Category: Letter from VP

COVID-19 Mandatory Testing Requirements

Dear Patriot,

We are so excited to welcome everyone back to Mason this fall. Everyone in our community deserves a safe place to live, learn, and thrive. The Mason Nation has done an incredible job at keeping ahead of COVID-19, and we are enhancing our efforts this fall by requiring students, faculty and staff to participate in ongoing COVID-19 testing.

Please pay close attention to your email, as it is the official means by which you will be informed of your individual testing requirements. Regular testing allows us to identify and isolate COVID cases so that we can prevent potentially deadly outbreaks. Those who fail to participate in mandatory testing could face disciplinary action.

Students living on campus:

All residential students will be tested each week during the first three weeks of the semester.

- If you are vaccinated against COVID, you will be required to test every week for the first three weeks of the semester. Subsequently we anticipate being able to scale testing for this group back to once every two weeks — that’s only two tests every month after the first 3 weeks of the semester.
- If you are not vaccinated against COVID and have an approved exemption, you will be required to test twice a week for the duration of the semester.

Students living off-campus:

If you are vaccinated against COVID, you may be chosen randomly to test periodically throughout the semester.
Those not vaccinated against COVID with an approved exemption are required to test one time per week for the duration of the semester.

Students with high contact:

If you engage in roles, activities or classes that put you in frequent, close contact with other individuals (such as athletes and student organizations that host large in-person events) you may be required to take a COVID-19 test more frequently. Again, please pay close attention to your email, as it is the official means by which you will be informed of your individual testing requirements.

Please be mindful that not all members of our community can receive the vaccine at this time, due to approved medical or religious exemptions. Please continue to show each other empathy and respect.

Mason Nation knows how to fight COVID:

get the COVID-19 vaccine
participate in COVID testing
complete the Mason COVID Health Check daily, if you are registered for in-person or hybrid classes
adhere to Mason’s new masking requirements
take the online COVID safety training

Later this week, you’ll receive more detailed information from Safety, Emergency, & Enterprise Risk Management regarding the mandatory, ongoing COVID tests. We’re counting on you to do your part by testing when notified to do so.

To learn more about Mason’s COVID Safety Plan, visit the Safe Return to Campus website at https://www2.gmu.edu/safe-return-campus.

Sincerely,

Rose Pascarell
Vice President, University Life

Julie Zobel, PhD, Associate Vice President
Safety, Emergency, & Enterprise Risk Management

Mason adds in-person graduation options for 2021 and 2020 graduates

Kelsi Gray. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

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

Solidarity with our Mason Asian Community

Mason Nation,

It has been an extraordinary academic year, one that has challenged all of us—students, faculty, and staff—to learn, teach, and work in ways we may never have expected. Among the many things we now know about our community is that we can count on our support for each other and our resilience in the face of the unexpected.

It is this support and resilience that we call on to address our commitment to each other and our community. Many of you may be aware of a troubling increase around the United States in hate crimes against people of Asian descent. We have not received reports of such incidents on our campuses, but when these types of hate crimes occur, they can make individuals feel unsafe, wherever they may be. The recent incidents have been widely publicized, not only in the U.S, but also in Asia, the Pacific Islands, and other places around the world. One important way to counter these reports is to act firmly against bias and hate.

George Mason University affirms all students, faculty and staff of Asian descent, and we denounce anti-Asian rhetoric and lies that falsely attribute blame for COVID-19. We have been, and are, a community that upholds all of our members – simply stated, you belong here and we support you.

All members of Mason Nation are invited to read the statement by the Center for Culture, Equity and Empowerment to learn how you can support those of Asian descent. Anyone who has witnessed or been the victim of bias may file a report at Mason’s Compliance, Diversity, and Ethics site. We are committed to maintaining an environment that fosters learning, teaching, and the building of community where all can thrive.

Rose Pascarell
Vice President for University Life

Dietra Y. Trent
Interim Vice President for Compliance, Diversity and Ethics, & Special Advisor to the President

Welcome to Mason and welcome to University Life!

