Category: July 2016

The Outstanding Supervisor Award, sponsored by the Mason Staff Senate, seeks to recognize supervisors who routinely go above and beyond to provide unparalleled leadership, mentorship, and support within their departments or offices. Outstanding supervisors model and promote a positive work-life balance and strive to serve not only their departments or offices, but also their personnel.

Does this sound like your supervisor? If the answer is yes, we want to know! Consider submitting a nomination form for the Outstanding Supervisor Award.

For complete eligibility guidelines and nomination requirements, click here.

Nominations will be accepted between August 1 and August 31, 2016.

Questions? Contact Amanda Corrigan, Staff Senate, at 703-993-4141 or acorrig2@gmu.edu.

Interested in traveling abroad and learning about other cultures? Mason Cultural Tours are organized for Mason staff, students, faculty, alumni, and friends. Lectures and other learning opportunities enroute and group rates make this an affordable opportunity to see the world.

Visit studyabroad.gmu.edu/culturaltours for more information and to reserve your spot. If you have further questions, contact Rita Rowand at 703-993-5146 or rrowand1@gmu.edu.

Happy Summer to everyone! I hope you are finding a moment in the day to relax a bit in the off hours.

It’s that time of the summer: Get ready for Staff Appreciation days! In this newsletter, you will find details on the three events Staff Senate will be hosting to show you how much we appreciate what you do.

It’s a great time of year to come out and enjoy a walk in the sunshine, too!

Nicole Roth
Chair, Staff Senate
nroth@gmu.edu

Heartfelt congratulations to Roslyn Cress, financial/grant analyst for the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, for being selected as the June 2016 Employee of the Month award winner. Read more about Roslyn in this Mason News article.

Do you know a superstar? Make sure he or she receives the deserved recognition, and submit a nomination for Mason’s Employee of the Month. Additional information can be found on the Human Resources and Payroll awards page.

Contact Reward and Recognition at awards@gmu.edu with questions.

Does your department provide services to Mason staff? If so, consider participating in the Departmental Information Fair at the Sizzlin’ Summer Social Staff Appreciation Events at the Fairfax Campus (July 13) and SciTech Campus (July 19).

If your department is interested in attending the fair at the Fairfax and/or SciTech Campus, fill out the Registration Form and return to staffsenate@gmu.edu by July 6.

This year, the Sizzlin’ Summer Social at Arlington will be combined with the Arlington Campus’ own Summer Social, and there will not be a department information fair at the event.

Contact staffsenate@gmu.edu with questions.

Election season is here! Voting in the Staff Senate election will start on July 11 and end at 5 p.m. on July 22.  

Meet the candidates at the Sizzlin’ Summer Social on your campus. You can also preview a sample ballot on our website in early July. Online voting begins July 11.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see highlights of the election, learn about the candidates, and find out election results.

Contact staffsenate@gmu.edu with questions.

Join the Staff Senate at the summer Staff Appreciation Events! Take a break from work to enjoy light refreshments and network with your colleagues. Activities include an information fair, raffle, and voting in the Staff Senate Election.

Fairfax: Wednesday, July 13, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Sub I, Patriots Lounge
SciTech: Tuesday, July 19, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Bull Run Hall, Atrium
Arlington: Thursday, July 21, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., Founders Hall, Plaza*

*The Staff Senate is collaborating with Arlington Administration and University Life Arlington to combine the Staff Senate Staff Appreciation Event with the Arlington Summer Social. Staff Senate activities will include additional raffle prizes and voting in the Staff Senate election.

 

 

The Future Is Bright: Celebrate Summer in the Faculty/Staff Lounge
Join Human Resources and Payroll in the Faculty/Staff Lounge in the Johnson Center (formerly the Bistro) on July 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as we celebrate summer and look forward to a bright future together at Mason. Bring your lunch or just come for dessert and enjoy free giveaways, while supplies last!

Summer Bridge Camp
Sometimes summer camps end a little too soon, leaving time that needs to be “bridged” before public elementary schools start. To help with that challenge, Human Resources and Payroll is piloting a summer bridge camp from August 15 to September 2 for children ages 6-10. Choose one, two, or three weeks.

The camp theme is “Junior Detective Agency.” Camp will be held on the Fairfax Campus. For details, including camp pricing and before/after camp care, see the Summer Bridge Camp flyer. If you have questions or would like to discuss this new opportunity, contact Tina Morris at 703-993-5807 or tmorris1@gmu.edu.

Summer Kindness
The folks who make Kind bars are sponsoring #kindawesome, a sweet opportunity to give a shout out to someone who is being kind. You celebrate their kind act and they receive a free Kind bar. Sweet and simple. Go for it at howkindofyou.com. Here are some other resources to help practice summer kindness:

• Reward and Recognition DIY
• Pinterest

Well-Being: Individual Retirement Counseling Sessions
Healthy finances are a cornerstone of your own personal well-being. It is always important to be saving for your long-term goals: retiring student debt, buying a car or home, saving for the kids’ or grandkids’ college education, and the big one– retirement. No matter your age, retirement is one of everyone’s long term goals. To help with your plans, take advantage of on-campus individual retirement counseling sessions offered by TIAA, Fidelity, and ICMA-RC. For dates and times, visit hr.gmu.edu/benefits/retire/tiaa.php.

Saving Money
Check out the Life/Work Connections discount page for money-savings opportunities, including a host of discounts through the Commonwealth’s Department of Human Resource Management.

Who’s Walking Wednesday
30-minute campus walks are held each Wednesday at noon in Arlington, Fairfax, and SciTech. Drop by or sign up to lead one. Details are on the Life/Work Connections Lunchtime Possibilities page; scroll to Who’s Walking Wednesday, and select the campus of your choice. Who’s Walking Wednesday? Hopefully it’s you!

From Mason Recreation: Outdoor Adventures Equipment Rental
Are you planning an outdoor adventure this summer and need gear, but don’t want to purchase it? Mason’s Outdoor Adventure program can help. They offer a full line of rental equipment; if you need a tent, sleeping bag and pad, pots and pans, cooking stove, or trekking poles, they can help you out.

Rental gear and prices are listed here. All rentals are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and reservations are required.

Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph14@gmu.edu or Susan Johnson at sjohnsoi@gmu.edu with questions or to make a reservation.

Mason Libraries offer 24/7 online access to Rosetta Stone, the premier software for language learning. Acquire a new language or brush up your skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as grammar and vocabulary.

It takes the average learner 50 hours to complete a chosen language level with the Rosetta Stone Library Solution. Schedule 30 minutes a day and best practices show that within 20 weeks the self-paced learning can be accomplished.

For more information, visit the University Libraries website.