Around Mason: Week of Oct. 27, 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.

Election Day Guidance

With Election Day around the corner, Human Resources and Payroll has provided Election Day guidance. Election Day is a state holiday for 2020.

With supervisor approval, an employee may use annual, family and personal, compensatory, recognition, or overtime leave to vote. If an employee does not wish to use leave to vote, we ask that supervisors are flexible with employee work schedules to allow time for employee voting. As long as the employee fulfills all the hours of their normal work schedule, the employee may vote before they come into work, vote at lunch, or come to work early in order to vote after work.

For more guidance on serving as an Officer of Election, including pay and training, volunteering on Election Day, and respecting political views in the workplace, review the Election Day guidance.

For questions, contact hr@gmu.edu.

(Virtual) Family Weekend 2020

While it’s not possible to hold Mason's traditional, in-person Family Weekend events, you can create your own Family Weekend experience!

Register for live events. Engage with Mason faculty and senior leaders from the comfort of your home.
Explore the Digital Activity Guides. Find local activities that are good for social distancing, dining, and shopping.
Snap a family photo with the Virtual Photobooth. Dress up and take pictures using the virtual photobooth and custom filters and frames. Post them on social media with hashtag #VFW20.
Mark our map. Tell us where you’re celebrating! Visit masonfamilyevents.gmu.edu, scroll to the bottom of the homepage, and click the "Mark Our Map" button.
Nominate your family for the Family of the Year Award. Applications are accepted until Nov. 6.

For more information on Family Weekend, visit MasonFamilyEvents.gmu.edu or contact New Student and Family Programs at families@gmu.edu or 703-993-2475.

Staff Senate Meeting: Mental Health and Resilience

The Staff Senate will host Katie Clare, associate director for resilience programs, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, for a conversation on mental health and resilience—topics that are especially important during the challenges of 2020. Katie will also share information about the Mental Health First Aid training and Resilience Badge programs available at Mason.

November Staff Senate Meeting: Mental Health and Resilience
Wednesday, Nov. 4
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
General meeting will follow from 11 a.m. to noon
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

All are welcome to attend the Staff Senate meeting. Contact staffsenate@gmu.edu for more information.

Career Night at Mason

Registration is now open for Career Night. Students can meet with employers during this virtual event. Career Night features two ways to connect with employers by video chat:

30-minute group sessions to ask general questions and learn more about an organization's hiring process; and
10-minute, one-on-one sessions to ask specific questions and express interest in their opportunities.

For more information, visit careers.gmu.edu.

Contact Bernadette Davey, University Career Services, with questions at bdavey@gmu.edu.

GRADReCon: Graduate Research Connections 2020

Graduate students can build their productivity, research, and writing skills at Graduate Research Connections (GRADReCon) on Oct. 29–30 from noon to 4:45 p.m.

Graduate Student Life and University Libraries have partnered with other offices to provide a day of workshops on topics essential to success in grad school.

For full details, including the schedule, visit infoguides.gmu.edu/gradrecon.

Contact gradlife@gmu.edu with questions.

Submit Textbook Orders to Bookstore

To ensure that students are able to purchase and receive textbooks and course materials prior to the start of spring semester, faculty need to submit their orders to the bookstore immediately. Some publishers are still experiencing shipping delays, which could impact students’ ability to be prepared for the semester.

Faculty should place book orders for all their courses through their departments. Individuals responsible for submitting department orders can do so through Faculty Enlight or by emailing bookstor@gmu.edu.

Contact bookstor@gmu.edu with questions.

Mason Shuttles Service and the Holidays

The last day of Mason Shuttles service during the fall semester is Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Since Mason is moving to a virtual environment after Thanksgiving, shuttle service will resume when the spring semester begins on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021.

The CUE bus is available on its regular schedule for transportation to Metro and within the City of Fairfax. Scheduling information is available at cuebus.org.

A reminder that there is no Mason Shuttles regional transportation this academic year for Thanksgiving or winter break (there is no spring break at Mason in 2021).

For questions, reach out to Parking and Transportation at shuttle@gmu.edu.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: featuring Michael Brown, piano

Chamber Music Society (CMS) of Lincoln Center
CMS Front Row: National
Michael Brown, piano
Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m.
Free, online event

This performance features pianist Michael Brown along with fellow CMS musicians in a program infused with passion and dance music by Barber and Mendelssohn, as well as a work composed by the pianist himself. The performance is hosted by CMS Co-Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han, who share insights on the music and performance.

