Category: Program Impact

Original post from The George February 26, 2025 by Sarah Holland

College courses are designed to challenge students and push them to new academic heights. And when dealing with difficult subjects and new materials, additional academic support can make all the difference.

That’s where Knack comes in. Starting in fall 2024, George Mason University entered a three-year partnership with Knack, a peer-to-peer tutoring platform. Through Knack, students in any of the 28 participating courses can get up to three hours of free virtual or in-person tutoring from their peers every week during the semester. Participating courses span math, statistics, biology, chemistry, business, economics, and public health.

“We are transforming the support for student success at George Mason by fostering a collaborative learning environment that empowers students to excel academically,” said Vicki Dominick, associate director of George Mason’s Learning Services office, which offers a variety of academic success supports for students, including academic success workshops, online resources and coaching.

Knack does not replace other tutoring services offered by George Mason, Dominick noted. It is an additional resource, allowing more options for meeting times and places. Currently, close to 3,000 students are registered with Knack tutoring, and almost 1,500 tutoring sessions were completed in fall semester.

“This free support is directly in line with George Mason’s mission of access to education,” said Keith Renshaw, senior associate provost for undergraduate education and professor of psychology.

“For my chemistry class, there’s always many students attending office hours, so I don’t get the one-on-one help I need,” said sophomore biology major Khushneet Kaur Kainth. “I’ve been able to get personalized support through Knack.”

There are benefits for the tutors as well. Tutoring through Knack is a paid position, and tutors are required to have passed the class for which they are a tutor with an A- or higher.

“It gives the tutors ‘high impact practice,’ as they gain hands-on experience teaching complex concepts and problem-solving strategies,” explained Renshaw.

Senior biology major Anahita Salehkhou is a tutor for BIOL 213 - Cell Structure and Function, and said of her tutoring experience, “it has given me the perfect opportunity to share my passion for teaching while strengthening my resume as I prepare to apply for dental school. It’s also helping me prepare for the dental admissions test as I get a good refresher on content I’ve already learned and studied.”

Click here to learn more about Knack tutoring.

Original post from The George February 21, 2025 by Katarina Benson

George Mason University has won four consecutive Gold STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) Assessment, and it’s thanks in part to campus systems and organizations such as the Food Recovery Network (FRN).  

Zero Waste Mason, a collaborative university-wide program that aims to reduce waste, has an ambitious goal of diverting 90% or more of university waste from trash disposal. The Food Recovery Network (FRN) is an important part of that equation.

The Food Recovery Network is one of the largest student-led movements against food waste and hunger in the country, focusing on diverting surplus food from college campuses and redistributing it to the local community. Student volunteers work with Mason Dining’s Food Recovery Verified staff to sort, package, and deliver food to the local community and campus partners.  

“We and so many other sustainability organizations are the main impactors on Mason’s sustainability goals, as we are the individuals going out there and doing the work,” said junior Camila Rosales, president of George Mason’s chapter of FRN. 

FRN’s members are committed to sustainability. Before they can volunteer, they are required to complete an online course in food safety and handling.  

Camila Rosales and FRN students in action. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Rosales, a business major with a concentration in operations and supply chain management, originally joined the club to fulfill service hours but fell in love with the organization’s mission. Since the chapter began in 2018, they have recovered more than 1,600 pounds of excess food. In the Fall 2024 semester, under Rosales’s leadership, they recovered more than 750 pounds alone and are on track to reach similar numbers in Spring 2025.  

The diverted food is donated to nonprofit organizations in the Northern Virginia community such as New Hope Housing’s Mondloch House, a shelter in Alexandria, and the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter, an emergency family shelter in Fairfax. The club also helps combat food insecurity on campus through Swipe4Change, an end-of-semester Mason Dining initiative that allows students to donate leftover meal swipes and volunteer to collect unused food for Patriots in need. 

“Food Recovery Network’s impact is definitely only something you can see behind closed doors,” said Rosales. 

Rosales, who is also the events director of Her Campus at George Mason and a Costello College of Business Impact Fellow, was encouraged by previous leadership to take on the mantle of president. She fondly remembers the time she showed up to a volunteer shift, without realizing it had been rescheduled, and began processing and packing everything herself.

The chapter’s leadership were so impressed by her efforts that they asked her to become their new president.  

Students repackage food collected from Mason Dining. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Rosales said that one of the things that drew her to the organization was helping so many people within that supply chain, she said. “Not only are we donating to these nonprofits, but our dining staff has taken so much time to create this food that being able to make sure food continues on is rewarding. [Joining the FRN] is one of the best decisions I’ve made since entering Mason,” she said.  

As president she oversees all volunteers as well as coordinates communications between FRN’s national leadership, the nonprofit organizations they donate to, and Mason Dining staff. “It’s a lot of emails and managing finances,” she said. “Everything needs to be done almost perfectly, from coordinating [food] drop off times to sanitation.” 

Her main goal for the spring semester is to increase recruitment efforts to be able to make an even greater impact on campus and in the local community. She also wants to expand the chapter to include more opportunities for student connection.  

Rosales highly recommends getting involved with sustainability efforts on campus. "Beyond the service hours, you get to see behind the scenes of where your food comes from (if you eat at the dining halls), and you're supporting the local community." 

Click here to learn about Sustainability at George Mason