Welcome to Mason and welcome to University Life! As a member of Mason Nation, you are part of this special and wonderful community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. I hope you will explore all that the campus community has to offer. Your contributions are unique, allowing you to enrich Mason in a way that no one else can. Don’t be afraid to step forward and find your place here.

Whether you attend as an undergraduate or graduate; full-time or part-time; online or in-person; the first in your family to go to college; a returning student after a several-year break; or some combination of that, we are ready to help you succeed here.

Your choices will define your Mason experience. Be curious and take risks. Don’t stop learning when class ends – the learning opportunities that take place outside of class are equally interesting. Take advantage of the entire Mason experience so you can discover what you are truly passionate about doing in (and for) the world. There are hundreds of ways to get involved and make your mark! Find the ones that suit your interests and strengths.

University Life measures its success on the support for and success of our students. Please take advantage of the resources, direct services, and programs offered. Take part in the Patriot Experience — participate in the many co-curricular opportunities designed to increase career readiness skills, develop global/multicultural proficiency, encourage civic engagement, and discover your own strengths and increase wellbeing. I invite you to check out all the resources available at University Life!

Each of us shares a responsibility for creating the community in which we live. As an institution of higher education, we commit ourselves to creating a climate where students, faculty, staff, and community members can explore concepts and ideas with openness and respect. Our university mission – <em>‘We are an inclusive academic community committed to creating a just, free, and prosperous world’</em> – guides our work and affords opportunities for you to express yourself and explore your beliefs.

As a Mason student, I hope you are academically challenged both in the classroom and through your presence and interactions in our diverse campus community. We are here to help you achieve your goals and aspirations.

And if you see me walking across campus (which I do several times daily), stop and let me know how you’re doing. Have fun, stay safe, and have a great semester!

Best wishes,

Rose Pascarell
Vice President for University Life

A message for families from Vice President of University Life, Rose Pascarell

Dear Parents and Families,

In just a few days the Spring 2021 semester will start, and soon students will return to their residence halls, classes, and activities. We look forward to welcoming students back to campus!

The health, well-being and safety of our students and the entire campus community is our guiding principle. In addition to Mason’s Covid-19 Safe Return to Campus Plan, students recently received an email with information about Mason’s COVID testing strategy for Spring 2021 that described enhancements and changes to the University’s safety plans.

As the nation prepares for Inauguration Day on Wednesday, January 20, and in light of the events at the Capitol on January 6, we want to remind you that the University’s Mason Ready team, comprised of professionals from the Department of Police and Public Safety and Environmental Health & Safety, will continue to monitor conditions and alert our students and families to any concerns that may impact our campus community.

We do not at this time anticipate any disruption to the scheduled start of the spring semester on Monday, January 25. Mason is located over 20 miles from Washington, D.C., and we know that local and federal agencies will have a significant presence in the District in the days ahead.

Residential students who will begin moving back to campus between January 20 – January 24 may schedule (or reschedule) their move-in appointment within the Housing Portal between now and Sunday, January 17. If you anticipate difficulty moving through the District next Wednesday, your student has until this Sunday to make a change to their move-in date.

With best wishes for a safe, healthy and productive Spring Semester,

Rose Pascarell
Vice President, University Life

Providing Support for your Mason Student

Dear Mason Families,

The first week of classes of the Fall 2020 semester has arrived, and we are excited to welcome students to Mason both in person and virtually. Please know faculty and staff from around the university are working hard behind the scenes to support your Mason family. We recognize that you and your student may still have questions, so we created a list of top things you need to know:

1. The university created the Safe Return to Campus plan to help you and your student understand the changes brought to Mason in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. What opportunities exist for students to get involved and meet other students?

There are more than 400 events in Mason360 that include both in-person and virtual engagement! Encourage them to download the app to get connected.
Check out the Welcome2Mason schedule! There are both in-person and virtual events for students over the next few weeks. There are Ask Me Tents set up around campus this week for students to ask questions, get directions navigating campus, and for off-campus students to pick up masks.

