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: Hitting the MARC. This is the inaugural year of the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) Robotics Academy, an internship program for high school and undergraduate students. Interns work in small teams under the supervision of George Mason faculty and graduate students to support cutting-edge research. .
Campus Operations
Fall parking permit sales
91°µÍø fall semester parking permits will be available for purchase online at the starting Monday, July 27. .
Permit sales start on the following dates at 8 a.m. EDT:
- Monday, July 27: Faculty, staff, graduate students, and seniors
- Tuesday, July 28: Juniors and sophomores
- Wednesday, July 29: Freshmen and all others
Note: Faculty and staff enrolled in the payroll deduction parking permit program do not need to take any action.
Options include semester, monthly, weekly, and daily permits. George Mason uses virtual parking permits—your license plate is your permit. Make sure your license plate is assigned to your active permit, not just saved in your parking account. For help, visit the .
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
Supervising Students for Success
Join a virtual training session that equips supervisors with strategies to strengthen the student employment experience. Participants will explore how to set clear expectations and learning outcomes for student roles, support student development while meeting operational needs, navigate common supervision challenges, and foster inclusive, engaging, and productive student work environments.
If you supervise undergraduate or graduate students working at George Mason, join this training on Thursday, Aug. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. . Contact Salma Elbeblawi, University Career Services, with questions.
Join Mason 101 to know more
Mason 101 is an information session that helps George Mason faculty and staff learn about the university's history, organizational structure, campuses, and future plans. New and continuing employees are encouraged to attend. Register on for an upcoming date. All sessions are from 10 a.m. to noon:
In-person Mason 101:
Monday, Aug. 17
Friday, Aug. 28
Friday, Oct. 16
Monday, Nov. 23
Friday, Dec. 11
Virtual Mason 101 (via Zoom):
Friday, Sept. 18
Friday, Nov. 13
Contact Philip Stamper, Office of University Branding, with questions.
Adjunct Faculty Success Workshop
The helps new and returning adjunct faculty transition into their role at George Mason with professional development support, resources, and the chance to meet some friendly faces on campus.
Adjunct faculty are invited to attend this virtual session on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Departments should to adjunct faculty as they are hired. Contact Faculty Affairs with questions.
Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day: Call for proposals
Faculty and staff are invited to submit workshop proposals for Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day, which will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 21. This in-person event is designed to foster personal and professional growth, collaboration, innovation, and learning across the university community. The theme "Future Ready, People First" reflects George Mason's commitment to building a workforce equipped with the skills, mindsets, and adaptability needed to thrive in a changing environment. .
Game Mason: Call for session proposals
, the university's annual gaming convention, is happening on Sept. 18–19 at the Fairfax Campus. The event is organized by Student Involvement and the Center for the Arts and open to students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Game Mason is now accepting proposals for presentations, workshops, discussions, demonstrations, and activities related to gaming, fandom, creativity, storytelling, accessibility, inclusion, identity, and community. No previous presentation experience is required. by Friday, July 31.
Summer Knowledge Share Series: Working in Uncertain Times
Registration is now open for University Business Consulting’s annual Summer Knowledge Share Series. This summer’s 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 session:
- Tuesday, Aug. 11 – Coaching Your Team: Accountability, well-being, and communication
Sessions will be hosted at noon on the Fairfax Campus in Merten Hall and via Zoom.
Suicide prevention training
SOS for Higher Ed includes two 30-minute, self-guided online suicide prevention training courses for students, faculty, and staff. The trainings include video and interactive learning to teach everyone on campus how to ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) in their role in suicide prevention.
SOS for Higher Ed uses real and diverse stories of mental health struggles and recovery along with modeled scenarios to provide all learners with actionable steps to help someone in need. .
Thriving Together
Coaches Caravan: July 22
Join the George Mason Athletics for the next Coaches Caravan on Wednesday, July 22, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Honor Brewing in Sterling, Virginia. This event brings together George Mason Athletics coaches, staff, alumni, fans, donors, families, and community members for a meet and greet with coaches and athletics leadership, coaches panel and Q&A, prizes, giveaways, and swag. Admission is free, and all are welcome. .
Discount: George Washington's Mount Vernon
George Mason faculty, staff, students, and alumni can use a special discount code to visit from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31. Get 20% off up to six tickets per transaction with promo code MASON. The promo code can be used , or it can be mentioned at the gate for in-person purchases.
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. .
