Mason Staff Senate

Category: 2025

Categories
November 2025

Benefits Corner: New York Times Subscription

Mason Libraries provides all George Mason students, faculty, and staff with full and free online access to a New York Times (NYT) subscription and NYT mobile apps. Access includes the International, Spanish, and Chinese editions; breaking news articles; blogs; videos, and interactive features. Users can share and comment on articles, set up daily or weekly email alerts by topic or keyword, and save articles or links for later reading. Users are also encouraged to download the NYTimes app, which is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

To learn more about how to set up your NYT account, please visit the Mason Libraries website.

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November 2025

Be Your Own Influencer Workshop

Join the Staff Senate and Stephanie Barnett, instructional designer and trainer in Human Resources, for this interactive workshop.

In a world full of voices telling you how to succeed, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by it all. But what if your greatest source of influence is already within you? This session introduces Energy Leadership, a framework for understanding how your energy impacts your performance and presence. You’ll learn how to recognize and shift your energy to lead yourself more effectively—at work and in life. You’ll walk away with:

  • A clear understanding of what energy is and its impact on performance
  • Insight into what influences how you show up
  • Practical strategies to shift your energy and boost personal effectiveness.

This session is on November 17 from 1 to 2 p.m. on Zoom. You can register for this session in MasonLeaps and you will receive the Zoom link after registering.

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November 2025

Thanksgiving Shuttle Schedule

Thanksgiving Holiday shuttle information: As we head into the Thanksgiving break, please be aware of changes being made to George Mason’s shuttle service during the holiday.

There will be no shuttle service between Wednesday, November 26th and Saturday, November 29th. Regular service will resume on Sunday, November 30th on the weekend schedule for each route. For more detailed information, please visit Parking and Transportation’s website.

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November 2025

International Education Week 2025

International Education Week (November 17-20, 2025) is just around the corner, and the Office of International Programs and Services has an exciting lineup of programs and events planned for the George Mason community.

Please see the details in the flyer, and don’t hesitate to reach out to the Office of International Programs and Services if you have any questions.

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November 2025

Upcoming ASPIRE Workshops 

Join the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community for one of their ASPIRE workshops. ASPIRE meets people where they are through pathways that provide opportunities for skill enhancement, knowledge acquisition, and career improvement. ASPIRE’s professional development pathways serve as transformative journeys that foster growth, learning, and relationship building.

Upcoming workshops include: 

  • Creating Communities of Belonging, Part I: Wednesday, December 3, 10:30 a.m. to noon 

  • Creating Communities of Belonging, Part 2: Monday, December 4, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

This series of workshops builds on the core concepts of teamwork, belonging, and effective leadership that help create strong, connected, and resilient communities. Visit MasonLEAPS to search for each course and register. More information found on the HR website.

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Featured on Homepage October 2025

October 2025 General Meeting Recording

Gregory Washington, President, Office of the President, George Mason University. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/ George Mason University

The Staff Senate October General Meeting featured guest speaker, Dr. Gregory Washington, president, George Mason University.

For those who missed the meeting, or would like to re-watch the session, the recording is now available.

 

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October 2025

October Benefits Corner: Employee Assistance Program

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for Anthem is now available to all employees who have waived their enrollment in a health plan, non-benefit eligible wage employees, and TRICARE Supplement members. Employees and their household members are eligible for up to four free online or in-person counseling sessions per issue each year. In addition, other well-being resources can be accessed on the EAP website.

Please review the EAP overview flyer (linked here) for more information on this new benefit. Detailed instructions on how to access EAP can be found here. Employees can engage with EAP by visiting the EAP website or calling 855-223-9277.

EAP counselors are available to assist employees with problems related to:

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Sustainability at Work October 2025

Sustainability Tip: Recycling 101

A seedling growing inside a lightbulb, outlined in gold on a green background. Caption reads Staff Senate Sustainability Tip.

Help George Mason University reach its goal of becoming a Zero Waste Campus by correctly sorting the most common recyclable waste items:

  • Cans & Bottles: aluminum cans and bottles, and plastic bottles and jugs ONLY should be placed in the labeled* bins in building hallways.
    • Items should be clean and empty (no food or drink waste)
    • Caps should be removed
    • Following these instructions will aid Recycling & Waste team members who are hand-sorting these items for further processing.
  • Paper: white and mixed/colored paper can be placed together in the labeled* bins in building hallways.
    • No napkins, paper towels, or paper contaminated with food
    • Flattened paperboard boxes (think tissue boxes, cereal boxes, and similar) can also be placed in Paper recycling bins.
  • Cardboard: should be emptied of packaging and flattened.
    • Cardboard should be placed in the large black recycling cart found outside/behind most buildings (e.g., at outdoor loading docks)
    • Don’t leave cardboard at recycling stations or in hallways
    • If you don’t have a cardboard recycling cart at your building and can’t find one nearby, contact the F&CO Customer Service Center at (703) 993-2525 or [email protected] for additional assistance.

For more details about these categories, and to find out how to compost and how to recycle glass (Fairfax Campus only) and other more specialized items, check out the Zero Waste Mason webpage.

* The Recycling and Waste team are in the process of adding new labels with updated guidance to bins across the campuses. Interior bins at Fairfax and Mason Square are completed. Feedback or queries can be shared by submitting a Work Order (select ‘Waste/Recycle’ under the ‘Issue’ dropdown menu) or contacting Facilities and Campus Operations Customer Service Center via email ([email protected]) or phone at 703-993-2525.

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October 2025

Manager Meetup: Understanding Work Culture — A Continuous Journey

Join the Supervision Collective for an interactive session about workplace culture as an ongoing process that begins at hiring and continues throughout an employee’s time with the organization.

In the session, you will:

  • Reflect on your previous and current work culture experiences and the impact it has on work performance, productivity, and retention.
  • Collaborate by sharing strategies other teams use to foster a positive, consistent, and lasting workplace culture which can be implemented in your own team.
  • Date: Thursday, October 23 at 2 p.m.
  • Register Here

 

Categories
Featured on Homepage October 2025

November 2025 General Meeting Announcement

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

 

Wednesday, November 5
10 to 11 a.m. – Guest Speaker
11 a.m. to noon – Business Meeting

The Staff Senate November General Meeting guest speaker is Mary Ellen O’Toole, professor and director, Forensic Science program. Dr. O’Toole has spent her career studying the criminal mind. One of the most senior profilers for the FBI until her retirement in 2009, Dr. O’Toole has consulted and worked on some of the FBI’s most high profile cases involving infamous criminals. She will be joined by Emily Rancourt, professor and associate director, who works closely with Dr. O’Toole in the Forensic Science Program.

Constituents may attend in person in the Life Sciences and Engineering Building, Room 2402, Science and Technology Campus 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 will collect questions in advance for consideration. Please submit your questions using the form below by October 24. Live questions will be accepted, time permitting.

    If yes, you will need to provide your name above so we can call on you during the meeting.

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.