About the Provost's Newsletter
The Provost issues a weekly newsletter during the academic year that highlights graduate education, undergraduate education, faculty affairs, academic innovation and new ventures, university life, Mason in the news, and a variety of upcoming meetings that involve faculty and staff. To read past issues, click on the links below. If you have a story suggestion, please email gmuprov@gmu.edu.
FALL 2021 SEMESTER
- September 15, 2021
Update: Mason's Surveillance Testing Strategy; Provost Office Refresh: Enrollment Management Pier; Faculty: Please Fill Out Evaluation of Administrators Survey by Sept. 23; THIS FRIDAY: Virtual RPT Forum for Tenure-line Faculty; Faculty Senate Updates Committees and Approves Task Force on Reimagining Faculty Roles and Rewards; Call for Nominations: School of Computing Stakeholders Committee; Saving Lives: Mason Researchers, 3M Recognized with a Major Award for Disrupting Counterfeit PPE; Success Coaches to Help Students Find Their Way; Phi Beta Kappa Members: Please Identify Yourselves; Campus Compact Impact Awards Applications Due Sept. 30; Register for the Mason Nation Thriving Together Virtual 5K Oct. 15 – 17; Kindness Ambassadors Nominations Due Oct. 8
- September 8, 2021
9th Annual Mason Nation 9/11 Day of Service Set for Friday; Provost Office Refresh: Academic Affairs Pier; REGISTER NOW! Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference Scheduled for Sept. 20-24; New Retention and Diversity Dashboards; Kindness Ambassadors Nominations Due Oct. 8; Mason Club Now Open
- September 1, 2021
What to Do If a Student in Your Class Tests Positive for COVID; Provost’s Office Launches New Inclusive Excellence Webpages; Mason’s Compliance Office Gets Interim Title IX Coordinator and New Name; Call for Nominations: School of Computing Stakeholders Committee; Lebovic Wins NEH Fellowship; Summer Peer Advisors Welcome New Graduate Students to Campus; Mason Club to Re-Open Sept. 7; New Reservable Group Study Rooms at the JC; Exclusive Staff and Faculty Membership Offers for Fall
- August 25, 2021
Provost's Office Issues Faculty Guidance on Managing COVID-19 Policies in Classrooms; Hakeem M. Oluseyi Chosen as Visiting Robinson Professor; Disability Services Implements Changes of Approved Testing Accommodations; Student Complaints Website Now Live; Stearns Center Teaching Squares: Applications Due Sept. 3; Exclusive Faculty and Staff Meal Plans Now Available; Kickstarter Creator Perry Chen to Speak Oct. 7; Fulbright Researcher Jennifer Oreta Joins Schar School’s TraCCC; CARES Act/HEERF III Funding Released to Students; IDIA Announces Winners of Seed Funding; School Supply and Diaper Drive to Support Afghan Refugee Families
- August 18, 2021
Welcome Home to Mason!; Fall 2021 Expectations for Faculty; Fall 2021 Syllabus Guidance; Aditya Johri Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award; Are You Teaching Online this Fall?; Faculty Spotlights; Mason Internationalization Lab Report Completed; ScienceConnect to be Held on Fairfax and SciTech Campuses in Mid-September; Find Your Patriot Perks!
