Mason E-Files

High School Graduation Traffic Alert

High school graduations at the Patriot Center begin in June. Mason is host to two dozen area high school graduations this year with attendance at the ceremonies ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 graduates and their family members. Each ceremony lasts approximately two hours.

Be prepared for heavier traffic up to 90 minutes prior to each ceremony and allow more time to drive to and from campus. Parking and Transportation Services encourages staff and students to use the Rappahannock River Parking Deck or the Field House parking lots to avoid traffic. Mason will be best accessed through entrances off of University Drive or Roberts Road. Check the Building Patriot Pride website and Parking and Transportation’s Facebook and Twitter pages for updates on conditions on and around campus.

Contact Parking Services at parking@gmu.edu or 993-2710 with questions.

The schedule of graduations and expected attendance for June 2-9 is as follows:

Sunday, June 2
2:30 pm Paul VI (3,000)

Saturday, June 8
9:30 am Hylton (5,500)
2:30 pm Forest Park (4,800)
7:00 pm Freedom (PWCPS) (3,200)

Sunday, June 9
2:00 pm Park View (2,200)
7:00 pm Broad Run (2,700)

Parking Lot J Temporary Closure

Lot J will be closed from 11:00 pm on Sunday, June 2 until approximately 7:00 am Saturday, June 8 due to lot improvements. Lot J reserved parking permits will be honored in all non-restricted general permit areas during this time. Any vehicles that are left in Lot J after 11:00 pm on Sunday, June 2 will be towed/relocated at the owner's risk and expense.

Community Supported Agriculture Program

Interested in eating more sustainably-grown vegetables and in supporting Virginia's farms? George Mason University will be partnering with Bull Run Mountain Farm for its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program this year. This type of program enables shareholders to pay their farmer a share at the beginning of the season in exchange for a weekly box of fresh, delicious, Virginia-grown vegetables.

• The cost will depend on the size of share you get. You can find the options here: http://www.bullrunfarm.com/sharetypes.html.
• The rates on this site are set for Mason community members (we will not be charged an additional fee for delivery or credit card payment processing).
• Here's a link to examples of vegetable shares from 2011 to give you a sense for what you might get each week: http://www.bullrunfarm.com/2011vegetables.html.
• The drop-off/pick-up spot will be in the temporary parking lot in front of University Hall. The time will be from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Fridays from June 5 to October 18.
• You can sign up for the share using this link: http://www.bullrunfarm.com/reserve.html.
  

Deadline for registering has been extended to June 5.

Contact Danielle Wyman for additional details at dwyman@gmu.edu or 993-7725.

What on Earth is a Food Forest?

Are you interested in gardening, environmental stewardship, or beautifying our campus? If so, consider getting involved with Mason's Innovation Food Forest permaculture project. Permaculture is an approach to landscaping that aims to create an ecosystem at once lovely and capable of producing healthy food (for humans and wildlife) perennially. This spring, planting has begun on a permaculture food forest next to Innovation Hall on the Fairfax campus. With support from the Office of Sustainability's Patriot Green Fund, the Innovation Food Forest will not only enhance the campus experience but serve as an educational demonstration project and enhance wildlife habitat on campus.

Volunteers are needed for garden work such as mulching, planting, weeding, and pruning – no experience required, though we welcome those with specialized skills. Website content development, educational signage assistance, and survey development are also needed.

To volunteer or find out more, contact us here.

Symantec Endpoint Protection Update

The IT Security Office is in the process of updating Symantec Endpoint Protection to version 12.

Symantec Endpoint Protection will be pushed out over the next few weeks by department. Each push will occur at 8:30 am. This week Symantec will be pushed to:

May 28 at 8:30 am
ITU Admin
ITU Administrative Applications
ITU Application Integration Support
ITU Database Support

May 29 at 8:30 am
ITU Data Mart Group
ITU Network Engineering
ITU Portal Web Development
ITU Telecom
Krasnow Institute

May 30 at 8:30 am
Human Resources

If you are connected to MESA domain, you do not need to do anything. You will get a pop-up stating that Symantec will commence installation; this is standard and just requires a restart of your system.

For questions, contact the ITU Support Center at 993-8870 or via email at support@gmu.edu.

System Administrators, contact the IT Security Office for additional information.

HR and Payroll

Faculty Pay for Summer 2013. Beginning Summer, faculty teaching in Session A will receive half their pay June 14 and the remainder, July 1. Questions? Contact the Special Projects and Summer Term Office at 993-2300 or via email at habdi2@gmu.edu.

Mason Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship. If you are Mason faculty or classified staff and enrolled in a degree program at Mason, you may be eligible to compete for a $250 Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship. Applications are due June 15.

12-Month Faculty Leave Year Ends on June 24. A reminder that the 12-month faculty leave year ends each year on June 24. This is the last date for all faculty to use their Annual Leave before the carry over. The 12-month faculty annual leave information is available in Policy 2205 and the Types of Leave chart. If you have any questions, call Payroll at 993-2751.

Health Assessment Deadline Extended. Open Enrollment ended on May 24. However the Health Assessment deadline was extended to May 31 at 11:00 pm. For details, visit http://hr.gmu.edu.

EDIT 201: Strategies for Online Learning Success, Summer Session B

Are you interested in taking an online class, but not sure what to expect? Then EDIT 201 is right for you. This 1 credit course is offered in a modular, online format and is designed to provide students with the skills they need to succeed in the online environment. Offered through the Learning Technologies Division, the course is self-paced, enabling students to proceed at their own speed. Once registered, students may start or stop any of the modules but must complete the course by the end of the semester in which they are registered. The course includes a combination of multimedia presentations, interactive exercises, electronic resources, videos and a final skills assessment to assess mastery. Students will also be provided with technical and content support. Register for Summer Session B, CRN 41706, offering of this course via Patriot Web.