We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from recent editions of Focus on Yourself Friday, GWell, and The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter.

The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter

A newsletter highlighting Staff Council initiatives and events

Staff Council Meetings
You can find meeting minutes from past meetings on the Staff Council website, along with information on upcoming meetings. Registration is required so please be sure to register for any upcoming meetings you’d like to attend.

The GW Staff Council meets on the third Friday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST. GW Staff Council meetings occur via Zoom and are open to the GW community. The next meeting is Friday, April 19.

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Focus on Yourself Fridays

HR’s newsletter focused on self improvement and professional development.

Leaders at All Levels: Event Planning
Friday, April 12, 2024
10:00am-11:00am
Register for the WebEx

This month’s Leaders at All Levels session will focus on the essentials of Event Planning, with a focus on in-person events. You will learn the basics of event planning, and you will learn about resources to plan events at GW.

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GWell

A newsletter from the folks at HRMD highlighting benefits available to GW employees.

Financial Literacy
With April being National Financial Literacy month, there’s no better time to learn about engaging in smart money management habits. This month will feature the introduction and foundations to financial well-being.

What is Financial Wellness & Why is it Important?
April 17, 2024 at 12pm
Register Here

Financial Well-being Overview
April 29, 2024 at 1pm
Register Here

Vacation Time Changes
GW is introducing a new vacation time policy, effective July 1, 2024. Visit go.gwu.edu/2024vacationtime, watch the Vacation Time Information Session Recording, or check out slides from the information session for more details. Remember, DSF also has sessions specially tailored for our staff coming up!

We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from recent editions of Focus on Yourself Friday, Digital Download, and The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter.

The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter

A newsletter highlighting Staff Council initiatives and events

Staff Merit Increase Survey
Each issue of the Staff Council Newsletter contains a brief survey regarding a current important topic for GW staff. This month, the council is interested in learning more about merit vs. cost of living increases. All feedback will be kept anonymous but will be used to guide initiatives within the council. Launch the survey

Campus Safety Advisory Committee
Safety & Facilities is developing a new Campus Safety Advisory Committee to increase the GW community’s awareness of and engagement on campus safety. GW staff will be a strong voice in this committee. Please consider applying to take part. Learn more and apply

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Focus on Yourself Fridays

HR’s newsletter focused on self improvement and professional development.

Leaders at All Levels: Managing Up
Friday, March 15, 2024 from 11:00am-12:00pm on WebEx
This month’s Leaders at All Levels session will define managing up, explore why managing up is important, and provide skills needed to manage up successfully. The session will also explore examples of managing up in day to day work. Register for the the WebEx.

LinkedIn Learning: How to Manage Your Manager
Online audio course from LinkedIn Learning
In this course, adapted from the popular podcast How to Be Awesome at Your Job, you’ll explore how managing up isn’t about flattery or brown-nosing. It’s about consciously building a good relationship with your boss: understanding how you both like to work, and then taking adaptive strategies to really work well together. Launch the course.

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Digital Download

Quick tips from GW Communications & Marketing Digital Support

GW Drupal Overview
March 15, 2022 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Communications and Marketing will present an overview of GW Drupal. This will be an online presentation and walkthrough of how to create and edit content on your GW Drupal sites. Register for the GW Drupal Training

We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from recent editions of GWell, Digital Download, and The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter.

Digital Download

Quick tips from GW Communications & Marketing Digital Support

Announcing the new myGW

The myGW website and mobile app have been completely redesigned to streamline access to information, resources and online services at GW. The new myGW mobile app is now available for download in mobile app stores, replacing the existing GW Mobile app. The current GW Mobile app no longer functions.

You can learn more about the new platform on GW IT’s website, watch the welcome video, or register for training on February 28th.

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The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter

A newsletter highlighting Staff Council initiatives and events

Staff Commute Survey

The Staff Council has created a brief survey to gain insight into staff commutes. All feedback will be kept anonymous but will be used to guide initiatives within the council.

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GWell

HR’s monthly newsletter.

Employee Discount at the New GW Campus Store

Shop, mingle, and celebrate the grand re-opening of the GW Campus Store at its new location (2125 Eye Street NW, Washington DC). Employees who present their GWorld card at the in-store check-out counter can receive a discount of 10 percent off* on gifts, clothing and supplies. 

*Exclusions Apply: The discount is not valid on electronics (headphones, speakers, computers, etc.), textbooks, or with any other coupons or store promotions.

