Category: October 2016

The October 2016 Staff Senate Newsletter is now available!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Registration opens October 3 for Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day at hr.gmu.edu/learning. This year’s event, which will take place on Wednesday, October 26, will focus on the theme “Building a Culture of Appreciation,” and will include speakers Beth Cabrera and Michael “Doc Nix” Nickens, as well as breakout sessions and networking.

The first 100 to register will be entered into a raffle to win a prize! Keep an eye on the Human Resources and Payroll website for more details, as they are released.

 

Hot Off the Press! Updated Compensation Calculator
We are delighted to share that an updated total compensation calculator is now available on the Human Resources and Payroll homepage. Your total compensation includes more than your annual salary. The calculator will allow you, based upon the answers to just a few questions, to automatically calculate your total compensation package. Your total compensation includes your salary, plus benefits including (but not limited to) retirement, life insurance, health insurance, and leave. We hope you find it helpful.

Member Benefit Profiles Available at VRS
Annual Member Benefit Profiles (MBP) for faculty and staff who are enrolled in Plan 1 and Plan 2 of the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) are now available by logging into your account at myvrs.varetire.org. MBPs provide information about your retirement and other benefits you have as a member of VRS.

MBPs are currently not available for Hybrid Retirement Plan members. However, these employees can look up their current defined benefit and defined contribution account balances and other information through myvrs.varetire.org/login. The retirement planner in myVRS allows Hybrid employees to estimate potential income and expenses in retirement. In 2017, Hybrid members also will have access to the benefit estimator in myVRS.

Questions? Email benefits@gmu.edu or call 703-993-2600 and ask for the Benefits team.

Change in FlexWork Verification Process
Please note that the verification process for flexible work agreements has changed. In an effort to streamline the practice, as of October 1, 2016, employees and supervisors will no longer receive email receipts after submitting completed FlexWork agreement forms to Human Resources and Payroll (i.e. Telework, Remote Work, FlexTime, Compressed Schedule. etc.). If there are issues with the agreement or anything that requires attention, a member of the Life/Work Connections team will reach out directly to discuss it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Wendi Carroll at wcarrol2@gmu.edu. 

October Financial Well-Being Seminars
Human Resources and Payroll, in conjunction with some terrific partners, is offering the following financial learning opportunities in the month of October:

• October 4, noon: Building a Better Budget with Sarah Lieu of Apple Federal Credit Union
• October 27, noon: Fabulous Finds for Less with Bobbie Merritt of Human Resources and Payroll

To learn more and register, visit hr.gmu.edu/learning/hr.php. Coming soon: TIAA’s Financial IQ Challenge. Stay tuned!

Orientation and Family Programs and Services wants to share the news about Family Weekend, coming up from October 14–16.

As part of the festivities, the Family Weekend 5K Run/Walk will take place on Sunday, October 16 at 8 a.m. The event is open to all members of the community! To register, visit iamathlete.com and search “GMU Family Weekend 5K.” The registration fee ($25) includes a t-shirt, official race timing, snacks, and prizes.

For questions regarding the event or registration, contact Jonathan DeCicco at jdecicc2@masonlive.gmu.edu or Lindsey Jackson at ljacks15@masonlive.gmu.edu.

Check out the complete schedule of Family Weekend events at masonfamilyevents.gmu.edu.

A friendly reminder that annual performance evaluation season is underway. All forms needed for the performance evaluation process can be found on the forms page of the Human Resources and Payroll website.

Classified performance evaluations for the period of October 25, 2015 through October 24, 2016 and Administrative/Professional Faculty performance appraisals for the period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 are due in Human Resources and Payroll by Monday, October 24, 2016.

Sessions on Performance Evaluations That Get Results are available in late September and October.  Visit hr.gmu.edu/learning/hr.php for more information and to register.

If you have any questions concerning the performance evaluation process, contact the Workforce Planning team at workplan@gmu.edu.

Mason faculty and staff are invited to participate as mentors in the sixteenth year of the Mason Dream-Catchers Program, a university-wide partnership with the Fairfax and Prince William counties’ public school systems. Volunteer mentors in the Mason community identify and support capable alternative high school students in achieving their dream to attend George Mason University.

If you are interested in participating in this program or would like additional information, contact Karen Kitching at kkitchin@gmu.edu.

Alumni of George Mason University currently working for Mason are a special group of employees who are proud to call themselves Patriots. Their hard work and contributions to the university community are a reflection of their unique perspectives as former students and current employees. The Faculty/Staff Alumni Award pays tribute to this special population of employees.

There will be one faculty award recipient and one staff award recipient. Each recipient will receive $250.

Criteria for nominees:

• Staff or faculty member who has been employed at Mason for at least one year
• Must have a degree from George Mason University
• Makes lasting and unique contributions to Mason to enhance the life for faculty, students, and staff
• Embodies the mission and values of the university community

Nominations are due October 3. Visit the Outstanding Achievement Awards page for more information.

 

Do you know someone who is an outstanding educator? The Center for Teaching and Faculty Excellence (CTFE) is currently accepting nominations for the 2017 George Mason University Teaching Excellence Awards. We encourage you to take this opportunity to recognize teaching excellence at Mason and nominate a faculty member for this university honor.

Teaching Excellence Awards are open to all faculty members across the institution with at least three years of Mason teaching experience. In addition to our general Teaching Excellence Awards, we also specifically recognize excellence in Technology-Enhanced Teaching, excellence in teaching Mason Core (General Education) courses, and excellent teaching by adjunct faculty members.

The deadline for nominations is Tuesday, October 11. Send 2-3 paragraphs explaining why you believe your nominee should be considered for a teaching award to ctfe@gmu.edu.

Visit the Teaching Excellence Awards page for additional information about the awards and the nomination/selection process.

For faculty and staff who are enrolled in COVA Care, COVA HDHP, COVA Health Aware, and Kaiser Permanente, seasonal flu shots are part of your wellness benefit.

This year, flu shot clinics will be held on the following dates:

• SciTech: Thursday, October 6
• Fairfax: Thursday, October 13 (and Wednesday, October 26 as part of Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day)
• Arlington: Thursday, October 20

For times and important details, view the Flu Shot 2016 Information flyer.

 

Heartfelt congratulations to Stephen Monroe, marketing and communications coordinator for University Career Services, for being selected as the September 2016 Employee of the Month award winner. Read more about Stephen 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.