transportation on Friday, Feb. 14, for a little bike love. Stop by the Merten Hall Lawn between 7:30 and 10 a.m. with your bike to pick up a hot beverage and some biking-related giveaways.
Call for Proposals: Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference
The Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference is a day when instructors from all over Mason come together to showcase and exchange effective teaching strategies for use in and out of the classroom.
We invite you to submit proposals for a variety of conference session formats (teaching activity demonstrations, mini-workshops, panels/roundtables, posters, or lightning talks) focused on the theme, “Teaching Towards the Future.”
Proposals should be approximately one page in length and showcase a specific teaching approach, assignment, or resource that will help instructors in any discipline effectively support student success at Mason and beyond.
Have a cool technology tool or Blackboard feature that you use to enhance one of your teaching practices? We are interested in that, too!
Proposals are due Feb. 25. Visit the website for more details. Contact the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning at stearns@gmu.edu or 703-993-6200 with questions.
Apply for the Leadership Legacy Program
The Leadership Legacy Program, a partnership program sponsored by MasonLeads and Human Resources and Payroll, is designed for Mason full-time faculty and staff who are committed to furthering their leadership development.
The program curriculum provides opportunities for experienced faculty and staff to advance their conceptual and experiential understanding of leadership in the context of university settings.
Applications and nominations for the 2020–21 cohort are due March 5.
To learn more and apply, visit leadershiplegacy.gmu.edu.
Crucial Conversations Skillshop Series for Faculty
Join Organizational Development and Learning for the second in a five-part series of “skillshops” that hone in on the skills for holding difficult conversations featured in Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High.
Crucial Conversations Skillshop Series for Faculty: Skillshop 2
Friday, Feb. 7
10 a.m. to noon
In this session, participants will practice tools for focusing on their message and the facts in a difficult conversation.
To register for Skillshop 2, or any of the other upcoming sessions, log in to MasonLEAPS and search “Crucial Conversations Skillshop.”
Note: Participants may attend individual skillshops or register for the whole series for the greatest impact. For questions, contact Margaret Vu at mvu20@gmu.edu.
Now Hiring UNIV 100 Faculty
UNIV 100 is a one-credit course for first year students. The class is focused on giving first-year students tools they need to successfully transition from high school to college. Check out more information and apply to serve as UNIV 100 faculty.
A Master’s degree is required, but exceptions can be made for advanced graduate students. Please note that classified non-exempt employees are ineligible to teach.
Applications are due Monday, Feb. 10. We will interview applicants and make final selections by March 2.
Contact Melitta Igwe at migwe@gmu.edu with questions.
Invite a Writing Tutor to Your Class
Help your students learn about the Writing Center and its resources. Schedule a tutor to visit your class and provide a five to ten-minute introduction to the Writing Center's tutoring services.
To schedule a presentation, visit the Writing Center website. Click on the "Request a Roadshow" button.
For more information about the Writing Center, check out the "For Faculty" section at writingcenter.gmu.edu.
Contact wcenter@gmu.edu with questions.
Arts, Media, and Design Internship and Career Fair
The Arts, Media, and Design Internship and Career Fair is coming up on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Concert Hall lobby. Mason students and alumni can meet with recruiters from more than 35 arts, media, and design employers in the D.C. region, including Live Nation, Wolf Trap, and more.
Registration is free, but required.
This event is offered as part of Creative Careers Week in partnership with University Career Services and the Department of Communication.
For more information, contact Ryan Braaten at rbraaten@gmu.edu or 703-993-8641.
DMV2Go on the Fairfax Campus
Take care of your Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles business at a convenient Mason location. DMV2Go will be on the Fairfax Campus on Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Merten Hall parking lot.
For a list of available services, visit the DMV2Go website. Check out the complete Fairfax Campus 2020 DMV2Go schedule.
Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.
Guaranteed Ride Home
If you are a faculty/staff member who bikes, carpools, vanpools, uses mass transit (i.e. bus, Metro), or walks to work at least two times per week, you always have a ride backup with Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH).
Sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, it’s free to sign up and free to use. Once you register, you can use GRH up to four times per year.
If a qualifying emergency arises, call Commuter Connections and they will arrange transportation for you (such as taxi, car rental, or transit). It is a good idea to sign up before you need it.
Conditions apply. For details and to register, visit transportation.gmu.edu/grh.
Vanpooling: I-66 Incentives and Free Commuting Options
Are you commuting on I-66 outside the Beltway? Traveling from Winchester, Front Royal, Haymarket, or other western locations?
Traffic on this corridor has been greatly impacted by the Transform 66 project. With road construction increasing, Mason employees need solutions.
Consider vanpooling. On Wednesday, Feb. 26, stop by Kiosk F in the Johnson Center from noon to 2 p.m., or the Sandy Creek Transit Center from 4 to 6 p.m. Representatives from Parking and Transportation and the I-66 project will be present to share information and help those interested sign up for a vanpool.
Financial incentives are available for full-time faculty and staff to vanpool through the Commuter Choice Program and Transform 66.
You might not be able to avoid heavy traffic, but you don’t always have to be driving!
Visit the Mason Transportation website for more information.
TOMS Shoes on Sale at the Bookstore, While Supplies Last
If you’re looking for a new pair of comfortable shoes, TOMS are currently 25 percent off at the Mason bookstore!
TOMS are available in an assortment of styles and colors at gmu.bncollege.com on in-store at the Johnson Center. This deal ends on February 29, or while supplies last.