New Vacation Time Policy

GW is introducing a new vacation time policy, effective July 1, 2024. Visit go.gwu.edu/2024vacationtime for more details. You can also watch a recording of the latest webinar and view the materials presented via the links below. Please contact the Benefits office at timeoff@gwu.edu with questions regarding the new vacation time policy.

• Vacation Time Information Session Recording
• Vacation Time Information Session Presentation Slides (PDF)

We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from recent editions of the GW Information Technology Newsletter, GWell, and Digital Download.

GW Information Technology Newsletter

GWIT’s newsletter

New myGW

The myGW website and GW Mobile app are being redesigned to streamline access to the university’s online services. The new myGW mobile app is also now available for download in the mobile app stores, replacing the existing mobile app. The current GW Mobile app will continue to function until February 1st. Stay up-to-date on rollout details at the New myGW initiatives page. Access the new myGW prior to the official cutover on February 1st by visiting go.gwu.edu/mygw.

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GWell

HR’s monthly newsletter.

New Year, New Deals With TicketsatWork

Whether you are looking to celebrate the new year or to plan your next vacation, TicketsatWork has many deals for GW employees to explore this January on flights and hotels, clothing and accessories, choices for maintaining your physical, mental, and financial wellness, and much more!  To sign up at no cost, click become a member and enter our company code: GWU.

Benefits Tips and Reminders for the New Year

The 2024 Benefits Tips and Reminders (PDF) is now available to help you start the new year with the most up-to-date benefits information. This document provides step-by-step instructions for how to begin using your newly elected benefits for 2024 such as how to access your medical ID cards, how to contact our benefits’ vendor partners, how to create online accounts with vendor partners, and how to fill a prescription if you have yet to receive your ID card. You’ll also learn about important FSA deadlines and more! As you take some time to review the information provided, remember that you can always contact us for assistance with any questions regarding your 2024 benefit elections.

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Digital Download

Quick tips from GW Communications & Marketing Digital Support

Emma Mass Email Overview

January 10, 2024 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Learn how you can connect with your audience using Emma, GW’s university-wide mass email tool. This training will cover the user login process, contact management, and Emma’s drag-and-drop campaign editor. Register for the Emma Training.

We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from recent editions of GWell, Focus on Yourself Fridays, and The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter.

GWell

HR’s monthly newsletter.

Faculty and Staff Meal Plans

Faculty & Staff Meal Plans are available again for the Spring 2024 semester! These plans come at a discounted price for Faculty & Staff and are paid for through payroll deduction (either biweekly or monthly). The deadline to enroll in a plan will be January 12, 2024; no changes can be made after a plan is selected. To learn more about how to sign-up, pay for, and use a Faculty & Staff Meal Plan please visit the dining website.

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Focus on Yourself Fridays

Resources to help you develop professionally.

LinkedIn Learning

This past year, Focus on Yourself Fridays provided LinkedIn Learning recommendations in each newsletter. The most popular LinkedIn Learning recommendation was Event Planning Foundations.

Other popular courses included Emotional Intelligence Basics, and Leading without Formal Authority.

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The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter

The official newsletter for GW’s Staff Council.

Learn How to Make Your Work More Accessible

There are ways that you can make your work more accessible to everyone who encounters it, including those with disabilities. Below are some ways you can learn more about making content usable and accessible.

• Provide agendas and materials in advance if you can so people can review and prepare to contribute thoughtfully. 
• Break up long content into more manageable chunks. For documents, you can do this using headings to designate segments, or you can split into shorter documents. If you’re giving a longer meeting or presentation, make space for processing or questions every 15 minutes.

We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from the November GWell Newsletter and the November GWIT Newsletter.

Virtual Retirement Fair

Thinking about retirement and want to learn more? Preparing for the transition to retirement takes thoughtful planning. Join GW Benefits on Tuesday, November 28, for GW’s virtual Retirement Fair designed to help you understand your GW retiree benefits and the steps to prepare for retirement. 

GW Benefits and vendor partners, TIAA, Fidelity, and Via Benefits will lead the following sessions scheduled for this event:

• 10AM ET – Write your next chapter: 5 steps to setting your retirement date (presented by TIAA)
• 11:30AM ET – Retiring from GW (presented by GW Benefits)
• 1PM ET – Understanding Medicare Supplemental Plans (presented by Via Benefits)
• 2:30PM ET – Maximize Social Security In Your Retirement Strategy (presented by Fidelity)

Discounted Tickets for GW Basketball

GW Athletics offers exclusive discounts on Men’s basketball season tickets for Faculty and Staff!  Upper Sideline seats are just $180 for the season. Purchase your tickets today using promo code GDUBFS24.

Faculty and Staff can also purchase Women’s basketball season tickets for $85 this season.

