Mason Staff Senate
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June 2017

No CWB Yoga for Well-Being this Summer Term

Students participate in outdoor Yoga. Photo by Will Martinez/Creative Services/George Mason University.

Due to scheduling and room availability conflicts, the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being will not be able to run the free weekly Yoga for Well-Being practice at noon at the JC Dance Studio over the summer term.

We WILL be running it during the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 terms! (Mondays and Thursdays 12-1pm in the JC Dance Studio beginning Monday, August 28th.)

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing you in the Fall!

Categories
June 2017

May Employee of the Month: Aziza Noory

Aziza Noory, Employee of the Month recipient ceremony, May 2017, poses with President Ángel Cabrera. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

Heartfelt congratulations to Aziza Noory, Enterprise Center’s client support coordinator, for being selected as the May 2017 Employee of the Month. Read more about Molly in this Mason News article.

Do you know a superstar? Make sure they receive the deserved recognition, and submit a nomination for Mason’s Employee of the Month. Additional information can be found on the Human Resources and Payroll awards page.

Contact Reward and Recognition at [email protected] with questions.

Categories
June 2017

Staff Senate Election Nomination Period

Becoming a Mason Staff Senator is a great way to get involved with the university community and have an impact on your workplace. The Senate provides many opportunities to learn about how the university works and network with administrators and staff members outside your unit.

The Senate accepts nominations each June, and elections are held in July. Terms begin in August and are for two years. 2017 dates are below:

  1. Nominations accepted Monday, June 12 through Friday, June 23, 5:00 pm
  2. Elections held Monday, July 10 through Friday, July 21, 5:00 pm

The Staff Senate nomination form can be found here: Nomination Form 2017 (Word Format). Completed forms are due to the Staff Senate administrative assistant on Friday, June 23, by 5:00 pm.  All nominations must be submitted                                                                         electronically to [email protected].

If you have any questions about the responsibilities of being a senator, please contact Megan Kirk, Staff Senate chair. For questions about the nomination or election process, please contact Amanda Corrigan, Staff Senate administrative assistant, at [email protected].

Categories
June 2017

Libraries – New drop off box for Fenwick, Construction Notice

Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services/George Mason University

New Drop Off Box Location

There is a new drop box option. It is in the lobby of Fenwick which is open Sunday at 10am and closes Friday at 10pm and is open Saturday 10am to 10pm. 

Law Library Construction Notice

Due to construction, the Scalia School of Law Library will be closed to the public beginning June 1, 2017.

  •         Only Mason students, faculty, staff, and law school alumni may use the Law Library
  •         Mason ID will be required

The Law Library will re-open to the public when construction is complete. Your patience is appreciated while the Law Library is improved.

Questions? Please contact the Law Library Circulation Desk at 703-993-8120 or visit the Law Library website.

Categories
June 2017

Prospective Staff Senator Information Session

Interested in becoming a Mason Staff Senator? Want to learn about how the university functions from a new perspective, network across departments, and contribute to the well being of your colleagues?

The Staff Senate will hold an information session and discussion for Mason staff who are interested in learning about the nomination and election process, the work of the senate and what senators do.  During the presentation, you will learn about the structure of the senate, how committees work, the time commitment expected of senators, and meet-and-greet with current representatives.

No registration is necessary.

The Staff Senate will hold the Staff Senate Information Session on

Wednesday, June 7 12:00-12:30 pm, during the first half hour of the June Staff Senate General Meeting.  

You are welcome to stay for the Staff Senate Business Meeting which follows the information session at 12:30pm.   The event will take place on the Fairfax campus in Merten Hall 1201 and will be video conferenced to Arlington, Founders Hall B119, and Science and Technology, Bull Run Hall 254.  

If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Corrigan at [email protected].

Categories
May 2017

May Staff Senate Meeting: Dr. Ángel Cabrera

President Ángel Cabrera. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

You are invited to attend when Dr. Cabrera meets with the Staff Senate on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 1:00 pm-2:00 pm. 

Fairfax: Innovation Hall, 334
Arlington: Founders Hall, Room B119 (video-conferenced)
SciTech: Bull Run Hall, Room 254 (video-conferenced)

Questions for our guest speaker:

This is your opportunity to ask university leadership about things that are important to you as Mason staff! All who attend the Staff Senate general meeting are welcome to ask questions in-person, during the session.

Categories
May 2017

April Employee of the Month: Molly Baldovin

Molly Baldovin, Employee of the Month Ceremony. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

Heartfelt congratulations to Molly Baldovin, assistant to the director and marketing coordinator at the School of Music, for being selected as the April 2017 Employee of the Month. Read more about Molly in this Mason News article.

Do you know a superstar? Make sure they receive the deserved recognition, and submit a nomination for Mason’s Employee of the Month. Additional information can be found on the Human Resources and Payroll awards page.

Contact Reward and Recognition at [email protected] with questions.

Categories
May 2017

From our Friends in HR

Financial Well-Being: Next Steps – Plan for Your Retirement – Wednesday, May 3

If you’re planning to retire within the next 5 years, please join HR & Payroll for the spring Next Steps: Plan for Your Retirement seminar on Wednesday, May 3 from 9:00 am – 12:30 pm in Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall South. This half-day seminar will cover Social Security, Medicare, state health insurance for retirees and information about the retirement plans; VRS, TIAA, and Fidelity. To register, please visit the Next Steps registration page. For questions, and special accommodations, please contact [email protected] or 3-2600. Please note this year’s spring seminar will be a half-day on the technical aspects of retirement planning. They will have a more expanded, full-day seminar in the fall.

