Category: February 2019

Hiring Student Employees Using Handshake

Monday, March 11, 2019
2 to 3 p.m.
Student Union Building I (SUB I), Suite 3400
Register here

Need to hire a graduate assistant? Work-study student? An intern to support your office with a project or big event? Handshake is your best choice for reaching current, Mason degree-seeking students!

Our on-campus employers have unique needs and considerations when it comes to utilizing Handshake for their short-term and long-term staffing needs. We invite you to join us in the University Career Services office to review tips and techniques that make hiring students quick and easy.

This workshop will review:

• Crafting job descriptions to get the candidates you want
• Reviewing and selecting candidates
• How students use the platform
• Answers to the most common questions

Don’t have a Handshake “employer” account yet? Contact Kristin Leonato at kleonato@gmu.edu for information on creating your employer account before the event on March 11.

Handshake Workshop for Mason Faculty, Advisors, Coaches, and Mentors

Tuesday, March 12, 2019
2 to 3 p.m.
Student Union Building I (SUB I), Suite 3400
Register here

University Career Services implemented Handshake as Mason’s central job, internship, and career database in the summer of 2018. Handshake is a powerful tool that puts students in the driver’s seat as the managers of their own careers.

We’re hearing great feedback from students and employers, but we know our Mason faculty and staff are a critical component in every student’s career readiness equation. We invite you to join us on Tuesday, March 12, to learn more about how students can utilize Handshake to its maximum impact and ways you can continue to support your students’ current and future career goals as their professor, advisor, coach, supervisor, or mentor.

Career Influencer Network Training (March 15 or April 15)

University Career Services invites faculty and staff to participate in the Career Influencers Network one-day training. This initiative brings together faculty, staff, and administrators to learn how to best support students as they strive to become career-ready and achieve post-graduate success.

The one-day training is divided into three modules, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch will be provided). You must attend the entire training to become an official member of the Career Influencers Network.

Visit the website to register for an upcoming training during spring 2019.

Contact Elena Chiru at echiru@gmu.edu or 703-993-3739 with questions.

The Leadership Legacy Program, a partnership program sponsored by MasonLeads and Human Resources and Payroll, is designed for Mason full-time faculty and staff who are committed to furthering their leadership development.

The program curriculum provides opportunities for experienced faculty and staff to advance their conceptual and experiential understanding of leadership in the context of university settings.

Applications and nominations for the 2019–20 cohort are due March 8, 2019.

To learn more and to apply, visit the Leadership Legacy website.

There is a new, dedicated lactation room on the Fairfax Campus in Peterson Hall:

• Location: Peterson Hall, 2nd Floor, Room 2414A
• Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days/week
• How to access: This room will be available to nursing mothers on a first come, first served basis. Please lock the door when you are using the space.

If you have any questions or encounter any issues with the space, contact worklife@gmu.edu.

If you are in need of a pregnancy accommodation, please reach out to either the Benefits team or Ruth Townsend, ADA Coordinator, at 703-993-8730 or rtownse2@gmu.edu. If you encounter a student in need of a lactation room, contact Alissa Karton at akarton@gmu.edu.

As part of the Anthem Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Human Resources and Payroll is offering a Well-Being Series focusing on health and wellness topics. Upcoming seminars include:

Eating Right for Life

March’s topic is Eating Right for Life. In this seminar, you will learn the benefits of healthy eating, including the importance of making educated food choices for long-term healthy eating habits.

Tuesday, March 5
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Merten Hall, Room 1202

To register, click here and log in to the new Learning Management System (LMS). Once logged in, click on the calendar or select “Browse for Training.”

Health and Well-Being in the Workplace

May’s topic is Health and Well-Being in the Workplace. This seminar will address:

• How to enhance your health, well-being, and productivity by relieving stress
• Ergonomics and how to prevent injuries on the job
• How to balance work and life by setting priorities

Wednesday, May 8
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Merten Hall, Room 1202

To register, click here and log in to the new LMS. Once logged in, click on the calendar or select “Browse for Training.”

Connect with HR/Payroll on Social Media

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you never miss a well-being beat!

Discount Highlight

Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to support your physical well-being? As a Mason employee, you have access to several discounted gym memberships! View all of the available gym memberships on the Health and Fitness discounts page.

