Categories
April 2023

Sustainability Updates: Launch of the Greener Mason Community, Office Supply Swap, and more

Greener Mason Community

The Staff Senate Environmental Justice and Sustainability ad hoc committee is pleased to announce the launch of the online Greener Mason Community. Based in Microsoft Teams, the Greener Mason Community aims to bring together people from across Mason to discuss, share, and act on environmental and sustainability issues (broadly defined) in order to advance both individual and institutional knowledge and goals. It will provide space for discussion, resources, and general information about environmentally-related topics and initiatives at Mason and further afield.  

You can join at Greener Mason Community. While coordinated by Staff Senate, the Community is open to everyone at Mason, so please share widely. It is intended to be responsive to community members, so if you don’t see a channel for your own area of interest, please ask—we can create new ones if there is demand for particular topics. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Office Supply Swap

One of the initiatives represented in the Greener Mason Community is the Office Supply Swap. This will be a way for Mason employees to give and receive small, surplus items across the university to reduce both unnecessary purchases and wasted resources. We are encouraging people to use the Supply Swap to offer up small items (for example, stationery) that you no longer need instead of trashing them, and also to request items that you don’t have, before ordering new. And you don’t have to swap directly with the other person! 

All we ask is that items are and remain property of the university (no personal items; no claiming items for personal use), and that technology and larger items such as furniture should not be offered in the Supply Swap (see links for existing surplus procedures). 

To offer or find items, join the Greener Mason Community and look for the Office Supply Swap channel. Post a new item or ask for something; or browse current offerings and reply to the post to request. 

Green Office Initiative

The Office Supply Swap is offered by Staff Senate as part of the Green Office Initiative, headed by University Sustainability. Green Office supporters in offices across Mason will commit to completing an annual assessment about their office’s sustainable practices and integrating more of these into their day-to-day work. There will also be opportunities for training and office hours to connect with others and have your questions answered.

Staff Senate is encouraging as many people as possible to take part. If you’re interested, contact gogreen@gmu.edu with your name, office, and role, to receive an invitation as soon as the initiative launches later this month! 

Earth Month

Finally, Mason celebrates many sustainable programs, events, and initiatives during Earth MonthUniversity Sustainability’s Earth Month Calendar, Mason360 events, and Today@Mason are great places to find upcoming events.

In particular, we encourage staff to join University Sustainability and Human Resources on Monday, April 17, at 11 a.m. via Zoom to learn how you can get involved and make a sustainable impact on campus. Register here. 

Categories
April 2023

Upcoming Performances at Mason

View the complete schedules for the Center for the Arts and the Hylton Performing Arts Center.


Mason School of Art
Visual Voices Lecture Series with BLACK KIRBY
Thursday, April 13, at 4:45 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom
 
BLACK KIRBY is a shared pseudonym that is Stacey Robinson and John Jennings (Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, UC Riverside). BLACK KIRBY functions as a rhetorical tool by sampling and remixing comic legend Jack Kirby’s bold forms and energetic ideas combined with themes centered around Afrofuturism, social justice, representation, magical realism, and using the culture of hip hop as a methodology for creating visual communication. It also utilizes the notion of an alter-ego as a symbolic allegory for DuBoisian “double-consciousness” theory.

Dewberry School of Music
Broadway Chorale Showcase
Saturday, April 15, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
The University Chorale presents a series of Broadway classics for their 2023 spring showcase. The Broadway Showcase is a popular feature of the choral program at Mason each spring semester. Students assist with the design, coaching, and creating choreography for the production.

State Ballet of Georgia
Mostly B
Saturday, April 15, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Experience the sleek grace and physicality of neoclassical ballet with the State Ballet of Georgia. Led by the renowned Nina Ananiashvili, a native of Georgia and a former Bolshoi prima ballerina, Ananiashvili has revitalized the State Ballet of Georgia, attracting major choreographers from all over the world. Referencing the company’s 2011 tour, the Washington Post said, “Ananiashvili and her company are practicing diplomacy through dance—a great and hopeful gift.” 

Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel 
Mozart and Friends
Sunday, April 16, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Jeffrey Siegel closes out the Keyboard Conversations® season with a program that celebrates the power and inspiration of friendship. Join him for Mozart and Friends and hear masterpieces of Mozart, magnificent music by composers who influenced him such as Joseph Haydn, and by those he influenced, including Beethoven. An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program. This performance is appropriate for all ages. 

Dewberry School of Music
Jazz Workshop
Monday, April 17, at 8 p.m.
Harris Theatre
 
Jazz faculty member John Kocur directs the Mason Jazz Workshop big band in their concert! The Jazz Workshop performs music by Thad Jones, Mike Tomaro, Alan Baylock, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Neal Hefti, and many others. 

Dewberry School of Music
Symphonic Band Concert
Tuesday, April 18, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts

The Mason Symphonic Band, under the vibrant musical leadership of William L. Lake, Jr., provides music majors and increasingly growing numbers of non-music majors an opportunity to study and perform a wide variety of traditional and contemporary wind band literature.

Mason School of Theater
The Road to the End
April 20, 21*, 22 at 8 p.m.
April 22, 23** at 2 p.m. 
 
*ASL-Interpreted Performance and Talkback 
**Audio-Described Performance 
Center for the Arts, Theatrespace
With huge life changes on the horizon, Henry and his father embark on one last adventure to the Grand Canyon. Along the way the two rediscover old memories while making new ones. This play, at once retrospective and forward looking, reveals roads to healing and bridges generations. The Road to the End is a brand-new, student-written play making its world premiere by The Mason Players and George Mason University’s School of Theater this spring.

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
George Li, piano
Christopher Zimmerman, music director and conductor
Saturday, April 22, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
 
The Center for the Arts is proud to co-present a soaring classical music program by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, featuring George Li performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Music Director Christopher Zimmerman and the FSO bookend the evening with a pair of Sir Edward Elgar’s rousing masterpieces, graduation staple Pomp and Circumstance, March No. 1 and Symphony No. 1. Don’t miss this inspirational program from one of the premier regional orchestras in the country. 

Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel 
Chopin and Grieg – A Musical Friendship
Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
 
Romance is in the air in this Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel concert. From Chopin’s stirring polonaises and dreamy nocturnes to Grieg’s enchanting and humorous Lyric Pieces, be swept away by the music and the histories of these two beloved Romantic composers. An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program. This performance is appropriate for all ages. 

Family Series
The Passing Zone
The Passing Zone Saves the World!
Sunday, April 23, at 4 p.m.
Center for the Arts
The Passing Zone has been wowing audiences for decades with hilarious, award-winning performances. In their latest show, The Passing Zone Saves the World!, they deliver a pulse-pounding and funny performance, combining juggling, comedy, and daredevil stunts. Their interactive performance will have the whole family in fits of laughter and gasping for breath as they showcase their zany blend of juggling, dangerous stunts, and comedy. Recommended for ages eight and up. 

Dewberry School of Music
Mason Jazz Vocal Night
Monday, April 24, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
Join Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice Studio, and Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook.

Dewberry School of Music
Mason Wind Symphony
Tuesday, April 25, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
 
The George Mason University Wind Symphony, led by Director of Bands William L. Lake, Jr., is a select ensemble comprised of outstanding wind, brass, and percussion players in the School of Music and the university. The ensemble’s mission is to study and perform the best literature available for wind band, while emphasizing soloistic and orchestral performance practice. The Wind Symphony ranks among the finest collegiate wind bands in the commonwealth and performs the best of new band literature.

Dewberry School of Music
Jazz Combos Concert
Wednesday, April 26, at 8 p.m.
de Laski Performing Arts Building, Room 3001 (Rehearsal Room)
 
Directed by jazz pianist Wade Beach, these exploratory groups provide students opportunities in improvisation, composition and arranging as well as small ensemble performing experience. The Mason Jazz Combos perform several times a semester and are open to music and non-music majors, instrumentalists, and vocalists of all musical abilities.

