Category: Mason Family Flash

September 1	Labor Day (No classes)
September 2	Last Day to Add or Drop Classes (No tuition penalty)
September 3	Career Services Webinar for Seniors
September 22	Midterm Progress reporting period
September 26	Last Day to Drop (67% tuition penalty)
September 29 - October 24	Selective Withdrawal Period
September 30	Fall 2014 Graduation Application Deadline

At George Mason, University Career Services seeks to partner with families to ensure our students graduate on time with a job in their chosen industry of interest. This task requires advanced planning, preparation, and teamwork. is dedicated to supporting your student during their time at Mason, but we also need your help!

Remind your student that it’s never too early to start working towards a successful future. Visit careers.gmu.edu/family (Link) for information dedicated to families and parents and what they can do to help their students prepare for their future careers.Right from the start, Mason offers amazing opportunities that will help your student prepare for life after college.

Family Webinar Series

This fall, in partnership with Orientation and Family Programs and Services, we are participating in a new series of webinars(Link masonfamily.gmu.edu/webinars)in partnership with the Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services that will lay out a road map of what your student needs to do each year to prepare for the workforce and achieve post-graduation success.

These webinars with be specialized for families of students at every stage of college life:

• Seniors – Wednesday, September 3, 12-1 pm (EDT)
• Juniors/Transfers – Thursday, October 9, 12-1 pm (EDT)
• Sophomores – Thursday, November 6, 12-1 pm (EST)
• Freshmen – Thursday, December 4, 12 -1 pm (EST)

Join us and receive tips and suggestions on concrete steps your student should be taking to plan for the future. Topics will include building and sustaining relationships with faculty, exploring undergraduate research opportunities, applying for jobs and much more! Links for webinars will be made available on the Mason Family website. For information about how to access the webinars, please visit masonfamily.gmu.edu/webinars. Let us know what you need to keep your student on track and please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at careers.gmu.edu.

Bernadette Davey
Employer Development Specialist
University Career Services

As the debate regarding the return on investment of college rages on, Mason continues to put its focus on creating successful lives for students. For Mason, this goal goes beyond fostering academic success, but creating a life of resiliency, purpose, and vitality leading to overall well-being. As a model well-being university, Mason is committed to educational, co-curricular, and professional development experiences to provide all community members the opportunity to flourish.

Incoming freshmen learn new ways to increase their personal and community well-being through the Mason Reads common reading program. At orientation, every incoming freshman received a copy of the New York Times bestseller How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton. Students are encouraged to read the book before coming back to Mason this fall and be prepared for a variety of programs and activities that will incorporate the book’s themes into University 100 courses, residence hall programs, living-learning communities, programs for off-campus students, leadership development opportunities, University Career Services events, and more!

Families have the opportunity to connect with their student by reading the book themselves and “filling their students’ buckets” through encouragement and positivity. Remind your student to read the book and use the study guide at commonread.gmu.edu to engage with your student in discussions around the common read.

This fall Mason will provide your student with access to StrengthsFinder, an assessment created by scientists at Gallup to help individuals learn about their top five strengths,ways to develop their talents, and how to utilize those talents in whatever they do. These strengths can be used in choosing the right major, finding the right career, and contributing to the overall happiness and success of your student. Family members may access their own StrengthsFinder Assessment at http://www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx and compare their strengths with those of their Mason student.

For more information, connect with us through Facebook at Mason Reads or on the web at commonread.gmu.edu.

Emilie Dubert
Interim Associate Director
Off-Campus Student Programs and Services

Family Weekend, which will be held October 17 – 19, is a weekend full of events for the whole family. It provides an opportunity for families to explore campus, meet faculty and staff, mingle with other Mason families, and enjoy the weekend with their student. Just in case you need a little bit more convincing to attend Family Weekend 2014, here are ten reasons you should register today!

1. Take advantage of Mason’s facilities including the Corner Pocket and the Recreation and Athletic Center (RAC)
   At the RAC, you and your family can attend workout classes and get a glimpse at some of the great ways Mason Recreation promotes healthy living. Once you have gotten your exercise in for the day you can head over to the Corner Pocket at the Hub. Show your competitive spirit and challenge your family to a variety of games, including billiards, table tennis, foosball, video games, air hockey, and more!
2. Celebrate being a Mason Patriot at Patriots Day
   Enjoy rides, live music, outdoor activities, and more as you build your connection to the Mason community and prepare for Mason Madness.
3. Show your Mason spirit at Mason Madness
   Mason Madness is our annual kick-off to a new basketball season. Wear your green and gold and head over to the Patriot Center for this huge pep rally and stay to cheer on the Patriots during the game!
4. Participate in our Mason on Location event and choose one of three bus tours to various locations in the metro DC area
   –A bus tour of Washington, D.C., where you will visit some of the nation’s historic monuments and memorials.
   –A tour of the Smithsonian – Mason School of Conservation, on which you will receive a tour of the facility, see the animals housed on campus, and hear about the School’s current research.
   –A tour of Gunston Hall, George Mason’s home. Here you can see our namesake’s mansion and learn more about George Mason and his family.
5. Meet faculty members and learn more about their research and passions
   You will have many opportunities to meet both faculty and staff throughout the weekend, but we have some special events that are designed to showcase some of our amazing faculty including the Craft Beer Boom Happy Hour with Dr. T. Mills Kelly, the Mason Observatory tour with Dr. Harold Geller, and our faculty spotlight with Mason’s own beekeeper, German Perilla.
6. Get a “taste” of the many resources and opportunities available to students and families at Taste of Mason
   Meet staff and students from various offices and organizations around campus while enjoying samples of Mason’s dining options.
7. Enjoy a variety of fun events for family members of all ages
   The Welcome Dinner is one of many of these fun events and is a great way to kick-off Family Weekend. Enjoy performances by our talented student groups while you dine with other Mason families. President Cabrera will also be in attendance to deliver opening remarks and present the 2014 Alan and Sally Merten Family of the Year award. Tickets for this event are $20 for adults, Mason students, and faculty and staff, and $10 for children ages 3-12. Children 2 & under are free.
8. Give back to the Mason and Fairfax communities through our community service projects
   Mason’s Leadership Education and Development Office is organizing several great service opportunities for students and family to serve the local community.
9. Meet and mingle with other Mason families
   Every event provides the opportunity to meet and connect with parents and families of Mason students. We encourage students to make friends at Mason, so why can’t families meet each other, too?
10. And, of course, spend time with family, relax, and enjoy Mason!

We hope these ten reasons will secure your decision to attend Family Weekend 2014 this October. Remember to go to the Family Weekend webpage to register and to see a full list of events!

EmilyAnn Walrath
Graduate Intern
Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services