Category: Uncategorized

The Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) is committed to providing resources and programs relevant for George Mason University faculty, staff, students and families. Toward this effort, we collaborate with the university community in order to sustain a healthful and safe working and learning environment.

Emergencies strike with little to no notice, so don’t hesitate – take a moment right now to get yourself Mason Ready. We’ve made it easy for you to find the resources you need to prepare yourself for emergency situations that may arise on campus. Our ready.gmu.edu website provides resource pages designed to address the needs of specific audiences and their preparedness needs.

We have also prepared a page dedicated to emergency preparedness resources for your student and you, and encourage you to share this information with your Mason scholar. As part of the university community, we have an obligation to protect the privacy of your student in addition to all members of the university community, and we encourage you to be in conversation with your student about their safety and preparedness.

The university maintains an emergency notification system that is used to send emergency messages to the university community via text message, email, and telephone calls. We encourage you to have your student register their cell phone information by visiting alert.gmu.edu.

Parents and families are able to receive emergency notifications via their student’s account. Talk with your student about registering your email address and phone numbers in their student account to ensure you receive the information, while they continue to be a student at the university.

New for fall 2017, the university is launching a new mobile campus safety application “Rave Guardian.” Rave Guardian enhances student preparedness and safety by allowing students to create a network of friends, family and campus safety professionals. The mobile application allows students to submit anonymous, two-way crime reporting through text and picture messaging. The application is available to all students with a university email address for free through the iTunes app store or the Google Play Store.

We encourage all family members to talk with their student about safety on campus and personal preparedness. For more information on resources provided to students and families, visit ready.gmu.edu or contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office at (703) 993-8448.

Zachary Pope
Director, University Life Safety and Emergency Management
Environmental Health and Safety

September 5	Last day to drop classes (no tuition penalty)
September 5	Last day to enroll in Mason two-payment plan
September 5	Last day to add classes
September 5-16	Welcome2Mason
September 10	Grandparents Day
September 12	Last day third party billing authorizations accepted
September 13	Get Connected 2 Mason Fair
September 19	Last day to drop classes (33% tuition penalty)
September 20-22	Rosh Hashanah
September 22	First day of autumn
September 25	Midterm evaluations begin
September 29	Final day to drop classes (67% tuition penalty)
September 29-30	Yom Kippur

August 24- September 16	Welcome2Mason
September 4	Labor Day (University closed)
September 5	Last day to add classes; Last day to drop classes (no tuition penalty)
September 10	Grandparent's Day
September 20-22	Rosh Hashanah
September 22	First day of autumn
September 25	Midterm evaluations begin
September 29	Last day to drop classes (67% tuition penalty)
September 29-30	Yom Kippur

Whether your student is beginning his or her first or last semester of college, Learning Services wants to share some tips for helping your student create good academic habits! The study strategies needed in college change by semester depending on the level of difficulty in each class. At Mason, our professors empower students to take responsibility for their own learning. Students can take charge of their learning by following the four phases of the Study Cycle.

Phase 1: The first phase is to encourage your student to preview the material to be covered in class, before class. The professor will provide students with a syllabus which will include information about the course learning objectives, class expectations, assignments, and grading, as well as a course schedule that lists the course topic, reading assignments, homework deadlines, and exams for each week. Students can start the semester strong by reviewing this information early.

Phase 2: The second phase is to attend class. Class attendance may not be required or monitored, but your student should still go to class, take notes, and participate in discussions. Electronic devices should be silenced and put away to reduce distractions. Professors will often explain complicated concepts, clarify upcoming assignments, and facilitate group activities during class. Students who skip class will miss out on important information.

Phase 3: Phase three is to encourage your student to review notes as soon as possible after class. This is important because the material is still fresh in your student’s mind which will allow him or her to fill in any gaps, write out abbreviations, and flag any information that may be confusing. It is important to review notes regularly because there are fewer tests in college and they cover many chapters. If your student waits 4-5 weeks to review their notes before a test, they will have forgotten most of the information.

Phase 4: The final phase is to use intense study sessions. In college, your student will be expected to “recall” the best answers. Self-testing is the most effective strategy to prepare for college exams because it provides an accurate assessment of recall. When re-reading, students tend to think that they remember the material because it looks familiar, but by self-quizzing, your student will have a better gauge of information learned. There are a number of ways your student can self-test including using flash cards, completing end of the chapter questions, recalling the main points of a lecture, and completing problem sets.

The study cycle is a weekly cycle. If students keep up with the reading, attend class regularly, review their notes, and study the material each week, preparation for exams will be manageable.

If your student needs assistance with any of these strategies, Learning Services can help. We offer academic skills workshops, one-on-one peer academic coaching, and academic skills videos. Check out our website for more information.

Vicki Dominick, MSEd
Associate Director for Learning Services