SUMMER 2021 SEMESTER
- August 11, 2021
Cynthia Lum and John S. Earle Named University Professors; Pres. Washington Announces New Mask Requirement for Mason Community; Financial Framework to be Revamped; The MIX to Reopen in Horizon Hall; Dymon Bailey Named Special Assistant to Chief DEI Officer; Schar School Professors Teach Climate Change as a National Security Issue; Center for the Advancement of Well-Being launches new series of free presentations; Adjunct Faculty Workshop Scheduled for Aug. 14; Mason to Screen Documentary Picture a Scientist on Nov. 4
- July 28, 2021
Revisions Made, New University Policies Created and Available for Download; Vaccinations Required for All; New FAQ Shares Details About the Reopening of Campuses; Save the Date: Welcome Back Mason Nation! Convocation to Kick Off Fall Semester on Aug. 20; Units Need to Fill Out SCHEV Survey by Aug. 28; Adjunct Faculty Workshop Scheduled for Aug. 14; VIVA Open Adopt Grants Now Accepting Applications; Reminder About the Libraries’ New Course Reserve System; Sutters Recognized for Leadership and Instruction in Art Education; OSCAR Virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship Set for Aug. 5-6; Nationals to Host Mason Day on Sept. 17
- July 14, 2021
More Safety Precautions Put in Place for Fall Semester; Mason Ranks 7th in Best Online Master’s Programs by Optimal; MESA Will Not be Replaced by Office 365; Please Submit Textbook Orders to the Bookstore; Dr. Jason Dodge Hired as Director for ADVANCE; Mason Links to Presidential Appointees in US Department of Education; Scholars Building Resources to Help Student Communications Skills; Study: Robotic Automation Will Make Public Sector Agencies Faster, More Efficient, and Cost-Effective; Four CEHD Scholars Named Editors of Prestigious Education Journal; OSCAR Virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship Set for Aug.5-6; Mason Study Abroad Week Set for Sept. 20-24
- June 30, 2021
Cleaning Supplies to Remain in Classrooms; President Washington Issues Message on Campus Reopening and Vaccination Requirements; Please Submit Textbook Orders to the Bookstore; Judges Needed for Fenwick Fellowship Proposals; July Professional Development; New Course on Racial Justice to Teach Understanding; Newest Mason Reads Book Announced; Center for Government Contracting Wins Over $1 Million for Defense Finance Studies; Schar School Faculty Members Assume Co-Editorship of Nonprofit Journal
- June 16, 2021
Deans Review Inclusivity Plans and Pledge to Promote Diversity; Campus Mask Requirement Lifted for Vaccinated Individuals; Research-Related Guidance Now Follows Main COVID Protocols; Faculty Handbook Updated; Learn About Two New Blackboard Tools on June 24; Apply Now to be a Faculty Writing Fellow; Welcome2Mason Funding Requests Now Open; Curriculum Impact Grants Winners Announced; Department of Information Sciences and Technology NOVA Advance Partnership; Off-Campus Housing Virtual Fair Set for June 29
- June 2, 2021
Brian Gibson Departs GEO, Marie alice Arnold Appointed Interim Executive Director; Additional Information Announced Regarding Mason COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements; How to Prepare for MasonLive Migration to Office 365; No Automatic Extensions on Degree Conferral Deadlines; Mason Korea Selects Pat Quinn As New CBO; New Seed Grant Starts Work on Infrastructure Protection, Emergency Response; Changes to NCBI Access; Apply for the Emerging Leaders Supervisor Series; Encourage Students to Apply for Mason’s Break Through Tech Guild Program
- May 19, 2021
In today’s newsletter: Thank You For Making Commencement Week a Success; MasonLive Student Email Migrating to Office 365; Deadline for Annual Assessment Reporting in Tk20 is June 1’ Graduate Council Recommends Not to Grant an Automatic Extension of “Time to Degree Policy”; Annual Adjunct Faculty Committee Summary; Soyoung Kwon Appointed as Member of Incheon’s Peace City Initiative Committee; Professor's Book Examines Mexico's Drug Wars; Schar School to Host Three-Day Workshop on Pandemics and Global Health; Apply for the Emerging Leaders Supervisor Series; Encourage Students to Apply for Mason’s Break Through Tech Guild Program