Writing for Well-Being Group for faculty and staff
Discover fresh inspiration from reading and writing, and make new connections with colleagues by participating in the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being’s second . The group will explore two chapters from the book Unlocking the Heart: Writing for Mindfulness, Courage, and Self-Compassion by James Crews. Sessions for George Mason faculty and staff will take place on July 30, Aug. 6, and Aug. 13 from noon to 1 p.m. .
Family Weekend: Call for programs
Family Weekend (Oct. 16–18) is the annual weekend of events for George Mason families. Every year, about 1,500–2,000 families and supporters reunite with their students and engage in a wide range of events and programs designed to welcome them (or welcome them back) to the George Mason community.
If your office or department would like to host an event or submit a program for the Family Weekend calendar of events, . Because check-in will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday this year, New Student and Family Programs recommends hosting your event on Saturday or Sunday.
Summer discounts: Patriot Perks and more
For summer fun—and all year long—the Mason Nation can access discounts and savings through . Get exclusive deals when you present your George Mason ID at local businesses including restaurants, entertainment, professional services, travel, and more. Faculty and staff are also eligible for additional savings through the .
Dwayne Hamilton Jr., assistant director for Basic Needs Services, Student Support and Advocacy Center
Stephanie Shanahan, College of Engineering and Computing
Photo by Emily Ross
Martelli is training as an amateur boxer and will compete in a boxing match to raise money in support of cancer research and awareness.
This Week in AI
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 10–11 a.m. via Zoom. .
AI Day Research Showcase and video playlist
At George Mason’s 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
Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center announce 2026–27 seasons
Subscriptions are now available to the 2026–27 performance seasons at 91°µÍø's and . George Mason 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 George Mason
Art Exhibition with Artist Brianna Camp
Saturday, Aug. 1, at 4 p.m.
Mason Exhibitions Arlington (3601 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia)
Join alum Brianna Camp, BFA Art and Visual Technology '23, for the closing reception of her art exhibition: Flare: Finding a Sense of Place in the Chronically Ill Body. Camp’s work uses large-scale oil paintings, photography, and poetry to explore the artist’s journey with a chronic illness. Hear from Camp in a brief artist talk, followed by a question-and-answer session with guests. Camp received the 2025 Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award from the College of Visual and Performing Arts. This event is free and open to the public, but .
Saturday, Sep. 12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Science and Technology Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center
This family-friendly event, sponsored by the Hylton Center and Prince William County, showcases community performers and fine artists from across the region. Enjoy activities for kids and adults, multiple stages of performances, hands-on workshops, a story time nook with special guest readers, food trucks, a vendor village, and more. This event is free and open to the public. No tickets required.
Access to Excellence Podcast: 'AI is a clinician’s 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 George Mason'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
Reminder: Updating your disability self-identification status
George Mason employees may update their disability self-identification status at any time through the employee self-service system. To do so, log into and navigate to My Account > General Self-Service > Personal Information > Personal Profile.
Keeping this information current helps ensure that George Mason meets its obligations as a federal contractor, as well as supports equal employment opportunity efforts. As part of these obligations, employees are periodically invited to voluntarily review and update their disability self-identification status. Providing this information is completely voluntary, and the decision to respond, or not respond, will not negatively affect employment. Any information provided will be kept confidential and used only in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Contact Human Resources at jobs@gmu.edu with questions.
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’s higher education licensing model. As a result, existing Creative Cloud licenses will transition to Adobe Acrobat Studio, George Mason’s 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, .
Policy Updates
Policy update: Expanding visibility of student wage job opportunities
has been revised to support equal access and increase visibility of student employment opportunities across the university.
What has changed: include a new requirement for student wage positions. All student wage positions are now required to be posted in Handshake, the university’s student job and internship platform, for a minimum of 10 business days.
This update is an important step toward creating a more transparent, accessible, and student-centered hiring process, ensuring that all students can discover and apply for campus employment experiences. Departments may continue to advertise student wage positions through additional channels alongside Handshake. Need support? Unclear how to use Handshake? Visit the for guidance, or reach out to the Handshake team at recruit@gmu.edu for support.
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—George Mason uses this information to highlight the overall outcomes of students to area employers, graduate programs, and future students.
From the Offices of...
Nothing shady: Shadow the dog is very energetic, friendly, and clingy—which is how he got his name, since he follows his human everywhere, like a shadow. He loves playing catch with toys and socks and looking out the window and watching cars drive by on the road.
Have something to share on this page? and submit an announcement from your unit through the online form.