Mason Staff Senate

Mason Staff Lifeguards Save A Young Life

President Ángel Cabrera presents Presidential Citations to two Freedom Center lifeguards Robert Farrow (L) and Jeff Phillips who rescued a child.
President Ángel Cabrera presents Presidential Citations to two Freedom Center lifeguards Robert Farrow (L) and Jeff Phillips who rescued a child.

While we think ALL Mason staff are superheros, lifeguards Robert Farrow and Jeff Phillips really are!  Read more about their heroic efforts in this Mason News article.

 

 

Senator Highlight: Amanda Corrigan

Assistant to the Directors, School of Art
Amanda Corrigan Assistant to the Directors, School of Art

I earned my M.A. in Arts Management and Graduate Certificate in Special Events Management in the Arts from Mason in 2012. I also began working at the university in 2012. Prior to working at Mason, I worked for Northern Virginia Community College, Manassas, as an Event Coordinator. I have an undergraduate degree in dance and have performed in the DMV area with numerous dance companies. My favorite experience was dancing at Busch Gardens, Europe in Williamsburg, VA, as an entertainer in the Festhaus.

I joined the Staff Senate because I want to be involved in the larger scope of the University, serve as an advocate for staff, and be involved in planning campus-wide events. I also wanted to serve as a representative for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, specifically for the School of Art, since there are no other staff members from my unit currently serving. While on Staff Senate, I previously chaired the Awards Committee. I currently serve as a co-chair for the Events Committee. We plan two Coffee Klatches each year to appreciate the staff at Mason. The event includes breakfast, a photo booth, information fair, a raffle, along with different surprises each year! This year, we look forward to our special guest, Lucy, Mason’s first K9 officer!

Outside of work, I enjoy being outdoors, visiting national parks, and hiking. I also enjoy cooking and baking, and am always experimenting with healthy recipes. For the past two years, I have been a Washington Redskins Cheerleader and a fitness competitor.

Summer 2014 Staff Appreciation Coffee Klatch

Summer 2014 Coffee Klatch CORRECTEDThe Mason Staff Senate is delighted to host the Summer 2014 Staff Appreciation Coffee Klatch, honoring the hard work of Mason classified and nonstudent wage employees. Activities include:

  • breakfast with expanded gluten-free options,
  • beach-themed photo booth,
  • raffle prizes,
  • departmental info fair,
  • voting to fill staff senator seats for the upcoming term,
  • used professional clothing drive,
  • visit from Gunston, Mason green and fuzzy former Mascot, and
  • special guest, Lucy, Mason’s first K9 officer.

The Coffee Klatch will be held in:

Arlington, Monday, July 7, 9:30-11:00 am, Founders Hall 125

Prince William, Thursday, July 10, 9:30 – 11:00 am, Bull Run Hall Atrium

Fairfax, Wednesday, July 16, 9:30 – 11:30 am, Patriot Lounge, Sub I

While attending, tag your photos on Facebook or Twitter with #GMUstaff for a chance to win one of the great raffle prizes. Can’t attend? Tag an image of what you’re doing during the event time to enter the drawing, held the week of July 21.

Download a flyer for the Summer 2014 Coffee Klatch here!

No registration is necessary, but bring your Mason ID and/or Mason business card for entrance. For additional information or if you have questions, contact Kathrin Breitt Brown, kbreittb@gmu.edu or 3.4141.

 

Looking Ahead: Events for Mason Staff, June 2014

From our Friends in Human Resources and Payroll

It’s a busy month in Human Resources and Payroll!

National Employee Wellness Month (NEWM)

Mason is a proud supporter of National Employee Wellness Month.  This June we are saying “YES!” to healthier habits!  Visit the Wellness by Mason website for wellness opportunities.

Featured Opportunity: #1: Resolution Solution Fitness Challenge – Sprint

Join MasonRec for the Resolution Solution Fitness Challenge- Sprint in honor of National Employee Wellness Month. The 4-week department challenge will begin on June 1 and run through June 29. The program is designed to encourage friendly competition between departments while providing an incentive for regular exercise. Select a team representative to register your department to competeagainst other departments of George Mason University. The team representative must send your department name, total number of participants (no more than 30) and department representative/point of contact information to Ethan Carter at ecarter8@gmu.edu.

Featured Opportunity #2:  Who’s Walking Wednesday?

Wellness by Mason is delighted to share “Who’s Walking Wednesday?,” a wellness opportunity to lead a walk on the Fairfax campus each Wednesday at noon.  Signing up to lead a walk is easy.  Visit http://mysignup.com/walkingwednesdaygmu and select an open Wednesday.  Read what you’re agreeing to, click on the “I’ll be there” box, fill out the form and you will be a leader in contributing to Mason’s well-being!

