The Center for the Advancement of Well-Being is creating a science-based model of well-being that applies across the university, and the Mason community is invited to give feedback. See the presentation. Answer the survey.
Author: Eleftheria Giannopoulos
Dear Patriots,
We are at an important moment in our fight against COVID, and I want to applaud everyone for their help in making George Mason University the safest campus it can be. We have done an incredible job this year of creating a safe environment. To date we have minimized the spread of COVID on our campuses through testing and by following safety guidelines. The university has also provided vaccinations to more than 40,000 people at clinics on our campuses, and we are ready to begin expanding vaccinations to our community.
This is an exciting time for our university, and I know that many of us are feeling more hopeful about the months ahead. I am, too. But I also know that some people are starting to let down their guard. Let me remind you that everyone must continue to follow safety guidelines, even after being vaccinated. Now is not the time to relax our standards, but to keep our focus on safety and remember why we have been so successful.
Let’s start with some good news: Mason has received the go-ahead to begin vaccinating faculty and staff this weekend, and students later this month:
- Faculty and staff who are currently employed by the university and receive a W-2 are eligible to sign up. This week, the Office of Safety, Emergency, and Enterprise Risk Management (SEERM) will send a subsequent email inviting faculty and staff (which includes student wage workers) to sign up for an appointment on Saturday, April 10, or Wednesday, April 14. The number of slots is limited and appointments are first come, first served, so please be patient. If everyone cannot be vaccinated during those two dates, we will add additional dates this month. Our goal is for every eligible employee to receive the first dose by the end of April.
- Students will be invited to receive a vaccine later this month, with dates to be announced shortly. Given the number of students in our community, we expect the timeline to complete vaccinations to be a little longer than for faculty and staff. Our goal again is to offer a vaccine to all students who want one.
The vaccine is a critical step to protect our community, and I encourage everyone to get vaccinated. But receiving one doesn’t mean you should stop following safety guidelines. COVID-19 is still highly contagious and new variants pose greater threats of infection. Vaccines are safe and effective, but it is still possible to spread COVID-19; please continue to follow Mason’s public health and safety guidelines even if you have been vaccinated.
So please remember the following:
- Everyone should continue to participate in COVID surveillance testing when they are invited to do so. Many people can carry and spread the virus without being aware. Testing helps minimize the spread, and it takes only a few minutes.
- Masks are still required of everyone in public spaces – even those who have been vaccinated. The latest public health guidelines do allow for groups of vaccinated people to gather without masks, but this is only in private settings. Please continue to wear masks in public.
- Continue to practice physical distancing and participate in the Mason COVID Health Check, even after you have received your vaccine.
- The Governor’s orders continue to ask employers to allow employees to telework when possible. Mason will continue to offer flexibility to our employees.
I’m grateful for everyone’s contribution in making Mason a model for success. Together, we can defeat COVID, so let’s keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Gregory Washington
President
Dear Patriot,
We are delighted to invite the Spring 2021 graduating class and all 2020 graduates to the Fairfax Campus to celebrate in-person graduation recognition events during the week of May 10. Graduates may choose one of two in-person options, and their family and friends are also invited to attend.
The official University Commencement will be held virtually at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, May 14, and all 2021 graduates are encouraged to participate. Commencement will be live-streamed and the link will be posted on the graduation website at gmu.edu/graduation. In addition, these new in-person events are opportunities for you to celebrate your academic accomplishments while still adhering to COVID-related health restrictions.
So that Mason can accommodate as many graduates as possible, you may select either the Patriot Procession or the Mini Ceremony. Registration is required to participate in either event. All doctoral candidates and graduates please see the information below for the Doctoral event on May 14.
Option one: The Patriot Procession is a unique opportunity for graduates, doctoral candidates, and their guests to celebrate this tremendous achievement together in a very personal way. The Patriot Procession will take place at the soccer stadium on the Fairfax Campus. Graduates choose a preferred time and may bring up to 8 guests. Graduates will have their moment on stage and their name will be announced. They will have several photo opportunities that will conclude with a photograph with their family and friends. Wearing your graduation regalia is encouraged but not required. Registration is required and will remain open as long as time slots are available. The Patriot Procession will be ongoing during the week of May 10, with the schedule posted at gmu.edu/graduation.
Option two: Mini ceremonies offered by each of Mason’s academic colleges for the Spring 2021 graduates will take place outside EagleBank Arena. In addition, 2020 graduates will have their own celebratory mini ceremony on May 14. Those who participate in the mini ceremony are required to wear graduation regalia. Graduates may bring up to three guests, who will be seated with them. These one-hour ceremonies will include brief congratulatory remarks followed by the reading of graduates’ names as they cross the stage and are photographed. There will be no formal procession or recession during mini ceremonies. Registration is required and will close at 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 16. Once registration is closed, a finalized schedule will be announced and graduates who have registered will receive an email with instructions on how to claim their tickets. A tentative schedule will be posted soon that lists the dates by college/school/event, along with information to rent regalia, at gmu.edu/graduation.
REGISTER for the Patriot Procession or Mini Ceremony at go.gmu.edu/grad2021
Doctoral Ceremony: Spring 2021 Doctoral candidates and all 2020 Doctoral graduates are invited to participate together in a live, university-wide event where their names and degrees will be announced on the morning of Friday, May 14. Based on current public health guidelines, hooding of doctoral candidates will not be part of the ceremony. Each graduate may invite up to three guests. Please indicate your desire to participate by completing the registration form by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 16. The ceremony details will be finalized at that time and you will receive an email with instructions to claim your tickets. If you are a doctoral candidate, please register for the doctoral ceremony and not your academic unit’s mini ceremony, however you may register for the Patriot Procession if you choose.
REGISTER for the Doctoral Ceremony at go.gmu.edu/phd2021
All events will take place rain or shine.
All events will follow current Virginia public health guidelines and will include social distancing. Face coverings are required to be worn at all times while on campus, except when photographs are being taken at the Patriot Procession or Mini Ceremonies. All graduates and their guests are required to complete the Mason COVID Health Check on the day of the event and must be prepared to show their green health check confirmation email to be admitted to their respective events. All attendees, including graduates, must show their ticket for admittance to comply with contact tracing protocols.
Go to gmu.edu/graduation for all the latest information or contact University Events ([email protected]) with any questions. We look forward to celebrating your academic achievements!
Sincerely,
Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice President
Rose Pascarell
Vice President, University Life
Mason will celebrate its 40th 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.
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.
While still mandating COVID safety measures, Mason is offering more on-campus activities, programs and events, as well as online and hybrid educational options so students can learn in environments that work best for them. Watch the video.
Pride Week is an annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community that includes a series of uplifting programs and education.
Spring into Well-Being, Mason’s annual well-being celebration, is underway now through Friday, April 23. A variety of events will be held during that period to help students, faculty and staff to learn more about well-being.
An American Council on Education (ACE) Task Force of college and university presidents and chancellors released a report Monday highlighting the ADVANCE Program, a partnership between George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) as an example of successful collaboration to improve transfer student success.
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