Mason's Onboarding Portal
Instructional, Research, and Adjunct Faculty
Welcome!
We are delighted to welcome you to the Mason community and look forward to working with you! As you embark on your career as a Mason Patriot, we hope you will find the information below of assistance. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (703) 993-2600 or via email at hr@gmu.edu.
Select from each of the boxes below to access the New Employee Welcome (NEW) Center, including MasonOnBoard (new hire documents) as well as information on benefits, policies and handbooks, and the many resources available to you to enhance your well-being.
Supervisors of new employees should also view this Supervisor Checklist for Onboarding New Employees (PDF).
Before visiting the NEW Center, complete your MasonOnBoard hiring documents.
GPS Address:
4441 George Mason Boulevard
Fairfax, VA 22030
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
(best time to visit is between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon)
Parking:
- Drive to the Rappahannock River Deck (Campus Map).
- Go to the Visitors Parking entrance located off Patriot Circle.
- Park in the #21 or #22 designated spots (or any other space marked “NEW Center”).
- You do NOT need to pay for parking while visiting the NEW Center. The signs to prepay do not apply to you.
- Follow the directional arrow on the green sign to Merten Hall, go up the stairs, and cross two zebra-striped pedestrian walkways.
- The entrance to Merten Hall is located between Panda Express and Einstein Bros.
- Take the elevator to the fourth floor and turn left for the Human Resources & Payroll Office.
- Check in with the reception desk.
- If you have any questions, please contact us at 703.993.2600 or hr@gmu.edu.
- We look forward to welcoming you to our Mason community.
Federal I-9 Documentation:
You will need to bring your ORIGINAL documents with you to the NEW Center/Human Resources & Payroll within 3 days of your FIRST day of work for pay). A list of acceptable documents can be found at USCIS acceptable I-9 documents.
Parking:
Would you like to park your vehicle at the Fairfax, Prince William, or Arlington campus? Check out the parking options at http://parking.gmu.edu. If you plan to buy a permit, please bring your vehicle registration issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles with you when you go to the parking office located next to the Shenandoah Parking Deck on the Fairfax Campus.
Note: Arlington and Science & Tech parking information is also on the parking website shown above.
Please visit the International Tax Office
If you are a Foreign National who does not have U.S. Lawful permanent residence (green card), please follow the steps in the International Employees document.
Instructional and Research Faculty
New Faculty Orientation
This orientation is hosted by the Office of the Provost for new instructional and research faculty. The New Faculty Orientation is held at the beginning of the fall semester.
For additional information and to register please visit the New Faculty Orientation site.
Benefits Orientation
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- New faculty members are contacted via their Mason email address within the first week they start working at Mason
- The email will contain dates for the virtual Faculty Benefits Orientation which is currently through Zoom
- All benefits forms and information documents for new hires are attached in the email
Adjunct Faculty
These sessions are held prior to the start of the academic semester (fall and spring). New adjuncts will learn more about the Mason community including benefits and resources available to adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty will discover new tools and strategies for a successful semester, enjoy refreshments while networking and making connections with colleagues, and complete hiring paperwork. For additional information and to register please visit the New Adjunct Faculty Success Workshop site. Information is also sent to new adjuncts from each academic unit.”
How do I enroll?
Benefits orientation is mandatory for all newly appointed faculty, both benefits eligible part-time (50% or more appointment time) and full-time. Steps to enroll will be provided therein.
Instructional/Research Faculty Benefits Summary
Retirement
Full-time faculty and part-time salaried faculty (50% appointment time or greater) have the choice between two retirement plans. Faculty members who do not select a retirement plan within 60 days of their employment date will be irrevocably enrolled in the VRS Hybrid plan.
Faculty may choose between:
Optional Retirement Plan 401(a) (ORP)- Faculty may choose to invest with one of two vendors (TIAA or Fidelity Investments). Mason makes an 8.5% employer contribution and faculty make a 5% pre-tax contribution to the ORP. All contributions are immediately vested.
Virginia Retirement System Hybrid- Combination Defined Benefit (DB) and Defined Contribution (DC) plan. The DB portion has a mandatory employee participation of 4% with an actuarially determined employer contribution and vesting after 5 years of service. There is a mandatory employee contribution of 1% in the DC and a 1% employer match. Participants may contribute up to an additional 4% in the DC portion with a corresponding employer match.
Disability Benefits and Sick Leave
Mason provides two sick/disability plan options based on your retirement plan election.
With the ORP retirement option, faculty are enrolled in the Traditional Sick Leave Program. With Traditional Sick Leave, 9-month Instructional and Research faculty receive 30 days of traditional sick leave per academic year and 12-month faculty will earn 10 hours each pay period (see more details below under "Leave"). Faculty who elect the ORP are automatically enrolled in a Long-term disability plan through the Standard.
