Category: Archive

Patriot Web, George Mason University's self-service site for managing personal, administrative, and academic information, was upgraded this month to a new, modern interface with improved navigation. A soft launch of the new environment was made available for use on September 1 at the Patriot Web login page. The prior version of Patriot Web was disabled on Tuesday, September 30.

ITS continues to implement new storage quotas to manage growth within our Microsoft 365 (M365) environment. The next phases include administering new email and calendar quotas, creating a MyHub request process for more MS Teams and SharePoint space, investigating M365 retention policies, and refining the account lifecycle process. For quota information and updated project details, see the M365 Storage Roadmap.

Enterprise Risk Management workshops for the identified top enterprise risks for FY26-27 have begun to take place. These workshops are focused on refining risk definitions, describing risk drivers and current controls, and identifying top mitigation actions to address these enterprise risks. These workshops will continue throughout fall 2025.

The new Activities Community Wellness Center has been substantially completed and is expected to be ready for use by mid-October following final safety inspections. The new 25,000 square foot facility features two full-sized basketball courts, other athletic courts, and meeting spaces for the university’s 350-plus student groups, as well as providing practice space for the Green Machine.

Risk, Safety, and Resilience is in the process of implementing TimelyCare well-being services for faculty and staff, which offers 24/7 virtual health and well-being services, fully independent of campus health and well-ness resources with no insurance required and no copays.

Employees can access immediate emotional support (TalkNow), scheduled mental health counseling, health coaching, self-care tools, and medical care for low-acuity issues. TimelyCare also provides a dedicated Guidance Line that faculty/staff can call to get expert help in identifying and connecting students in distress with appropriate resources.

This service is expected to be available to all employees by January 2026.

Parking Services introduced a new AI-powered license plate recognition system in the Van Metre, Vernon Smith, and Fuse garages that makes parking a faster, more convenient experience for the Mason community and visitors alike. Developed and operated by George Mason’s long-time partner, Metropolis, this cutting-edge platform makes parking seamless. Permit holders simply drive in and out as their license plate serves as their credential — no swiping or tickets required. Guests can quickly register their license plate and payment method on a mobile device, with charges processed automatically upon exit.

The laboratory was issued no findings from the Center for Disease Control, a rare accomplishment that is reflective of exceptional teamwork across Facilities, Safety, Operations, Research, and students being committed to upholding the highest safety and research standards.

The recently opened Fuse building at Mason Square has been nominated and put on the shortlist for an Environmental Impact Award from P3 Awards. The ceremony will be held in late October in New York.

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Julie Zobel hosted the first A&O leadership retreat for Administration & Operations (A&O) on August 7 and 8, gathering the department’s unit leaders and their direct reports at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. The 40-person group conducted Emergenetics teambuilding, organizational visioning, and identified priorities for the newly formed department.

SciTech’s job fair on August 15, drew far more participants than expected, requiring additional space and support for the surprisingly high turnout. Held at the request of U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), the successful collaboration provided support to the region’s workforce and strengthened community partnerships, while demonstrating the campus’s utility as a host for large-scale events.

Annual mandatory Emergency Preparedness Training was updated and launched in August on MasonLeaps, the university’s online, self-service learning and performance system. Based on feedback from the university community, training is condensed, easier to navigate, and a test-out option is now included. These changes will reduce the time and compliance burden on faculty and staff and is expected to improve training compliance.

Canon USA, George Mason’s partner in print, mail, and copy services since 2016, has been awarded a new five-year contract that began on July 1, 2025, with an option for a five-year extension. The agreement includes a $150,000 signing bonus, and technology upgrades such as a refreshed multi-function-device (MFD) fleet, a new smart locker system in the HUB, cloud-based support, and Wi-Fi compatible devices.

Emergency Management and University Events partnered to implement a physical security rubric into George Mason’s event registration process, 25live. George Mason will pilot this security process enhancement in FY26 to determine security requirements for internal and external events, before establishing it permanently in FY27, incorporating learnings from the pilot phase.

A working group has been established to examine the installation, use, maintenance, and testing of panic buttons installed throughout the university; procedures will be produced to mitigate false alarms and improve the utility of panic buttons.

George Mason has completed the multi-year implementation of the Research Administration Management Portal (RAMP), a collaborative effort by the Office of Sponsored Programs, Information Technology Services, and the Enterprise Project Management Office. This integrated system streamlines research administration by consolidating critical functions into a single platform, reducing duplication of effort and better supporting faculty and staff.

RAMP enhances compliance with sponsor regulations through automated workflows and reminders and improves reporting and decision-making by capturing research-related data in one system. The portal includes seven modules: Grants, Agreements, Safety, Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment, Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and Payroll Certification. This milestone represents a significant advancement in George Mason’s research infrastructure and administrative efficiency.

George Mason began implementation of a Risk Management Information System application, led by Operational Risk Management. The RMIS will manage and coordinate the university's risk and insurance-related information and will serve as a centralized platform for risk managers to collect, store, analyze, and report data related to business risk and insurance coverage. Having received approval from the university’s Executive Administration Domain Council, this application will facilitate decision-making, streamline workflows, provide better risk visibility, while reducing costs, improving compliance, and increasing efficiency.

As part of the development of the Enterprise Risk Management priorities for FY26 and FY27, interviews with key university leaders have been completed. The interviews help update the university risk register, gain information about key components of top enterprise risks, and begin the process of identification of key mitigation actions to be taken to address enterprise risks for the next biennium.

Department of Environmental Quality audited George Mason’s MS4 Program for compliance with state permit requirements. 132 of 155 audit questions were in compliance, with 22 deemed not applicable, and only one corrective action found, which will be addressed promptly. The results of the March 2025 audit were received on July 17, 2025.

Monumental, which has managed EagleBank Arena for the past 40 years, has been awarded a new five-year contract beginning July 1, 2025, with an option for a five-year extension. The new agreement includes priority blackout dates to support Intercollegiate Athletics needs, including basketball practices, special events, and postseason play.

The previous agreement generated $3.1M in university returns in FY24 and $2.5M in FY23. These returns are expected to grow under the new contract, which increases Mason’s minimum guaranteed payment. In 2024, the arena reached a record-high attendance of 623,000 guests, hosting 30 concerts and numerous athletic events—the most concerts since its 1985 opening.