Mason Staff Senate

Category: November 2025

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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.

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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 17th 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 17-21, 2025) is just around the corner, and the Office of International Programs and Services has an exciting lineup of programs and events designed to deepen our understanding of global cultures, share knowledge, and foster meaningful connections across our university. All programs and events are open to faculty, staff, and students, unless otherwise noted. 

The sessions highlighted below may be of particular interest to faculty and staff. Contact 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.