Month: March 2021

International Week Celebrates 40th Anniversary

International Week Parade. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/George Mason University

Mason will celebrate its 40^th International Week Friday, April 2 through Sunday, April 11. This week-long celebration is an opportunity for students from over 128 countries represented at Mason to showcase their cultures through various programs and activities. One of the most anticipated events of the week is the annual International Dance Competition which will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 9. For details and to watch virtually, click here. For details on other events throughout the week, view the event calendar.

Giving Day is April 8, 2021

At Mason, we are proud to be home to over 37,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, many of whom face overwhelming financial obstacles while in school. And when our students are in need, Mason Nation answers the call.

That’s why University Life, College of Health and Human Services, the Schar School of Policy and Government, the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and the Honors College are working together on Giving Day to raise money for career readiness – to eliminate barriers to economic and social mobility by making it possible for all Mason students to have the career-building experiences they need for postgraduate success.

Join us on Giving Day, April 8, and make a gift to our Career Readiness Fund which supports the Unpaid Internship Scholarship program. To date, University Life has distributed over $140,000 in scholarships so students did not have to choose between taking a paying job not necessarily related to their career goals, or a resume-building internship opportunity that is unpaid.

Together, let’s ensure that every student with the ability to succeed at Mason has the opportunity to do so.

Mason is getting excited about the fall semester

Celebrate Mason Pride Week!

Spring into Well-Being (#SIWB21) is Happening from March 22 to April 23

American Council on Education task force report highlights Mason’s ADVANCE Program

ADVANCE. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Updates to spring commencement plans

Dear Patriots,

We have some wonderful news! This week, the Governor’s Office issued new guidance on how universities could conduct commencement ceremonies this spring based on revised COVID-19 restrictions.

Under the new rules, outdoor commencement events would be limited to 5,000 people or 30 percent of the venue’s capacity – whichever is less. Indoor events would be capped at 500 people or 30 percent of the venue’s capacity – whichever is less.

After reviewing this new information, we are pleased to share that we will be able to expand on our plans for a virtual commencement by offering some in-person celebrations for our students and their families. We ask for your patience as we consider our options and expect to have more information for you in the next two weeks.

We know that this has been a challenging time and we look forward to finding appropriate ways to celebrate our graduates who have worked so hard to reach this important milestone.

Thank you.

Gregory Washington
President, George Mason University

Message from Dr. Creston Lynch

As we continue to grapple with and process the rise of violence against the Asian and Asian American community, University Life units – in cooperation with other campus community members – are offering spaces for support, processing, and solidarity for the Mason community. Please see the information below.

Friday, March 19 (Today) 11:30am – Drop-in style guided dialogue for Students & Community Members

Mason’s Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE) is acknowledging the recent attacks against the Asian American community in the Greater Atlanta area. We stand in solidarity with all APIDA members of the Mason family and strongly condemn these acts of violence. Today, many people in the Mason Community woke up to fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, and uncertainty as they grappled with this very intentional act of violence. We will be holding support spaces today. See the session’s Zoom Link here.

Friday, March 19 & Monday, March 22

The Center for the Advancement for Well-Being is hosting a unique Racial Healing Circle experience that is focused on lament as we process the rise in anti-Asian racism and the recent murders of 6 Asian women in Atlanta. We welcome the Asian and Asian American community at Mason to this space to partake in the healing work of expressing grief and fear, sharing stories, and being in a supportive community that affirms your worth. Members of other racial identities are welcome to join in solidarity, lament, and listening. Register here for the Zoom links.

We are grateful to our colleagues for working together and intentionally to create this needed space for our community.

In Solidarity,

Creston C. Lynch, Ph.D. | Assistant Vice President
University Life
George Mason University
703.993.2884

Stop Asian Hate Support Spaces

Mason’s Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE) is acknowledging the recent attacks against the Asian community in the Greater Atlanta area. We stand in solidarity with all APIDA members of the Mason family and strongly condemn these acts of violence. Today, many people in the Mason Community woke up to fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, and uncertainty as they grappled with this very intentional act of violence. As of this morning, we have learned the names of just some of the victims and those injured:

Ms. Yaun, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Paul Andre Michels and Elcias R. Hernandez-Ortiz.

Find Support Spaces