Author: Brianna Alford

As part of the College of Education and Human Development’s continuing efforts to support student research here at George Mason University, we are sharing this research study participation request:

Sexual Assault on College Campuses – Anonymous Research Survey

You are invited to participate in a research study by completing an anonymous online survey examining unwanted sexual experiences during college.  We are seeking female undergraduate students to participate.  Your voice is very important, and we want you to feel comfortable answering the survey questions. The survey will be anonymous; we will not ask your name or collect any IP addresses. Participation in this study involves 10-15 minutes of your time.
 
To access the anonymous survey, please click here: https://chhs.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_elWScr9hvxeMPyJ
 
Please feel free to share this link with any fellow students at GMU you think might be interested in participating in this study.

 

Thank you,

Amy Graham, Co-Investigator & Dr. R. Kevin Mallinson, Principal Investigator

Study Title: Exploring Unwanted Sexual Experiences during College

IRBnet # 1326775-3

You’ve heard us say it over and over: an engaged student is a successful student.  It’s a fact that students who are connected to campus life both inside and outside the classroom are more likely to persist to graduation.  That alone is a big reason to get involved, but just in case improving your chances of reaching graduation day isn’t enough, let’s take a look at 5 more reasons that NOW is the time to join a Mason Registered Student Organization (RSO): 

1. Focus on Well-Being. We all need community!  Even the biggest introvert needs to get their head out of a textbook, take a break, and connect with others occasionally.  Student organizations are a great way to meet new people who share common interests.  With more than 350 RSOs at Mason, whether you’re into sports, chess, music, Greek life, and more, there is a community for you.  A little insider secret: Mason student organizations really want YOU!  More members = more fun, so don’t wait for an invitation to find your niche. Take a chance and join!

2. Enhance Your Professional Development. How’s the GMU Anime and Gaming Society going to help land me a job? It’s simple.  Being involved looks good on a resume.  It says you’re interesting and that you can connect with others.  All RSOs also offer leadership opportunities and a chance to network – both big resume bonuses.  Looking to enhance your career readiness even more?  Join a group related to your major or career goals.  Mason has dozens of clubs and honor societies related to academic interests. 

3. Expand Your Cultural and Social Horizons. Mason prides itself on nurturing diversity and inclusion, and perhaps nowhere is this better represented than in its range of student groups.  You may never again have the opportunity to experience the wealth of cultures, faiths, and political viewpoints in one place as you have at Mason.  Sharing a conversation, a dance, a meal, or even a protest march with a fellow Patriot from another walk of life can be a life-changing experience.

4. Connect to the World Outside of Mason. Many Mason student groups are branches of national and international organizations with a reach that can extend well beyond campus and your years as a student. Those bigger networks can be a life-long social support and a valuable career connection. In addition to having fun and sharing common interests, RSOs can be a great way to explore the northern Virginia region and a significant number are also engaged in giving back to the local community through tutoring, volunteering, food and clothing drives, and fundraising.

5. It’s Really Easy! If you were wondering where to begin finding the group(s) that are right for you, University Life has made it easy for you by sponsoring the Get Connected Fair on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm on Wilkins Plaza (outside of the Johnson Center).  Hundreds of student groups including Greek life, intramural sports, cultural, civic, and graduate organizations will have information tables and representatives to answer your questions. It’s a one-stop shop for getting involved, so no excuses! 

Don’t forget to look for the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at the fair, too!  We will have a table there and you’ll also find tables for CEHD groups including Teachers of Tomorrow, Mason Kinesiology Club, Sport Management Society, and the new Human Development and Family Science Student Organization.  See you there!

Class of 2018 SRHT Graduates….We want to hear from you!

Graduation is almost here and what better way to leave your mark than to share about your time as a Mason Patriot during your Degree Celebration! Tell us about your experiences at Mason and you’ll be heard during the procession at the 2018 Degree Celebration! Not sure what you’d want to say? Consider talking about:

• Memorable experiences in your classes
• Lessons you learned through activities or internships
• Give a shutout to someone who inspired/helped you
• Talk about your accomplishments or your next steps
• Thank your faculty

There are three recording sessions to choose from, and if you cannot meet on campus, you can always record a 20 second or less blurb and email it to [email protected]. 

Monday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 4

2300 Thompson Hall, Fairfax Campus

12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Thursday, April 5

RHT Suite, Bull Run Hall, Sci-Tech Campus

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Lastly, don’t be left out by not contributing because students who do a voiceover AND submit a speech to be the SRHT Degree Celebration student speaker, you will be put into a raffle for a George Mason Prize!

The resume is a living and breathing document that should always be updated and tailored to fit the designated opportunity for which you are applying. Whether you are trying to secure a practicum or internship experience, applying for a scholarship or assistantship, or are about to graduate and are looking for that next step in your career, you will want to feel confident that your resume will get you noticed.

Maybe you need some help preparing your resume and cover letters. I held a workshop last fall where I gave some tips around what to do and not to do to make your resume stand out. Below are a few highlights from my workshop that can help you tighten up your resumes!

1. Don’t put a picture on your resume.

Very simply put, with the exception of applying for a modeling or acting job, pictures on a resume are a no-no. Why? Implicit and explicit bias. While it’s illegal to discriminate against a job candidate because of their age, gender, religion, race, or ability, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t subconsciously happen. You do not want to enable any reason for someone to not consider you because of your appearance.

