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Writing Center Newsletter Now Available Online Alumni Association e-Newsletter Fenwick Library Pilots Instant Messaging Research Support Mason Motor Pool Price Increase Effective March 1 Help Us Help Them with an In-Class Writing Center Roadshow Nominate Students for Vision Awards Nominate LGBTQ/Ally Students for Academic Excellence Award Unconditional Parenting - Beyond Bribes and Threats Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra at Concert Hall Philosophy Department Colloquium Language & Learning Conference Featuring Alfie Kohn Recent Advances in Cancer Biology Outstanding Supervisor Award Presentation Help Students Fight Procrastination with Writing Center Research Paper Workshops Are Your Students Ready To Move On? Virginia State Bar Minority Pre-Law Conference Kickoff Reception for the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference First LGBTQ Safe Zone Training for Spring
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Mason E-FilesPosted February 20, 2006 | |
| Announcements | ||
| Writing Center Newsletter Now Available Online Check out the online edition of the fall Writing Center newsletter at http://wac.gmu.edu/program/Newsletter/ and enjoy a full hypertext experience as you read about how two faculty members teach writing in virtual environments. Or, for something completely different, learn how one teacher uses meditation to help students free the writer within. You'll find all of the familiar features from the print edition - Grammar Corner, Library Corner, news from the writing center and the Writing Across the Curriculum program, and more in this online issue, which owes its clean, attractive design to Sally Baggett and its overall production values to Scott Weaver, both TAs in the creative writing program. For the near future, subsequent issues of the newsletter will be published in print and online. The spring issue will focus on best practices for working with the non-native writers in your classes. Look for it. | ||
| Alumni Association e-Newsletter Each month, the Alumni Association publishes and distributes an e-newsletter, called MasonWire, to over 18,000 alumni. The newsletter contains relevant university news, upcoming alumni events, and news from athletics. This month's issue is available for review at http://www.gmu.edu/alumni/MasonWireIntro.html. To subscribe to the monthly e-newsletter, send an e-mail to Darren Silvis in the Office of Alumni Affairs at dsilvis@gmu.edu. | ||
| Homecoming 2006 was full of love and fabulous events. We had a fantastic week of events and it was so great to see so much participation across campus. On behalf of the Homecoming Committee, thank you to all of the offices and student organizations who participated in the banner competition, the block spot decorating competition, the spirit competition, and the office decorating competition. Congratulations to our winners: Office Decorating - For the first time ever there is a tie between College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Admissions Office (College Hall C119) and George Mason University Foundation and Development Office (Mason Hall D201, 203, 205) Student Banner Competition - Kappa Sigma and Chi Omega Office Banner Competition - Information Services Spirit Competition - Alpha Omicron Pi and Pi Kappa Alpha Block Spot Competition - Alpha Omicron Pi and Pi Kappa Alpha | ||
| Fenwick Library Pilots Instant Messaging Research Support During Spring Semester 2006, Fenwick Library's reference service is piloting instant messaging research support. Use your favorite Instant Messenger service to chat live with the reference staff. Just add our screen name (IMasonLibraries) to your buddy list to start chatting. Chat with us via AIM, Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger. For more information including service hours, visit http://library.gmu.edu/mudge/IM/IMRef.html | ||
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Time is running out to take advantage of our 0% APR Balance Transfer Rate. Stop paying hefty finance charges and juggling multiple credit accounts, and start saving with an already low-rate Apple Visa Platinum card. Offer can not be used to consolidate or pay off existing Apple loans/credit cards, and is only good on transfers made through February 28 (to a new or existing Platinum accounts), so apply today. Skip your February or March loan payment. Free up some funds when you skip a payment on your Auto Loan, Signature Loan, Second Trust Loan, Home Equity Line of Credit or an Overdraft Line of Credit. Offer excludes Visa Credit Cards and First Trust Mortgage Products. A $25 processing fee will apply per loan. Offer ends February 28, so act now. Need some tax relief? Arrange for your 2005 tax refund to be directly deposited into your Apple FCU account and you will be automatically entered into a drawing to have your 2005 refund matched, up to $2,000. Apple FCU continues to sow the seeds of success as it prepares for conversion to a new primary computer system. The project will be implemented March 31 (after 5:00 pm) through April 2. Visit www.applefcu.org for important transition information. For information on these and additional Apple FCU promotional offers, visit www.applefcu.org. Apple FCU members can apply for a credit card or loan online 24/7. Not a member yet? Download a New Account Application online and start enjoying the benefits of membership (subject to membership eligibility). | ||