SPRING 2021 SEMESTER
- May 12, 2021
Thank You, Faculty and Staff; First Year of National Science Foundation-Funded Training Project Draws to a Close; Subscribe to the Special Summer Series of the Online Teaching Coaching Newsletter; Terry Gudaitis Named 2021 Career Connection Faculty; First-Generation Faculty and Staff Needed in the Career Influencers Network; Mason Aims for Zero Waste; Summer Dining Hours at Mason Eateries
- May 5, 2021
Message on Final Exam Period; Mason Students and Vaccines: Reminder to Faculty; Newsletter to Publish Bi-Monthly During Summer; Graduation Week Volunteers Needed; Classroom Software Installation Requests Due July 15; Faculty Senate Elects Melissa Broeckelman-Post as Chair; Andrew Light Nominated for Assistant Secretary of International Affairs at U.S. Energy Department; SCHEV Approves School of Computing; Criminology Professors Receive Awards; Padhu Seshaiyer Receives Top Educator Award from NCWIT; MSSC Expands Virtual Services; OSCAR Spring Celebration of Student Scholarship Runs Through May 7; Deadline to Submit 2021 ITL Conference Proposals for the On-Demand Collection is May 31; Recording of Mason QEP Town Hall Available; Student Success Virtual Symposium Set for May 19 – 20
- April 28, 2021
Mason Academic Advising and Success Coaching Update; Thomas Lovejoy Inducted into National Academy of Sciences; Graduation Week Volunteers Needed; Spring 2021 Student Evaluations of Teaching Open; Donation to Support Underrepresented Students Studying International Affairs and Diplomacy; Mason Awarded Scholarship to Dublin City University; 2021 Teaching Excellence Award Winners Announced; Daniel A. Menascé Receives David J. King Teaching Award; Secure Manufacturing Saves Energy and Protects Businesses; Mason Conference, Schar School Testimony Lead to High Court Reversal of a Decision; J-RIG Offers Rapid Response Research Grants; Apply Now to be Faculty Fellow for Faculty Affairs and Development; Reminder About the Libraries’ Course Reserve System; Libraries Offer Workshops Teaching Essential Data and Computational Skills
- April 21, 2021
Faculty encouraged to support students who may be experiencing vaccine side effects; Domestic Travel No Longer Needs UTAC Approval; Fall 2021 Accommodations, Adjustments, Modifications Process for I/R Faculty; Library Survey on Journal Article Access; Apply Now to be Faculty Fellow for Faculty Affairs and Development; P.J. Maddox Named Faculty of the Year; Philip Martin Among Guggenheim Foundation Distinguished Scholar Awardees; Center for Government Contracting Taps Two Fellows; Mason Team Analyzes Genomes to Support Conservation, Cloning Project; Graduate Education Reimagine Task Force Formed; Winners of 3MT Competition Announced; Save the Date: Family Weekend
- April 14, 2021
Next Vision Series is 4/19; Mason QEP Town Hall on April 28; Highlights from the April 7 Faculty Senate Meeting; Emily Sample Awarded Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Fellowship; Film Celebrates Earth Day; TEDxGeorgeMasonU Conference Set for April 16; Victims’ Rights Run/Walk During Week of April 18; LuLu Géza Kelemen’s Work on Gender Identity to be Featured in Sociology Textbook
- April 7, 2021
Spring 2021 Commencement to Have In-Person Options; Mason to Begin Faculty and Staff Vaccinations April 10; Jackie Luu Named Mason’s First Goldwater Scholar; Master of Science in Finance Degree Launched; International Week Celebrates 40th Anniversary
- March 31, 2021
Mason Has 8 Graduate Programs Ranked Among Top 25 Nationally; SCHEV Approves Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing; Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning Updates; Apply Now for Fenwick Fellow Program; International Week Starts Friday
- March 24, 2021
Continue Wearing Your Face Mask Even If You’ve Been Vaccinated; Messages from the Stearns Center; Highlights from the General Faculty Meeting; Recording Available for Term Faculty Info Session; Nominations for Adjunct Committee Members Due April 1