2. Do use powerful action verbs.

Why use verbs like helped, led, or worked when you can use verbs like assisted, coordinated, or maximized? Excellent communication is often a soft skill that is either explicitly or implicitly desired in most positions. A strong indicator of this will be the words you chose when describing your job functions. Career Services has a helpful Career Readiness Guide that includes a list of categorized action verbs that will best highlight why this company should hire you! See page 11 for the list.

3. Don’t use fluff adjectives or descriptors.

I always share with my students that your resume is supposed to show, and not tell. By this, nowhere on your resume should there be a line that says “strong multi-tasker,” “innovative thinker” or “works well with diverse populations.” Instead of explicitly telling that you have these traits, show the reviewer by making your bullets highlighting an example or function where those characteristics are displayed. Those strong action verbs come into play here. For example, instead of “innovative thinker” or “works well with diverse populations,” your bullet point could read like the following:

• Designed, facilitated, and assessed brand new lesson plans around reading and writing to better support the needs of the diverse student populations in the classroom.

 

4. Don’t use crazy fonts, templates, or colors.

You want your resume to standout and for the right reasons. Standing out for having impressive skills and experiences is more important and will land you that interview quicker than using crazy fonts, colors, and templates. As long as you make sure the right information is highlighted and is clear, the reviewer will find it much easier to digest the information. One way you can do that is by bolding or italicizing specific aspects of your resume, such as the company name or position title. Don’t go overboard with bolding or italicizing!

5. Do be consistent.

Your resume is a reflection of you and nothing reads “all over the place” more than a resume where dates are not aligned, random things are bolded and italicized, punctuation is erratic, or font types and sizes vary across the document. BE CONSISTENT! Make sure all your dates are aligned the same way, you bold the same aspects throughout, and your headings are all the same font. There is flexibility in how you want your resume to look, especially as it is a reflection of you, but whatever you decide you must maintain consistency.

6. Don’t include an objective statement.

This is often up for debate. Personally, the lines you take up on an objective statement could be used to highlight more functions of your professional experience. A cover letter, whether asked for or not, should be included when applying for jobs or internships, and its function serves the purpose of an objective statement.

7. Do edit and ask for feedback.

You want to make sure your resume places you in the best light, and one way to ensure that is to make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes. Review your resume and get feedback from others as they will be able to tell if the point you are trying to get across is what is actually being conveyed.

8. Don’t send your professional documents as word files, use PDFs.

Mac vs PC. Word Vs Pages. Everyone has different computers and systems that they use to open files. Word files do not always maintain formatting when opened on older software versions or through different computers. PDFs are essentially pictures of your documents. Sending your resume to employers as a PDF will ensure that formatting is not compromised and guarantee your document will be received and read in the way you intended.

I’ve offered a taste of the Dos & Don’ts for crafting your resume here. Want to learn about the others? George Mason University and the College of Education and Human Development have many resources available to help you polish your brand. Connect with Career Services, or schedule an appointment with me, the CEHD Student Engagement Coordinator, to review your resume and cover letter.  When scheduling, be sure to include your Mason email and your name in the name field. 

Best,

Brandon

A little squeal of delight went up from a woman at the check-in desk for the fall CEHD Writer’s Retreat.  This was unusual not only because it was barely 8 am on a Saturday morning, but because graduate students generally don’t squeal.  In this case, the outburst was followed by a cry of, “I thought I was the only one!” as she scanned the names of fellow PhD students who also signed up to spend the day focused on writing.

The common misconception among students that they are the only one “in the struggle” with the breadth and volume of writing encompassed in earning a graduate degree is one important reason the Office of Student and Academic Affairs (SAA) organizes a Writer’s Retreat once each semester.  The retreat aims to provide a comfortable space where writers can set aside time to commit to their work away from distractions of home life, cellphones, and the thousand other things that make it so easy to procrastinate.  To that end, the twenty-nine doctoral and master’s students began the day by setting goals for themselves and agreeing to hold themselves and each other accountable. They wrote those goals in magic marker on big sheets of paper and taped them to the walls by their workstations to serve as a constant reminder during the retreat.  Rather than being intimidated or embarrassed to show their peers their unfinished workload or admit their struggles, most students found it liberating, cheering each other on as each task was crossed off the goal sheets.  “Writing is obviously important in graduate school, but so is community,” said Brandon Quiles, SAA Student Engagement Coordinator and event organizer, “Establishing a sense of community where everyone relates to some degree how each other feels about being a graduate student, creates this atmosphere of support and productivity that the students enjoy and need. “

While most of the day was dedicated to blocks of writing time, there were other resources offered to the writers.  The CEHD librarian, Anne Melville, led a workshop on navigating databases and stayed afterward to work one-on-one with students needing help finding research. Indigo Eriksen and Madeline Graham from The Writing Center held appointments with individual students, assisting with everything from simple proofreading to organizing literature reviews and portfolios.  Students chose from an assortment of work areas on the third floor of the Johnson Center, including lobby lounges, a designated quiet classroom, and a collaborative classroom with snacks and coffee to refuel throughout the day before gathering once more at the end of the day to revisit goals and assess their progress.  

Overall, the writers gave the day high marks and expressed interest in participating again in the spring.  One participant commented, “Having time dedicated to writing with no distractions from home [was the most valuable part].  It was helpful to have other students around to know that what I’m going through is a shared experience.”