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IT Website Redesign

The IT website has been redesigned. The new design is the first step in improving navigation and making it easier to find resources and support. In the redesign, GWIT consolidated acadtech.gwu.edu and printing.gwu.edu into IT.gwu.edu, making it more convenient to access related services. GWIT has plans to expand the resources and service offerings in the future.

We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from an Infomail on the new vacation time policy and the latest issue of Focus on Yourself Fridays.

New and Enhanced Vacation Time Policy for Staff

Below you will find a summary of the new vacation policy for GW staff effective July 1, 2024. Additional details are outlined in the new Vacation Policy Overview.

• Increased flexibility on the utilization of vacation time with the removal of “use or lose.” Vacation time accrued (but unused) will not be forfeited. All vacation time will continue to accrue up to a maximum accrual limit based on years of service tiers.
• Introduction of a maximum accrual limit, i.e., 1.5 times the current annual maximum accrual.
• Vacation time cannot be taken in advance of being accrued.
• Recognize staff by providing a higher accrual of vacation time sooner for those with more than 10 years of service.
• Transition time will be provided to those hired before July 1, 2024 and available to use through December 31, 2024 to support the change to the new policy.

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Leaders at All Levels: Recognition

Friday, November 10, 2023
10:30am-11:30am
WebEx

Join HR for the November Leaders at all Levels session where they will be discussing recognition, its importance and how to recognize colleagues in a meaningful way. Recognition is a key component of engagement and a way to celebrate everyday wins, big or small. Everyone, regardless of their level, can provide recognition that will have a positive impact on others. Register for Leaders at All Levels: Recognition.

4 ways to make your recognition meaningful

In order to be successful, recognition has to be done properly, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Here are a few ways to make sure that the way you recognize employees in the workplace truly resonates with them as individuals.

We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from the October GWell Newsletter, a message about a retirement plan change from Benefits, and the October GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter.

Flu and COVID 19 Vaccinations

The CDC recommends receiving vaccination as one of the best ways to protect yourself from severe cases of influenza and COVID-19, especially as cases tend to increase during the fall and winter season. Two final flu and COVID vaccine clinics will be held at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus (VSTC) on the following dates:

• November 14, 2023, 10am -12pm, Enterprise Hall, Room 102
• November 16, 2023, 1pm – 3pm, Enterprise Hall, Room 102

Employee Assistance Program Financial Counseling

GW employee financial well-being benefits available through the GW Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provide opportunities for preparing for current and future financial needs, such as planning for and repaying student loans. GW employees have access to financial planners for assistance with student loans, financial planning, budget planning, debt consolidation and more. Employees can schedule one 30-minute free consultation per issue per year and receive a 25% discount on the financial services fees beyond the initial 30-minute consultation.

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Investment Lineup Change in the GW Retirement Plan

As a result of a recent review, the Retirement Plan Investment Committee has decided to make the following change to the retirement plans’ investment menu offered through Fidelity, effective November 8, 2023: The Fidelity New Markets Income Fund will be removed from the plans’ fund lineup. All assets invested in and future contributions to the fund will be moved to the existing Fidelity US Bond Index Fund.

Retirement counselors from both Fidelity and TIAA are available for complimentary one-on-one appointments. You can book an appointment on the Benefits website. You can also reach GW Benefits Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm at benefits@gwu.edu or 571-553-8382.

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Staff Spotlight Nominations

Each month the GW Staff Council newsletter will be highlighting GW staff members who have made a positive impact on the GW community. If you’d like to recognize someone for their contributions, please submit Staff Spotlight Nominations by November 17th to be considered for the November Newsletter.

We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from Focus on Yourself Friday and the July GWell Newsletter.

All GW staff members can now get a free Grubhub+ Membership, which includes:

• Unlimited orders with $0 delivery fee on orders of $18 or more
• Access to exclusive offers

Redeem by following the steps below:

• Download the Grubhub app
• Under “Account,” select “Campus dining”
• Select “George Washington University”
• Enter your GW email and password
• Select “I am faculty / staff”
• Receive membership instantly and have healthy food delivered right to your doorstep!

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Together, nature and mindfulness have been proven to reduce stress and improve well-being. From Acadia to Zion, Joshua Tree to Haleakala, and more, Headspace brings the national parks to you, with new meditations, wind-downs, and sleep audio this summer. Join Headspace today at no cost to try out these sessions.

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Want to learn how to plan a successful event? Register for the Leaders at All Levels: Event Planning Webex on August 11 at 10am! Not available that day? Then check out this course on Event Planning Foundations on Talent@GW at any time!