Author: Shyanne Hardy

A full house of employers is expected for the 2021 Spring Career Fair on Feb. 17 and 18 from 12-4 p.m. ET. While the market has been somewhat uncertain due to the pandemic, there are plenty of employers still looking to hire Mason students and alumni!

A range of national, regional and local employers are expected, including:

• General Dynamics, Kearney & Co, Raytheon, CVS Health and other major employers from around the Northern Virginia area.
• Many federal and local government agencies are also registered including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, FAA, Patent & Trademark Office, Fish and Wildlife Service, Peace Corps and several branches of local county governments.
• Nonprofits include the Cato Institute, the Institute of World Politics, City Year and Teach for America and more.

All Mason students and alumni are welcome to register and attend the Career Fair. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with employers in real time to discuss internships and job openings.

The virtual Career Fair – How it works and what’s different
University Career Services will use a virtual fair platform that allows students to visit e-booths of employers in both camera, audio, and text formats.

• Registration is mandatory – Encourage your student to visit JobsConnected and register by 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
• Urge your student to attend a preparation event before the Career Fair to practice speaking with employers and to have their resume reviewed. Events can be found on the Career Services Events Calendar.
• Suggest that your student attend the Career Fair professionally dressed to make a strong first impression. We have a Pinterest Work Wear board that they can use for ideas of what to wear.
• Your student can research employers attending the virtual Career Fair. They can use their Handshake account to review the employers attending and the positions that are open.
• Recommend that your student check their technology in advance. Since your student will be meeting with employers in real time, it’s important that they check their webcam and microphone in advance.
• Encourage your student to visit our Prepare for the Fair page for more information about how to make the most out of the Spring Career Fair!

Bernadette Davey
Career Fair Manager
University Career Services

*To receive more articles like this straight to your inbox, sign up for the Mason Family Association at masonfamily.gmu.edu/mason-family-association.

Last semester, New Student and Family Programs (NSFP) offered a wide variety of Virtual Family Initiatives to help support our Mason family community. This spring, NSFP is offering a continuation of opportunities for families and students to attend. To ensure that the needs of Mason families and students are being met, NSFP has designed a new Family Support Series to address specific needs that you have vocalized about what your students have been facing.

In addition to the Family Support Series, we are offering continued programs for families to interact and connect. The Family-to-Family Dialogue (formerly Peer-Led Support) sessions provide an opportunity for you to interact with the Parent and Family Council, get to know them, and ask whatever questions you may have about your student’s experience.

Below you will find descriptions and registration links for all of the new spring Virtual Family Initiatives!

Family-to-Family Dialogue
The Parent and Family Council is made up of parents and family members of current Mason students! They are hosting live sessions focused on family-to-family dialogue and how you can support each other and your Mason students on this collegiate journey. Register for one or all of the sessions below!

Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. ET: Register here
Tuesday, Mar. 16 at 6 p.m. ET: Register here
Thursday, Apr. 22 at 6 p.m. ET: Register here

Family Support Series
NSFP is excited to announce our new Family Support Series designed to address your Mason family’s specific needs. Learn more about these events and register below!

Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. ET: Building Community
The Building Community program featuring current Mason students will hone in on ways students can become connected at Mason, even in a virtual world. This panel will allow families and their students to ask questions about campus life, how to get involved, and how to find a community at the institution. Register here.

Wednesday, Mar. 3 at 6 p.m. ET: Student Success Coaching & Advising
This opportunity will revolve around academic resources that students can take advantage of within Mason. Attend to learn more about ways about how students can succeed academically in a virtual classroom setting and additional ways they can become connected to these resources. Register here.

Thursday, Apr. 1 at 6 p.m. ET: Well-Being
NSFP knows that COVID-19 and being in a virtual environment has contributed to a significant impact on your student’s mental, physical and financial health. Learn about the best ways to practice self-care, the resources available at Mason to support your student, and other ways to get through this tumultuous time. Register here.

For more information on our Virtual Family Initiatives, visit masonfamily.gmu.edu/virtual-family-initiatives.

