Category: August 2015

George Mason is a wonderful place to learn, work, and live. Having been born in Northern Virginia, I have always felt that the university was a good choice for me, particularly because of the campus’ strong commitment to diversity. Mason boasts one of the most diverse populations for a university, which has afforded me the opportunity to learn a great deal about other cultures.

I joined the Staff Senate because I wanted to meet other Senators and learn more about how the university operates. A class I took in Human Resources Management sparked my interest in advocacy: a major part of being a Staff Senator.

My most rewarding experience as a Senator was reaching out to members of the community and sharing an appreciation for the bright future of George Mason. The university has big plans and big changes in mind, and it is very rewarding to be a part of the excitement and optimism.

I have served on two committees. I was first part of the Events Committee, and later I joined the Awards Committee, which helps to recognize staff members for their hard work and dedication. We owe a lot to the staff at Mason, and as member of the Awards Committee, I am proud to be a part of the celebrations!

When I finish my current degree program, I will have been a part of the George Mason Community for more than six years. I am currently pursuing a Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) degree in the College of Health and Human Services, specializing in Executive Management. My professional interests have evolved over the years to include quality improvement, health care access, patient involvement, knowledge synthesis, and policy formulation and implementation.

In my spare time, I like to stay active, whether it be jogging down a wooded path, or hiking up a mountain; I am a man of adventure!

I would like to thank Amanda Meiklejohn, Dr. Martin Perlin, Dr. Virginia Blair, and Jerome Bozek, as well as countless others, for helping me connect to the community in my professional and educational journey.

Do It Yourself (DIY) Recognition
Recognizing Mason’s faculty and staff just got easier and faster. Reward & Recognition has created cards, labels, and post-it notes to recognize employees. Visit the DIY Recognition page to see what type of instant recognition is available. Contact Beth Baroody at 703-993-2739 with any questions.

Who’s Walking Wednesday? How About you?
Every Wednesday at noon, there is a campus walk at Arlington, Fairfax, and Science and Technology. Exercise your leadership and lead a walk. For details, visit hr.gmu.edu/worklife/lunch and scroll to Who’s Walking Wednesday.

Don’t let summer heat or inclement weather get you down! You can always lead (or take) an indoor walk using Mason Walk In’ – one-mile walks mapped out in buildings on all three campuses. Visit wellnessbymason.gmu.edu/documents/MasonWalkinTrails.pdf for route details.

See past walks on Facebook or Twitter.

Fall 2015 will be a big semester for Mason Dining, with new concepts and updates to old favorites!

Erbert and Gerbert
This sandwich shop is dedicated to serving better, more flavorful sandwiches than anyone else in the universe. They started 20-some years ago in the fine town of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and have since grown to over 80 locations. Coming to Mason Dining in fall of 2015!

Star Ginger
Asian street foods are at the heart of our cooking at Star Ginger. Some emphasize the big, spicy flavors of Thailand, Singapore, and India, while others highlight the bright, fresh flavors of Vietnam. Get on-the-run fare that’s inexpensive, yet delivers high-impact flavors in a bowl, on a plate, or in a sandwich. The Star Ginger menu is designed to simplify everyday dining and take-out. Coming to Mason Dining in fall of 2015!

The Rathskeller
A legacy at Mason since 1975, The Rathskeller will be updated in fall 2015 with new menu and décor, creating an upscale sports bar− filled with Mason spirit to showcase Mason Pride!

Northern Neck Starbucks
In fall 2015, this Starbucks location will reveal its new facelift. With more open space and accessibility, it will once again be the coffee hub on campus!

What a July it has been! The Events Committee hosted three fabulous Staff Appreciation events in mid-July, and the turnout was great. Best of all, we had more staff vote in our election than we have in years. Thank you for your continued support.

As we head into August, we prepare for the Staff Senate Retreat. Here we will welcome our new Senators to the team and begin our year of advocacy. We will have Senators representing a range of departments and offices on campus. When you see their names announced, be sure to touch base and let them know what’s important to you as a staff member.

If you haven’t had the chance to touch base with the Senate, you can also reach us online. It would be great to hear from you as we start to identify the issues on campus that we can address and help resolve.  We’re here to help advocate for staff. You can contact us in person at any of our General Meetings (held the first Wednesday of each month), or through our web contact form.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the remaining days of the summer. Before you know it, the sidewalks on campus will be full of students yet again, and the new school year underway!