Spreading Kindness at Mason

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week is February 18–22. Reward and Recognition is encouraging faculty and staff to spread kindness with new Mason Kindness eCards. Send free eCards to your colleagues and friends during RAK week, or anytime throughout the year!

Questions? Contact awards@gmu.edu.

Individual Financial Counseling Sessions

No matter where you are in life—from just getting started to planning for retirement—a session with a financial consultant can help you prepare for your future!

Financial consultants from TIAA, Fidelity, ICMA-RC, and VRSvisit Mason for free, on-campus, individual counseling appointments throughout the year. For a list of available dates and to sign up for an individual consultation, visit the Human Resources and Payroll Benefits site.

If you have questions, contact the Benefits team at benefits@gmu.edu or 703-993-2600.

Academic researchers in the Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology program at George Mason University, who conduct scientific studies examining strategies to enhance employee engagement, well-being,and organizational effectiveness, are conducting a study on telework:

• This project is meant to provide scientific evidence about telework and to provide information about ways to enhance employee and organizational outcomes. 
• Please be assured that only the researchers will have any knowledge of your participation in, and responses to, this study. Researchers may report the aggregate (average) responses, but no additional information will be shared.

The initial survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. After completion of the first survey, you will be asked to complete four subsequent surveys over the course of the following two weeks. You will receive an email message to complete the follow-up surveys on each of the four days you select in the initial study. Each of the follow-up surveys should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. 

Please click here for further information and instructions for how to participate in this study.

If you have any questions or need to report a research-related problem, contact Seth Kaplan at skaplan1@gmu.edu or Linden Hughes at lhughe@gmu.edu.

IRBNet number: 1341325-1

Based on the award-winning book Crucial Conversations, this workshop gives Mason supervisors the tools to handle life’s most difficult and important conversations. You will learn how to prepare for high-stakes situations with a proven technique, transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue, and make it safe to talk about almost anything and be persuasive, not abrasive.

During this interactive session, facilitated by certified Crucial Conversations trainers Robyn Madar and Rick Holt, participants will learn tools and concepts and have an opportunity to reflect and practice. 

Join us for the next session on March 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register, contact Robyn Madar at rmadar@gmu.edu. 

George Mason University will celebrate Homecoming from February 18–23. Events include a movie night, day of service, Mason Men’s and Women’s Basketball games, Spirit Fest, Homecoming Week Tip-Off Party, and more!

Event highlights:

• Performance by Preacher Lawson, America’s Got Talent comedian, at the Center for the Arts on February 21. Tickets are $15 (general public).
• Block Party and Spirit Tent: Students and families are invited to attend on Saturday, February 23, in Lot K.
• Mason Men’s Basketball vs. Duquesne University on Saturday, February 23, at 4 p.m. in EagleBank Arena.
• Mason Women’s Basketball vs. Dayton University on Sunday, February 24, at 2 p.m. in EagleBank Arena.

A full schedule of Homecoming events and details is available at homecoming.gmu.edu. Let’s get Patriotic!

Also, check out some local discounts available during Homecoming Week!

We hope you can join us for this week-long celebration of Mason spirit.

Contact Anthony McLean, Student Involvement, at amclean@gmu.edu or 703-993-2908 with questions.

Please join us in welcoming Dwala Toombs! Dwala is the newly appointed director of the Mid-Atlantic Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) and diversity outreach.

George Mason University is the host institution for the Mid-Atlantic HERC, which is a regional affiliate of the non-profit HERC organization. As the director of the Mid-Atlantic HERC, Dwala is responsible for supporting dual-career couples and connecting professionals with careers in higher education and other related fields. Dwala will focus on the advancement of equitable and inclusive recruitment efforts and the creation of a community shaped by a multitude of perspectives at Mason.

Dwala may be contacted at 703-993-2604 or dtoombs@gmu.edu. To view Human Resources and Payroll’s full staff listing, visit the staff page.

Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to enjoy a variety of mindfulness practices on Tuesdays during the spring 2019 semester.

These practices include mindful sitting, journaling, and guided meditation. No experience necessary. Facilitators will vary throughout the semester.

Sessions will begin at noon and end by 12:45 p.m. (at the latest). Meet in SUB I, Room 3309.

For questions, contact Katie Clare at kclare@gmu.edu or 703-993-7078.