New faculty electing the Virginia Retirement System Hybrid are enrolled in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP). VSDP participants receive a balance of sick leave and family/personal leave in January of each year (see more details below under "Leave"). Short-Term and Long-Term disability insurance, and coverage in the VRS Long-Term Care Program are also included.
Supplemental Retirement Accounts
Tax-deferred annuity or tax-sheltered annuity (TSA) investment plans are available to all Mason employees. These plans allow you to contribute a portion of your income towards a supplemental retirement plan through salary reduction, including an employer match, in some circumstances. Mason employees may participate in one or both of the plans up to the annual IRS limit. Contributions to either plan may be made pre-tax or under a Roth post-tax designation.
403(b) Tax-Sheltered Annuity, offered through TIAA & Fidelity Investments.
VA 457 plan, offered through the Commonwealth of Virginia. The record-keeper for investments is ICMA-RC.
Health Insurance
Faculty who work at least 20 hours per week may choose one of the following health insurance plans through the Commonwealth of Virginia:
- Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield (PPO or HDHP)
- Aetna (CDHP)
- Kaiser Permanente (HMO)
- TRICARE Supplement
Plans include prescription and dental coverage (with the exception of the Tricare Supplement, which does not include dental).
For the most up-to-date information on rates and coverage, please visit the DHRM website. You are also encouraged to review DHRM's Eligibility Guide for enrollment timeframes and qualifying mid-year event (QME) deadlines.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Mason Faculty may enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) through the Commonwealth of Virginia:
The Dependent Care FSA allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible dependent care expenses (child or elder care).
The Medical FSA allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for IRS-approved medical expenses.
Basic Life Insurance
Mason automatically provides basic life insurance policy through Securian Financial for full-time faculty and part-time salaried faculty (50% appointment time or greater) effective on the employment date. Mason pays the entire premium. The basic benefit is two times the individual's annual salary. There is also an accidental death and dismemberment provision of four times the individual's annual salary. A benefit amount above $50,000 is subject to taxes, per IRS regulations.
Optional Insurance
Optional Life Insurance: Designed to supplement the basic VRS group life insurance coverage, VRS Optional Life, underwritten by Securian Financial, gives you the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for you and your family. The plan offers limited guaranteed issue within 31 days of employment. These plans are available to salaried employees who are benefits eligible.
Commuter Choice Transit Benefit
Full time (1.0) FTE employees may participate in the Commuter Choice program, which provides eligible employees with a monthly benefit to cover the cost of commuting by public transit or vanpool (up to the maximum amount allowed by federal law). Please see the Commuter Choice page for enrollment details.
Employee Tuition Exemption
Faculty and staff (including adjunct faculty and non-student wage) are eligible for the tuition exemption. Conditions apply. Please see the Tuition Exemption page.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Employees who have been employed with George Mason University for at least a year, and who have worked at least 1,250 hours during that year, are covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Under FMLA, the University is required to provide up to twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons.
Leave
Please visit the Benefits Leave page to learn about the Annual and Sick leave you have available to you. Be sure to note whether you are 9 month or 12 month Instructional/Research Faculty to view the leave options associated with your respective employee classification.
Benefits Action Summary
Action Needed:
Time frames are based upon first day of employment.
| Within 30 days 1 |
|
| Within 60 days |
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| Within 90 days |
|
| Within 1 Year |
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| After 1 Year |
|
Next time to enroll will be during Open Enrollment in May of each year with an effective date of July 1. Eligible employees may also enroll, stop, or modify within 60 days of a qualifying mid-year event (e.g. marriage, divorce, or birth of a child). Any mid-year changes will be effective on the first day of the month following receipt of the completed election form except for adding newborns, adopted children, or children placed for adoption. In these cases, health coverage is retroactive to the first day of the month in which the birth, adoption or placement for adoption occurred.
2 You must enroll every plan year in a Flexible Spending Account to have an account, so if you want to continue using your FSA or enroll in one for the first time, be sure to take action during Open Enrollment.
3 Irrevocable retirement plan election between the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) and the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) Hybrid Plan. If the form is not received within 60 days of the date you are first employed, you will be covered by the VRS Hybrid Retirement Plan.
4 You have one year from your date of hire to arrange to purchase prior service at approximate normal cost. After that one-year period, the rate for most categories of service will change to actuarial cost.
Parking
Special options for adjunct faculty parking are available on the parking website.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Employees who have been employed with George Mason University for at least a year, and who have worked at least 1,250 hours during that year, are covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Under FMLA, the University is required to provide up to twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons.
Retirement
Individual Retirement Counseling
Sign up for one-on-one retirement planning with TIAA-CREF, Fidelity, or ICMA-RC on campus. For the schedule, please visit individual retirement counseling.
