Category: December 2023

One of Mason’s values is We Thrive Together, but what does that value look like in action? How do Mason teams actively nurture a positive and collaborative community? Good teamwork is always important, and even more so this year.

The Patriot Pathbreakers Award, established by Human Resources and the Staff Senate, seeks to honor two high performing teams who embody the Mason value of thriving together. High performing teams are active pathbreakers, using the individual talents of team members to overcome obstacles and make progress toward the team’s, unit’s, or Mason’s goals. These teams are innovative, adapting their services/processes when necessary to meet the changing needs of the Mason community. The sum of their efforts is a result of communication, teamwork, and team spirit and commitment.

This award is open to two teams and each team member will receive an award certificate and a DoorDash gift card. The teams and their work will also be highlighted in the Mason News.

Criteria

• Teams must be comprised of Mason employees of any classification and any length of service. Teams do not have to be members of the same department, but must be a group of employees working towards a shared vision.
• The team models active collaboration; they leverage each individual’s strengths and contributions, and demonstrate mutual respect, inclusivity, and trust. When necessary, these teams innovatively adapt their services or processes to meet the evolving needs of the Mason community.
• The teams utilize effective and positive communication strategies.

Nomination Form

To nominate someone, complete the electronic nomination form. Nominations are open until Monday, February 19, 9 a.m.

Beginning in March 2024, the Staff Senate will be requiring that virtual attendees join our Staff Senate General Meetings with their Patriot Pass credentials. Requiring authentication to join ensures that we are not interrupted by disingenuous parties. If you are already signed into Zoom using your Mason-licensed Zoom account, you should not see a difference. If you are not already signed into your Mason-licensed Zoom account, you will be told authentication is required to join, and prompted to sign in. For more information, please access our helpful FAQ document.

Fairfax/SciTech Shuttle Survey

Parking and Transportation, in partnership with the Shuttle Advisory Committee, invites faculty, staff, and students to complete a short survey on the Fairfax/SciTech Shuttle. We are interested in hearing from both those who currently use the shuttle as well as those who live in Prince William County or points further west and do not currently use the shuttle. It should take less than 5 minutes to complete. This is purely informational, no changes to the route are currently in development. We will keep the survey open through January 2024. Find the survey here.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Parking and Transportation at 703-993-2828 or via email at shuttle@gmu.edu.

Mason Shuttles and Travel for Winter Break

Winter Break brings some major changes to the Mason Shuttle schedules. Details for both Mason Shuttles and travel options for Winter Break are posted here. Please note, we are not operating regional shuttles for Winter Break. Spring Shuttle schedules should be available later in December or first thing after the New Year.

If you have any questions, please contact Parking and Transportation at 3-2828 or via email at shuttle@gmu.edu.

Rick Holt Active Transportation Advocate Award

The Rick Holt Active Transportation Advocate Award honors Rick, “the Mason bike dude,” who passionately advocated for and encouraged active transportation at Mason and beyond. Nominations are open for this award, the recipient of whom will be recognized at the Outstanding Achievement Awards in April. If you know a faculty or staff member who embodies Rick’s enthusiasm and commitment, we encourage you to submit a nomination. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 23. Find out more details here.

If you have any questions, please contact Parking and Transportation at 3-2828 or via email at transpo@gmu.edu

Commuter Choice Benefit Increasing in 2024

Beginning in January 2024, the maximum Commonwealth Commuter Choice benefit at Mason will increase by $15 to $315 per month. Currently, an Executive Order gives full-time state employees in Northern Virginia up to $300 per month to commute by eligible transit or vanpool. This is a tax-free benefit paid by the University. To take advantage of this increase beginning with the February benefit, be sure to submit your “Commuter Choice Monthly Benefit Request” by Wednesday, January 10 (the January deadline has already passed). If you are new to the program, please also submit an Enrollment Form. Find more information and the forms here.

Motor Pool Program

University departments can rent vehicles and reduce out-of-pocket expenses with the university Motor Pool Program. Motor Pool rentals allow faculty and staff to direct bill their university-sponsored vehicle rentals to their departments. Submit a request for your trip through TripDirect and include the desired date, time, departure, return, and type of vehicle you would like as well as the approved drivers who will operate it. More important information can be found here.

Zipcar: Short-Term Car Rental Available on the Fairfax Campus

Need a car to run errands or pick someone up? Check out Zipcar. Located on the Fairfax Campus, you can rent a car for a short trip or a long one. Cars have to be returned to the pickup location. For details, please visit the Parking and Transportation website and scroll down to Zipcar.

The Faculty and Staff Engagement Team is excited to again partner with Fairfax, Mason Square, and Sci-Tech business units to offer diverse and robust programs for the Take Your Junior Patriot to Work event on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

The event aligns with the national “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” whose focus is to “expose children to what a parent or mentor does during the work day….showing them the value of their education, helping them discover the power and possibilities of work and family life, providing a chance to share how they envision the future, and allowing them to begin steps toward their goals in a hands-on and interactive environment.”

In order to engage with our Mason parents, guardians, and Junior Patriots, we are asking for your help in providing an interactive session during the event. Sessions can be focused on social interaction, career enhancement, guided learning, enhanced overall well-being (all dimensions of wellness), and so much more. Essentially, we are looking for business units to provide a sneak peek into their world at Mason and provide an opportunity for Junior Patriots to engage in that world.

Sessions should be offered on Thursday, April 25 between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The length of the session is up to the unit’s discretion and availability.

The deadline to submit a session is Monday, March 18, at 9 a.m. This will allow our team time to finalize materials and promote out to the Mason community.

Reach out to engagehr@gmu.edu with questions.

Mason supervisors are encouraged to check out the new “Engagement at Mason” website. The site includes a variety of resources to define employee engagement, share employee engagement measurement strategies, and provide tools for engagement. Tools include a guide to meaningful conversations, a sample stay interview, daily engagement and performance management strategies, and much more! Check out the “Engagement at Mason” site and reach out to engagehr@gmu.edu with questions.

Human Resources will host the Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 16 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. in Dewberry Hall.  Nominations for various award categories are now open!  Visit the Outstanding Achievement Awards website today to review the various award categories and nominate a colleague.  Nominations are being accepted until Monday, February 19 at 9 a.m.

Dine smarter, not harder! Introducing Byte Plans – the faculty and staff exclusive dining option that saves you money on every swipe! Grab a colleague and enjoy a delicious lunch in one of our four dining halls right here on campus. Learn more and get your Byte Plan for next semester by visiting the Mason Dining Website.

The February Staff Senate meeting will feature guest speaker, Mary “Missy” Cummings, to discuss her work in artificial intelligence.

Missy Cummings is “one of the country’s first female fighter pilots and director of Mason’s Center for Robotics, Autonomous Systems, and Translational AI, calls herself a tech futurist, charged with making tech work better and safer. In a conversation with Mason President Gregory Washington, Cummings is unflinching in her critique of AI’s strengths, weaknesses, and shortcomings, as well as that of humans. There is a lot to like about AI, Cummings says, but she calls out bad tech where she sees it, including in the vision systems of self-driving cars and Tesla’s Autopilot.”

Wednesday, February 7
10 a.m. to noon
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Guest Speaker
11 a.m. to noon – General Meeting (agenda)
Constituents are invited to attend in person in Merten Hall, Room 1201, or join the meeting via Zoom.
Passcode: SS123
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Meeting ID: 946 9452 3314 / Passcode: 760740

The Staff Senate collected questions in advance for consideration. We will also be accepting live questions, time permitting.