3. Does your student need help connecting to university staff or resources?

For on-campus students, Housing and Residence Life has updated their staffing and engagement plans within the residence halls:
- Community Directors – There are 13 Community Directors (CDs) who are professional staff members living on campus and serving in a 24/7/365 on-call rotation. Each residential community is overseen by one of these directors, and your student can find theirs here.
- Community Assistants – There are 93 Community Assistants (CAs) who are current students living right alongside your student in the residence halls and available to support them.
- VLC Mentors – There are 94 VLC Mentors to support your student one on one on Mason360 through “Knock & Talks” and community hours.

Success Coaching – All freshmen are assigned a Success Coach, and transfer students can opt into coaching with a Peer Student Success Coach for the academic year. Success Coaches provide resources, support, guidance, and critical problem-solving discussions to help your student pursue their academic and professional goals. Click here for more information.
Academic Advising – Academic advisors enhance student success by supporting, teaching, and connecting students to campus resources, and helping them set and achieve their academic, career, and personal goals. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor at least once per semester and can locate their advisor here.
Couseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) – If your student would like to speak with a psychologist/counselor, CAPS staff are available. They can call 703-993-2380 to schedule an appointment. Additionally, your student can also connect to online support through Therapy Assistance Online, an interactive, web-based program that provides educational interventions and support for a variety of common mental health concerns.

4. What food places are open on campus and what does service in the dining halls look like?

Click here for a quick view of what’s open.
Mason Dining created a list of frequently asked questions about their processes this semester. View the list here.
The robots are here to serve your student! Encourage them to download the Starship app and place an order.

5. Does your student have questions about their Mason ID Card, meal plans, and Mason Money and merchants who accept it? Learn more here.

6. Your student’s safety is our priority, which is why Housing and Residence Life has set up rules and guidelines to promote health and safety. Read about the changes here. The Housekeeping & Maintenance Staff are maintaining the cleanliness of the halls and providing students with maintenance support as needed. They are cleaning the doors too, which is why your student doesn’t see their name on their door.

7. Mason COVID Health Checks are required for anyone visiting campus this semester. For more information about Student Health Services and the health care provided to students, visit shs.gmu.edu.

8. Physical well-being is an important aspect of your student’s health and success. Mason Recreation has implemented a reservation process and updated their facility hours to allow for staff cleaning. Read the plan here.

9. New to the Mason Libraries is contactless pickup/return and expanded online resources and virtual services.

If your student is looking for more distance learning support, Learning Services provides a variety of free, experience-based learning opportunities through one-on-one academic coaching, academic success workshops, and online resources. Learn more here.

10. COVID-19 has brought a number of changes to Parking and Transportation procedures and programming. View the list of frequently asked questions that outline those changes here. Additionally, Mason’s location in Northern Virginia offers easy access via Metro, bus, and shuttle.

11. The university is committed to both in-person safety and IT security for your student.

Ask your student to add your devices (cell phone number and email address) to their Mason Alert account so you are notified if there is an emergency situation on campus. Learn more here.
Mason uses Duo Security to deliver Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) when using applications protected by Mason’s Central Authentication Service (CAS) and Shibboleth, and the Cisco AnyConnect VPN. This second layer of protection makes your student’s personal information and Mason’s information less vulnerable. Learn more here.

12. Are you looking for an academic calendar with important university dates? You can view the Fall 2020 Academic Calendar on the Registrar’s website here. Financial deadlines are also included. For additional financial support, your student can request an appointment with the Mason Student Services Center here.

We are committed to helping you and your student navigate the university, its services, and supporting your transition. Again, welcome to the Mason family – we’re glad you’re here.

Rose Pascarell
Vice President, University Life

Staying Safe – and OPEN – New Protocols

Dear Patriots,

This is (still) my favorite time of year. Our campus is reinvigorated with the return of students who are excited to begin the Fall 2020 semester. I am happy you joined our wonderful community of fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and we welcome you to the residence halls, campus walks, and classrooms. Amid the excitement of a new start, we face the reality that COVID-19 is challenging us all in many ways. For that reason, words like safety and campus experience have new meaning.

So as President Washington stated, let’s all do our part. It begins with these five steps, which by now I’m sure you are all familiar with.

Wear your face covering properly.
Stay six feet apart.
Complete the Safe Return to Campus Training and daily Mason COVID-19 Health Check.
Wash your hands often, or use hand sanitizer when you can’t.
Stay put and don’t expose others if you are not feeling well.