| Did you know that the material recycled from 5 plastic soda bottles can completely insulate a ski jacket? Please recycle. For questions or comments, call Mason Recycling and Waste Management at 993-2547 or email rlim2@gmu.edu. | ||
| Mason Motor Pool Price Increase Effective March 1 As directed by Department of General Services (DGS) and approved by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission on February 1, there will be a rate increase in all leased vehicles, which will also affect the cost of maxivans. All vehicles will be charged for the gasoline used, with a minimum charge per day of $20 (previously $15). Cars will now be charged $.40 per mile (previously $.35), and minivans (owned by DGS will be $.45 per mile). All maxivans and minivans owned by Mason will also be charged $.45 per mile with a minimum of $20 per day and will subsequently be charged for the gasoline used. If you have any questions, call Faith Rupert at 993-2442. | ||
| Help Us Help Them with an In-Class Writing Center Roadshow Writing Center tutors are available to visit your class for 10 minutes to introduce your students to our services. If you or your students would be interested in such a presentation, send an email to Sarah Baker at sbaker@gmu.edu. Include the name/number of your course, the date and time you would like us to visit, and your classroom location. Writing Center locations include the Fairfax (Robinson and Enterprise), Arlington, and Prince William campuses. Include the Writing Center URL http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/ on your syllabus and mention us in your class. The web site includes many helpful resources and there is now online scheduling for appointments. | ||
| Nominate Students for Vision Awards George Mason University's Vision Awards, sponsored by University Life's Office of Diversity Programs and Services (ODPS), is an awards recognition and banquet celebration held annually for Mason students, faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds and their allies. The event honors students for excellence in academics, leadership, social justice and building of community harmony. This year's Vision Awards celebration will be on Saturday, March 25. Vision Awards nominations are now being accepted for outstanding students in two categories: Leadership and Social Action/Justice. For distinction in leadership, students will have successfully held leadership positions in campus or community organizations, and use their leadership to empower others. To be recognized for social action/justice, students will have demonstrated a commitment to social justice work, show understanding of the links between forms of oppression, and work to build bridges across communities. Nominate students from African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific American, Latino/a/Hispanic, Middle Eastern/Arab, and LGBTQ communities as well as students who are allies to these communities. Nomination forms (and fuller description of criteria and instructions) are available at the ODPS Office in SUB 1, or online at http://www.gmu.edu/student/msaf/visionawards.htm. Any questions, call 993-2700. Nominations are due Friday, March 3, at 4:00 pm. | ||
| Nominate LGBTQ/Ally Students for Academic Excellence Award This year's Vision Awards, sponsored by the Office of Diversity Programs & Services (ODPS), will be on Saturday, March 25. The event honors Mason students of diverse communities and their allies for excellence in academics, leadership, and social justice. Nominations for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) and ally students for academic excellence are now being accepted. Why this specific request: Mason documents the academic records of students who have identified themselves to the university as members of ethnically diverse communities (African/American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian/Pacific American, for example). No such documentation exists of LGBTQ populations, so to get word of deserving LGBTQ and ally students - faculty, staff, and/or peers of each student need to contact us. If you know of LGBTQ or ally students whom you'd like to see recognized for their academic achievement, email RChollar@gmu.edu or call 993-2702 with the student's name, contact info (email and/or phone number), and G number. We will follow up to confirm the student's interest/consent, then obtain their grade point through the Registrar, and then invite the student to the ceremony. For info on LGBTQ services, visit our website lgbtq.gmu.edu. For a description of awards criteria and instructions visit http://www.gmu.edu/student/msaf/visionawards.htm. Nominations are due March 3. | ||
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| Events | ||