Dewberry School of Music
Mason Opera presents Die Fledermaus
Saturday, April 29, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 30, at 3 p.m.
Harris Theatre
 
Join Mason Opera for the second production of their year with a cast of talented vocal students.

Mason Artist-in-Residence
Indigenous Enterprise
Indigenous Liberation
Saturday, April 29, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts
 
Indigenous Enterprise is on a mission to share their heritage and culture through explosively authentic dance and song. Comprised of dancers from Native American and Canadian tribes and Nations, this group first stunned crowds at the Sydney Opera House in 2018, and has been on the rise since. Indigenous Liberation invites its audience to revel in the pageantry, history, and kaleidoscope of colors in a celebration of what lies at the heart of these traditions. This performance is appropriate for all ages.  

American Roots Series
Wicked Sycamore
Saturday, April 29, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
 
The all-female ensemble Wicked Sycamore brings their tight vocal harmonies, instrumental prowess, and mischievous edge for a contemporary folk concert grounded in traditional roots, Americana, and bluegrass. In 2019 they won two WAMMIES for best Bluegrass Group and best Bluegrass Album. Let Wicked Sycamore charm you with their original music that spans the genres, ranging from the playful and lighthearted to the soulful and introspective.

Dewberry School of Music
International Jazz Day
Sunday, April 30, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts
 
Share the vibrancy and vitality of jazz music with Mason Jazz students and faculty. International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts on all continents to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future, and impact. Various Mason Jazz ensembles will perform in this celebratory and educational event. 

Dewberry School of Music
University Singers Concert
Tuesday, May 2, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts

Under the direction of Lisa Billingham, the University Singers is a select choral ensemble at Mason dedicated to the performance of advanced vocal chamber music ranging from Renaissance to contemporary and commissioned works. 

Dewberry School of Music
Jazz Steel Pan, Latin American, and Braddock Road Ensembles Concert
Wednesday, May 3, at 8 p.m.
de Laski Performing Arts Building, Room 3001 (Rehearsal Room) 
The Steel Pan Ensemble, directed by Victor Provost, Braddock Road Brass Band, directed by Graham Breedlove, and Latin American Ensemble, directed by Juan Megna, perform their spring concert. These specialty groups, within the Jazz Studies department, allow students to focus on genre-specific music from around the world. From traditional brass bands of New Orleans, to musics of the Caribbean, including Calypso and Soka, to the Brazilian sounds of Bossa Nova and Samba, these ensembles showcase the beauty and breadth of global artistry.

Mason School of Dance
Spring: Dance Innovations
May 5–6 at 2 and 8 p.m.
Harris Theatre
Mason choreographers showcase new works performed by the Mason Dance Company.  

Mason School of Theater
A Concert Presentation of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
May 5* and 6 at 8 p.m.
May 7** at 2 p.m.  
 
*ASL-Interpreted Performance 
**Audio-Described Performance 
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang explore life’s great questions as they play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes, and celebrate the joy of friendship.

Dewberry School of Music
Mason Symphony Orchestra Concert
Sunday, May 7, at 7 p.m.
 
Center for the Arts 
Join the Dewberry School of Music for their spring finale concert featuring the Mason Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Soo Han.

Mason School of Dance
May Studio Series
Tuesday, May 9, at 7 p.m.
de Laski Performing Arts Building, Room A301 (Dance Studio)
Studio Series is an intimate black-box experience showcasing new dances by George Mason University’s School of Dance.

Dewberry School of Music
Honors Recital
Saturday, May 13, at 7 p.m.
Harris Theatre
 
Join the Dewberry School of Music for their spring finale concert featuring the Mason Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Soo Han. 