Details for how to watch will be updated on the Center for the Arts website closer to the event date.

Deadline for Mandatory IT Security Awareness Training is Nov. 16

Information Technology Services (ITS) reminds employees that the deadline to complete the IT Security Awareness Training is Monday, Nov. 16.

The required training is assigned to employees in MasonLeaps. It can be accessed by logging in at masonleaps.gmu.edu using your NetID and Patriot Pass Password.

Select “IT Security Awareness Training” in the “Your Action Items” box to the right.

If you have issues accessing or taking the training, contact the ITS Support Center at 703-993-8870 or support@gmu.edu.

Records Management Fall Workshops

University Records Management is offering virtual workshops for staff and faculty throughout the fall, including:

Records Coordinator Training
Building Internal Records Policies and Practices
Quick Retention Review sessions focused on specific records types (such as academic and research records, human resources and fiscal records, and administrative and miscellaneous records).

University Records Management offers these workshop to assist the Mason community, as improper handling of university records can affect audits, accreditation, litigation, and more.

Each workshop is limited to 10 attendees. See dates, times, and register at gmu.libcal.com/calendar/events.

Contact recmgt@gmu.edu with questions.

Mindful Mason Moments

Don’t miss the opportunity to engage in some daily mindfulness through Mindful Mason Moments.

A variety of campus partners offer mindfulness practices Monday–Friday at noon. Sessions run for 30 minutes Monday–Thursday and for 20 minutes on Friday.

Each session is a single offering. Come to some sessions. Come to all sessions. Build a practice that works for you and give yourself these moments of self-care to help you keep going.

As of October, these sessions will be held via Zoom:
https://gmu.zoom.us/j/99936517619
Meeting ID: 999 3651 7619

Contact Katie Clare, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, at kclare@gmu.edu.

ITS to Host Reddit Thread

Information Technology Services (ITS) continues its observance of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with a live Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA).

The IT Security Office staff will be available to answer questions from 1 to 3 p.m. on u/gmu_it_security.

Special Four-Week Intro to Drawing Class for Adults

Are you looking for a new hobby to change up your work-from-home routine?

The Mason Community Arts Academy is offering a four-week, online Intro to Drawing class for art lovers of all levels. The class will focus on the proportion and placement of figure drawing. Students will learn fundamental drawing theory through interactive workshops, guided projects, and individualized coaching.

Intro to Drawing: Faces and Figures
Saturdays, Nov. 14 to Dec. 12
10 a.m. to noon
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Zoom

All Mason faculty, staff, and their immediate family members receive a 10 percent tuition discount. Contact academy@gmu.edu to receive the discount.

Learn more at masonacademy.gmu.edu/art/figure-drawing.

Capital Bikeshare Membership Raffle

Looking for a new way to get around? Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) may be a solution for you.

Mason Parking and Transportation is raffling off up to 30 complimentary annual memberships with Capital Bikeshare for Mason faculty and staff. The annual membership begins with the first CaBi bike ride.

Note: The value of the membership is $85, and due to IRS rules, recipients will be taxed on this amount through Payroll.

The Capital Bikeshare raffle is for Mason faculty and staff only. Parking and Transportation will accept names through Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 5 p.m. Winners will be notified by email after the drawing. To enter the raffle, visit surveymonkey.com/r/MasonCabiRaffle.

A reminder that all Mason students have an ongoing discount with CaBi. See details here.

Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions.

Expectant Fathers Needed for Psychology Research

Are you and your spouse or partner expecting? Your responses are needed for a study seeking to understand the family and work experiences of men before and after the birth of a child.

Participation involves completing four brief surveys that will be emailed to you. Participants who complete all surveys will be entered into a drawing for one of four gift cards worth $250.

If you are interested in participating or would like more information, visit workfamilystudy.com.

This research was approved by the Mason's Institutional Review Board (IRB #1651119-1). Contact Lydia Craig at lcraig3@gmu.edu with questions.

Route Planning: Biking to Mason

Live within biking distance of Mason? Planning a commute for this autumn or maybe next spring?

Volunteers are available to help find a biking route that is comfortable for you. For details and regions covered, visit Mason's Community Biking Resources page and scroll to the bottom.