Mason Staff Senate
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February 2025

March General Meeting Announcement

Charles “Cully” Stimson, rector, George Mason University, has been invited as our March Staff Senate meeting guest speaker. During our general business meeting, there will be a brief presentation regarding the Budget Model Redesign.

Wednesday, March 5
10-11 a.m.: Rector Stimson Session
11a.m. to noon: Budget Redesign Presentation and General Meeting
Constituents are invited to attend 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 before February 25, 3 p.m. 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 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.

Categories
February 2025

Updates from Auxiliary Services and Operations

 

Byte Plans Still Available

Make mealtime effortless this spring with a Byte Meal Plan—designed for busy faculty and staff who want convenience, savings, and great food on campus! Enjoy all-you-care-to-eat dining halls or use one meal swipe equivalency per day at The Eaterie, George Mason’s brand-new food hall featuring diverse, grab-and-go options.

Cheer on Mason Basketball at Our Watch Parties!

Join your fellow Patriots for the final two Patriot Perks Basketball Watch Parties of the season! Catch Mason Men’s Basketball at Commonwealth Brewing on Saturday, February 22, as they take on rival VCU, and don’t miss history in the making at PJ Skidoos on Friday, February 23, for our first-ever Women’s Basketball Watch Party as George Mason faces St. Joe’s. Enjoy giveaways, great food, and exclusive discounts with your Mason ID. RSVP today.

Categories
February 2025

Lead and Inspire: Join the Leadership Legacy Program

Are you ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? The 2025-2026 Leadership Legacy Program (LLP) is now accepting applications for passionate George Mason faculty and staff ready to make a lasting impact!

This transformative program is designed for those eager to build their leadership capacity – whether you’re stepping into a leadership role, preparing for future opportunities, or looking to grow as a leader in your current position. It’s all about strengthening George Mason’s leadership culture and fostering inclusive excellence.

Program Details:

  • Nine in-person seminars (October – May), Fridays 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • Key themes: higher education leadership, shared governance, change management, and more
  • Self-assessments, case studies, leadership coaching, and peer learning

What’s Required for the Application?

  • Leadership philosophy (2 pages)
  • Responses to key questions about how the program will help you and George Mason
  • Current CV or resume
  • One supervisor recommendation

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to develop leadership skills that will benefit you and the entire George Mason community. Submit your application to [email protected] by March 21!

For more information, visit the Leadership Legacy website.

 

Categories
February 2025

George Mason’s Center for Community Mental Health Offerings

Are you struggling with anxiety?  Concerns?  Need some support?  George Mason’s Center for Community Mental Health offers two emotional support lines (English & Spanish) and 3 FREE coping skills therapy sessions to anyone connected to George Mason (students, staff, faculty and contractors). Sessions are virtual and there is NO waitlist! Sessions are confidential and do NOT connect with your George Mason record or employment.

Find out more about Emotional Support Line numbers and request for sessions .

 

Categories
February 2025

Parenting in the Age of AI

Categories
February 2025

President’s Town Hall Sessions

George Mason University President Gregory Washington will host two 90-minute town hall sessions to discuss the state of the university and to engage with faculty and staff.

The first town hall, for faculty and staff working in academic units, will take place on Wednesday, March 19 at 9:00 a.m., in the HUB Ballroom.

The second town hall, for George Mason employees working in non-academic units, will take place on Tuesday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m., in the HUB Ballroom.

For those unable to attend in-person, both sessions will be livestreamed on Zoom. Please contact your respective unit leadership for Zoom links and passwords. While live questions will be taken at the conclusion of each town hall, the Zoom chat function will not be enabled. Should virtual attendees have any questions, please provide them to your designated unit contact so they can be shared in-person during your respective town hall session.

Captioning will be available on the livestream. If you are in need of sign language interpreters for this event, please reach out directly to the Office of Disability Services, ds.gmu.edu. If United Language Group (ULG) services are needed, please reach out directly to the Office of Human Resources.

