Category: October 2021

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month 

The Commonwealth is excited to support National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual observance led by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. This year’s theme is America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion. 

Throughout the month, the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM), Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), and Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) will provide information and education through social media and email to share information and educate about disability employment issues and the role they play in fostering a disability-friendly work culture, as well as highlight the contributions of individuals with disabilities who are already part of our workforce. 

Read the Governor’s proclamation about Disability Employment Awareness Month. 

Be sure to follow DHRM, DBVI, and DARS on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to be a part of NDEAM 2021 and the Commonwealth of Virginia’s commitment to inclusivity and the employment of individuals with disabilities. 

Suit-up Mason: JCPenney Discount 

Get dressed for success with the annual JCPenney Suit-up Mason event through Oct. 31. 

This will be a completely virtual mega-sale on career wear for the Mason community only! 

 

How to shop: 

Step 1: Text GMUSUITUP21 to 67292 to get your Extra 30% off discount code

Step 2: Visit jcpenney.com/m/suit-up to find discounted items 

 

Do you know all the benefits of your Mason ID Card?  There are plenty and we have outlined a few popular ones below.

 Access to Patriots Perks 

• All faculty and staff have access to discounts offered by local businesses as noted on the Patriot Perks website. Discounts range from 10% to 20% at eateries and salon and spas, on entertainment, and at other retailers and services. 

 Convenience of Mason Money 

• Mason Money is a prepaid declining balance account accessed with your Mason ID Card. It provides a fast, safe, and convenient way to make purchases on and off campus. Make deposits, check balances, deactivate lost cards using Mason Money Online.  Businesses such as Whole Foods and Ornery accept Mason Money as a form of payment. We refer to these businesses as Mason Merchants and a full list is available online. 

 Discount at Bookstore 

• Mason faculty and staff receive a 10% discount at the George Mason Bookstore on all merchandise except textbooks, gift cards, class rings, graduation products, computer software, computer hardware, periodicals, health and beauty aids, food, and beverages. Discount cannot be combined with any other promotion. This discount is only available in person. 

 Faculty/Staff Byte Meal Plan 

• Mason faculty and staff have access to exclusive meal plans to be used at all dining halls. Plans are as low as $7.40 per meal swipe.  Check out the three Byte meal plans available and learn how to secure them. 

• Mason Faculty and Staff can join the Mason Club at a membership fee of $25 per semester. You can sign up for a membership via Mason’s Marketplace. 

 Reduced Prices at Men’s Basketball Games 

• Mason faculty and staff are eligible to receive a reduced price of $208 per ticket + Patriot Club Seat Requirement (if applicable) for up to four men’s basketball season tickets. During regular season weekday games, faculty and staff can receive 50% off on reserved or upper reserved single-game tickets. 

 Half off Subscriptions to Performing Arts 

• Mason faculty and staff save 50% off subscriptions to the Great Performances at Mason (Center for the Arts) and Hylton Presents (Hylton Center) seasons. Subscriptions are packages of three or more performances. For the 2021-2022 season, subscriptions are available beginning October 12, 2021 for performances in the Spring 2022 semester. Present your Mason ID to the Ticket Office to claim your discount. 

 Free Cue Bus Rides 

• Mason faculty and staff have access to free rides on the CUE Bus.  The CUE Bus provides transportation to Mason, shopping centers and other locations within the City of Fairfax, as well as the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metrorail Station. Learn more about the transportation option and schedules. 

We hope you enjoy the value of your Mason ID Card and take full advantage of all its benefits! 

 

Winter Wellness Flu Shot Clinics

Sign-ups are now open!  

Register now using the links below to reserve your flu shot appointment at a Winter Wellness Flu Shot Clinic (pdf):

• Fairfax Campus: Oct. 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall
• SciTech Campus: Oct. 19, noon to 1 p.m. in Colgan Hall, Room 110H
• Arlington Campus: Oct. 26, noon to 1 p.m. in Van Metre Hall, Room 210 

How to Prepare 

1. Register now to reserve your flu shot appointment at the links above. 
2. Flu shots are by appointment only – no walk-ins will be accepted to allow us to follow university social distancing guidelines. 
3. On the day of, please come prepared to show a green GMU Covid Health Check 
4. Bring the pharmacy’s consent form (pdf)
5. Bring your insurance card. 
6. Bring a valid form of ID. 
7. We recommend wearing short sleeves. 
8. Plan to spend 10-15 minutes at the clinic after your shot to ensure there is no adverse reaction. 

