Mason's Office of University Life has created a resource for faculty and staff to help them support the well-being of students who may be struggling in the face of the many challenges of 2020 and 2021.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences congratulates its faculty who have been promoted during the past year.

Cultural Studies doctoral candidate Xinyi "Amy" Zhang is spending the 2021-22 academic year teaching in Mason Korea. In this Q&A, she discusses how the experience has improved her teaching and enhanced her appreciation for Mason's diverse students.

Please help reduce the spread of the coronavirus by wearing masks indoors, unless actively eating or drinking, and outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. Unvaccinated members of the community are expected to wear masks at all times while on campus.

George Mason University's annual celebration of reading and writing returns October 14-31, with an array of in-person and on-demand remote presentations, a YouTube channel, and its own podcast.

Vivek Narayanan, assistant professor in the Department of English and the Creative Writing program, is speaking at the Stearns Center’s Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference this week on “social annotation,” for collaborative close reading of texts that has worked successfully for his students.

Mason students can now join MS Teams, making it available as a tool for faculty who wish to use it in class.

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Research Development Services would like faculty to know about some upcoming opportunities to assist them in their professional development.

NIH recently issued a clarification indicating that while grant applications should not include contingency or recovery plans for problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, investigators may address effects due to the pandemic on productivity or other scoreable issues in the personal statement of the biosketch.

A Letter of Intent, also called a White Paper, Pre-Proposal, Concept Paper, or Quad Chart (hereafter called LOI), is a shortened version of a complete grant proposal. Typically, sponsors will request LOIs to allow them to assess whether or not there is a good match between the proposed project and their interests. The Office of Sponsored programs has a document explaining procedures for letters of intent.

Each CHSS Digest will feature some upcoming funding opportunities. This issue's features are: Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood, Institute for Human Studies Publication Support, and Library of Congress “Of the People: Widening the Path.”

In an Economist article about hypotheses on American business, economics professor Tyler Cowen's theory of "great stagnation" is considered in light of the effects of COVID-19 on the economy.

In an article linking skiing to decreased anxiety, James Maddux, University Professor Emeritus of psychology and senior scholar at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, suggests that the tranquil setting of ski activity enhances the positive effect of exercise on well-being.

History professor Suzanne Smith contributes to an AP website article about the important role morticians play in African American communities, and the brutal impact of Covid-19 on the profession.