Looking Ahead: Events for Mason Staff

March 2015

In this Issue . . .

• Message from the Staff Senate Chair

• March Staff Senate General Meeting to Highlight Recreation Options on Campus

• February Employee of the Month: Shams Bahabib

• Senator Highlight: Joe Hinrichs

• Spring into Well-Being

• Mason Advisor Certificate Program

• From Our Friends in Human Resources and Payroll

• Community Garden Opportunity for Staff Members/Organizations

• Comments, Concerns, Ideas? Share them!

Message from the Chair

Research Hall in the background on the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

March at Mason can be snowy, but with spring break, it is also a month of slowing down. For students, this is a time to recharge before the final half of the academic year. As a staff member, I always look forward to spring break as a time to take a breath and grab a Starbucks in less-than-normal wait times. …

March Staff Senate General Meeting to Highlight Recreation Options on Campus

Wednesday, March 4
12 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Fairfax Campus: Innovation Hall, Room 334
Arlington Campus: Founders Hall, Room B119 (videoconferenced)
Prince William Campus: Bull Run Hall, Room 254 (videoconferenced)

Guest Speakers: Connie Benson, Director of Recreation, Mason Recreation, and Amanda Meiklejohn, Recreation Program Manager and Camp Director, Freedom Center, will offer information about fitness and recreation …

February Employee of the Month: Shams Bahabib

President Ángel Cabrera presents the Employee of the Month award to Shams Bahabib at a ceremony at the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Alexis Glenn/Creative Services/George Mason University

A heartfelt congratulations to Shams Bahabib, Education Support Specialist in the Volgenau School of Engineering, for being selected as the February 2015 Employee of the Month award winner.

Read more about Shams in this Mason News article.

Do you know a superstar? Make sure he or she receives the deserved recognition and submit a nomination for Mason’s Employee of the …

Senator Highlight: Joe Hinrichs

Joe Hinrichs, Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS). Photo by Creative Services/George Mason University

Like many other staff members, I am a Mason alum. I completed both my bachelor's and M.P.A. at Mason. Before returning to Mason to become a staff member in the Environmental Health and Safety Office, I worked in a similar capacity with the U.S. House of Representatives. I welcomed the opportunity to come back to the university and contribute to …

Spring into Well-Being

Staff getting ready for the The inaugural Bunny Hop. Students and staff are welcome to join the festive and light-hearted walk, or hop, -in costumes- around Patriot Circle designed to spark joy and increase our innate sense of curiosity and play. Photo by Evan Cantwell/George Mason University

The second annual Spring into Well-Being, a celebration of well-being at Mason, will be held from March 19 - April 30. Spring into Well-Being is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Mason events that highlight a dimension of well-being (physical, career, social, community, psychological, and financial). Events are hosted by various Mason units, organizations, students, staff, faculty, and affiliates. Most events …

Mason Advisor Certificate (MAC) Program

New Century College advisers and faculty work with freshman on picking classes for the upcoming year during orientation. Photo by Craig Bisacre/Creative Services/George Mason University

Interested in completing the Mason Advisor Certificate (MAC) program? The MAC program is designed to provide a structured training process to enhance and develop the Mason academic advising experience. This six-module training series is intended for new and existing advisors. The program provides a cohesive curriculum centered around topics related to advising approaches, Mason policies and procedures, advising tools, …

From Our Friends in Human Resources and Payroll

Do You Have Your Financial Fitness Wrapped Up?
Join Human Resources and Payroll, our financial partners, and others with related expertise as we explore many different aspects of financial well-being including saving, investing, budgeting, retirement, individual planning, and more. Visit Financial Well-Being resources to register for on-site and videoconferenced classes. There are also online webinars and classes to watch …

Community Garden Opportunity for Staff Members/Organizations

GMU Organic Gardening Association students volunteer to manage and harvest healthy vegetables to donate and ditribute with local food banks and the campus community. Photo by Evan Cantwell/George Mason University

It’s not to late to apply to rent a community garden plot at Mason. Grow your own food, bond with your staff, learn useful new skills, and enjoy nutritious, sustainably-grown foods. The raised bed plots are four feet by eight feet in size, six inches tall, and located in the Potomac Heights Garden. The use of one plot costs $10 …

Comments, Concerns, Ideas? Share them!

The Staff Senate seeks your comments, concerns, and ideas about issues on campus important to you. We welcome all input. You may remain anonymous, but if you wish to have a response, please include your contact information.