Who Is Administering the Flu Shots? 

Flu Shots are administered by Giant Pharmacy. 

Is There a Copay? 

There is no copay with COVA insurance. 

What About Kaiser? 

Kaiser Permanente will not be on campus this year for the flu shot clinics. 

Employees with Kaiser Permanente insurance can refer to their flyer (pdf) or search online to find the closest in-network location to receive a flu shot. 

COVID-19 Guidelines 

The flu shot clinics will follow all COVID-19 safety and social distancing protocols.

Questions? Contact worklife@gmu.edu.

CommonHealth Weekly Wellnotes

Looking for a way to get quick wellness tips without doing any extra work? Each week, we update the CommonHealth page on the HR & Payroll website with Weekly Wellnotes that provide quick wellness tips! These tips range from how to manage stress, delicious recipes, how to nurture your relationships, financial tips, ways to stay physically healthy, and more.

Visit the CommonHealth page on the HR & Payroll website each week for a new tip! 

Performance Evaluation Resources

As performance evaluations are underway, be sure to use the performance evaluation hub for helpful resources including: 

• An outline of the Core Competencies 
• A general FAQ 
• Several how-to guides 
• Classified staff specific resources 
• Faculty specific resources 
• Performance feedback resources 

If you have questions, contact hr@gmu.edu. 

Bicycle Commuting 101: Online via Zoom

Bicycling to campus can be fun and great for your well-being.  Join Delia Johnson from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor for Bicycle Commuting 101. During this session at noon on Tuesday, November 16 via Zoom, Delia will share information to help you feel more confident about getting to campus on two wheels.  

This session is open to faculty, staff and students. To register, visit https://gmu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kcO-przMqH9RMJFuWnZ_pVfZSMwjxKP15 . Zoom meeting details will be sent to you.

Mason Partners for Safety: Ride with Mason Police

Mason Police have teamed up with Parking and Transportation to put safety at the forefront. Join them on Thursday, October 28 from noon to 2 p.m. for two opportunities. From noon-1:30, stop by the table fair on the Merten Lawn. While safety is the focus, there will be Mason and community organizations in attendance to share information and resources. At 1:30, bring your bike, scooter, or skateboard to the Merten Hall parking lot where Mason Police will lead a ride around Patriot Circle demonstrating how to ride safely. To register to attend, visit https://transportation.gmu.edu/archive/mason-partners-for-safety-ride-with-mason-police/.   

Sustain & Save Program for Arlington Campus Faculty and Staff

Are you a faculty/staff member who commutes on I-66 to the Arlington Campus during tolling hours? Mason has partnered with Commute66 to help faculty and staff who currently pay tolls on I-66 take advantage of Sustain & Save. This program provides $100 per month to employees who switch their commute from driving and parking at the Arlington Campus to using transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, or another sustainable option. Conditions apply; please review the details at https://transportation.gmu.edu/archive/sustain-save-program-for-arlington-campus-faculty-and-staff/.

Recruiting Vanpool Riders from Fairfax to the Arlington Campus

Are you a full-time faculty/staff member who lives in the Fairfax area and works on the Arlington Campus? Would you like to have your commute costs reimbursed up to $270/month, tax-free, not have to do all the driving, park free at Mason, and reduce carbon emissions? If so, consider vanpooling. Parking and Transportation is continuing its vanpool outreach and has developed a short vanpool match survey for a possible Fairfax to Arlington vanpool at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FFXARLPOOL. 