Nicole Roth
Chair, Staff Senate

Please congratulate and welcome these stellar Mason employees to the Staff Senate!

Fairfax Campus:
H. A. Aguilar, Police Department
Stephanie Atkins, Mason LIFE Program
Lisa Bair, Environmental Science and Policy (incumbent)
Susan Brionez, Volgenau School of Engineering Undergraduate Student Services (incumbent)
Andrew Bunting, Office of Undergraduate Admissions (incumbent)
Cameron Carter, Office of Distance Education
Christopher Maier, Facilities
Dan Silver, George Mason University Foundation
Katara Wright, University Libraries

Arlington Campus:
Barbara Hill, School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs
Al Underwood, CALT (incumbent)

Science and Technology Campus:
Tim Harps, Student Centers
Lindsey Olsen, School of Recreation Health and Tourism

The Outstanding Supervisor Award, sponsored by the Mason Staff Senate, recognizes supervisors who most closely meet the criteria in each category. The winner is selected based on her or his ability to:

• Promote collegiality in the department
• Be receptive to employee ideas and engage them in the department and/or university goals
• Promote and model a positive work-life balance
• Acknowledge exemplary performance
• Be fair in acknowledging exemplary performance
• Encourage professional growth of classified or non-student wage employees
• Support the work of classified and non-student wage earners
• Support innovation in the department
• Model leadership skills

Guidelines:

• A supervisor may be of any employment category (e.g., faculty, administrative, professional, classified, etc.) but he or she must supervise classified and/or non-student wage earners
• Supervisor must be employed at Mason at the time of nomination
• Nominators must report directly to the nominated supervisor
• Nominations must be submitted by classified or non-student wage earners
• There may be more than one nominator on each nomination form
• Only three nomination forms will be accepted for each nominee. The first three nomination forms received will be reviewed by the committee. Additional nominations will be discarded.
• All identifying information is redacted before the nominations are reviewed by the selection committee
• Nominations received after the due date will not be considered
• Forms must be submitted electronically as a Word document (not PDF) with the nominee’s name in the file name
• Nomination forms are to be emailed to staffsenate@gmu.edu
• Nominations will be accepted between Monday, August 3, and Monday, August 31, 2015.

Download the Outstanding Supervisor Award Nomination Form 2015.

The winner will be officially recognized during the Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony on November 3 at 10 a.m. in Dewberry Hall.

Questions may be directed to Amanda Corrigan, Staff Senate, at 703-993-4141 or acorrig2@gmu.edu.

Fairfax:
Semester Parking Pass: Crystal Clemons, ITS
$25 Gift Certificate to the Mason Bookstore: Bob Counts, Registrar
One-Year Membership to the RAC: Andrea Barabach, New Century College

Arlington:
Semester Parking Pass: Derrick Williams, ITS
$25 Gift Certificate to the Mason Bookstore: Erin Embrey, SPGIA
$50 Gift Certificate to Kapnos Taverna: Michelle Ely, SPGIA

Science and Technology:
Semester Parking Pass: Deborah Weitzman-Ward, SciTech Executive Office
$25 Gift Certificate to the Mason Bookstore: Michael Wharton, Freedom Center
$25 Gift Certificate to Freedom Center: Marit Majeske, Hylton Performing Arts Center

Established in December 2014, the Pop-Up Pantry provides food, clothes, toiletries, and school supplies to George Mason University students, staff, and faculty in need.

Pop-Up Pantry is supplied by donations from students, registered student organizations, Mason academic departments and offices, and local community members.

Accessing the pantry is completely confidential. Set an appointment with Yara Mowafy at pantry@gmu.edu.

The Office of the University Registrar would like to introduce its new Contact Us page.

Everyone is encouraged to use this page in order to communicate questions to the Registrar’s Office. This format will help to better assess and track what type of questions are asked and answered and who is asking them.

It may be particularly helpful for Mason Staff taking advantage of the Staff Tuition Reimbursement Program who have questions about classes in the upcoming semester.

Each week, the Ballroom Club teaches a wide variety of free lessons in partner dances such as waltz, samba, tango, and foxtrot. Join others interested in learning ballroom dancing form and technique in a friendly, social setting.

Open to all Mason staff, faculty, and students of all experience levels. No partner required!

For more information, contact Rachael Wright at rwrigh13@gmu.edu. Visit the Ballroom Club website.