Category: March 2019

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is April 5, 2019, on Mason’s campuses!

Faculty and staff are encouraged to bring their school-aged children (grades K-12) for fun activities and learning sessions about manners, communication, healthy friendships, and more!

To participate:

• Complete the online consent form prior to the day of the event
• Check out the event page for information about the day, event details, and a schedule of events
• Register for the sessions you would like to attend

Visit the event page for more information. If you have any questions, please contact worklife@gmu.edu.

Celebrate Bicycle Commuting at Bike to Mason Day!

Whether you bike to campus regularly for school or work or are contemplating it, this event is for you!

Bike to Mason Day will be held at all three campuses on different dates. Check out the dates and times below and register if you would like to attend.

• Fairfax: Tuesday, April 23, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Merten Hall Lawn 
• SciTech: Wednesday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Colgan Hall Front Patio 
• Arlington: Thursday, April 25, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Founders Hall Plaza 

The Bike Lane will offer free bike checks at all three events. Parking and Transportation will provide food, resource information, and fun giveaways. For planning purposes, please let us know that you’ll be coming! 

Questions? Contact transpo@gmu.edu.

Bike Maintenance on the Fairfax Campus from The Bike Lane

Bike maintenance services are coming to the Fairfax Campus! The Bike Lane will visit Mason this spring with their mobile van to offer fee-based, on-site bike maintenance. For details and to schedule an appointment, click here.

The Bike Lane will also offer a free bike check on Wednesday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Merten Hall Parking Lot. There is no need to register! Just stop by with your bike.

Spring Cycling Classes from the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling (FABB)

Want to learn to ride a bike or build your cycling confidence? The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, in partnership with Parking and Transportation, is bringing three cycling classes to Mason this spring, for just $10 a class. Visit the event site for details and to register.

Manassas Mall Shuttle Stop Moving

Beginning on Monday, March 18, 2019, the Manassas Mall shuttle stop will move from its current location between Entrances 3 and 4 to a new location in front of the At Home store. Click here for a mall map highlighting the new shuttle stop location.

It’s a “Pool Party” – Carpool and Vanpool, That Is!

Do you commute on I-66 or I-95? Are you looking to drive less, save more, and help the environment?

Come to a car/vanpool “Pool Party” from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, in the Corner Pocket.

Learn about your options, meet people who may be commuting on a similar route and enjoy some free food! For details and to register, click here.      

DMV2Go on the Fairfax Campus

Take care of your Department of Motor Vehicle business at a convenient Mason location.

DMV2Go will visit the Fairfax Campus on Tuesday, April 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Merten Hall parking lot. 

For available services with DMV2Go, visit the DMV website. Make sure to check out the full Fairfax Campus DMV2Go schedule for other dates and times.

Congratulations to Lisa Joyner, executive director for finance and administration in the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS), for being selected as the March 2019 Employee of the Month! Read more about Lisa in this Mason News article.

Do you know a superstar? Make sure they receive 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 website.

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

March is Women’s History Month. Women and Gender Studies and various campus departments and student organizations have planned a month filled with events to celebrate. Check out all the events here.

For more information, contact wgst@gmu.edu or 703-993-2896.

The next Mason Administrative Professionals (MAP) meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Johnson Center Gold Room.

MAP welcomes anyone working at George Mason who considers themselves to be in an administrative professional role.

For questions and to RSVP, contact mapmason@gmu.edu.

A friendly reminder from the Environmental Health and Safety Office:

Daylight Savings began on Sunday, March 10. After “springing forward” an hour, take a moment to check the smoke alarms in your home.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years, or whenever they do not respond to a battery test (which should be done monthly). It is recommended that smoke alarms with regular batteries be changed once a year (or whenever they start chirping). If your smoke alarms have non-removable batteries, replace the entire unit if they begin chirping, but at least every 10 years. 

For more information on smoke alarm maintenance and safety precautions, visit the National Fire Protection Association at www.nfpa.org.

For questions about Mason’s fire safety program and related services, visit ehs.gmu.edu, email safety@gmu.edu, or call 703-993-8448. 

The 2019 Statewide Tornado Drill will take place on Tuesday, March 19, at 9:45 a.m.

The drill will be initiated via Mason Alert. This is a great opportunity for everyone in the Mason community to refresh their knowledge of how to respond in the event of a tornado or severe weather. The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Tornado and Severe Weather guide details the steps to follow in the event of such an emergency.  

To participate in the drill on March 19, make sure you are subscribed to receive Mason Alerts as text messages. You can update your Mason Alert preferences by visiting alert.gmu.edu. EHS hopes that everyone is able to participate, and thanks you in advance for your attention to emergency preparedness. 

Jack Wood, former Mayor for the then-Town of Fairfax, was the driving force for arranging a campus to be located on land adjacent to the town and deeding it to the university, thus beginning the Town Gown relationship between university and community. 

In his honor, the George Mason University Office of Government and Community Relations presents this university/community-wide award program to recognize faculty, staff, students, businesses/not-for-profits, community members and elected officials/staff who demonstrate leadership in fostering mutually beneficial relationships between the university and the community. 

Nominations for the 2019 Jack Wood Award for Town Gown Relations are currently being accepted. To nominate yourself or someone else, submit the online form by March 20. Award Recipients will be selected and notified by April 8, with an award ceremony to be held May 2 in conjunction with the Board of Visitors meeting. 

To learn more about the award, visit the Office of Government and Community Relations website. For questions or additional information, contact Traci Kendall at 703-993-8846 or tkendal2@gmu.edu. 

On Monday April 1, 2019, George Mason University Libraries will host its very first Edible Book Festival. The concept was created by Judith Hoffberg and Béatrice Coron and has been hosted in libraries across the globe since 2000. The event, held on International Edible Book Day, is a celebration of all things literary and culinary. 

At our inaugural Edible Book Festival, contestants are asked to create edible interpretations of books – famous or obscure – and bring their entries to the festival to be judged. This event is open the public and entries may be from teams or individuals. 

The rules are simple: entries must be inspired by books, constructed entirely of edible materials, and no larger than two feet wide, deep, and tall. Entries will be photographed and then judged by our esteemed panel and visitors to the festival. Prizes, which include handmade ribbons and gift cards to local businesses, will be awarded to the winners in each of six categories: 

1. Best-in-Show 
2. Punniest 
3. Most Visually Appetizing 
4. Best Representation of a Book 
5. Most Creative/Artistic 
6. Best Display of Technical Skill 

After judging, entrants and visitors will have the opportunity to taste the edible book creations! 

The festival will be held on April 1, 2019, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Fenwick Library, rooms 1014 A and B.

To learn more about the Edible Book Festival, visit the University Libraries’ Edible Book Festival website. Register to be a participant no later than March 22 by visiting the registration site. 

Questions? Contact Amy Sullivan at asulli21@gmu.edu.