Category: October 2023

You are invited to participate in a short survey about the future of dining services at George Mason University. Your input will help Auxiliary Services to improve dining options available to the campus community. As an incentive for completing the survey, you will be eligible to participate in a prize drawing that will include tech, travel, leisure, and office prizes. A total of 10 prizes will be offered. 
  
The survey should take about 10-15 minutes to complete; responses are due by October 15, 2023. 
  
This survey is being conducted by an independent consultant working on behalf of George Mason University, and the information gathered is solely for George Mason University’s internal use. Your identity will remain confidential and will not be linked to your responses. Your responses will not be used for any other purposes. Prize winners will be notified by email after the survey closes. 

  

All managers and aspiring managers are invited to join the Supervision Collective on Thursday, October 12 from 1 to 2 p.m.  for October’s Manager Meetup: Difficult Conversations, where we’ll dive into the handling of difficult discussions with confidence and intention. The session will take place on Zoom and advanced registration is required.

This month’s session will be using the LinkedIn Learning course, “Quick Scripts for Difficult Conversations,” as the foundation for the shared conversation. As a group, we will explore the content provided, discuss strategies for implementation, and practice putting this work into practice. Whether it’s addressing performance challenges or delivering tough feedback, this interactive session will help you with building skills to navigate these conversations effectively and confidently.

Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day will be held on Wednesday, October 25 in the Johnson Center! Registration is now live, so don’t miss out—reserve your spot today! This year’s event will feature keynote speakers Lewis Forrest, associate dean for university life, and Sheldon Tate, executive director of recreation. 

Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day is an all-day, interactive event featuring: 

* A variety of personal and professional development workshops
* Light morning and afternoon refreshments
* Lunch and a resource fair with over 20 vendors from across Mason
* Networking opportunities 

For more information, including registration details and the full schedule, visit the Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day homepage. We can’t wait to see you there! 

Bicycle Commuting 101

Bicycling to campus can be fun and great for your well-being.  Join Delia Johnson, a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor, for Bicycle Commuting 101. During this session at noon on Thursday, November 9 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. Register and Zoom meeting details will be sent to you.

Route Planning: Biking to Mason

Live within biking distance of Mason?  Planning a commute for this autumn? We have volunteers who can assist you in finding a biking route that is comfortable for you. For details and regions covered, please visit Bicycle Programs and choose Bike Volunteer Contacts.

 

The October general meeting featured feature guest speakers Alexis Beard and Jack Smith from the Mason Bookstore to discuss book adoptions/book orders for the upcoming Spring 2024 semester. The second part of the general meeting featured guest speaker Gregory Washington, president, George Mason University.

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

 

The November Staff Senate guest speaker session featuring guest speaker Paul Allvin, vice president and chief brand officer, Office of University Branding, will be rescheduled as a special session.

Wednesday, November 1
10 a.m. to noon
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. – General Meeting
11 a.m. to noon – Guest Speaker
Updated space: Constituents are invited to attend in person in Peterson Hall, Room 1109, 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 will collect questions in advance for consideration. Please use the form below to submit your comment or question by Wednesday, October 25. We will also be accepting live questions, time permitting.

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.