Supplemental Retirement Savings
- Mason offers both pre-tax and post-tax supplemental retirement plans
- You can contribute to both a 403(b) and the 457 accounts to the full limit allowed by the IRS
Employee Tuition Exemption
Faculty and staff (including adjunct faculty and non-student wage) are eligible for tuition exemption. Conditions apply. Please see the Tuition Exemption page.
Please contact the Registrar’s Office at 703-993-2441 for enrollment information.
Please review the Policies and Handbooks page which contains important information for all university employees at George Mason University. This is not intended to cover every applicable law, rule, or regulation or provide answers to all questions that may arise.
During the first few months at Mason, new employees are required to take a series of trainings. To access the trainings (including instructor-led and online) please log in to MasonLEAPS and search the titles below.
- FERPA 101 → Due upon employment*
- Security Awareness Training → Due within the first 14 days of employment*
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Required Trainings → Due within the first 30 days of employment
- University Policy 1204 Training (Prohibited Relationships with Students) → Due within the first 30 days of employment*
- Civility and Violence Prevention Training → Due within the first 90 days of employment*
- Emergency Preparedness Training → Due within the first 90 days of employment*
*This training will automatically be assigned to your MasonLEAPS transcript.
For additional details, including a full breakdown of the trainings, please view our State Mandated Training handout.
Payroll Information
The Payroll Department is responsible for the timely and accurate processing of all University payrolls. We also make all payroll related tax deposits, reconcile health care billings, make retroactive pay adjustments, pay all third parties payroll vendors as well as collect and disburse all garnishments, tax liens, and child support orders.
Payroll Schedules
Most Faculty and Classified employees are paid under the Semi-monthly payroll, with some exceptions for Facilities, Police, Freedom Center, Housing, and HR & Payroll departments. All wage employees are paid under the Bi-weekly payroll. Please check with your Department to confirm your payroll schedule. Visit the Payroll Calendar & Schedules page to find the most up-to-date schedules.
Timesheets
You will receive e-mail reminders to your Mason e-mail account to inform you about the submission deadlines. You can also refer to our Payroll Calendars for those dates.
Administrative and Professional Faculty, and Classified Staff:
May be categorized as exempt or non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. All wage and student wage employees are considered non-exempt employees.
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- Exempt employees do not receive overtime pay and should only report leave used on their timesheets.
- Non-exempt employees receive overtime pay and should submit the hours they worked on their timesheets each day worked.
Adjunct Faculty, 9 Month Instructional/Research Faculty, and Graduate Assistants:
These employee types are not required to complete timesheets.
Timesheet Approvers
If you are a timesheet approver, you can correct a submitted time sheet in Patriotweb before approving it and also submit a time sheet for an employee who has missed the deadline. For further information, see our details on the process.
We recommend all timesheet approvers to set up a proxy who can take care of approvals if needed. Please see How to Create a Proxy for Timesheet Approval.
If you anticipate approving timesheets for wage employees under the bi-weekly payroll, please refer to the timesheet charges FAQ for more details.
Tax Forms
New employees who do not submit Federal or State tax forms completed correctly will be taxed at the rate of single with zero exemptions (withholding allowances). This tax rate will not be changed until the correct W-4 and State Tax forms are received. Taxes withheld at the higher single/zero rate, due to incorrect submission, will not be refunded to the employee by the Payroll Office.
International employees should contact the International Tax office to complete any tax forms.
Federal Tax
Once we setup your Federal tax information you should be able to update your W-4 Form any time via patriotweb.gmu.edu. While we cannot provide tax advice, we can give you some tools to address your needs:
State Tax
Due to the complexity of the state tax regulations, we do not offer the ability to update the state tax information via Patriotweb. If you need to update your State tax information, you will have to complete the tax form and send it to HR & Payroll.
Virginia Withholding Calculator for VA-4 Form
Virginia has reciprocal agreements with Kentucky, Maryland, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. If you are resident of one of these states, you can submit the corresponding state tax form, so no withholding for Virginia will be taken from your payments. Find your state tax form.
Mason does not provide courtesy withholding, so residents from other states will have to complete a VA-4 Employee’s Virginia Income Tax Withholding Exemption Certificate and claim exemption.
If you are an employee working remotely from another state, please look for your state tax form.
ITS Getting Started Guide for New Employees
- Familiarize yourself with Mason IT services, resources, and support! Review Information Technology Services (ITS)'s Getting Started for Employees guide.
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Discover Faculty and Staff Events
- Discover faculty and staff specific events using the faculty and staff filter on Today @ Mason.
Connect with Your Senate
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Spouse and Partner Employment
- HR assists Mason employees' spouses and partners in finding local job market information tailored to their interests and experience. For more information, visit the dual career assistance page.
Please visit our Employee Perks and Incentives page to view all of the well-being resources available to new and current employees.