Daylen Orlick
Assistant Director, Family Programs
New Student and Family Programs

*To receive more articles like this straight to your inbox, sign up for the Mason Family Association at masonfamily.gmu.edu/mason-family-association.

The purpose of this communication is to help prepare your student for the 2021-2022 Housing Application and Housing Selection processes.

All current Mason students have the opportunity to apply for housing for next year. The number of upperclass students able to select housing for next year will ultimately depend on the level of demand from students who are guaranteed housing. Students who are cleared to participate in the Housing Selection Process will be notified and provided important process information via their Mason email no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, February 8.

Housing Application and Selection Process Overview
– Housing application closes at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2.
– The application can be found in the Housing Portal at gmu.starrezhousing.com/StarRezPortal.
– Applicants will be notified if they will be cleared for selection process on February 8.
– Roommate grouping begins in the Housing Portal on February 26.
– Your student can search for roommates in the Housing Portal.

Housing Selection Process: March 15-March 19
– Students will be sent an email assigning a specific date and time slot during which they will need to login to the Housing Portal to select their space.
– Students will pay their $300 pre-payment after their space has been selected. All pre-payments are due by Monday, March 22.
– Pre-payment Waivers will be available February 24-March 22.

If you or your student have questions regarding the application or selection process, please email Housing and Residence Life at housing@gmu.edu or call (703) 993-2720.

*To receive more articles like this straight to your inbox, sign up for the Mason Family Association at masonfamily.gmu.edu/mason-family-association.

A new semester brings new opportunities for your student to get involved! At Mason, there are more than 400 registered student organizations, countless intramural sports teams, and a multitude of service opportunities. No matter how your student is attending Mason this semester, either virtually or on campus, there are resources and opportunities they can engage in. Encourage your student to get involved, make a difference and begin to leave their legacy by attending one of these upcoming events or programs.

Winter Welcome2Mason
We have lots of exciting events planned during Winter Welcome Week to start the spring semester off strong. Whether your student is planning to be in person or virtual this semester, we want to welcome them into the Mason community. At the beginning of each semester, there are a series of events specifically for new students and to welcome back returning students. Welcome2Mason is all about the student and helping them find opportunities to get involved in their college experience. Throughout the first two weeks of the spring semester, there are many events and opportunities, both virtual and in person, to engage.

• SI2GO Truck Events – Have a student on-campus? On select days, students who are on campus can stop by the truck outside of the Northern Neck Starbuck for giveaways, snacks, coffee and more! Each pop-up event is different so remind your student to be on the lookout for the next truck event and make sure your they don’t miss out.
• Virtual Events – Is your student completely virtual this spring? No problem! We have a variety of virtual events happening throughout the week such as virtual entertainment, evenings of reflection, and even trivia and bingo nights where students can win prizes that will be mailed to them.

Check out a full schedule of events by visiting welcome2mason.gmu.edu or on the Mason360 App.

Mason360
Mason360 is a must-have app to know what’s happening around campus, for students to connect with other Patriots with similar interests, and have quick access to important resources to help navigate Mason. With the Mason360 app, you can browse through 450 student organizations who use Mason360 as their primary engagement tool. Students can also create personalized profiles and connect with other students who share similar interests via directory suggestions within the platform.

The app is available in the App store and Google Play as well as a web version. Once your student has logged in on the web version, click on the events tab from the home page to find the events happening on campus. TIP: When using the web version, you can easily filter through events to find exactly the type of event you’re looking for.

Intramural Sports Registration
Does your student have a competitive edge? Mason Recreation’s intramural sports program may be perfect for them! Registration opened on January 25 and is free to all full-time students. Men’s, women’s and co-rec leagues are offered. Co-rec leagues provide a great way to play sports in a social environment where students can make connections with their peers and these opportunities are available even with COVID restrictions in place. More information is available online at recreation.gmu.edu/intramural-sports/fall-calendar and registration is at imsports.gmu.edu.

For more information about student organizations and involvement opportunities, encourage your student to visit si.gmu.edu or check out Mason360.

Samantha Greenberg
Associate Director of New Student Programs
New Student and Family Programs

*To receive more articles like this straight to your inbox, sign up for the Mason Family Association at masonfamily.gmu.edu/mason-family-association.