Mason Staff Senate

Author: April Lopez

Categories
September 2023

Staff Senate Sustainability Update, September 2023

A green lightbulb with a seedling inside, on a darker green background. The logos of George Mason University and the Staff Senate. Heading reads Sustainability at work.

The Environmental Justice and Sustainability ad hoc Committee is here to represent staff views and to pursue staff-relevant initiatives in environmental and sustainability issues (broadly defined). We’re in the process of reconnecting with our ongoing projects – here are a few of our successes from last year:

Let us know if you have ideas you’d like us take forward, either in Greener Mason or through [email protected]. Everyone’s contribution is important as we push for a sustainable future and a greener Mason!

 

Categories
June 2023

Staff Senate Summer Sustainability Tip

A green lightbulb with a seedling inside, on a darker green background. The logos of George Mason University and the Staff Senate.

Clearing out some office space this summer? Stock-taking in the stationery cabinet? If you have items you no longer need, try offering them in the Office Supplies Swap! Several items, from blue books to gold tablecloths, have already been rehomed and saved from the trash.

Join the discussion and see more sustainability and environmental conversations in the Greener Mason Community on Teams.

Categories
May 2023

Announcements from Facilities

Arboretum Tree Planting

In celebration of Earth Week, Mason’s Arboretum Board hosted a community tree planting event at Peterson Hall on April 20. Student volunteers came together to help plant flowering dogwood trees (Cornus florida), which are native to the region and aid local wildlife and pollinators.  

Read the full story here.

“The Shape of Water”: A Collaborative Sustainable Art Installation

Multiple waste audits and a campus cleanup conducted at George Mason University by Mason Facilities, Student Government, and University Sustainability contributed an estimated 1,555 single-use plastic items, weighing 58.4 pounds to Celia Ledón’s The Shape of Water installation, which was visible at the REACH Welcome Pavilion in the Kennedy Center from March 22 to April 23, 2023.

Read the full story here.

Categories
May 2023

Staff Senate Sustainability Updates

This month’s sustainability updates from the Staff Senate Environmental Justice and Sustainability ad hoc committee:

Greener Mason Community

The Greener Mason Community is now active! It aims to bring together people from across Mason to discuss, share, and act on environmental and sustainability issues, and provides space for discussion, resources, and general information about environmentally related topics and initiatives at Mason and further afield. Conversations range from plastic on campus to your favorite “cli-fi” books!

Join the Greener Mason Community on Microsoft Teams here.

Office Supply Swap and Green Office Initiative

Staff Senate’s Office Supply Swap is also now live in the Greener Mason Community. Use the dedicated channel to post items you no longer need or ask for items that others might be able to pass along to reduce unnecessary purchases and wasted resources.

The Office Supply Swap has been incorporated into University Sustainability’s Green Office Initiative (GOI), which is launching soon. The GOI engages university employees and helps them make their offices, and Mason, even more sustainable. To be first to receive information about the GOI on its launch, email Ben Auger at [email protected] to express interest.

Volunteering Spotlight: Patriot Packout

Volunteering opportunities are available this month at Patriot Packout (PPO) sites across the campuses. PPO is Mason’s annual end-of-the-year donation initiative, providing on-campus donation resources for all students, faculty, and staff affected by move-out. PPO diverts usable items from trash and redistributes them to Mason students, faculty/staff, and community members who can benefit from them.

Visit the Patriot Packout webpage for more information and to sign up as a volunteer. Don’t forget that eligible employees may use School Assistance and Volunteer Service Leave to participate.

Categories
April 2023

Sustainability Updates: Launch of the Greener Mason Community, Office Supply Swap, and more

Greener Mason Community

The Staff Senate Environmental Justice and Sustainability ad hoc committee is pleased to announce the launch of the online Greener Mason Community. Based in Microsoft Teams, the Greener Mason Community aims to bring together people from across Mason to discuss, share, and act on environmental and sustainability issues (broadly defined) in order to advance both individual and institutional knowledge and goals. It will provide space for discussion, resources, and general information about environmentally-related topics and initiatives at Mason and further afield.  

You can join at Greener Mason Community. While coordinated by Staff Senate, the Community is open to everyone at Mason, so please share widely. It is intended to be responsive to community members, so if you don’t see a channel for your own area of interest, please ask—we can create new ones if there is demand for particular topics. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Office Supply Swap

One of the initiatives represented in the Greener Mason Community is the Office Supply Swap. This will be a way for Mason employees to give and receive small, surplus items across the university to reduce both unnecessary purchases and wasted resources. We are encouraging people to use the Supply Swap to offer up small items (for example, stationery) that you no longer need instead of trashing them, and also to request items that you don’t have, before ordering new. And you don’t have to swap directly with the other person! 