Family Series: The Magic of Bill Blagg Live! 
Saturday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts

Witness the impossible with top illusionist Bill Blagg in his mind-bending and hilarious magic show The Magic of Bill Blagg Live! “Unbelievable!” raves USA Today, and “Absolutely Incredible!” echoes The Chicago Tribune. The whole family will rub their eyes in disbelief as the “Houdini Times Ten” (NBC), makes objects disappear, teleports across the theater, levitates in mid-air, and so much more. Recommended ages 8 and up.   

Learn more: https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/the-magic-of-bill-blagg-live

 

Mason Artist-in-Residence Sphinx Virtuosi: Tracing Visions
Sunday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m.
Center for the Arts

Welcome Mason Artist-in-Residence Sphinx Virtuosi, the chamber orchestra dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in classical music. Prepare to stretch beyond the usual notions of the classical music canon with a dynamic program of music by women and composers of color. With this program, Sphinx Virtuosi contemplates our country’s present division and through creative expression offers ways to evolve together toward a more just and equitable future.

Learn More: https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/sphinx-virtuosi

 

Visual Voices Lecture with Amanda Ross-Ho
Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Virtual Event

Amanda Ross-Ho is a Los Angeles-based artist whose work takes the form of sculptural installations and material environments that propose dynamic and imagined ecologies of labor, time and the building of speculative archives. She builds formal syntax comprised of objects, images, and performative gestures mined from personal and collective phenomena, to inscribe meaning through poetic systems of circuitry and taxonomy. Utilizing conflicting sensibilities of the forensic, hyperbolic, and theatrical, her work aims to function as a sensitive instrument: tuned to carefully observe, record, transcribe and translate the landscapes of our made and lived-in surroundings. 

Learn more: https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/visual-voices-lecture-with-amanda-ross-ho/

 

Mason School of Theater: A Concert Presentation of FOOTLOOSE
Multiple dates, Oct. 28–31
Center for the Arts

Based on the 1984 film of the same name, FOOTLOOSE the musical celebrates the exhilaration of youth, the wisdom of listening to one another, and the power of forgiveness. Kick off our new season with exuberant singing and dancing as everybody cuts footloose! 

Learn more: https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/a-concert-presentation-of-footloose/   

  

Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra: Swingin’ with the Met
Saturday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center

Calling all Jitterbugs! Come celebrate the Big Band Era with the coolest cats in town, Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. Artistic Director and alto sax virtuoso Jim Carroll leads this distinguished ensemble comprising the most remarkable jazz performers in the metro region, who will perform music from the libraries of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and more. Carroll’s long and illustrious career has included performances with the likes of Michael Jackson, Nancy Wilson, Maynard Ferguson, Billy Taylor, Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd, and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Join us for a finger-snapping, toe-tapping good time.

Learn More: https://hylton.calendar.gmu.edu/metropolitan-jazz-orchestra

 

Mason Symphony Orchestra Concert
Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts

The Mason Symphony Orchestra is comprised of outstanding string, wind, and percussion players from throughout the School of Music. 

Learn more: https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/mason-symphony-orchestra-concert 

   

Dewberry School of Music: Mason Choirs Fall Concert
Saturday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m.
Center for the Arts

George Mason University choirs are under the direction of Dr. Lisa Billingham. The choral ensembles perform a wide variety of music each semester ranging from classical styles to multi-cultural works and popular music. The Fall Choral Festival will feature clinics in the morning and performances in the afternoon. 

Learn more: https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/mason-choirs-fall-concert/ 

 

Jerusalem Quartet featuring Pinchas Zukerman, violin/viola, and Amanda Forsyth, cello
Sunday, Nov. 7, at 4 p.m.
Center for the Arts

GRAMMY Award-winning conductor, violinist, and violist Pinchas Zukerman, and Canadian Juno Award-winning cellist Amanda Forsyth, join forces with the Jerusalem Quartet for a trio of radiant Romantic-era works by Bruckner, Dvořák, and Brahms. Highly accomplished and much in demand in their own right, the husband and wife duo of Zukerman and Forsyth create a sextet with the four Israeli artists in a dazzling display of virtuosity. Widely recognized as one of the top international chamber ensembles, the Jerusalem Quartet has left its mark on stages worldwide, and now it brings its world-class musicianship to the Center.

Learn More: https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/jerusalem-quartet