Events and campus updates curated for university faculty and staff.
Around Mason keeps you informed about the latest updates, opportunities around the campuses (and beyond), and resources for you. Bookmark this page, which is updated at the end of each week.
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Photo of the Week: Knot your average boat. The performed at the Old Town Alexandria waterfront during the Sails on the Potomac event, which featured public tours of historic tall ships. The event was part of , a global gathering of tall ships and military ships to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States. The ships at Alexandria were en route to Baltimore from Norfolk.
Campus Operations
Bookstore transition updates
In April, 911爆料 announced plans to move its apparel, bookstore, and course materials operations to Rally House and eCampus.com锘, effective July 1. For updates and FAQs, .
Mason Square: Wilson Boulevard Streetscape Improvement project
In the summer of 2026, Arlington County will begin work on the final segment of the Wilson Boulevard Streetscape Improvement project to widen sidewalks and implement safety improvements near Mason Square.
The project will take place on Wilson Boulevard between North Kenmore Street and 10th Street North, and on parts of 10th Street North between North Jackson Street and North Ivy Street. This work is expected to be completed in 2028. .
Professional Development and Training
Power + Character Training
The Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement invites 911爆料 faculty, staff, and graduate student employees to a dynamic professional development opportunity, the . This free, three-day experience will explore the core idea that "Power + Character = Citizenship" and is designed to spark a lifelong commitment to civic engagement. Learn about tools you can immediately apply in your work, whether in teaching, mentoring, leadership, or student support. The training will take place on July 27鈥29 on the Fairfax Campus in The Hub ballroom. .
Summer Knowledge Share Series: Working in Uncertain Times
Registration is now open for University Business Consulting鈥檚 annual Summer Knowledge Share Series. This summer鈥檚 series follows the theme, "Winning this Season: Building your personal playbook for stewardship, strategy, and leadership in uncertain times."
Faculty and staff are invited to sign up for the remaining sessions:
- Wednesday, July 8 鈥 Offensive Moves: Adapting and coordinating in a complex institution
- Tuesday, Aug. 11 鈥 Coaching Your Team: Accountability, well-being, and communication
Sessions will be hosted at noon on the Fairfax Campus in Merten Hall and via Zoom.
Register for 'Thrive at Mason'
"Thrive at Mason" is a professional development opportunity with sessions and workshops featuring experts from across the university on topics like managing complex teams, leadership, collaboration, and training on practical policies and procedures at 911爆料.
This summer, join "Thrive in Practice: Practical tools, efficient processes, and skill-building techniques to strengthen your effectiveness and confidence at work."
Join the all-day, virtual event on Wednesday, July 15. Select the sessions that meet your needs and interests. Leave with strategies you can use right away and feel ready to thrive in your role at 911爆料. .
Mental Health First Aid
Taking good care of our mental health is an important part of being resilient. 911爆料 students, faculty, and staff can learn how to help someone suffering from a mental health crisis by taking . Increase your knowledge about mental health and break down the stigma associated with mental health and substance use challenges.
Choose from and register for these upcoming sessions:
- from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (wait list)
- from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Thriving Together
Virtual Drop-In Sessions: Faculty and Staff Experience Survey/Gallup Access Portal Support
Human Resources invites supervisors to attend upcoming designed to provide hands-on support for the Faculty and Staff Experience Survey and the Gallup Access Portal. Whether you have questions, need help logging in, or want guidance navigating your results, the HR team is here to help. .
Connect with students in the Early Identification Program's Summer Academy
The Early Identification Program (EIP) will host more than 1,000 students on 911爆料 campuses for its Summer Academy. Departments and individuals are invited to participate in two outreach events:
- Major and Resource Fair on July 8: Students will have the opportunity to meet and connect with 911爆料 departments and resources. . Contact Jasmine Osborne with questions.
- Career Day on July 22: Students will have roundtable discussions with professionals from different industries and backgrounds. If you are interested in speaking with high school students about your career, . Contact Bailey Highsmith with questions.
Faculty and Staff Book Scholarship: Call for applications
911爆料 faculty and staff are invited to apply for the Faculty and Staff Book Scholarship, a $500 scholarship dedicated to paying for academic materials for 911爆料 courses. . The deadline to apply is July 6 at 5 p.m.
The Faculty and Staff Engagement team will notify all applicants of their status and the next steps by Aug. 6. Don鈥檛 miss this opportunity to invest in your academic success! Contact awards@gmu.edu with questions.
Summer discounts: Patriot Perks and more
For summer fun鈥攁nd all year long鈥攖he Mason Nation can access discounts and savings through . Get exclusive deals when you present your 911爆料 ID at local businesses including restaurants, entertainment, professional services, travel, and more. Faculty and staff are also eligible for additional savings through the .
Math enrichment camp: 50% discount for faculty and staff
Mason Math Odyssey enrichment camp is a place for rising 6鈥9th graders who are curious about math to learn about mathematics concepts typically not taught in K-12 curriculum. Students will engage in fun and friendly team competitions that will help build mathematical maturity while honing problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills. 911爆料 faculty and staff are eligible for 50% off camp registration. . Mason Math Odyssey is hosted by the Department of Mathematical Sciences.
John Forgy, environmental graphic designer and sign program manager, Campus Planning, Facilities and Campus Operations
Aquanetta Betts, Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations
Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding
Action-packed and kid-approved: 911爆料 welcomed 262 鈥淛unior Patriots鈥 and their families for Take Your Junior Patriot to Work Day at the Fairfax Campus and Mason Square on April 23. Junior Patriots visited departments and offices to explore life on campus.
