You are invited to participate in an online study for the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Completing the study will only take 10-15 minutes, and you can enter a drawing to win some Mason swag! (More details on that below.) The purpose of this study is to better understand how you would organize the areas of graduate study in CEHD. Your response will help us present our programs in a more intuitive way.

Complete the study here: http://cehd.gmu.edu/cardsort

As a thanks for your participation, you can enter to win one of three items from the Mason bookstore:

• T-shirt (size L)
• Travel mug
• Water bottle

The drawing for the items will occur on October 31, 2018. If you win, you will be notified by email and will have two weeks to respond with a valid US mailing address to which we can send your prize. If you have any questions, contact [email protected]. CEHD faculty and staff will not be eligible for the drawing. 

Applications are now being accepted for the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program (VTSLP).  The primary purpose of the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program (VTSLP) is to provide financial support to students who are preparing to teach in one of Virginia’s critical shortage teaching areas.  The critical shortage teaching areas are determined annually through the Supply and Demand Survey for School Personnel, based on data received by school divisions in Virginia. Shortages in specific subject areas are derived from the top 10 academic disciplines identified by the survey as shortage fields.

2018-2019 VTSLP ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

These scholarship loans are available to teacher candidates who are/have:

• Enrolled full-time or part-time in an approved (undergraduate or graduate level) teacher education program.
• Maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent.
• Nominated for such scholarship by the institution where they are enrolled.*  Undergraduates at or beyond the sophomore year in college, must have been in the top 10 percent of their high school class.*

 In addition, the candidates must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Be enrolled in a program leading to an endorsement in a critical shortage area as established by the Board of Education [i.e., Special Education, Elementary Education (Pk-6), Middle Education (Grades 6-8), Career and Technical Education, Mathematics (Grade 6-12, including Algebra I)]; or
• Be a minority teacher candidate enrolled in any teacher endorsement area.

 Teacher candidates who previously received funding through the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program are not eligible.

Download the application here. Complete applications must be submitted directly to the George Mason University College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Student and Academic Affairs (SAA) office by 5pm, September 14, 2018. You may either drop off or mail your application to:

College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)
Student and Academic Affairs
Attn: VTLSP Scholarship
4400 University Drive, MS 4B4
Thompson Hall, Suite 2300
Fairfax, VA  22030

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

George Mason University LIFE Program seeks enthusiastic, social students to work with GMU students with disabilities in a social setting.  As a community integration support staff for the Mason LIFE Program (a post-secondary educational program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disAbilities) your primary responsibilities would include:

·         Supporting students in various opportunities for social engagement

·         Assisting the student at becoming more independent in making their social 

·         Model social interactions

Looking for students to fill positions for the 2018-2019 academic year. 

Pay rate is $8.00 per hour and students cannot exceed 20 hours per week. 

Please e-mail Rob LeSueur (Community Integration Specialist) of the Mason LIFE Program at [email protected] in order to set up an interview to be considered for employment.

 

When registering for the semester, few students expect to change their selections.  It’s only when they have a few classes under their belts that regrets and reality set in.  Maybe it turns out that Stats and Anatomy in the same semester is just too much, or the elective you thought was going to be a perfect fit with your major doesn’t mesh with your degree plans at all.  Whether you’re an undergraduate or graduate student, when you want to hop off the struggle bus and get your semester back on track, it’s important to understand George Mason University policy regarding adding, dropping, and withdrawing from classes. 

The University is implementing new versions of their drop and withdrawal policies for fall 2018, so make sure you know the rules. You can find out more by reading their FAQ page.  Please note that the dates and guidelines below apply only to full-semester 15-week courses.  Courses shorter than 15 weeks will have different deadlines found here.

What are your options for course changes, when can you use them, and what are the repercussions of each? 

 

Adding a Course

The Upside: You can add to your course load or replace a dropped class.

The Downside: If you’re adding a course after the start of the semester, chances are you have missed a few class sessions and will need to catch up.  Pro tip:  Stop by your instructor’s office hours to introduce yourself and ask questions about the syllabus and expectations.

The Deadline: September 4, 2018

 

Dropping a Course

The Upside: You have a chance to evaluate your class and your course load without any financial penalties or impact on your transcript.  If you drop by the deadline, it’s as if the class never happened and, if you have already paid, your tuition is fully refunded.

The Downside: You may need to replace the dropped class by adding a new class in order to maintain your enrollment status, financial aid, and housing eligibility. 

The Deadline: September 9, 2018

 

Web Withdrawal

The Upside:  Withdrawing from a class results in a W on your transcript.  This can be much better than an F.  The W has no impact on your overall GPA.

The Downside:  No tuition is refunded when you withdraw from a course.  After all, Mason can’t fill your seat with another student this late in the semester and instructors still need to be paid.  A withdrawal also counts toward the number of credits attempted on your academic record.  This is probably not a big deal if you only withdraw from one or two courses over the span of your entire degree, but students must successfully complete at least 67% of the credits they have attempted to maintain the Satisfactory Academic Progress needed to qualify for financial aid and to maintain good academic standing.  Also, all students must complete their programs of study by attempting no more than 150% of the hours normally required for completion.  That’s usually 180 credit hours for undergraduates.

The Deadline:  All students may withdraw from a class via Patriot Web from September 10 – 30, 2018.

 

Selective Withdrawal

The Upside:  The benefits are the same as Web Withdrawal but with the added bonus of more time to try to ace the midterm and boost your grade.  Undergraduates may use a maximum of three selective withdrawals for any reason over the entire course of their degree.

The Downside:  Sorry graduate students, Selective Withdrawals are ONLY FOR UNDERGRADUATES.  Like Web Withdrawals, Selective Withdrawals don’t come with tuition refunds and the course still counts toward your attempted credit hours.

The Deadline: Undergraduates can execute a Selective Withdrawal from October 1 – 28, 2018.

 

Students can add, drop, and withdraw from classes online via Patriot Web.  However – and we cannot say this too much – if you’re making significant changes to your schedule, make an appointment to see your advisor!  The beginning of the semester is a busy time for you and your academic advisor, but many offer walk-in or office hours, and even those who don’t may be able to find time to give a little guidance via email.  A conversation with an advisor can help ensure that your course changes won’t have a negative impact on your degree path, financial aid, or housing status.  The Office of the University Registrar suggests you always see your advisor before withdrawing from a course.

Do you still have questions about add, drop, and withdrawal policy?  The College of Education and Human Development Office of Student and Academic affairs is here to help.  Contact us at [email protected] or call 703-993-2080.