Join Dr. Beth Cabrera for Well-Being on the Waves, a wellness program on board a Princess Cruise ship!
The motto of Princess Cruises is “Come Back New.” This special departure, organized through Mason Cultural Tours, is open to the public.
Mason staff are encouraged to join the group! Travel to Barcelona, Cartagena, Marseille, Genoa, Pisa, Florence, and Rome.
For more information, contact Rita Rowand at rrowand[email protected] or 703-993-5146.
The Staff Senate will host two exciting guest speakers at the December general meeting:
Wednesday, December 7
12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Fairfax: Research Hall, Room 163
Arlington: Founders Hall, Room B119 (video-conferenced)
SciTech: Bull Run Hall, Room 254 (video-conferenced)
Shernita Parker will speak from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Staff Senate will conduct its general meeting from 12:30 to 1 p.m. President Cabrera will speak and answer questions from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Submit your questions for our guest speakers:
To promote a dialog at the Staff Senate general meetings, the Senate is collecting questions from constituents. This is your opportunity to ask university leadership about things that are important to you as Mason staff! Submit your question in advance using the online submission form or email your question to [email protected]. You may include your name, or you may ask to remain anonymous.
Staff Senate reserves the right to determine which questions are asked during the meeting. Any selected questions that are not asked during the session due to time constraints will be emailed to the guest speaker, and the responses will be published in the Staff Senate newsletter at a later date.
All who attend the Staff Senate general meeting are welcome to ask questions in-person, during the session.
For questions, contact [email protected].
Heartfelt congratulations to Lindsey Olson, administrative assistant in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism, for being selected as the November 2016 Employee of the Month award winner. Lindsey is also a Staff Senator! Read more about Lindsey 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 Month. Additional information can be found on the Human Resources and Payroll awards page.
Contact Reward and Recognition at [email protected] with questions.
The November 2016 Staff Senate Newsletter is now available!
If I had one message to send, it would be the following: Speak up! There are several opportunities coming in the next few months to speak up on behalf of yourself and other staff.
On Wednesday, November 2, Provost Wu and Senior Vice President Davis will host a Budget Town Hall. This will be an opportunity to engage and discuss issues pertaining to the state of the university. The Staff Senate will be taking questions to ask anonymously, so send them on! We are happy to ask the tough questions.
Next month, we will host President Cabrera at the Staff Senate meeting to discuss a wide range of topics. Again, we will be glad to ask questions on behalf of other staff members. This meeting is open to all and we would be happy to see more staff attend! Questions can be submitted anonymously using our online contact form. Again, we urge you to use us as your voice.
The Staff Senate will also host Shernita Parker from Human Resources, Training and Organizational Development, to speak on topics such as workplace bullying at our meeting on December 7.
There is a lot coming up, and I hope you’ll be able to attend a meeting or to stop by and discuss any issues you might have. We are here to advocate for you!
Nicole Roth
Chair, Staff Senate
[email protected]
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Academic Affairs (CHSS UAA) and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will host Dog Day on Tuesday, November 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. between the Johnson Center and David King Hall.
Therapy dogs will be on site to provide students (and faculty and staff) with some animal therapy. Even if you do not like dogs, you will leave this event with a smile!
This event will kick-off CHSS UAA’s Month of Giving to Mason’s Pop-Up Pantry. Donations can be made on November 1, or throughout the month, in Mason Hall, Room D217.
Questions may be directed to Katie Clare at [email protected].
The Staff Senate is pleased to announce the 2016 Outstanding Supervisor Award winners. Chosen from a competitive pool of nominees, the two winners exemplify outstanding leadership skills and embody the Mason spirit:
Eileen Kennedy is an encouraging, supportive, and exemplary supervisor. She sets standards for her staff about taking leave, taking advantage of Mason’s unique benefits, and encouraging work-life balance both in how she manages and by example. One of her nominators, Emily Robinson, appreciates that Eileen “encouraged and provided incentives for us to enroll in courses, not only those which would directly benefit our work, but also those which would provide a creative or physical outlet.”
Eileen also ensures that staff have the abilities and opportunities to grow and tackle both work and life. According to Jacqueline Connor, another of Eileen’s nominators, Eileen is “always encouraging staff to take advantage of professional education opportunities,” while also ensuring that “employees can work from home as needed to deal with life issues.”
Eileen welcomes ideas and suggestions from her staff to improve the way they accomplish their goals. Jacqueline Connor praises her for taking suggestions that are not traditionally utilized in fundraising, making their processes and events more successful. Emily Robinson goes on to say that Eileen’s management approach retains employees much longer than is typical in development work.
John Kettlewell leads his staff by example, encouraging the sharing of ideas and working together toward shared goals. John also urges his staff to take the time they need to achieve a harmonious work-life balance. One of his key methods is being a team-player, and inspiring others to do the same. When he finds a tool or an idea that is helpful to his organization, he shares that with other organizations. Many other offices, such as Auxiliary Enterprises, Fiscal Services, School of Business, and University Life have adopted some of the tools and ideas John’s team has implemented.
One of John’s nominators, Teresa Gibbons, says, “John encourages us to look past differences and to focus on the big picture to find solutions that will benefit our students, faculty, staff, and the entire university.” In addition to professional successes, John stresses the importance of work-life balance. Teresa states, “John makes it very clear that family is the most important thing, and that the Mason family understands that.” He insists that staff adjust their schedules and take the time off they need to deal with issues outside of work.
Eileen Kennedy and John Kettlewell will be formally recognized at Mason’s Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony on November 3. Nicole Roth, Chair of the Staff Senate, will present these awards on behalf of the Staff Senate.
The Staff Senate would like to recognize all who were nominated for their outstanding contributions supervising Mason staff:
Staff Senate General Meeting
Wednesday, November 2
12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Fairfax: Merten Hall, Room 1201
Arlington: Founders Hall, Room 322 (video-conferenced)
SciTech: Bull Run Hall, Room 254 (video-conferenced)
The Staff Senate will not host any guest speakers at the November General Meeting, due to the Budget Town Hall Meeting scheduled to occur at 1 p.m. that day. The Staff Senate will hold its General Meeting, to conduct Senate business, from 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2.
Staff Senators and all Mason staff are encouraged to attend the Budget Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, November 2, at 1 p.m.
Provost and Executive Vice President S. David Wu and Senior Vice President Jennifer (J.J.) Wagner Davis will host a Budget Town Hall on Wednesday, November 2, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Johnson Center Cinema.
Provost Wu and Senior Vice President Davis will discuss financial, operational, and research activities.
After the presentation, the floor will be open for questions. The Town Hall may be accessed as follows:
Mason’s Center for Psychological Services invites members of the Mason community to participate in free, upcoming webinars on the topic of positive parenting:
For questions, contact the Center for Psychological Services at [email protected] or 703-993-1370.
