Mason Staff Senate

Author: Amanda Corrigan

Meet Hannah King, Staff Senator and Communications Manager, College of Education and Human Development  

Role: I’m the Communications Manager for the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). This includes managing all of our internal communications, flagship social media channels, working with the central George Mason communications team, and overseeing all of our communications projects including written pieces, photography, and videos.   

George Mason journey: I started at George Mason in January 2022 as a part-time Communications and Events Specialist in the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management within CEHD. This was my first job after college, and I primarily worked on current student programming and communications within this role. During the spring 2022 semester, I partnered with our CEHD Student & Academic Affairs team to plan our CEHD Degree Celebration as we didn’t have anyone in that role at the time, and this helped familiarize myself with George Mason processes and teams, while learning more about our college. After the Degree Celebration, I was promoted into a full-time Communications and Event Coordinator role within the college and worked in that role for around a year before moving into my current role. I’ve had a lot of amazing opportunities for professional and personal growth during my time at George Mason, and I look forward to continuing my journey here.

Best thing about working George at Mason:  I believe the best part of working at George Mason is the community. I’m so fortunate to have an amazing team where I learn something new every day. There are so many wonderful people here, and it’s a place where various perspectives and voices are included and valued.

Why serve on the Staff Senate: I wanted to serve on the Staff Senate because I believe it’s important to advocate for staff voices and ensure we are a part of the decision-making process. I also want to give back to the community and help cultivate an inclusive, welcoming culture.

At the end of the day: I believe we are stronger when we work together. When we support one another and work together, we create a stronger culture and an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and ready to continue making George Mason a place where people want to come to work and go to learn.

March General Meeting Recordings

Charles “Cully” Stimson, Rector Board of Visitors. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/ George Mason University

The March General Meeting featured guest speaker Charles “Cully” Stimson, rector, George Mason University. During the general business meeting, there was a brief presentation regarding the Budget Model Redesign.

If you missed the session, you may review the recordings below:

April General Meeting Announcement

In honor of Earth Month, the Staff Senate April General Meeting will feature guest speaker Greg Farley, director, University Sustainability. Greg will share updates on current initiatives in University Sustainability.

Sonya Howell, director of payroll, Fiscal Services, will join the Staff Senate during the General Business Meeting Constituent Time to discuss the tax implications surrounding the Employee Tuition Exemption Benefit.

Wednesday, April 2
10 to 11 a.m. – Guest Speaker, Greg Farley
11 a.m. to noon – Business Meeting
(Special Presentation on the Employee Tuition Exemption Benefit at 11:45 a.m. )

Constituents may attend in person in Merten Hall, Room 1201, or join the meeting via Zoom*.
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Meeting ID: 931 0040 3860 / Passcode: 621190
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The Staff Senate represents all classified and non-student wage employees at George Mason University. Working closely with university administration, we address concerns that have an impact on the quality of work-life for the George Mason community. The work of the senate is accomplished through open and continuous communication with its constituents.

*The Staff Senate is requiring that virtual attendees join our Staff Senate General Meetings with their Patriot Pass credentials. If you are already signed into Zoom using your George Mason-licensed Zoom account, you should not see a difference. If you are not already signed into your George Mason-licensed Zoom account, you will be told authentication is required to join, and prompted to sign in. For more information, please access our helpful FAQ document.

 

Nominations for the Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations Open Through March 19 

The Jack Wood Award highlights the outstanding contributions of faculty, staff, students, businesses/not-for-profits, community members, and elected officials/staff who demonstrate leadership in fostering mutually beneficial relationships between the university and the community. This illustrious distinction honors former Mayor Jack Wood, who played an instrumental role in establishing George Mason in Fairfax and establishing Town-Gown relations between the university and the community. Awardees will be notified by April 1. The Board of Visitors will honor awardees on May 1. 

 

Nominations are due by March 19. Self-nominations are welcome. Community relations/outreach professionals are not eligible. Questions? Contact Traci Kendall. 

 

ProjectConnect

Make meaningful connections and expand your social circle at George Mason for well-being, with ProjectConnect! You’ll meet in a small group online for five 1-hour sessions on Wednesdays at noon (starting March 26) and engage in a series of thought-provoking questions and fun activities.

ProjectConnect helps faculty and staff build a stronger community and enhance workplace well-being at Mason. Faculty and staff who participate in ProjectConnect will meet in groups of 4 to 6 participants for five 1-hour sessions and engage in a series of thought-provoking questions and fun activities.

