Category: June 2023

New Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Prompt
ITS upgraded the Duo application used for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), which resulted in a new look for the Duo prompt users receive when verifying their identities. This change provides a simplified, more secure experience that is faster and easier to authenticate. The new prompt was added to the Password Management Site and to applications that use ADFS (e.g., Office 365 and Zoom) and Central Authentication Service (CAS)/Shibboleth (e.g., myMason, Patriot Web, and Parking Services). Full details are available on the 2FA Roadmap.

Transition of Adobe VIP Licenses to Enterprise Licenses
ITS recently negotiated a new Enterprise Term License Agreement (ETLA) with Adobe for Creative Cloud products. This new agreement runs from June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2026, and expands access of Adobe Creative Cloud to include all wage employees (student and non-student). Formerly, wage employees were required to use VIP licensing at a cost to the department. More information on Adobe at Mason can be found here.

Vonage Implementation Updates
ITS is actively implementing Mason’s new telecommunications system, Vonage, Inc., having completed ITS-staffed buildings on Fairfax Campus (Aquia, Fenwick, and Innovation). As ITS moves through buildings, impacted users have been notified of how to prepare and what to expect during the change. For more details, including the implementation schedule, visit the Telecom System Replacement Roadmap.

Information About Upgrading to MacOS 13 (Ventura)
Mason-managed Mac systems not running macOS 11 or higher (i.e., Big Sur, Monterey, or Ventura) must be upgraded by October 2023 or they will be removed from the Mason network. Systems requiring upgrading have received notifications requesting users move to the highest OS their systems can support (Note: not all can upgrade to macOS 13). On Monday, June 12, ITS began enforcing upgrades, and any systems that have not been upgraded will have seven days after receiving notification to do so. Computers that cannot upgrade to at least macOS 11 may need to be replaced. See bulletin for full details.

Members of the George Mason University community chartered a Toastmasters club on June 6, 2008 to develop its members’ public speaking and leadership skills. Over the years, we have won awards, competed in contests, and excelled at the highest level.

Stay tuned for details about a celebration this fall to commemorate our anniversary. Meanwhile, GMU Toastmasters hosts hybrid and virtual meetings every Wednesday at noon. If you would like to attend as a guest, you can find the details here.

In the interim, please connect with GMU Toastmasters via social media by following the links below:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GMUToastmasters
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GMUToastmasters
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gmutoastmasters/

Clearing out some office space this summer? Stock-taking in the stationery cabinet? If you have items you no longer need, try offering them in the Office Supplies Swap! Several items, from blue books to gold tablecloths, have already been rehomed and saved from the trash.

Join the discussion and see more sustainability and environmental conversations in the Greener Mason Community on Teams.

Registration for University Business Consulting’s annual Summer Knowledge Share Series is now open! Sessions are open to all faculty and staff. The three sessions this summer are:

1. Benchmarking and Best Practices Primer (June 1)
2. Pitching and Presentation Best Practices (July 13)
3. Change Management Primer (August 10)

Sessions will be held over lunch in Merten Hall and via Zoom. Find out more and view prior sessions on University Business Consulting’s website. 

Reminder: Metro Orange Line Platform Work This Summer

WMATA is doing work on the Orange Line over the summer. Through July 16, there will be an impact at stations between Ballston and Vienna. For information on the project, including WMATA shuttle service while some stations are closed, visit the WMATA website. Also check the overview of all planned Metrorail track work.

Fairfax Parking Services Office Hours Change

The Fairfax Parking Services office will close for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. each day except for the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters. If you have any questions, call 703-993-2710 or email parking@gmu.edu.

Mason Shuttles: Summer Schedule Underway

Mason Shuttles began a summer schedule on Monday, May 22. Service is Monday–Friday only. The shuttle schedules are posted at shuttle.gmu.edu and a summary is available.

Please note that there is no shuttle service on Monday, June 19 (Juneteenth), and Tuesday, July 4 (Independence Day). For questions, contact shuttle@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828. 

The Road to the End
Mason School of Theater
June 1 to August 31
Virtual Event, Mason Arts at Home
Mason Arts at Home and the George Mason University School of Theater present the world premiere of The Road to the End. 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 written by recent Mason alum Bella Panciocco and made its world premiere at George Mason University’s School of Theater with The Mason Players on April 20, 2023, in TheatreSpace on the Fairfax Campus. This pay-to-view limited release will be available to watch from June 1 through noon August 31.  

Edges of What I Feel
Mason Exhibitions 
June 2 through August 26
Mason Exhibitions Arlington
The Healing Artist Collective exposes the raw discomfort of the day-to-day struggles posed by mental health issues as a result of chronic pain, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual assault, and domestic violence. This exhibition invites the viewer to become comfortable with being uncomfortable as the artists of the Healing Artist Collective speak candidly through their art, sharing the realities they face with their own mental and physical health challenges. The artists communicate through the universal language of art, offering the viewer a deeper understanding of their personal struggles and triumphs. 

If you missed the June Staff Senate meeting, you may review the recordings of the Prospective Staff Senator Information Session and the Staff Senate Recognition Ceremony.