CAMMO Voices
Saturday, May 13, at 8 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
 
CAMMO Voices joins with George Mason University’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative to present a concert that honors our servicemembers and families. The evening-length celebration includes music honoring Mother’s Day from the American Military Spouses Choir, made up of military spouses from all branches and from across the United States. Feel the healing power of music infused with a message of hope and community when CAMMO Voices takes to the stage. This performance is appropriate for all ages. 

Categories
Profile of a Senator April 2023

Meet April Lopez, Staff Senator and Administrative Assistant to the Director, Division of Special Education and disAbility Research

April Lopez, Staff Senator and administrative assistant to the director, Division of Special Education and disAbility Research.

Role: I work with a great team of people who provide fantastic support for our students who are preparing to take on sometimes difficult but always essential roles as educators and other professionals supporting people with disabilities. I spend a lot of time on curriculum development, ensuring that our programs are up to date with the latest requirements for teacher licensure and other certifications, and that we’re responding to student demand for new course offerings on different aspects of disability. Another large part of my role is to admit students to our graduate programs, which can be traditional on-campus programs, cohort programs in cooperation with local school divisions, and fully online programs. And I also act as the HR Liaison for the division – it really is a very varied role.

Mason journey: I joined Mason in my current role in the fall of 2019. My husband was already working in the College of Science, and my son had just started at the Child Development Center, so then we were a complete Mason family!

Best thing about working at Mason: The vast majority of people at Mason are working towards advancing and improving the university, and while they all have that goal in common, there are so many different views about what that actually means. To my mind, that’s great insofar as it creates this tension that builds on the strengths of the university, so that the whole is so much more than the sum of the parts; and at the same time, it’s so important that, as individuals and as an institution overall, we’re maintaining a level of awareness and decency that ensures the needs of less-advantaged members of our community are heard and uplifted. The recent Vision Day focus on student food insecurity is a great example, as are the programs that are run across campus to help create a safer, more welcoming and inclusive environment for marginalized communities within the university.

On a personal note, my favorite thing about being on campus in Fairfax is being able to step out of my office at lunchtime and go and sit under a tree or in a little forest. It’s my strong hope that we continue to recognize the value of the wooded areas that are such a feature of this campus and find a way to preserve them even as the university expands and develops.

Why I serve on the Staff Senate: I stood for Staff Senate in order to promote the sustainability issues that I care deeply about. I’m happy to be part of the revived Environmental Justice and Sustainability ad hoc committee, and to be working in partnership with University Sustainability and others across the campuses, especially now in Earth Month, to encourage everyone to reimagine what they can do to work towards a greener Mason. I’m also in the process of building an online community that is intended to act as a hub for people to connect with each other about environmental and sustainability issues and to enable more people to work together to take action and advocate for change.

At the end of the day: I believe that, as staff, we support and sustain each other as we support the institution. There’s a quote I keep coming back to: “Everything worthwhile is done with other people.” I hope that I can use my time as a senator to do something worthwhile, and to do so with others.

Categories
April 2023

MyHub Import of Workspaces This Spring

Information Technology Services (ITS) recently introduced MyHub, a tool within the Office 365 environment, as the standard way to create new workspaces. At the end of April, workspaces (i.e., Microsoft Teams or Groups) that were previously created without MyHub will be imported. Once imported, your workspace will be prompted for renewal based on its original creation date. This renewal will recur depending on your workspace type. To learn more, see MyHub Renewal Policies. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact the ITS Support Center at 703-993-8870 or support@gmu.edu.

 

Categories
April 2023

New System for Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosures

Mason is implementing a new electronic system for Conflict of Interest (COI) disclosures. The new system, which will replace the homegrown COI disclosure system Mason has used since 2017, is an integrated module within the Research Administration Management Portal (RAMP) system suite. In addition to its integration with the RAMP Grants and Agreements modules, the RAMP COI system includes automated workflows for disclosure review and pre-approval requests, and it supports Outside Employment and Immediate Family disclosures as well as financial interest disclosures. By automating many COI processes, the new system will reduce redundant data input and delays due to the current manual processes, and will also streamline compliance and foster a culture of transparency. 