| The Ethics and Politics of a George Mason University Campus in the Middle East will be presented Monday, February 20, 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm, Mason Hall, Room D3. RAK 101: Ras Al Khaimah on the edge Of Metropolitan Dubai In The United Arab Emirates, the site of the new George Mason University campus in The Middle East. A panel moderated by Dr. Johanna Bockman, Director of Global Affairs & Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology. The panel will have 8-minute presentations followed by a 30-minute discussion initiated with comments by Johanna Bockman. South-Eastern Arabia: Geography & Environment – Gordon Brent Ingram United Arab Emirates History - Eileen Kropf Languages in South-Eastern Arabia - Sana Hilmi Globalization & Contemporary Gulf Culture - Peter Mandaville Human Rights & Religious Freedom in the United Arab Emirates - Steve Klein Teaching English At The Temporary Mason Campus in Ras Al Khaimah - Kathy Trump Ras Al Khaimah: Contemporary Political Economy & the Status of the New Campus - Gordon Brent Ingram | ||
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The University Libraries Copyright Office will present Sex, Lies and File-Sharing: What's the Big Deal? on Tuesday, February 21 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm in the Johnson Center Conference Room 311. Topics covered will be fair use and integrity in peer-to-peer programs, recent and pending legislation, and its impact on the university. This workshop is geared toward students, faculty and staff. To register, go to: http://www.irc.gmu.edu/wems/workshops/default.cfm or email copyright@gmu.edu, or call 993-2544. | ||
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Unconditional Parenting - Beyond Bribes and Threats A free talk by Alfie Kohn (www.alfiekohn.org), sponsored by the Northern Virginia Writing Project (www.nvwp.org), on Friday, March 17 at 7:30 pm in the Johnson Center Cinema. RSVP to 993-1168. Advice for raising children typically comes in two flavors: threats (known euphemistically as consequences) and bribes (positive reinforcement). Either we make kids suffer to teach them a lesson, or we dangle goodies in front of them for doing as they're told. This presentation, by the author of the book Unconditional Parenting, will show why carrots and sticks are not only ineffective but actually counterproductive over the long haul. To raise children who are good learners and good people requires us to abandon strategies that do things to kids, in favor of an approach in which we work with them. Alfie Kohn has been featured on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including the Today show and two appearances on Oprah; he has been profiled in the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, while his work has been described and debated in many other leading publications. To learn more about Alfie Kohn, visit www.alfiekohn.org. | ||
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Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra at Concert Hall The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Jim Carroll, brings 100 years of jazz to the Center for the Arts, Saturday, March 11 at 8:00 pm. A pre-performance discussion begins at 7:15 pm on the Grand Tier of the Concert Hall. The performance traces a century of jazz in all its forms and features guest musicians Charlie Young, Rick Whitehead, Marty Nau, Wade Beach, Harold Sumney, Tom Williams and many more. Tickets are $36, $28 and $18. Charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit www.tickets.com. | ||
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Philosophy Department Colloquium Ladell McWhorter, Professor of Philosophy and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Richmond will speak on the topic Racialized Pathogens: Biopower and the Confluence of Race and Abnormality on March 2, at 4:30 pm in the Johnson Center, Room G. A reception will follow the session. | ||
| Language & Learning Conference Featuring Alfie Kohn Performance vs. Learning: The Costs of Overemphasizing Achievement with guest speaker Alfie Kohn (www.alfiekohn.org) on Saturday, March 18 from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm in the Johnson Center. Registration fee is $95. Morning coffee and lunch are included. Register online at www.nvwp.org/conferences/langlearn.htm About the all-day workshop: Alfie Kohn will deliver the keynote address, including workshop components, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Following lunch, there will be one round of presentations by NVWP Teacher Consultants. These sessions are appropriate for all teachers of all subjects and all grades, and all will include an assessment component. For more information visit http://www.nvwp.org/conferences/langlearn.htm or call 993-1168. About Alfie Kohn: Alfie Kohn has been described in Time Magazine as "perhaps the country's most outspoken critic of education's fixations on grades [and] test scores." His criticisms of competition and rewards have helped to shape the thinking of educators across the country and abroad. As the author of 10 books, Kohn has been featured on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including The Today Show and Oprah and has been profiled in the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. To learn more about Alfie Kohn visit www.alfiekohn.org. | ||