Physical and Financial Well-Being: Update on Open Enrollment for Health Benefits and Flexible Spending Accounts

Open enrollment for health benefits and flexible spending accounts runs from May 1-May 15, 2017.  A communication is sent by mail from the Commonwealth’s Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) to your home address.  Please check the Benefits site at http://hr.gmu.edu/benefits; they will update it as open enrollment information is available.

Financial Well-Being: Get Your Competition On With TIAA’s Square Up Your Savings

Sign up to play TIAA’s “Square Up Your Savings” through May 5.  You don’t have to be a TIAA member to participate; all faculty and staff are eligible. Square Up Your Savings is an online game to build your financial knowledge with 10 missions that highlight savings education.  Did we mention that there’s a chance for faculty/staff to win a prize?  Visit the HR & Payroll homepage at http://hr.gmu.edu for details.

Community Well-Being: Westminster School/George Mason Collaboration Merit Scholarship

The Mason/Westminster School scholarship deadline has been extended to May 15 for the academic year beginning Fall 2017. In collaboration with George Mason University, Westminster School is offering a scholarship opportunity to the children/grandchildren of Mason faculty and staff. The renewable Merit Scholarship is in the amount of $8,000 per year, and is open to students entering grades 3 – 7. The potential value of the scholarship totals $48,000. Westminster School is an independent school located in Annandale, VA just minutes from the beltway. For more information please visit the Westminster Merit Scholarship page, schedule a visit to the school, or contact Nancy Schuler at [email protected].

Community Well-Being: DMV2Go in Fairfax,  May 16

Take care of your Department of Motor Vehicle needs at a convenient Mason location!  DMV2Go will be on the Fairfax campus in the Merten Hall parking lot from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm on Tuesday, May 16 (last time until August).  For the full 2017 schedule, please visit DMV2Go Mason Schedule.

Reminder – Career Well-Being: Payroll Drop-In Meetings

Whatever your payroll-related question, join HR & Payroll at their monthly Payroll Drop-In meeting.  No need to RSVP or register, just drop by Merten Hall, Room 4104 between noon and 2pm (inside the HR & Payroll office) on the dates below.

  • Friday, May 19
  • Wednesday, June 21

If you have any questions about the meetings, please contact Catalina Wheat at [email protected]

Who’s Walking Wednesday?

Everyone has a standing (or a walking) invitation to join your colleagues for a 30-minute campus walk every Wednesday at noon in Arlington, Fairfax, and SciTech.  It’s also an opportunity to “exercise your leadership” and sign up to be a walk leader.  Visit http://hr.gmu.edu/worklife/lunch and scroll to Who’s Walking Wednesday for details.

Share Your Thoughts: Spring into Well-Being

Spring into Well-Being 2017 ran from March 20 through April 28 and there were a host of terrific opportunities to celebrate well-being opportunities at Mason.  The planning committee welcomes your thoughts on this celebration and awareness campaign via a short (2-3 minute) survey at http://baseline.campuslabs.com/gmu/siwb2017.

Spring into Well-Being and Mason’s Well-Being University initiative are dedicated to helping faculty, staff, students, and alumni build lives of vitality, purpose, resilience, and engagement.  For more information on Mason’s Well-Being University initiative, please see wbu.gmu.edu.

Categories
May 2017

Staff Senate Election Nomination Period

Becoming a Mason Staff Senator is a great way to get involved with the university community and have an impact on your workplace. The Senate provides many opportunities to learn about how the university works and network with administrators and staff members outside your unit.

The Senate accepts nominations each June, and elections are held in July. Terms begin in August and are for two years. 2017 dates are below:

  1. Nominations accepted Monday, June 12 through Friday, June 23, 5:00 pm
  2. Elections held Monday, July 10 through Friday, July 21, 5:00 pm

The Staff Senate nomination form can be found here: Nomination Form 2017 (Word Format). Completed forms are due to the Staff Senate administrative assistant on Friday, June 23, by 5:00 pm.  All nominations must be submitted electronically to [email protected].

If you have any questions about the responsibilities of being a senator, please contact Megan Kirk, Staff Senate chair. For questions about the nomination or election process, please contact Amanda Corrigan, Staff Senate administrative assistant, at [email protected].

Categories
May 2017

“West Campus” Vision Save the Date

Join us for a conversation about the future of one of George Mason University’s greatest assets.

George Mason University is the largest public research university in Virginia, and it continues to grow. University officials wish to explore options for the future uses of the adjacent “West Campus,” Mason’s Fairfax land west of Route 123.

We would like to hear your ideas for how this space should evolve in the short and long terms. Please join fellow citizens and university, business and government leaders May 22–24 for a strategic campus-planning workshop to share your vision for Mason’s West Campus.

The schedule for the workshop is listed below:

Monday, May 22, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Introduction and Background
  • Mason President Ángel Cabrera’s remarks
  • Keynote speaker
  • Small group working sessions

Tuesday, May 23, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Presentation of initial findings
  • Open house for comments and feedback

Wednesday, May 24, Noon to 4 p.m.

  • Overview of days one and two
  • Presentation of preferred scheme
  • Discussion of implementation

For more information, visit the website. For questions, contact Traci Kendall at [email protected] or 703-993-8846.