While these protocols will shape your campus experience, Mason is working hard to ensure they don’t define it. By adhering to these protocols, you will still be able to engage with your peers, connect with campus activities, and be part of all that Mason has to offer.

OFF-CAMPUS GATHERINGS – NEW PROTOCOL
We will do everything we can to continue to offer you an in-person campus experience, but we all need to do our part. For the health and safety of our community, we are requiring the following:

All student events and/or gatherings hosted by an organization, team, and/or individual, both planned and spontaneous, that exceed ten people must occur either virtually or on campus, following approved university guidelines (https://www2.gmu.edu/Safe-Return-Campus).
Organizations and individuals that disregard these health and safety protocols will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. In addition to other sanctions, students that put both themselves and members of the community at risk will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

Our actions and behaviors have the potential to keep the Mason Nation as safe as possible and our campuses open. If you become aware of events or gatherings that violate this policy, please email [email protected] so we can respond appropriately. Intervening to tell a Mason Patriot to wear a face covering or making us aware of a planned gathering is one of many ways to do your part in keeping our community safe.

RANDOM COVID TESTING OF OUR COMMUNITY
Finally, to better understand trends and track potential cases of COVID-19 in our community, we will randomly select samples of our community to test. This kind of testing, known as surveillance testing, is very important to reducing the spread on our campus. It focuses on testing individuals who may not be aware they are infected with the virus (often because they are asymptomatic) and thus have the potential to infect others. While this is voluntary, we strongly encourage everyone to participate as it will help protect our community.

Our experts in the College of Health and Human Services and Volgenau School of Engineering are collaborating with Student Health and University Life in this effort. If you are selected for this random test, you will receive a communication with detailed instructions on how to participate. If your result is positive, Student Health Services will call you to recommend appropriate precautions you must take.

I am hopeful that each of you will take this opportunity to show what Patriots are made of, both in what we are willing to do, and equally importantly, not do. Let’s have a healthy, successful Fall semester!

Rose Pascarell
Vice President, University Life

Student And Staff Well-Being Take Priority

COVID-19 might appropriately be called the “One World Virus,” underscoring our shared destiny. The global pandemic has triggered the ultimate disruption in higher education as almost every campus in the country manages its repercussions. This moment will likely redefine the significance of student affairs work and the worth of practitioners as strategic, compassionate, and collaborative institutional leaders.

At George Mason University, the president convened daily meetings with the executive team to share national, regional, and local up-to-the-minute public health information to inform daily decision making. Student affairs professionals worked collaboratively on university-wide financial, academic, and operational issues. The director of student health services, the institution’s de facto in-house medical authority, provided public health updates. Absent a medical school, there was an increased reliance on health practitioners who served students along with the expertise of the campus emergency health and safety team. Faculty researchers in the university’s College of Health and Human Services lent their expertise to create a COVID-19 risk assessment available online to all students and faculty.

Regular communication through daily virtual meetings with student-serving units is now essential with Webex and Zoom meetings as the primary means of connection. Continued strategic discussions include the development of a COVID-19 emergency fund, virtual commencement, orientation planning, virtual student employment opportunities, implementation of telehealth, online counseling services, e-recreation, e-engagement activities, and career success for graduating students to name only a few topics.

In addition, vice presidents for student affairs (VPSAs) found ways to support students for whom online instruction created additional hurdles: students with home bases not conducive to online learning; students with little or no access to technology or internet; students experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, and grief for themselves, loved ones, and family members; and students at risk of losing or who have lost their means to pay for and pursue their college careers.

It has become even more essential—and more challenging—to convey core institutional values in an online environment. While they do not intuitively convert from in person to online, student affairs professionals must find ways to communicate values despite the challenges. Institutional core values assure students that the campus remains the same place they chose, the place they love, and the place that will support them through these uncertain times to ultimate success.

The agility of student affairs practitioners to manage multiple student concerns in this moment is extraordinary and all-consuming, which underscores the need to consider the well-being of staff members. Continuing to make human connections, checking in, acknowledging that many staff members are managing grief and anxiety, finding opportunities to express gratitude and appreciation, and providing time for staff to regroup and re-energize are vital to relational work with colleagues and students.