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Recent Advances in Cancer Biology On Thursday, February 23, Dr. Shiv Srivastava, Co-Director and Scientific Director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research and Professor of the Department of Surgery at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences will speak on Recent Advances in Cancer Biology and the state-of-the-art technologies used to define prostate cancer. The event sponsored by the School of Management’s Bioscience Management Program will be held in Mason Hall Board Room. The program begins with a reception at 6:30 pm, the speaker commencing at 7:15 pm. The George Mason community, colleagues, and guests are all welcome at this free event. RSVP to Michele Hanson at mhanson1@gmu.edu or 993-1974 to attend. | ||
| Outstanding Supervisor Award Presentation Join the Staff Senate in congratulating Susan Swett, Director, Graduate Admissions in the College of Arts and Sciences, for receiving the Spring 2006 Outstanding Supervisor Award. Susan will be honored at the Outstanding Achievement Award ceremony on February 28 at 1:30 pm in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall. All employees of Mason are invited to attend. Many nominations were received this spring for fourteen supervisors who were warmly and enthusiastically nominated by their staffs. The decision was very close and all of these supervisors should feel proud to know that they were honored in this way by their staff members. The recipient of this award will receive a plaque, a gift bearing Mason's signature or seal, and a gift certificate in the amount of $50 from Barnes and Noble. This award is presented in February and August by the Staff Senate. Visit the Staff Senate at our webpage http://www.gmu.edu/senate/staff and we invite all Mason employees to attend our monthly meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. | ||
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It's Senior Days as we say thank you to the commitment and dedication of our senior players and spirit squad members in their last regular season home game. Men's basketball faces the James Madison Dukes at the Patriot Center on Saturday, February 25 at 12:00 noon. Men's basketball tickets can be purchased at the Patriot Center Box Office. Tickets are $6 for youth and $11 for adults. Women's basketball faces Towson University at the Patriot Center on Sunday, February 26 at 3:00 pm. Women's basketball tickets can be purchased at the Patriot Center Box Office. Tickets are only $1 for this game when purchased in advance at the Patriot Center Box Office. For more information, contact the athletic ticket office at 993-3270. | ||
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Help Students Fight Procrastination with Writing Center Research Paper Workshops The Writing Center is repeating its popular series of workshops designed to help students working on research papers. These workshops will take place at the Writing Center (Robinson A114). Advance registration is preferred by calling 993-1200, but but students also can drop in for the workshop. Workshops may be taken out of order. Students who have difficulty attending daytime workshops may schedule one-on-one appointments at other times to go over any of these materials. Forward this message to your students or have them check the Writing Center web site (http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/). Research Workshop 1: How To Evaluate, Document, and Site Sources. Monday March 6, 12:30 - 1:30 pm or Tuesday April 4, 2:30 - 1:30 pm. Research Workshop 2: How and When to Summarize, Paraphrase, and Quote Your Research. Tuesday March 7, 3:30 - 4:30 pm or Wednesday April 5, 3:30 - 4:30 pm. Research Workshop 3: Making Your Research Paper Flow. Wednesday March 8, 12:30 - 1:30 pm or Thursday April 6, 12:30 - 1:30 pm. | ||
| Are Your Students Ready To Move On? Tell your students about the Writing Center's Personal Statement Workshop. Do you have any students who are graduating soon? Applying for an academic scholarship? Need help in crafting a personal statement? The University Writing Center can help. Tell them about our workshops this semester and let our tutors offer writing advice, share strategies and answer questions. Share this notice with them. Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School & Scholarship Applications on Thursday, March 2, 12:30 - 1:30 pm and Thursday, March 30, 12:30 - 1:30 pm in Robinson Hall, A114. Call the Writing Center at 993-1200 to register. | ||
| Virginia State Bar Minority Pre-Law Conference Every year, the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference hosts the Minority Pre-Law Conference to encourage minority undergraduate students to consider the legal profession as a career. Through this program, the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference seeks to expose students to all phases of developing a legal career from the law school admissions process to the selection of career opportunities. This year's conference is scheduled for Saturday, February 25 from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm (lunch will be provided) at the George Mason University School of Law. This program is open to students attending Virginia schools or Virginia residents attending District of Columbia schools. The event is free of charge and is an invaluable source of information for those interested in pursuing a legal career. To kick off the 2006 conference, we have arranged for tours of the Northern Virginia and District of Columbia area law schools for conference attendees on Friday, February 24. Questions about the conference, the pre-conference activities, or the registration materials contact Samantha Ahuja at (202) 857-4528 or prelaw@wcsr.com. | ||