- March 17, 2021
Updates to Your Mason Zoom Account; Vision Series to Tackle COVID-19; TODAY: General Faculty Meeting; Summer Study Abroad Programs Cancelled; CHHS Publishes COVID-19 One-Year Milestone Special Report; Mason Offers New Data Analytics Credential; IDIA Issues Call for Proposals
- March 10, 2021
In today’s newsletter: Planning and Modifications for Fall 2021; Andre Marshall Joins Mason as VP for Research, Innovation and Economic Development; Solidarity with Our Mason Asian Community; Highlights of March 3 Faculty Senate Meeting; Academic Help Available for Students
- March 3, 2021
Board of Visitors Approves Changes to Faculty Handbook; Mason Awarded Grant to Further Diversify Region’s Tech Ecosystem; Patriot Learning Pod to Hold Spring Break Explorers Club for K-3 Children; OSCAR Launches Research and Mentoring Program with MITRE; Distinguished Mentor Applications Due March 12
- February 24, 2021
Faculty Should Not Ask Students for COVID Test Results; Exposure Guidance for Those Who Have Been Vaccinated and Then Exposed to COVID; Get Zoom Updates; General Faculty Meeting Set for March 17; Tenure Clock Extension Update
- February 17, 2021
Mason Vision Series kicks off Feb. 22; Anti-Racism Inclusive Excellence Town Hall Set for Feb. 23; Patriot Learning Pod Accepting Students; Stearns Center Establishes YouTube Channel
- February 10, 2021
RRP&T Processes for Term & Tenure-line Faculty; Gift Card Scam Targets Mason Faculty; Highlights of Feb. 3 Faculty Senate Meeting; Submit Nominations for the Jack Wood Award AND Outstanding Achievement Awards
- February 3, 2021
In Lieu of Spring Break, We Suggest Mason Meeting Free Week; Changes Student Evaluations of Teaching; Anti-Racist & Inclusive Pedagogy Team Members Needed; Winners of 2021 Provost’s Summer Team Impact Projects Competition
- January 27, 2021
Provost Ginsberg Thanks Faculty & Staff; Reminder of National Guard Deployment & Mason’s Military Activation Policy; Changes to Disability Services Student Support & Testing Center; Faculty Spotlight; Weekly Well-Being Tip
- January 20, 2021
Covid Vaccine Schedule for Virginia and Mason; Messages from the Stearns Center; Introduction of Faculty Affairs Well-Being Program; STIP Announced; Library Announcements; OLLI Offers Virtual Lifelong Learning Classes
FALL 2020 SEMESTER
- December 16, 2020
Congrats to the 2020 Graduates!; Beloved Mason Employee Amy Speed Passes; VPR Candidates to Give Public Presentations; Academic Video Online Now Available; 2020 Spirit of Advising Excellence Awardee Announced
- December 9, 2020
Holiday Message from Provost Ginsberg; Spring Semester Academic Plans Announced; Help Needed for COVID Testing; Changes Coming to Blackboard Navigation
- December 2, 2020
COACHE Summary Reports Available; Changes to Mason Study Abroad Programs for Spring; Elsevier Journal Access; Admissions Office Announces Spring 2021 Virtual Event Lineup; Mason Ranked #1 in Cybersecurity by OnlineU
- November 18, 2020
The Impact Gov. Northam's New COVID Measures Will Have on Mason; Campus Operations Through January RPT Process Update; Faculty Well-Being; Interim Deans Named for Proposed School of Computing; QEP Committee Members
- November 11, 2020
Provost's November blog on the meaning of the harvest; Launch of the Military, Veterans, & Families Initiative; Student COVID Survey
- November 4, 2020
Rose Pascarell Named as Pillar of the Profession by NASPA Foundation; Nominations for Presidential Awards for Faculty Excellence Due Jan. 8; Submit Nominations for 2020 Spirit of Advising Excellence Award
- October 28, 2020
Faculty Encouraged to Complete Evaluation of Administrators; Student & Faculty Resources Available for the Election; Captioning/Transcription Services During COVID; 2020 Celebration of Distinction to be Held Nov 10
- October 21, 2020
Submit Textbook Orders to Bookstore by Oct 30; New Student Evaluations of Teaching Tool Launched for Fall 2020; Library Produces New Resource Guide on Anti-racism, Black Lives Matter & Civic Action; Recipients of 2020-21 4-VA@Mason Awards Announced
