Mason Staff Senate

Category: 2025

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December 2025

Well-Body Screenings and Consultations

 

Get a quick, non-invasive body composition scan with personalized results, a complimentary blood pressure check, and a consultation with a medical professional. Learn more about your body’s fat, muscle, water balance, and overall health. Limited appointments are available monthly, and they are open to George Mason faculty and staff (including wage, student wage, and adjunct faculty). Download the flyer to learn more. To register, click here. For questions, please contact [email protected] or call 703-993-6001.

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December 2025

December Benefits Corner: TimelyCare for Staff

RSR-Employee Health & Well-Being has partnered with TimelyCare to provide George Mason employees with free, confidential mental health and well-being support, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Faculty and staff can access care from anywhere, at any time, using their George Mason email to register.

Your TimelyCare benefits include:

  • 24 / 7 / 365 emotional support with the TalkNow line.
  • Up to 12 free scheduled counseling sessions per academic year.
  • Health Coaching: work with experts to develop healthy lifestyle behaviors (nutrition, sleep habits, time management, and mindfulness).
  • Self-guided resources, mindfulness tools, and peer support – available 24 / 7 / 365.

Learn more about this resource on the Employee Health and Well-Being website.

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December 2025

Parking and Transportation Updates

You can find End of Fall Semester/Winter Break Shuttle Schedule Changes on the Parking and Transportation webpage.

Permit sales for the Spring 2026 semester will begin on January 5 at parking.gmu.edu.

Parking and Transportation are hosting a Parking Citation Holiday Drive for the Patriot Pantry! When you make a donation valued at $15, $20, or $30 in person at any Parking Services office for Patriot Pantry, Parking and Transportation will take $15, $20, or $30 off an outstanding citation balance based on your donation amount. You can learn more about this on the Parking and Transportation webpage.

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December 2025 January 2026

PEC Summit

The Office of Risk, Safety, & Resilience is hosting a PEC Summit on January 27. Representatives from University Events, Human Resources, University Counsel, Office of Access, Compliance, and Community, Housing & Residence Life, Risk, Safety & Resilience, Parking & Transportation, Fiscal Services, Dining Services, and University Branding will be participating. Following the presentations, there will be a Q&A session and an opportunity to connect directly with campus partners.

The PEC Summit is on January 27 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. in Merten Hall 1204.

If your department offers a program, event, or camp (PEC) that serves minors, hosts a minor in an internship or mentorship, or plans to develop a PEC, you are welcome to attend. This year’s Summit is an in-person only event. Please RSVP using the registration form.

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December 2025

Wi-Fi Network Updates

ITS is simplifying George Mason University’s Wi-Fi network this fall to help the community stay better connected across campus. MASON-SECURE will be permanently shut down on Friday, December 19, at the end of this semester. For details, see MASON-SECURE Retirement FAQs. To ensure uninterrupted connectivity, ITS encourages all campus Wi-Fi users to switch to eduroam as soon as possible. To get started, visit the ITS eduroam webpage.

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December 2025

Staying Up-to-Date on Provost’s Office Initiatives

The Provost’s Office is leading several important efforts that impact George Mason faculty, staff, and students, including expanding support services for undergraduate students, fully activating the SciTech and Mason Square campuses, standardizing internal surveys, and more. Visit the Office of the Provost’s website to learn more about these initiatives.

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Featured on Homepage November 2025

December 2025 General Business Meeting Announcement

Wednesday, December 3
10 to 11 a.m. – December Staff Appreciation Bingo!
11 a.m. to noon – Business Meeting

Space Update: Constituents may attend in person in the Main Reading Room at Fenwick Library, Room 2001, or join the meeting via Zoom* (Zoom Passcode: SS123).
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Meeting ID: 931 0040 3860 / Passcode: 621190

Add this meeting to my calendar.

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 George 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 George Mason-licensed Zoom account, you should not see a difference. If you are not already signed into your George 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.

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Featured on Homepage Profile of a Senator November 2025

Meet Kat Trejo, Staff Senator and ADVANCE Success Coach, Student Success Coaching   

Kat Trejo, Staff Senator and ADVANCE Success Coach, Student Success Coaching

Role: In my role, I am responsible for transitioning students from the ADVANCE program that come from one of our six partnered community colleges including Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), who have the last names K-O. I ensure they understand what documentation is required of them to continue transitioning over with little to no issues. After matriculation has been finalized, I provide holistic care to my caseload within the Student Success Coaching’s nine focus areas to help students navigate their college experience and discuss all aspects of their life that affect their overall well-being while at George Mason. 

Mason journey: My journey began at George Mason in the summer of 2018 as a STEP Scholar. I graduated in the Spring of 2022 with a Bachelors of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Resolution with an individualized concentration in Community Engagement with Displaced Populations. I have always been passionate about the Mason community and being able to assist in bridging gaps for other first-generation students, like myself.  

 Best thing about working at Mason: The best thing about working at Mason is the level of community you can find among students, staff and faculty. Those at Mason truly care about the success of our students regardless of their background or life circumstances. 

 Why serve on the Staff Senate: I chose to serve on Staff Senate because I want to be able to foster discussions around topics we don’t see commonly discussed as it relates to student and staff/wage employees success and well-being. In a time where our institution is under attack, I think the best way forward is to continue fostering difficult discussions with a community care lens since we are all in this fight together. 

 At the end of the day: I have a true passion for service and commitment to those who come after us. As staff, we not only keep our students going but we keep each other going as well. Giving back to the very people who put in countless hours of love, empathy and problem-solving into all student cases should be talked about, celebrated and discussed about how to continue making things easier and more accessible for them to keep up the good work. 

 

 

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November 2025

Supervision Collective: November Meetup

Join the University Life Supervision Collective for an interactive discussion, Leveraging Strengths to Build Stronger Teams on Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 2 to  3 p.m. Get ready to unlock StrengthsFinder to support your team in illuminating complementary team dynamics. This interactive hour will help you:

  • Consider how Strengths can inform team dynamics
  • Understand tools to support the use of Strengths on your team
  • Leverage Strengths on your team and encourage the use of Strengths

In the session, participants will:

  • Explore how Strengths show up on your team in the workplace
  • Examine examples of Strengths Mapping to inform team dynamics
  • Identify a minimum of one strategy to implement in your practice leveraging Strengths

Register now!

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Featured on Homepage November 2025

November 2025 General Meeting Recording

Dr. Mary Ellen O'Toole, Professor and Director of the George Mason Forensic Science Program
Dr. Mary Ellen O'Toole, Professor and Director of the George Mason Forensic Science Program

 

The Staff Senate November General Meeting featured professors Mary Ellen O’Toole and Emily Rancourt from the Forensic Science program. For those who missed the meeting, or would like to re-watch the session, the recording is now available. Note: This recording contains content that may be sensitive for some viewers regarding criminal case investigations. The portion of the recording describing the Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory begins at 22:30.

During our general business meeting, Gregg Black, director of emergency management and fire safety, shared an update on campus event security. For those who missed the meeting, or would like to re-watch the session, the recording is now available.