The Staff Senate invites classified staff and non-student wage employees for a fun afternoon of trivia. The virtual event will be held October 30th, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Zoom and hosted by District Trivia. Prizes for the top team(s) will be given. Registration information coming soon!
The September Staff Senate meeting featured Deb Dickenson, Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration.
For those who missed the meeting, or would like to re-watch the session, the recording is now available here.
*A note of correction from Deb Dickenson: There will not be a virtual option for the Finance & Land Use committee on September 17th. The meeting will only be available in person at Merten Hall 1201.
Deb Dickenson, executive vice president, Finance and Administration, has provided a follow-up response from her visit to the Staff Senate.
Q: When was the decision made to outsource, and why has there still been no notification to the Mason community? When is it happening? What criteria was used to make this decision and by whom? Was the impact on student workers who list their position at the ITS Support Center as their first IT job even considered? Is there really a cost savings? How much? People come to work at Mason and stay because of the community and stability. With the hiring “chill”, and now this outsourcing and layoffs, what impact do you think it will have on employee engagement and recruitment?
A: Due to George Mason’s recent budget challenges and our longstanding funding disparity, our university continues to pursue operational efficiencies and productivity improvements that may result in elimination of positions. When strategic realignments occur, leadership works closely with Human Resources to ensure that all relevant policies and procedures surrounding personnel matters are followed.
The decision to restructure the ITS Support Center was made after careful deliberation and with approval from the Senior Leadership Team, as part of efforts to meet budget savings targets while avoiding disruption to university services. The realignment is expected to provide an annual cost savings, as well as extending support hours to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide increased support availability.
We cannot provide specifics regarding personnel matters but will continue to provide updates at Board of Visitors meetings, as well as at Staff and Faculty Senate meetings. Please know that much thought goes into all decisions that impact employees, and we work diligently to provide appropriate resources and support to those impacted.
Dr. Gregory Washington, president of George Mason University, has been invited as our October Staff Senate meeting guest speaker.
Wednesday, October 2
10:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. – General Business Meeting
11 a.m. to noon – Guest Speaker
Constituents are encouraged to attend the meeting 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: 931 0040 3860 / Passcode: 621190
The Staff Senate will collect questions in advance for consideration. The Staff Senate will make every effort to present your question as submitted; however, submissions may be combined in order to conserve time and to allow for a broad range of topics. Please use the form below to submit your comment, question, or concern by Monday, September 23. 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.
*The Staff Senate is requiring that virtual attendees join our Staff Senate General Meetings with their Patriot Pass credentials. 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.
Discover the convenience of Byte Meal Plans for faculty and staff, starting as low as $105! Enjoy meals across campus while saving money and fostering connections with colleagues. Byte Plans roll over from fall to spring, making it easier than ever to balance work and wellness. Learn more on the Card Office website.
Patriot Packout (PPO) is hosting a special Swap and Hop event during Fairfax Campus move-in! Stop by PPO’s Swap and Hop at Southside’s Patio (covered area) on Saturday, August 24 from 11:00am – 3:00pm. All Mason Patriots are invited to donate like-new and gently items to swap with others or simply claim any donations they need for FREE! Please submit your registration form before stopping by the event: go.gmu.edu/PPOswap.
The election results are in, and we are excited to announce our newly and re-elected senators:
Stephanie M Atkins, College of Education and Human Development
Matthew Berlejung, Information Technology Services
Susan Brionez, School of Dance
Hannah King, College of Education and Human Development
April Lopez, College of Education and Human Development
Rose Nelson, University Libraries
Lisa Shapiro, Entrepreneurship Programs
Rachel L Spence, Global Education Office
Regan McClure, Mason Square Library
Kerry Hentges, University Life
Jacquelyn Krehbiel, SciTech Campus Executive Office
Tiffany C Sandstrum, College of Education and Human Development
Donna A Tressler, SciTech Campus Executive Office
Lauren Reese, Information Technology Services
Elizabeth Barnfield, College of Engineering and Computing
Terry Hurley, Risk, Safety, and Resilience
Lesley Irminger, College of Science
Ashley Marshall-Lanier, Honors College
Human Resources is excited to announce the upcoming Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day (FSED). Mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 15! This year’s event will focus on faculty and staff engagement, guided by the Gallup Q12.
Human Resources invites you to submit proposals that reflect your expertise and experience. Each proposal should include the following details:
Please complete the 2024 FSED Proposals submission form by Friday, August 16, 2024, at 5 p.m.
The selection committee will review all submissions and notify selected presenters by Friday, September 6.
Supervisors are encouraged to share team/unit Faculty and Staff Experience survey results with their faculty and staff. Human Resources has facilitators available to support these data review conversations and the action planning process. Sharing results will engage faculty and staff and support a culture of continuous improvement. To request a planning session, please email [email protected].