- October 14, 2020
Short & Long-Term Expectations for Faculty w Sick Students in Classes; Deadline to Request Use of Instructional Spaces Following Thanksgiving Nov 20; Addressing Respondus Questions About Video Monitoring
- October 7, 2020
TTIP Faculty Thematic Hiring Initiative; Faculty Spotlight; Flu Shot Clinic Scheduled for Oct 13; Download and Share Health and Well-Being Resources Available for Students
- September 30, 2020
RPT Information Session Set for Oct 2; Guidance Available Regarding COVID Student Notifications for Faculty Teaching Online; Guidelines for Accepting/Returning Written Materials in the Classroom
- September 23, 2020
No Fall Break, Mason Closed Election Day & Thanksgiving Pivot; New Center for Humanities Research; New Dean of Admissions, Executive Director for Enrollment Services; Faculty Invited to Participate in AshokaU 2021 Exchange
- September 16, 2020
RPT Reminder for Eligible Faculty; Locked Classroom Openings to Coincide with 25LiveSchedule; Download COVID Guidance Charts for Those On Campus; Update to FAQs on Faculty IP Rights
- September 9, 2020
Faculty Must Use Mason Email Address for All University Business; Notes Regarding Classroom Access; Fall Break, Election Day & Thanksgiving; Fellowships Office Expands; Assistance for Students w/ Sensory Impairments
- September 2, 2020
Faculty Purchasing Equipment for Teaching at Home; Faculty Can Reserve Demo Rooms to Record Lectures; Faculty Should Establish Emergency Virtual Teaching Coverage
- August 26, 2020
Election Day Information; Message on Faculty Evaluations; Student Lab Kit Waivers; More Faculty FAQs; Micro-credentials at Mason; Cyberinfrastructure Survey; Upcoming Events
- August 24, 2020
Thank you letter to faculty and staff... please know how much I appreciate all that you have done & continue to do to make #MasonNation safe. Also check out photos /descriptions of classrooms
August 19, 2020
The Mix; Faculty Tours of Classrooms/Technology; Syllabus Information; Library Announcement; Office Connectivity; New OIEP Website
SUMMER 2020 SEMESTER
- August 12, 2020
Classroom Cleaning Protocols; Carol Urban to Lead Mason's COVID Surveillance & Testing; Quentin Alexander Joins Mason as Senior Director of Advising; Kamaljeet Sanghera to Serve as Interim Exec Dir of IDIA
- August 5, 2020
HR Provides Details on Voluntary Temporary FTE Reduction Option; Work Modification Form Update; Dr. Justin Sutters Named SACSCOC Faculty Fellow; HathiTrust Emergency Access Online Lending Program Extended; FAQs Posted
- July 29, 2020
Copyright Ownership FAQ Coming Soon; Library Announces Pickup and Return Dates; Clarification Released on ICE Restrictions for International Students
- July 22, 2020
Summary of faculty town hall on copyright language; an update on international students; promotes a webinar to help faculty use Zoom to enhance class strategies; & encourages faculty to place their book orders
- July 15, 2020
July 21 Town Hall on Copyright Ownership, Federal Limits on Academic Activities, Hybrid Academic Advising Plans are Underway, Bookstore Requests Students Purchase Textbooks Online & New After-hours Crisis Service for Students
- July 8, 2020
Apply Today for SACSCOC Faculty Fellowship; Libraries Establish New Center for Mason Legacies; Business Process Toolkit Available Through MasonLEAPS; Curriculum Impact Grant Recipients Announced
- July 1, 2020
Aurali Dade Named Interim VP for Research, Innovation & Economic Impact; Explanation of Copyright Ownership of Scholarly Materials & Online Education Delivery; GEO Offering Virtual International Education Experiences
- June 24, 2020
You Must Take Online Training Before Returning to Campus; Scheduling for Fall 2020 Classes Moving Forward; Libraries Shares OER Information for Faculty
- June 17, 2020
Friday classes cancelled to observe Juneteenth; June 24 Town Hall to address campus reopening; Webinars to help faculty with online classes; Resources available for supporting Black Lives Matter & activist well-being
- June 10, 2020
There will be 2 course development primers offered this summer & Institute for Digital Innovation will Officially Launch June 23