Go-Live for the RAMP COI system will be in early May 2023. Classified Staff and A/P Faculty can expect to receive an email notification in May about updating your RAMP COI Disclosure Profile. Your disclosure profile update will serve as your initial annual COI disclosure using the new system. For additional information on the COI project and the RAMP Suite implementation, visit ramp.gmu.edu. 

Categories
April 2023

Announcements from Human Resources

Spring Forward With a Workplace Coach 

Could you use a thought partner to support your personal or professional goals? Are there areas in your life or career where you desire change? Coaching is a personalized growth opportunity based entirely on your agenda. Mason’s workplace coaches are here to help you achieve change based on your most important priorities. 

Ready to have a conversation with a coach to identify a plan of action for reaching greater well-being, success, and fulfillment? Simply want to learn more about workplace coaching at Mason? Visit the website to get started. 

Categories
April 2023

Announcements from Operations and Business Services

Reminder: Bike to Mason is Coming!
Celebrate cycling at Mason!  Whether you bike to campus regularly for school or work or are contemplating starting to bike, this event is open to all Mason cyclists.

  • Bike to Mason, SciTech: Tuesday, April 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Colgan Front Patio
  • Bike to Mason, Mason Square: Wednesday, April 19, 3–7 p.m., Plaza
  • Bike to Mason, Fairfax: Thursday, April 20, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Merten Lawn

There will be food, resource information, and fun giveaways. For planning purposes, please let us know that you’ll be coming! Register here. Questions? Reach out to the Parking and Transportation office at transpo@gmu.edu.

First Fridays
Every first Friday of the month, Mason Dining offers a discounted $5 lunch to faculty and staff at Ike’s and Southside. Just show your Mason ID when you arrive. The last First Friday of the semester is coming up on Friday, May 5! 

Take Your Junior Patriot to Work
Mason Dining will be participating in “Take Your Jr. Patriot to Work Day” on Thursday, April 27 by providing FREE meals in the dining halls for all children under the age of 17 with a paying adult.   

Categories
April 2023

Announcements from Facilities

Mason Celebrates Earth Month

Happy Earth Month, Patriots! The Institute for a Sustainable Earth, Mason Facilities and University Sustainability invite the Mason community to do their part in supporting sustainability at Mason.

Programs and volunteer opportunities are happening at Mason during Earth Month: check out the Living Labs Launch on April 12, Bike to Mason Days, and more. Find out how to get involved.

University Sustainability x Faculty/Staff Engagement Info Session

Want to learn more about sustainability initiatives on campus? Human Resources is partnering with University Sustainability to offer an information session for faculty and staff on Monday, April 17, at 11 a.m. Learn more and register

University Sustainability is hosting many events and volunteer opportunities to celebrate Earth Month. Check them out and get involved today!

Earth Month stories from Mason Facilities:

Enhancing Food Security Through Aquaponics

Budding Scientist Monitors Mason’s Iconic Cherry Blossoms

 

Categories
April 2023

April General Meeting Recording

The April Staff Senate meeting featured Mason President Gregory Washington and Deb Dickenson, executive vice president for finance and administration.

If you missed the session, you can watch or listen to the recording.

Categories
April 2023

May General Meeting Announcement

Ken Walsh                              Photo by: Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications/George Mason University

The May General meeting will feature Ken Walsh, executive vice president for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff, to discuss the strategic direction plan.

Wednesday, May 3
10 a.m. to noon
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. – General Business Meeting
11 a.m. to noon – Guest Speaker
Constituents are invited to attend in person in Merten Hall, Room 1204, or via Zoom.
Passcode: SS123
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Webinar ID: 975 1903 7430/ Passcode: 078091

The Staff Senate represents all classified and non-student wage employees at George Mason University. Working closely with university administration, we address concerns that have an impact on the quality of work-life for the Mason community. The work of the senate is accomplished through open and continuous communication with its constituents. Find more ways to engage with the senate before, during, and after our general meetings.