Author: Amanda Corrigan

Connect with HR/Payroll on Social Media

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you never miss a well-being beat!

Discount Highlight

Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to support your physical well-being? As a Mason employee, you have access to several discounted gym memberships! View all of the available gym memberships on the Health and Fitness discounts page.

Spreading Kindness at Mason

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week is February 18–22. Reward and Recognition is encouraging faculty and staff to spread kindness with new Mason Kindness eCards. Send free eCards to your colleagues and friends during RAK week, or anytime throughout the year!

Questions? Contact awards@gmu.edu.

Individual Financial Counseling Sessions

No matter where you are in life—from just getting started to planning for retirement—a session with a financial consultant can help you prepare for your future!

Financial consultants from TIAA, Fidelity, ICMA-RC, and VRSvisit Mason for free, on-campus, individual counseling appointments throughout the year. For a list of available dates and to sign up for an individual consultation, visit the Human Resources and Payroll Benefits site.

If you have questions, contact the Benefits team at benefits@gmu.edu or 703-993-2600.

Academic researchers in the Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology program at George Mason University, who conduct scientific studies examining strategies to enhance employee engagement, well-being,and organizational effectiveness, are conducting a study on telework:

• This project is meant to provide scientific evidence about telework and to provide information about ways to enhance employee and organizational outcomes. 
• Please be assured that only the researchers will have any knowledge of your participation in, and responses to, this study. Researchers may report the aggregate (average) responses, but no additional information will be shared.

The initial survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. After completion of the first survey, you will be asked to complete four subsequent surveys over the course of the following two weeks. You will receive an email message to complete the follow-up surveys on each of the four days you select in the initial study. Each of the follow-up surveys should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. 

Please click here for further information and instructions for how to participate in this study.

If you have any questions or need to report a research-related problem, contact Seth Kaplan at skaplan1@gmu.edu or Linden Hughes at lhughe@gmu.edu.

IRBNet number: 1341325-1

Based on the award-winning book Crucial Conversations, this workshop gives Mason supervisors the tools to handle life’s most difficult and important conversations. You will learn how to prepare for high-stakes situations with a proven technique, transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue, and make it safe to talk about almost anything and be persuasive, not abrasive.

During this interactive session, facilitated by certified Crucial Conversations trainers Robyn Madar and Rick Holt, participants will learn tools and concepts and have an opportunity to reflect and practice. 

Join us for the next session on March 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register, contact Robyn Madar at rmadar@gmu.edu. 

George Mason University will celebrate Homecoming from February 18–23. Events include a movie night, day of service, Mason Men’s and Women’s Basketball games, Spirit Fest, Homecoming Week Tip-Off Party, and more!

Event highlights:

• Performance by Preacher Lawson, America’s Got Talent comedian, at the Center for the Arts on February 21. Tickets are $15 (general public).
• Block Party and Spirit Tent: Students and families are invited to attend on Saturday, February 23, in Lot K.
• Mason Men’s Basketball vs. Duquesne University on Saturday, February 23, at 4 p.m. in EagleBank Arena.
• Mason Women’s Basketball vs. Dayton University on Sunday, February 24, at 2 p.m. in EagleBank Arena.

A full schedule of Homecoming events and details is available at homecoming.gmu.edu. Let’s get Patriotic!

Also, check out some local discounts available during Homecoming Week!

We hope you can join us for this week-long celebration of Mason spirit.

Contact Anthony McLean, Student Involvement, at amclean@gmu.edu or 703-993-2908 with questions.

Please join us in welcoming Dwala Toombs! Dwala is the newly appointed director of the Mid-Atlantic Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) and diversity outreach.

George Mason University is the host institution for the Mid-Atlantic HERC, which is a regional affiliate of the non-profit HERC organization. As the director of the Mid-Atlantic HERC, Dwala is responsible for supporting dual-career couples and connecting professionals with careers in higher education and other related fields. Dwala will focus on the advancement of equitable and inclusive recruitment efforts and the creation of a community shaped by a multitude of perspectives at Mason.

Dwala may be contacted at 703-993-2604 or dtoombs@gmu.edu. To view Human Resources and Payroll’s full staff listing, visit the staff page.

Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to enjoy a variety of mindfulness practices on Tuesdays during the spring 2019 semester.

These practices include mindful sitting, journaling, and guided meditation. No experience necessary. Facilitators will vary throughout the semester.

Sessions will begin at noon and end by 12:45 p.m. (at the latest). Meet in SUB I, Room 3309.

For questions, contact Katie Clare at kclare@gmu.edu or 703-993-7078.

The Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD) Office will be screening THE UNAFRAID and having a Q&A following the film with Heather Courtney, one of the featured co-directors. Film screening and Q&A is free and open to the community. For more information and to RSVP, visit here.

THE UNAFRAID is a feature-length documentary that follows the personal lives of three DACA students in Georgia, a state that has banned them from attending their top state universities and disqualifies them from receiving in-state tuition at any other public college. Shot in an observational style over a period of four years, this film takes an intimate look at the lives of Alejandro, Silvia, and Aldo as they navigate activism, pursuing their right to education, and fighting for the rights of their families and communities.

THE UNAFRAID shows us what it means to grow up both American and undocumented in the United States.

This event is sponsored by: University Life, University Life Programming Committee, Latin American Studies, Film and Media Studies, Film and Video Studies, Honors College, the LEAD Office, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education + LGBTQ Resources, School of Business, DKA, Global Affairs and Global Programs, Women and Gender Studies, Honors and Mason DREAMers.

The Freedom and Learning Forum at George Mason University allows the campus community to engage in an interactive dialogue series with the University President, Dr. Ángel Cabrera, and extraordinary thought leaders from around the world.

Join us for the next Freedom and Learning Forum, featuring Cameron Kasky, activist and co-founder of March for Our Lives.

Monday, February 25
4 to 6 p.m.
The Hub, Ballroom
RSVP online

This event is free and open to the public. This event is expected to reach capacity, so RSVP as soon as possible.

Questions? Contact Lisa Snyder, associate director for Leadership Education and Development, at lsnyder2@gmu.edu.

This event is sponsored by the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Office, Office of the President, University Life, University Life Programming Committee, and the Parents Fund.

Housed in Counseling and Psychological Services, Mason CARES (Campus Awareness, Referral, and Education for Suicide Prevention) is a program that supports suicide prevention and mental health awareness efforts at George Mason University. Most people don’t know that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. That makes it a pretty big issue! And one that needs talking about.

Mason CARES talks about suicide to educate the Mason Community on how to:

• Recognize and respond to those in crisis
• Increase awareness and knowledge of available resources in regards to suicide prevention, mental health, and wellness
• Help change perceptions concerning mental health by circulating positive images of mental illness and promoting help-seeking behaviors

There are four opportunities to attend training this semester. To register, click here. Questions about training can be directed to CAPS at 703-993-2380 or caps@gmu.edu.