Around Mason: Week of Sept. 29, 2020

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.

Fall Career Fair: Virtual Event Oct. 8–9

The Fall Career Fair is a university-wide event for organizations offering internships and full-time jobs. The fair is open to all Mason students and alumni. This year's fair will be virtual, using group video and text chat with employers.

Students must register to attend the fair and can research employers in Handshake.

Registration is open from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6. Visit careers.gmu.edu for details.

Staff Senate Meeting with President Washington

The Staff Senate will welcome President Gregory Washington as guest speaker at the October Staff Senate meeting.

October Staff Senate Meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 7
11 a.m. to noon
Staff Senate General meeting will precede from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Zoom Meeting: https://gmu.zoom.us/j/97615034925?pwd=dHhrSy9OeUxxMW1Ic2liV0F0czlmdz09
Passcode: SS123
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Webinar ID: 976 1503 4925 / Passcode: 572793

Staff may use this form to submit a question or comment for Dr. Washington. The senate is collecting all submissions in advance of the Oct. 7 session. Submit your question or comment for consideration by Friday, Oct. 2.

The Staff Senate represents all classified and non-student wage employees at George Mason University. Working closely with university administration, the senate addresses concerns that have an impact on the quality of work-life for the Mason community. The work of the senate is accomplished through open and continuous communication with its constituents.

Contact staffsenate@gmu.edu for more information.

Winter Wellness Flu Shot Clinic on Oct. 13

Mason's Winter Wellness Flu Shot Clinic will be held on the Fairfax Campus on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall.

Appointments will be required. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the flu shot clinic will follow all safety and social distancing protocols.

Find more information about getting your flu shot at Mason or off-campus.

Check out the FAQs. Contact worklife@gmu.edu.

Update Your Information in Patriot Web

Having correct and updated personal information in Patriot Web allows the university to communicate with you and your emergency contact, if needed.

Regularly update and/or ensure the following information is correct in Patriot Web:

  • Email Addresses
  • Phone Numbers
  • Street Addresses
  • Emergency Contacts
  • Chosen Name (optional)
  • Pronouns (optional)
  • Gender Identity (optional)

To update your information, log in to Patriot Web, select “Personal Information,” select “Personal Profile,” and then select the pencil icon below the information you would like to edit.

For updates to your legal name, ethnicity, and race, and for all associated questions, contact Human Resources and Payroll at hr@gmu.edu or 703-993-2600.

Hylton on the Hill Outdoor Performances

The Hylton Performing Arts Center is thrilled to welcome you to Hylton on the Hill, a new outdoor performance space with seating on a natural rise just behind the theater. Enjoy these performances in your own seating area, physically distanced from other audience members.

Charm City Junction
Sunday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m.
From dance-inducing Old Time rhythms and foot stomping Irish melodies to hard-driving Bluegrass, Baltimore-based acoustic roots quartet Charm City Junction creates a fresh soundscape that keeps listeners on the edge of their seats wondering where they'll go next.

Ranky Tanky
Sunday, Oct. 11, at 4 p.m.
Charleston-based quintet Ranky Tanky is about to bring an outdoor concert to the Hylton Center that’s part folk, part funk, and totally fearless.

The Queen's Cartoonists
Sunday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m.
With virtuosic musicianship, multi-instrumental mayhem, and large doses of comedy, The Queen’s Cartoonists will change the way your family sees (and hears) the Sunday funnies.

Tickets and information at HyltonCenter.org.

Mason Shuttles Announces Service Reductions

Service reductions on Mason Shuttles will go into effect in early October. The last day of regular fall service on all routes is Friday, Oct. 2. There is no weekend service on any route Oct. 3–4.

Shuttle service changes include:

  • Service on the Burke VRE and Sandy Creek to Metro routes ends on Friday, Oct. 2, until further notice. To travel to Vienna Metro, use the CUE bus, which remains on its regular schedule with departures from Rappahannock River Lane. For scheduling information, visit cuebus.org.
  • Beginning Monday, Oct. 5, shuttle service will only be available on the Fairfax/SciTech and Gunston Mason routes.
    • Fairfax/SciTech: No weekend service. Monday–Friday, service will be every 40 minutes beginning at 6 a.m. from Sandy Creek and Colgan Hall with four buses on the route.
    • Gunston Mason: No weekend service. Monday–Friday, some morning service is eliminated, but Gunston Mason will run with a single bus all day and evening.

Updated schedules for Fairfax/SciTech and Gunston Mason are available at shuttle.gmu.edu.

If you have any questions, reach out to Parking and Transportation at 703-993-2828 or shuttle@gmu.edu.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Information Technology Services (ITS) will observe Cybersecurity Awareness Month with activities to encourage online security.

Follow ITS @GeorgeMasonITS on Twitter for tips and information about how to stay safe online.

ITS will also host two Zoom sessions with IT Security leaders and an Ask Me Anything thread on Reddit.

Patriots are encouraged to do their part and be cyber smart. For details about these events during the month, visit the ITS website.

Return Bin at Arlington Campus Library

Students, staff, and faculty may now return library materials using an outdoor drop box on the Arlington Campus. The box is located on Founders Plaza, directly to the left of the front doors of Van Metre Hall.

Only items from the George Mason University Libraries and the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) will be accepted. Do not return Law Library or Arlington Public Library materials to this bin.

Contact the Arlington Campus Library at 703-993-8188 or acl@gmu.edu with questions.

Teaching Online? Get Help from Stearns Center Digital Learning

Stearns Center Digital Learning is expanding its virtual resources to help faculty face new teaching challenges, connect with peers, and extend understanding of effective strategies for online teaching and learning.

Subscribe to the Online Teaching Newsletter to receive tips, guidance, and resources concerning specific online teaching topics throughout the fall semester.

Check the Consultations, Trainings, and Webinars page for more opportunities to improve online teaching and learning.

Questions? Contact Stearns Center at stearns@gmu.edu.

Seminar: Race, the Origin Story of the Criminal Legal System, and the Future of Reform

Join Mason's Human Rights and Global Justice Initiative for an upcoming seminar:

Race, the Origin Story of the Criminal Legal System, and the Future of Reform
Thursday, Oct. 8
4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Keynote speaker Parisa Deghani-Tafti is the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church.

Following the keynote, small breakout sessions will focus on these topics:

  • Racial Justice
  • Legal Reform and Restorative Justice
  • Domestic and International Activism
  • Change-Making and Well-Being

A Zoom link for this virtual event will be sent upon registration. Learn more and register at go.gmu.edu/HumanRights-Justice.

For more information on this multi-department, collaborative event, contact Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron at gmccarron@gmu.edu.

Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group

Inspired by mass actions and worldwide protests demanding racial justice this year, the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Arts in Context is continuing the Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group this fall.

The group will meet virtually every Friday from Oct. 2 to Nov. 20 (except Oct. 9) from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Visit cvpa.gmu.edu/events/arts-context for details. All are welcome to participate.