 Dear Members of the George Washington University Community, Last week, the nation’s capital hosted the 60th Presidential Inauguration, a symbolic moment reflecting the peaceful transfer of power from one president to another. As has been a long tradition at GW, we celebrate the politically active role that our students, faculty, and staff play in shaping the future of government and public policy, and we mark occasions such as this by coming together as a community and hosting events like this year’s GW Inaugural Ball. This year’s presidential transition was unique in many ways, and the first few days of the new administration brought a historic number of new executive actions that will have significant and far-reaching effects on our institution and members of our community. In a community as diverse as GW’s, these actions will be met with approval by some and concern by others. What is clear, however, is that there are potentially significant implications for higher education, including at GW. At moments like this, I am especially proud to be part of the GW community and to be leading this institution. It is precisely at times of change and uncertainty that our expertise in operating at the intersection of law, policy, and public discourse shines brightest. Not only are our faculty already deeply engaged in understanding what these executive actions mean, but leaders across GW are also working with university partners and peer organizations to analyze these wide-ranging executive actions and determine how to continue to comply with the law while staying true to our educational mission. We are also fortunate to have engaged alumni at every level across the federal government. These individuals span the full spectrum of political beliefs and ideologies, and several have stepped forward to offer valuable advice and support. Now more than ever, I urge us all to remain committed to the core missions of our university: providing a world-class education to all our students, producing groundbreaking research, scholarship, and patient care, and perpetuating the free exchange of big ideas. Fundamental to this is fostering and supporting a vibrant and engaged community where everyone is free to learn, work, and thrive. Given the number and complexity of the executive orders issued and the upcoming efforts to implement these orders by the executive branch, it will take time to fully understand their impact. In addition, we expect guidance from various federal agencies, and since some of these actions may be subject to legal challenge, we anticipate further guidance will come from the courts. As we move forward, we will continue to share information and support as it becomes available. I also encourage you—as GW students, faculty, and staff—to continue to contribute to the discussion through the respectful exchange of ideas, rigorous debate, and intellectual discourse that define university life. Thank you for your commitment to the GW community and all that we do together to make our world a better place. Warm regards,  Ellen M. Granberg |
Category: Uncategorized
| The Spring 2025 Tuition Remission application closes on February 1, 2025*. If you, or your eligible dependent(s) are planning to use the Tuition Remission Benefit for the Spring 2025 semester, please submit your online Tuition Remission application by February 1, 2025.As a reminder, you can only submit one application per person and the application must be submitted each semester. You are also required to register for your courses and have your tax exemption documentation prepared before applying for the Tuition Remission Benefit.*Note: If a deadline falls on a weekend, applications will be accepted through the following Monday. |
| Tax Exemption Certification and Tuition Remission ApplicationThe university manages its tuition remission plan in accordance with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations. Undergraduate tuition benefits are generally exempt from tax withholdings, but tuition benefits received for all graduate-level courses, in excess of $5,250, are subject to tax withholdings. For graduate courses to be considered tax exempt, the course must have a direct correlation to your current primary position at GW.If you are an eligible employee taking a graduate and/or doctorate level course, you may be eligible for tax exemption. The tax exemption certification is now embedded in the online tuition remission application. If you wish to apply for course(s) tax exemption, be sure to have your job description and course details available when applying. |
 Submit your online tuition remission application and tax exemption certification at:go.gwu.edu/TRapplication |
While move-in has been on the minds of most DSO staff for the past few months, it “officially” begins on August 14 with first year student early arrivals. Below are some FPCM tips that were shared by Sonny Saadi in a recent coordination meeting. They are worth all staff doing a quick review:
- Prepare and ensure you are ready.
- Goal is to complete tickets within the same day.
- Breakfast & Lunch will be served to staff during busiest move-in days of 8/16-8/18.
- Please clean after yourselves after maintenance work is completed.
- Do not use any in-room restrooms of residence halls.
- Work as one team and be patient with each other.
FBG Blackout date: 8/14-8/21
It’s that time of year! As we draw closer to move-in, DSA is reaching out for assistance putting the Student Welcome Bags together. The bags this year are going to be fabulous!
Place: USC Room 310.
Date: Weekdays between 8/2 – 8/9,
Time: 9am – 5pm
If you or anyone on your team (including a GA or undergrad student) can volunteer an hour or more, please add your name or team name on the Welcome Bag Volunteer sheet.
There are 3000 bags to assemble, so any amount is helpful. Please share far and wide!