If you would like to start a “Who’s Walking Wednesday?” (or Thursday or any day!) at your campus or educational site, please email us at worklife@gmu.edu and we’ll help you get started.

Faculty and Staff Professional Development Recognition Ceremony

The Faculty and Staff Professional Development Recognition Ceremony will take place on June 19 at 10:00 am in Harris Theater. Approximately 130 employees will be recognized by HR & Payroll and President Cabrera for completing various certificate programs including the Customer Service Certificate Program: General, Advanced, and Subject Matter Expert; Administrative Professionals Certificate Program; and New SUPERvisor Series. New programs being recognized this year include the HR Liaisons Certificate Program and the Mason Advisors Certificate Program, which was created throughout a partnership between the Mason Academic Advisor Network and HR’s Learning and Professional Development team

Financial Well Being: Individual Retirement Counseling Sessions

Healthy finances are a cornerstone of your own personal well-being.  It’s always important to be saving for your longer term goals – retiring student debt, buying a car or home, saving for the kid’s or grandkid’s college education, and the big one ….. retirement.  No matter your age, retirement is one of everyone’s long term financial goals.  To help you with your plans, take advantage of individual retirement counseling sessions offered by TIAA-CREF and Fidelity on campus.  For dates and times, please visit the Benefits website.

The New Fiscal Year is Almost Here: Some Reminders

Please remind your faculty and staff that if they have a dependent care or medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for plan year 2013-2014, they must incur eligible expenses by June 30, 2014 to be reimbursed. Additionally, the new fiscal year may impact net paychecks due to changes in optional life insurance premiums and increases in health insurance premiums including any open enrollment changes made.

Additional information is available on the Benefits homepage.

Reminder: Mason Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship

Are your faculty or classified staff pursuing a degree at Mason? Mason is again offering a competitive $250 book scholarship created with the $25,000 endowment received from TIAA-CREF’s 2010 Raise the Rate contest. The deadline is Monday, June 16 and applying is easy. For details, please visit the Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship FAQ and the Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship Application.

Contributions to the book scholarship foundation account are always welcome. Just head out to http://giving.gmu.edu, click on the “Give Now” tab, select “Other established fund” and fill in account #160013, Raise the Rate.

Congratulations to Senator Graduates!

A hearty congratulations to Staff Senators earning degrees this spring:

Lindsey Lowenberg
Marit Majeske
Dean Naldrett
Lindsey Lowenberg,MA, International Commerce and Policy Marit Majeske, MA, Arts Management with a Graduate Certificate in Public Relation and Marketing in the Arts Dean Naldrett, BS, Health Administration/Health Systems Management

Summer Dining Hours on Campus

The Bistro, Southside, Pilot House, and SMSC will be closed (or only open for camps and conferences) for the summer, but there are still plenty of places to get a bite to eat if you know where to look. Summer Dining Hours of Operation can keep you well informed.

Join the Staff Senate: Nominations and Elections Coming Soon

Staff Senate Ask Me Button WRBecoming a staff senator is a great way to get involved with the university community and to have an impact beyond your workplace. The senate provides numerous opportunities to learn how the university functions from a variety of perspectives and to network with administrators and staff members outside your unit.

The Senate accepts nominations each June, and elections are held in July. Two-year terms begin in August. 2014 dates are below:

  • Nominations accepted Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 20, 5:00 pm
  • Elections held Monday, July 7 through Friday, July 18, 5:00 pm

Read more about becoming a staff senator here.

Staff Senate June General Meeting

Wednesday, June 4, 2014
12:00 – 2:00 pm

The Staff Senate June general meeting will feature guest speaker Jennifer (J.J.) Wagner Davis, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, who will discuss changes at Mason including construction, policies, University Process Improvement Council updates, Mason Matters and more.

The guest speaker begins at noon, followed by time for constituents to take the microphone to express their concerns or accolades. The business meeting begins at 1:00 pm. All are welcome, and registration is not necessary.

Meeting will be held on the Fairfax campus in the Innovation Hall 334; Arlington, Founders Hall B119; Prince William, Bull Run Hall 254; and Front Royal, Academic 219

May Employee of the Month: Tabitha Wells

Congratulations to Tabitha Wells, office coordinator for the Center for International Student Access (CISA), the May employee of the Month!  Described as “uplifting,” “integral” and “a joy to work with,” it’s staff members like Tabitha who make Mason a great place to work. Read more about Tabitha in this Mason News Article.

Employee of the Month ceremony
Tabitha Wells, May Employee of the Month