Learn more and register by March 19.

Manager Meetup: Strategies for Success with Staff Evaluations

Engaging in performance management as a supervisor comes with great responsibility and commitment to the growth and development of the staff members supervised. As George Mason University professional staff prepare for the launch of the self-evaluation in mid-February and the performance evaluation meetings with supervisors, it is critical for supervisors to begin to prepare the drafting and delivery of staff evaluations.

On Thursday, February 27, from 2:00 p.m. -3:00 p.m., Supervision Collective invites all current and aspiring supervisors to virtually attend February’s Manager Meetup, Forward Thinking as a Supervisor: Strategies for Success Managing Staff Evaluations. This interactive session will discuss strategies and actions to set you and your staff up for success throughout the performance evaluation process. We will be highlighting resources provided by George Mason Human Resources, tools to help organize your feedback, and space to share practices you have found helpful to use in this process.

Register for the session.

The Support Group for Working Mothers at George Mason Spring Meetings

The Support Group for Working Mothers at George Mason is one way faculty, staff, and students can come together, discuss the issues confronting working mothers, and perhaps motivate changes on campus. The spring network meetings kicked off on January 22, so if you are interested in sharing stories and being part of an informal organization of working mothers, please join us!  You can visit our website for meeting dates and additional information.

We are featuring a couple of guest speakers this semester:

  • Shira Kulok, Director of George Mason’s Child Development Center on February 20
  • Emily McDermott, Podcast Host and Decluttering Coach on March 19
  • We offer a variety of virtual, hybrid, and in-person formats to offer flexibility to George Mason moms who juggle working, learning, and parenting. You can also find the Support Group for Working Mothers at George Mason on Microsoft Teams.

Updates from ITS

Managed Windows Systems Upgrades Underway

Microsoft will end support of Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. ITS has begun gradually upgrading managed systems to Windows 11. As a reminder, users can self-upgrade their systems at any time through Software Center. If your system does not support Windows 11, please coordinate with your department to receive a new device. For more information, see the Windows 11 Roadmap.

 New Zoom Security Measures Coming May 2025

On Friday, May 16, 2025, ITS will implement a new security measure requiring all Zoom meetings to use a waiting room, passcode, or authentication for entry. If you currently have a Zoom meeting scheduled on or after the implementation date with no security measure in place, a waiting room will automatically be added to your meeting.

Records Retention Reminder

When using George Mason collaboration tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, it is important that all users adhere to university guidelines and retention policies. For more information, see the Collaboration Tools Retention Policy.

Microsoft Copilot for the Web Available

Microsoft Copilot for the Web, a free AI-powered web chat, is available for George Mason students and employees to access generative AI. See https://its.gmu.edu/service/copilot/ for full details.

June General Meeting Announcement

Our June General Meeting will feature Lauren Posey, director, State Government Relations.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025
9:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Staff Senate Recognition Ceremony
10 a.m. to noon – Guest Speaker and General Meeting
Constituents can attend in person in Merten Hall, Room 1201, or join the meeting via Zoom*.
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Meeting ID: 931 0040 3860 / Passcode: 621190

The Staff Senate will collect questions in advance for consideration. We will also be accepting live questions, time permitting. Please submit your questions using the form below by May 23.

June 2025 Questions for Lauren Posey

    If yes, you will need to provide your name above so we can call on you during the meeting.

 

The Staff Senate represents all classified and non-student wage employees at George Mason University. Working closely with university administration, we address concerns that have an impact on the quality of work-life for the George Mason community. The work of the senate is accomplished through open and continuous communication with its constituents.

*The Staff Senate is requiring that virtual attendees join our Staff Senate General Meetings with their Patriot Pass credentials. If you are already signed into Zoom using your George Mason-licensed Zoom account, you should not see a difference. If you are not already signed into your George Mason-licensed Zoom account, you will be told authentication is required to join, and prompted to sign in. For more information, please access our helpful FAQ document.

February General Meeting Recording

Gregory Washington, President, Office of the President, George Mason University. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/ George Mason University

The Staff Senate’s February General Meeting featured Dr. Gregory Washington, president of George Mason University. Some pre-submitted questions were also submitted to Human Resources who have provided responses.

If you missed the session, you may review the recording.