To support the education, personal development, and advancement of facilities professionals, ERAPPA has established scholarships to help with the financial support for several APPA Leadership Training and Facilities Management skills development programs at APPA U.
The next application process for education scholarships opens on Monday, July 22, 2024, and closes on August 16, 2024. Winners are announced at the ERAPPA Annual Conference. Eligible applicants must be employed by an ERAPPA member educational institution.
ERAPPA’s educational scholarships are made possible by revenue from the ERAPPA Annual Conference and by the ongoing support of our Business Partners.
Please visit the ERAPPA scholarships webpage to apply for a 2025 Educational Scholarship to APPA U.
It’s that time of year! As we draw closer to move-in, DSA is reaching out for assistance putting the Student Welcome Bags together. The bags this year are going to be fabulous!
Place: USC Room 310.
Date: Weekdays between 8/2 – 8/9,
Time: 9am – 5pm
If you or anyone on your team (including a GA or undergrad student) can volunteer an hour or more, please add your name or team name on the Welcome Bag Volunteer sheet.
There are 3000 bags to assemble, so any amount is helpful. Please share far and wide!
What better way to start the week than with a round of Kudos!
- Thomas Queen for fixing a clogged shower drain: “He fixed my issue”
- Chauncey Ervin for unclogging a a Shenkman Hall Sink: “The men that came to help were so helpful and super kind!”
- Chauncey Ervin for unclogging a Madison Hall Shower drain: “He was the BEST!!!! Super funny and lighthearted about the situation, prompt and amazing”
- William Vigil for repairing a bed frame at West Hall: “The service was very quick!”
- Chauncey Ervin for fixing a malfunctioning toilet at Dakota Hall: “He was awesome. I was in-class sent me a text message showing me the fixed problem and even left me a sweet message.”
- Nestor Fuentes for unclogging a bathtub drain at International House: “Dude was so awesome, fast, kind, and overall amazing”
- Yared Yirgu for bringing heat back to a cold Ross classroom: “Yared is incredible quick to respond, friendly, and professional”
- Miguel Alvarez for providing A/C to a warm Rome Hall Classroom: “I like that fact that even though we go through the same issues the technicians are always helpful to us. Thank you.”
Each week we’ll be sharing the upcoming training and professional development opportunities available here at GW.
Thursday 4/18
FERPA workshop for GW staff and faculty
This interactive workshop will address FERPA basics and explore requirements for the protection of student records, when those records may be shared, and discuss some of the applicable exceptions to the FERPA requirement for consent.
GW staff and faculty members are encouraged to submit their questions via the event’s registration survey.
Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Virtual
Thursday 4/25
Privacy 101 – What every GW employee should know about Privacy
Join the GW Privacy Office and learn more about the importance of protecting the privacy of personal information of our community members.
This webinar will cover topics such as:
- Defining Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or personal data
- Applicable privacy laws and individuals’ privacy rights
- The universtity’s Personal Information and Privacy Policy
- The importance of reporting any actual or suspectedincident involving personal information of individuals.
You will leave this webinar with a stronger understanding of your role and responsibilities in protecting the privacy of those whose personal data you are collecting, accessing and/or managing on behalf of the university.
Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Virtual
If you use AiM or FixIt regularly for your job, hopefully you’ve heard about (and are excited for!) the reboot initiative. DSF staff has already spent over 1500 hours on the process behind the scenes, but you can still get involved in helping to create a new and improved work management system.
Today GW, AssetWorks, and Brailsford & Dunlavey hosted a variety of group discussions to get DSF up to speed on the project and solicit feedback. Between four AiM focus groups and a FixIt Kickoff Meeting, staff got to see some of the possibilities of the reboot and elaborate on pain points they’ve identified in the current version of the system.
And we’re not done collecting your input! Not only are additional project adoption surveys (and rewards) coming to make sure we’re on track, but you can also drop a note to project leadership using the suggestion form at go.gwu.edu/aimfeedback at any time. Missed the FixIt Kickoff Meeting? Make sure to check out the slides below.
By now you’ve likely heard that GW’s vacation time policy is changing in July, but are you familiar with how it’s changing? The Benefits Team will be in the Support Building to walk all DSF employees through the details and to take your questions. Just show up at one of the sessions shown below! Can’t make the session? You can always read up on the policy on HR’s website.
Support 211
Thursday, 4/11 at 4pm
Monday 4/15 at 3pm
Wednesday, 4/17 at 10am