- June 3, 2020
Faculty planning to teach online fall classes should contact Stearns Center for course development assistance
- May 27, 2020
Update on Student Evaluations of Faculty; Stearns Center Provides Examples of Syllabus Language; Summer Orientation Goes Virtual; College of Science to Host Weekly Webinars on Pandemics
- May 21, 2020
Student evaluations of faculty for fall 2020 will be done in an online format & shares resources to help faculty prepare for the summer
- May 19, 2020
Link to provide input to help university leaders decide on actions for Fall 2020 semester; Library extends due dates to 9/30; CHSS Hosts Weekly Webinar on COVID-19 & a reminder to sign up for June Faculty Weekly Writing Challenges
SPRING 2020 SEMESTER
- May 14, 2020
Deb Crawford's new job opportunity at the Univ of TN-Knoxville, has the semester's final message from the Stearns Center & provides a Mason FACTs update
- May 12, 2020
deadline for grade submissions, where to find the documents on how to hold a successful virtual event & be able to download the most recent RPT session
- May 7, 2020
Deadlines for annual assessment reporting in Tk20, David J. King Award & Distinguished Library Faculty Award recipients, & the Virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship
- May 5, 2020
Mason's new electronic MOU system and a number of new events in the graduate school, undergraduate school, the Mason International Collaborative’s Research Committee, & Institute for a Sustainable Earth's webinar series
- April 30, 2020
Board to Host Listening Session on Mason's Budget; Admissions Office Shares Details on How to Host Successful Virtual Events on May 6; Participate in Q&A Session with Finalists for Senior Director of Advising; Summer 2020 Graduate Assistant Hiring Guidance; Mason Teaching Excellence Award Winners Announced; Mason Professional Development Program Offers Educational Opportunities; Industrial Immersion Program Hosts Project Presentations May 1
- April 28, 2020
Fall 2020 registration will begin May 1; Highlights of virtual Spring Preview for 1,800 prospective students; Changes made to Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services Amid COVID
- April 23, 2020
Deferring Study and Tenure-Track Leave; Increase in GA Minimum Compensation Rates; Update on the Electronic MOU System
- April 21, 2020
Changes in the Academic Innovation and New Ventures Office; next RPT meeting, virtual experiences for prospective students; changes to summer orientation
- April 16, 2020
Faculty tips for managing their time; notes that faculty maintain ownership of IP created during Spring and Summer 2020
- April 14, 2020
Covers David Wu's final day as Provost; revised report on Mason’s proposed School of Computing
- April 9, 2020
Managing Feedback to Students; Selective Withdrawal Extended; Alterations to Graduate Policies; Bob Baker Named Interim Dean of CEHD; International Research Sharing Session Set for Friday, May 8
- April 7, 2020
All Summer Courses to be Held in Online Format; Please Participate in the COVID-19 Risk Assessment; University Life Website Maintaining Repository for Messages Sent to Students; Virtual Workshop for Curricular Impact Grants Scheduled for April 17; Spring 2020 Withdrawal Option and Alternative Grading Updates for Graduate Courses; Malerie Gamblin Named Academic Advisor of the Year Award
- April 2, 2020
RPT Process Extended; Selective Withdrawal Period Extended to May 11; Student Information on Spring 2020 Grading Options; Changes Announced for Academic Standing During Spring 2020; Scanning Needs Must be Submitted in by April 4; Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm Named Dean of College of Science
- March 31, 2020
Mark Ginsberg Named Interim Provost and Executive Vice President; Grading Options Announced for Spring 2020; Deadline Extended to April 7 for Distinguished Mentoring Fellows; April 14 Term Faculty Committee Forum Cancelled; April 17 is Deadline to Rank QEP Proposals
2019 - 2020 Academic Year
2018 - 2019 Academic Year