Intelligence, kindness, and understanding are vital to unpacking the complexities involved in the decision-making process, as VPSAs continue to make educational and potential life-changing decisions that will affect students’ futures. The ability to accompany students through this shift in their educational experience will require continued compassion, flexibility, and authentic care and concern. Although practitioners may be stretched in unimaginable ways, student affairs staff must continue to move forward, incrementally, to do the next right thing. Student affairs work will accelerate a continued shift in the business of higher education with student well-being and holistic success at the center of all institutional decisions. Be prepared to lead the way.

This article was original published in Leadership Exchange.

A co-authored message from Rose Pascarell, VP of University Life and Amy Takayama-Pérez, Dean of Admissions

George Mason University is aware of objections by some members of our community to the admission of a student whose presence they believe would create an unsafe and threatening environment due to the student’s alleged expression of support for neo-Nazi and white supremacy ideology.

Mason leaders understand the community’s objections. We want to again reiterate that we are wholly committed to maintaining a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and respectful learning environment. We understand that some in our community hold beliefs that are antithetical to Mason’s stated values.

It will be unavoidable that some students will engage in a way that is contrary to our institutional values. Mason has a very clearly outlined Code of Student Conduct and behavioral requirements for admitted students. Mason will not only uphold these codes and requirements but also act accordingly if made aware that any member of our student body has broken the law or university policy. In cases where the actions of a Patriot, while not breaking policies or laws, cause great concern within our community there may not be a path to legal or disciplinary action. But we believe there is still an important opportunity not to be missed. We, as educators, can use the tools available to us to guide these students in critically examining and understanding the potential impact of their decisions and actions. To that end, we urge you to keep informing us when you witness behavior that falls short of Mason’s standards; We also ask you to remember that intervention can take many forms, and we will employ every resource available to us to bring about a positive change in a situation. If you would like to report an incident of bias you can do so here: https://campusclimate.gmu.edu/report-an-incident/bias-incidents-and-the-reporting-protocol/

Mason is reviewing this matter. Due to extreme personal sensitivities that touch everyone involved, we do not anticipate having any more specific comment on this situation.

Rose Pascarell , VP of University Life

Amy Takayama-Pérez, Dean of Admissions

In Addition to Our Words

I was outraged when I saw the video of George Floyd’s murder. I’ve struggled with meaningful words this weekend. The imperative for racial justice is as necessary now as it’s ever been, but I’ve been frustrated by the same messages for change. We’ve been here before. Just last month, I posted a message about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Since then, we’ve seen the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade, as well as the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on black and brown communities. The outrage and pain are palpable. It is evident in the tears and protests occurring across the country.

Mason’s mission – ‘We are an inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world’ – can not fully be realized until we come to terms with systemic racism and the racial injustice that continues to result from it.

The call to all of us in higher ed:

In addition to our words, Center our work and our investments on racial justice and racial healing. Move beyond allyship into accompliceship. Those of us with privilege must use that privilege in service of equity and equality.

In addition to our words, Center our work with students who are disproportionately affected by racial injustice, knowing that all of us, all of our students, pay a price for systemic racism and white supremacy.

In addition to our words, Center our commitment as a research intensive university committed to civic engagement on the research and action necessary to dismantle systemic racism.

Use our words to reflect and act, both personally and professionally, on our commitment to anti-racism advocacy.

Last semester, Mason applied to become the site for a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center. We received this designation by the American Association of Colleges and Universities as one of twenty universities across the country with a center. We are the only university in Virginia with this designation. We know we have work to do. If you are interested in joining our movement for racial justice and healing, contact Creston C. Lynch, Ph.D., Associate Dean, University Life.

Finally, I’m recalling Dr. Gail Christopher’s words when she led several of us through a racial healing training earlier in the spring semester – “We must dispel the false belief in a hierarchy of human value and replace that archaic notion with a reverence and appreciation for the equal and interconnected nature of the human family.”

Best,

Rose Pascarell
Vice President of University Life

The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.