| Kickoff Reception for the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference The administration, faculty and students at George Mason University School of Law are invited to join the Kick-Off Reception for the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference 2006 Minority Pre-Law Conference on Friday, February 24 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. The reception will feature keynote speake: The Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee, Judge, United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia. Sponsors: Mason School of Law, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, Jenner & Block LLP, McGuire Woods LLP, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Hunton & Williams LLP, Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association, Virginia Women Attorneys Association, Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association Foundation, Old Dominion Bar Association, National Black Law Students Association, GMU Hispanic Law Students Association, Mason Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and Mason Black Law Students Association. RSVP to Samantha Ahuja at (202) 857-4528 or prelaw@wcsr.com by February 20. | ||
| First LGBTQ Safe Zone Training for Spring George Mason's Office of Diversity Programs & Services (ODPS) and Safe Zone Training Team encourage you to join us for the first LGBTQ Safe Zone Training session for Spring semester on Monday, March 6, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm (Location TBA). Mason's Safe Zone program helps lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students, staff and faculty identify allies; who are safe listeners, advocates, and/or resources. After completing the training, participants can obtain and post a Safe Zone symbol to be visibly identified as Safe Zone/Allies. Beyond supporting the health and safety of individual LGBTQ students, faculty and staff; the Safe Zone program helps create a more safe and welcoming campus culture at Mason. The ultimate goal of the Safe Zone program is a Mason campus community where students, faculty and staff of all genders and sexual orientations are free to learn, work, and be fully themselves. This training is recommended for all faculty, staff, and students who interact with others in an advisory, teaching, service, or leadership capacity. Register for this training, by emailing RChollar@gmu.edu, or by calling ODPS at 993-2700. | ||
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| Training | ||
| Banner Finance Self Service Training. Thursday, February 23, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, Innovation Hall, Room 215G. This hands-on training provides an overview of the University's Banner Finance system, chart of accounts and reports produced by the system for individuals who work with budget and financial activity. Banner Finance Faculty Self Service Training. Tuesday Thursday, February 23, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, Innovation Hall, Room 215G. This hands-on training focuses on managing grant transactions and budgets for faculty. Those interested may register at http://www.doiiit.gmu.edu/client/wems/workshops/default.cfm | ||
| Thursday, March 2, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, Innovation Hall, Room 215-G. This training provides an overview of fiscal services at George Mason University, including an introduction to purchasing and travel procedures, equipment management and Banner financial reports. Those interested may register at: http://ittraining.gmu.edu/ | ||
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| Tuesday, March 14, 9:30 am to 12:00 noon, Innovation Hall, Room 215-G. This hands-on training provides an overview of Virginia's electronic purchasing system, eVA, for individuals who purchase goods and services costing less than $2,000. A state-issued eVA user name and password are required. The eVA log-in request form available on the Fiscal Services web site may be used to request an eVA user name and password. Those interested may register at http://ittraining.gmu.edu. | ||
| Wednesday, March 22, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon in Innovation Hall, Room 215-G. This hands-on training provides an overview of the State and University policies and procedures related to the purchase of food and beverages including catering services for Mason functions. Those interested may register at: http://ittraining.gmu.edu/view.cfm | ||
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| Lunch & Learn - Mortgage Basics for First Time Homebuyers. Come join us for a presentation by Mark Baker, a vice president of residential lending from an area bank on Thursday, February 23 from 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm in SUB II, Rooms 1 & 2. Mr. Baker will provide valuable information on Mason's homebuyer assistance program. Visit the HR Training website at http://hr.gmu.edu/training/ to register. | ||
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