Mason Staff Senate
Patriot Perks is excited to present four opportunities to watch the Mason men’s basketball team play at some fantastic local restaurants! Visit here to see the Watch Party schedule and RSVP.
Mason community members will receive exclusive discounts at each location with their Mason ID. We will also have prizes and giveaways! So grab your colleagues, your friends or your family and come on out to our 2023 Patriot Perks Watch Parties. Go Mason!
Learn three key, science-backed steps to address burnout and increase resilience in your people in a free webinar from Jacinta Jiménez, author of The Burnout Fix. Join the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being on Wednesday, Feb. 15, from noon to 1:15 p.m. for “Beating Burnout and Boosting Resilience as a People Leader,” part of Mason’s Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series.
Register today. Contact cwb@gmu.edu with questions.
Visit camps.gmu.edu for a list of summer camps and youth programs offered at Mason. The website includes camps sponsored by Mason programs/departments, as well as external groups that host camps on a Mason campus.
Summer camps at Mason cover a wide variety of topics and activities, including academics, the arts, recreation, and sports. Both in-person and virtual options are listed on the website.
Questions about individual camps should be directed to the camp organizers.
For questions about the summer camps website, contact gmutoday@gmu.edu.
Come to the plaza at Mason Square (formerly the Arlington Campus) for dynamic weekly programming and ongoing special events. All programming is free and open to the public!
Check out the Game Social every day at noon, or the Craft Social at 3 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Weekly events include:
View the complete schedule of events. Contact University Life at ularl@gmu.edu with questions.
Faculty and staff can purchase meal plans, too! Faculty and staff Byte Plans are available with the following options for the fall semester:
Door prices (without meal plan):
Swipes can be used at Southside, The Globe, and Ike’s. Byte Plans can be purchased in person in the Mason Card Office located in SUB I, Room 1203 (bring your Mason ID) or online. Visit the Mason Dining website for more information.
Applications are now accepted for the Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship. This $250 annual award was created to encourage and advance continuing education for Mason faculty and classified staff. The application period closes July 15.
For eligibility criteria, FAQs, and instructions for applying, visit the Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship page.
Check out this month’s financial wellness newsletter and the items below to obtain the details of the financial education offerings and resources.
VRS. Whether you’re paying down debt or saving for a future goal, financial stress can either motivate you to make positive changes, or it can affect your well-being. In just 25 minutes, the Managing Financial Stress course in myVRS Financial Wellness will explain financial stress and generate a personalized action plan that offers tips and analysis. See the full suite of interactive courses when you log in to your myVRS account and select Financial Wellness.
Employee Discounts. Have you visited the state employee discounts page? Find information here on discounts you receive as a state employee! Be sure to check back often for updates. State Employee Discounts
Employee Assistance Program. All health plans offered to state employees and their dependents have employee assistance programs (EAPs). Included are up to four sessions at no charge for such services as mental health, alcohol or drug abuse assessment, child or elder care, grief counseling, and legal or financial services. Learn more
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. State employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Learn more
The Staff Senate, in partnership with the Faculty Senate and Chairs and Directors group, rallied to address Governor Youngkin’s telework policy for state employees. We connected and collaborated with many of you during a special session on May 18 to ask questions, voice concerns, and solicit guidance from our colleagues and university leadership on how we can effectively navigate the first step of the policy: the telework form.
This is only the beginning. As we heard from Mark Smith, executive director of Mason’s State Government Relations, when he presented to the Staff Senate on June 1, Mason submitted several hundred telework requests to Richmond. As we await determinations on those requests, both senates and the Chairs and Directors group are staying actively engaged so we can be ready to tackle any next steps. We will keep you posted.
As always, the Staff Senate values your suggestions and feedback. Please reach out with questions or concerns through our online contact form.
Erin Iacangelo Rogers
Chair, Staff Senate
The Mason community is invited to celebrate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Evening of Reflection with Mason’s Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE) and The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Committee.
Martin Luther King Evening of Reflection
Tuesday, Feb. 15, 6–8 p.m.
Hybrid event (The Hub ballroom and GMUTV)
Register
This year’s theme, “Dangerous Unselfishness,” reflects on Dr. King’s last iconic speech, “Mountaintop.” This year, our hope is to center coalition-building while reflecting on the work that still needs to be done on our campus and in our communities and nation to reach Dr. King’s idea of the “promised land.”
Let’s join together for Homecoming 2022, which kicks off Mason’s year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary!
Upcoming event highlights:
For complete event details and registration/ticket information, visit homecoming.gmu.edu.