Categories
February 2025

Safe Zone+ Programming

Registration is now open for Safe Zone+ workshops during the spring semester. The Safe Zone+ program helps to create a safe and welcoming campus environment for all students, faculty, and staff. All are welcome to attend, and all workshops are offered virtually. Register here.

Categories
January 2025

Meet Rachel Spence, Staff Senate Vice Chair

I am excited to serve as Vice Chair during my second term as a Staff Senator. I initially joined the Senate in 2022 as the at-large senator while working remotely from California. In 2024 I returned to Northern Virginia and was re-elected to represent the Fairfax campus. I was honored to be elected to the Vice Chair position by my fellow Senators in December 2024.

During my (almost) 8 years at George Mason, I have seen the Staff Senate as a valuable campus resource, not only for advocacy purposes, but also for fostering connections and creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all staff, regardless of their location. As Vice Chair, I am committed to supporting professional development, well-being, and work-life balance initiatives to enhance the overall staff experience at George Mason University. I hope I can provide the leadership needed to continue the good work of the Staff Senate in creating a thriving, engaged community that reflects the university’s values and mission.

If you have any questions, problems, or concerns and would like the support of the Staff Senate, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly or use the Staff Senate contact form. I look forward to working with you, supporting you, and advocating for you!

Get to know more about me:

 

 

 

 

Categories
Profile of a Senator February 2025

Meet Stephanie Atkins, Staff Senator and Office Manager, Mason LIFE Program 

Role: My role here at George Mason is Office Manager for the Mason LIFE (Learning Into Future Environments) program. For those not familiar with the program, it is a postsecondary program that provides an inclusive and supportive university experience for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is an academic program within the College of Education and Human Development. I am often the first and main point of contact for anyone wanting to get more information about the program, which is the best part of my job. Daily tasks include answering questions from students, overseeing the HR process for all the student-wage and non-student wage support staff, and providing administrative support to all administrators and other stakeholders in the program.

George Mason journey: I am now a proud double George Mason alum, having gotten both undergraduate (BA Sociology ’98) and most recently, my master’s degree (MAIS ’23). After having spent most of my career as an administrator at a private preschool, I joined the staff at George Mason in April 2015. I previously served on the Staff Senate 2015 until 2022 before rejoining again this year.

Best thing about working at George Mason: The best thing about working at George Mason is interacting with the students. Seeing the growth from a shy, unsure first-year student to a confident, capable graduate at the end of their four-year journey is amazing!

Another wonderful thing about George Mason is the diversity of the student body, faculty, staff, and university community. I am proud to work at such a thriving university, welcoming environment, and with others who are passionate about the mission of the university.

Why serve on the Staff Senate: When I joined George Mason in 2015, I realized that I was doing the same thing that I had done as a commuter student in the late 90’s… I was coming to campus, doing my job, and then leaving. I didn’t venture out of my office in Krug Hall much, if at all. I thought back to hearing the Staff Senate presentation at my orientation and decided that would be a great way to learn more about other departments, get outside my comfort zone, and interact with more of the university community. I enjoyed my previous stint with Staff Senate and after taking time off to devote time to completing my graduate degree, I am happy to return to the Staff Senate to continue the mission of advocating for staff, educating staff about benefits and resources available, and appreciating all that George Mason has to offer.

At the end of the day: I love being part of the Mason LIFE program. I love that George Mason is an inclusive community for many different people, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As the saying goes, George Mason is better together and diversity is definitely one of our strengths.

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2025 January 2025 February 2025

2025 Outstanding Achievement Awards

While carrying on the tradition of recognizing our faculty and staff, Human Resources is excited to announce a refresh of the Outstanding Achievement Awards (OOA) award categories for 2025! With additional award categories, we look forward to ensuring all non-student employee classifications have the opportunity to be recognized and appreciated.

Visit the Outstanding Achievement Awards site to review the new awards and submit a nomination in either individual or team award categories.  New awards include the Rising Star Award, George Mason Lifetime Legacy Award, Wage Employee Service Award, Campus Culture Champion, Innovation Award, and more!