Supervisors who lack sufficient direct report or rollup data should still engage their teams in discussions about the Q12 questions and overall employee engagement. Contact [email protected] for a Gallup guide titled “Engagement Planning Options for Managers Without Q12® Results”.
Are you a dedicated father who values work-life balance and supports a thriving workplace culture? Would you like to meet other fathers and have an opportunity to network and share parenthood challenges? We are excited to announce a leadership position opening within our Working Fathers Employee Resource Group (ERG).
Our Working Fathers ERG is a community dedicated to supporting fathers in balancing their professional responsibilities with family life. We recognize the unique challenges faced by working fathers and strive to create an inclusive environment where they can thrive personally and professionally. The ERG leader(s) would foster a supportive community by organizing events, meetings and activities that promote networking and mutual support among working fathers.
The Human Resources’ Faculty and Staff Engagement Team provides administrative support to all ERG leaders. If you are interested in learning more about the Working Fathers ERG and/or serving as a leader of the group, please contact [email protected].
Human Resources is excited to announce the launch of Mason Throughout the Nation (MTN), a new Employee Resource Group for hybrid and remote faculty and staff at George Mason University.
MTN aims to bridge geographical distances and create a supportive network that fosters well-being, connection, and a sense of belonging. Monthly meetings will be shaped to meet the needs of ERG members. Sessions will include opportunities to connect and learn through professional development mini-sessions surrounding work-life balance practices, wellbeing, tips and tricks for successful work in a remote and/or hybrid space and much more!
The ERG’s next meeting will be held on Thursday, August 15th from 12pm-1pm, via Zoom. Join the MTN Teams channel and/or email [email protected] to be added to the email listserv. Reach out to [email protected] with questions!
The performance midcycle check-in will launch on October 1, 2024, for a/p faculty and classified staff hired on or before June 30, 2024. This check-in is intended to review and reflect on the performance period of April 1 – September 30, 2024. It is a perfect time for supervisors to recognize their team’s work and, if appropriate, submit the Acknowledgment of Extraordinary Contribution for their classified staff. This midcycle check-in is once again optional this year, with the following exceptions:
Please see the Midcycle Check-in Guidance website for additional information. Questions about this process and any scheduled performance management trainings may be submitted to [email protected].
The September Staff Senate meeting will feature Deb Dickenson, executive vice president for finance and administration.
Wednesday, September 4
10:00 a.m. 11 a.m. – General Business Meeting
11 a.m. to noon – Guest Speaker
Join the meeting via Zoom*
Passcode: SS123
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Meeting ID: 931 0040 3860 / Passcode: 621190
The Staff Senate will collect questions in advance for consideration. Please use the form below to submit your comment, question, or concern by Monday, August 19. We will also be accepting live questions, time permitting.
*The Staff Senate is requiring that virtual attendees join our Staff Senate General Meetings with their Patriot Pass credentials. 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.
Information Technology Services (ITS) has assigned the required annual IT Security Awareness Training to all Mason employees, including contractors, affiliates, and student wage workers. Additionally, mandatory role-based training is assigned to those in specialized roles.
The deadline to complete the training is Thursday, October 31.
This year, ITS is changing how it tracks and enforces compliance with meeting the training requirement.
Users who fail to complete the training by the deadline will not have their accounts disabled immediately. Users will be given an opportunity to complete their training during the semi-annual password reset process. When the password is reset, the user will have 14 days to complete the training. Failure to comply will result in the user’s account being disabled.
To get the account re-enabled, the user must then contact the IT Support Center. The user’s manager or supervisor will be asked to submit a written commitment to [email protected] ensuring the user will complete the training. Persistent non-compliance will be escalated to the IT Risk and Compliance office and the user’s senior leadership.
If you have questions about the training or the new enforcement action, please contact the ITS Support Center at 703-993-8870 or [email protected]
Role: I am responsible for overseeing the CHSS Academic Affairs Office as the Office Manager. My duties include managing the Academic Affairs reception area, handling student walk-ins for various Academic Affairs teams, scheduling meetings for the Graduate and Undergraduate Academic Affairs teams, as well as for the Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs. Additionally, I handle HR coordination tasks such as processing the hiring of instructors for unit courses and student workers. I am also responsible for submitting Graduate Assistants contracts and coordinating the CHSS Graduate Dean’s Challenge and Undergraduate Outstanding Student Process and coordinate awardee notification and payment with the CHSS Advancement team.
Mason journey: I initially became part of the Mason from 1999 to 2001 and then returned in 2010 as a part-time wage staff. I transitioned into a full-time role as a classified staff employee in 2011.
Best thing about working at Mason: The best part of working at Mason is its wonderful diversity of faculty, students, and staff.
Why serve on the Staff Senate: I feel like it’s time for me to give back by sharing the administrative skills and knowledge that I’ve gained over the years. Additionally, I plan to enhance my professional development growth by gaining a better understanding of working in a diverse institution and collaborating with other Mason staff members from different backgrounds.