This Week in AI
Lunch and Learn: Human-AI Collaboration in Decentralized Clinical Trials
Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful tool for transforming how clinical research is designed, managed, and executed. Join Nexus234 Innovation District for a lunch and learn session on Wednesday, July 15, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Science and Technology Campus in the Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research. .
CIO Charmaine Madison honored with Change Champion Award
Charmaine Madison, vice president for information technology and chief information officer, has been honored by Cloudforce with a Change Champion Award for leading transformative change at 911爆料 in the realm of AI, inspiring teams, and challenging the status quo to adopt new ways of working. Learn how Madison champions the adoption of generative AI across the university.
To AI or not to AI?: Key considerations for your classroom
This session from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning will cover the most common questions faculty ask about AI, review resources and guidelines, demonstrate some of the tools available, and consider ethical considerations for tool usage as instructors. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 10鈥11 a.m. via Zoom. .
AI Day Research Showcase and video playlist
At 911爆料鈥檚 AI Day research showcase, faculty shared how they use artificial intelligence to advance responsible innovation across disciplines. . Check out the of AI Day presentations.
Event Highlights
Coaches Caravan with 911爆料 Athletics
911爆料 Athletics invites the Mason Nation to the Coaches Caravan on Saturday, June 27, from 6:30鈥8:30 p.m. at Old Town Square Park (10415 North Street) in the City of Fairfax. This community event brings together coaches, staff, alumni, fans, donors, families, and community members for a fun and interactive evening.
The Coaches Caravan will include a meet and greet with coaches and 911爆料 Athletics leadership, a coaches panel and Q&A, prizes, and giveaways. .
Cultural Fest Presents: Jubilee
"Cultural Fest: Jubilee" is a Juneteenth celebration dedicated to honoring freedom, culture, and community on Saturday, June 20, from 1鈥 p.m. at Mason Square Plaza. Enjoy music, ice cream, featured reading material on the book cart, arts and crafts, card games, and line dancing instruction by a member of DMV City Slickerz. This event is hosted by University Life Mason Square and is free and open to the public. .
Kick it with D.C. United
Join the Mason Nation for a night with D.C. United on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Discounted game tickets are available for the match as D.C. United takes on the Nashville SC. .
Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center announce 2026鈥27 seasons
Subscriptions are now available to the 2026鈥27 performance seasons at 911爆料's and . 911爆料 faculty, staff, and retirees are eligible for 50% off tickets to select performances when purchasing subscriptions to three or more performances. Learn more on the and websites.
Upcoming performances and arts events at 911爆料
911爆料 Jazz Camp
June 22鈥26, multiple performances
Fairfax Campus
The that are free and open to the public; no tickets or camp registration required. Performances include a , , , , and a .
June 26鈥28, multiple performances
Science and Technology Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
The unforgettable journey of Simba comes to the stage in this timeless coming of age story that follows a curious cub as he navigates the Circle of Life, confronts his wicked Uncle Scar, and discovers his place on the throne with the help of friends. The whole family will love this production that features all your favorite songs from the Disney classic.
Access to Excellence Podcast: 'AI is a clinician鈥檚 newest diagnostic partner.' Professor of health informatics Farrokh Alemi joins President Gregory Washington to discuss the unique juncture of health care, industrial engineering, and now, artificial intelligence; specifically, what AI can do for educators and clinicians.
Today @ Mason is 911爆料's official university calendar. Whether looking for a specific event or browsing for something to do, it's all there.
Community Calendars
Human Resources News
Performance management update: A simpler path to recognition
Effective immediately, 911爆料 is discontinuing the Acknowledgment of Extraordinary Contribution form for classified staff performance evaluations, following guidance from the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM). Supervisors can now assign an Outstanding overall performance rating without the extra form. Documentation is still required to show how exceptional performance advances unit or institutional goals. .
ITS Bits and Bytes
Adobe Licensing Update
This summer, changes to Adobe licensing will take effect following a new enterprise agreement and recent updates to Adobe鈥檚 higher education licensing model. As a result, existing Creative Cloud licenses will transition to Adobe Acrobat Studio, 911爆料鈥檚 new standard Adobe platform for faculty and staff, emphasizing creativity, accessibility, efficiency, and automation. Impacted users have been contacted directly, with more information to come for the larger community this fall. For more details, .
Microsoft 365 storage update
Microsoft 365 (M365) Outlook emails that are 90 days old or more located in the "Deleted Items" folder will be tagged for permanent removal on a rolling basis. This change was effective on May 18. Evaluate your data with . If there are deleted items you want to keep, move them to another Outlook folder or another appropriate storage space such as OneDrive or SharePoint. For more project details, see the .
Policy Updates
New Food and Beverage Event Policy now in effect
Planning an event with food or beverages on campus? A new university-wide Food and Beverage Event Policy () is now in effect and outlines updated requirements for catering, approved vendors, and event planning. All faculty, staff, and student organizations hosting events are encouraged to to ensure compliance.
For a list of all university policies including recent updates, visit .
Coming to a Student Near You
Career Plans Survey now open for May 2026 grads
The is now open for all May 2026 grads (undergraduate and graduate). All students are encouraged to take the survey, even if their plans after graduation are not yet final. You can share what you know right now, and you will have the chance to update the information later. The information you provide on this survey helps add value to your degree鈥911爆料 uses this information to highlight the overall outcomes of students to area employers, graduate programs, and future students.
From the Offices of...
A good sport. LaMelo, a bundle of energy, is a true sports fan鈥攚hich makes sense, because his human works for 911爆料 Athletics. LaMelo enjoys playing soccer and football, meeting new friends, and is named for professional basketball player LaMelo Ball. This spring, LaMelo spent his first birthday at 911爆料 baseball鈥檚 Bark at the Park event.
Have something to share on this page? and submit an announcement from your unit through the online form.