All we ask is that items are and remain property of the university (no personal items; no claiming items for personal use), and that technology and larger items such as furniture should not be offered in the Supply Swap (see links for existing surplus procedures). 

To offer or find items, join the Greener Mason Community and look for the Office Supply Swap channel. Post a new item or ask for something; or browse current offerings and reply to the post to request. 

Green Office Initiative

The Office Supply Swap is offered by Staff Senate as part of the Green Office Initiative, headed by University Sustainability. Green Office supporters in offices across Mason will commit to completing an annual assessment about their office’s sustainable practices and integrating more of these into their day-to-day work. There will also be opportunities for training and office hours to connect with others and have your questions answered.

Staff Senate is encouraging as many people as possible to take part. If you’re interested, contact [email protected] with your name, office, and role, to receive an invitation as soon as the initiative launches later this month! 

Earth Month

Finally, Mason celebrates many sustainable programs, events, and initiatives during Earth Month! University Sustainability’s Earth Month Calendar, Mason360 events, and Today@Mason are great places to find upcoming events.

In particular, we encourage staff to join University Sustainability and Human Resources on Monday, April 17, at 11 a.m. via Zoom to learn how you can get involved and make a sustainable impact on campus. Register here. 

Categories
March 2023

Staff Senate Sustainability Tip

A green lightbulb with a seedling inside, on a darker green background. The logos of George Mason University and the Staff Senate.

Did you know? In 2021, Mason eliminated all single-use plastic bottles for the sale of water and soda, replacing them with much more easily recyclable aluminum cans.

If you currently bring bottled water to campus, you can support the Buy Less, Buy Better waste reduction initiative by switching to a reusable option. Take a look at the Sustainability Map to find a water refill station near you.

See more information about the Buy Less, Buy Better initiative.

Read about the Plastics Free Mason initiative.

Categories
February 2023

Staff Senate Sustainability Tip

A green lightbulb with a seedling inside, on a darker green background. The logos of George Mason University and the Staff Senate.

Did you know? You can volunteer in Mason’s Greenhouse and Gardens Program all year round!

Learn about sustainable food production and help grow produce for Mason’s dining rooms and the online store. No experience is needed, training and tools are provided.

Find out more about the hydroponic greenhouse, the food forest, and the organic garden, and sign up for volunteer shifts, on the website.

 

 

 

Categories
December 2022

Staff Senate Sustainability Tip

A green lightbulb with a seedling inside, on a darker green background. The logos of George Mason University and the Staff Senate.

Remember, you can ‘Buy Less, Buy Better‘ at home as well as at work this holiday season! Why not try to choose durable instead of disposable, and compostable instead of plastic?
Season’s Greetings from the
Staff Senate’s Environmental Justice and Sustainability ad hoc committee
Categories
November 2022

Announcements from Human Resources and Payroll

Photo by Sierra Guard/Creative Services/George Mason University
Apply to the Emerging Leaders Supervisor Series

Applications for the sixth cohort of Emerging Leaders are being accepted from now until November 18 at 5 p.m. Applicants must be Mason faculty or classified staff and must supervise at least one employee who is faculty or classified staff. 

The Emerging Leaders Supervisor Series (ELSS) is a 15-month cohort program designed to provide support as you develop and practice new leadership skills with your team while deepening your understanding of Mason policies. The goals of ELSS are to support participants as they: 

  • Develop a leadership mindset 
  • Create and implement a vision for their own leadership and their team 
  • Lead a high-performing team 
  • Learn tools and strategies to grow their self-awareness, relationships, and communication skills, which will support the objectives above. 

To apply, visit Human Resources and Payroll’s Organizational Development and Learning page.
 

Employee Engagement Workshops for Supervisors

Human Resources and Payroll is excited to offer two standalone interactive sessions focused on faculty and staff engagement for supervisors. Participants will contribute to discussions surrounding Gallup survey engagement data and current best practices as well as learn new strategies to enhance the faculty and staff experience at Mason. 

Sessions will be offered on the following dates: 

  • Wednesday, November 16, 2–3:30 p.m. (Fairfax Campus) 
  • Friday, December 2, 9–10:30 a.m. (Virtual) 

For more information, visit the website. 

Categories
November 2022

Announcements from Information Technology Services

IT Security Awareness Training Due Wednesday, November 16

The deadline to complete your IT Security Awareness Training is Wednesday, November 16. The training is assigned to all Mason employees in their MasonLEAPS accounts. 

Employees who do not complete their training by the deadline will have their accounts disabled, and their supervisors or managers will be notified. If your account is disabled, you will need to contact the ITS Support Center to re-enable the account to take the training. 

In addition, employees who handle sensitive information are required to take additional role-based training. That training is also assigned to employees in MasonLEAPS and due Wednesday, November 16.  

For more information, visit this webpage.