Mason Chooses Kindness

Fostering kindness is just good business

Lauren Reuscher — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 18:49:10 +0000

Fostering kindness is just good business Lauren Reuscher Wed, 09/20/2023 - 14:49

Here’s how one school uses the Mason Chooses Kindness Toolkit at the unit level.

In 2020 Nance Lucas, executive director and chief well-being officer of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at ��AV, and Lewis Forrest II, associate dean for University Life, created Mason Chooses Kindness (MCK).

“From the beginning, Mason Chooses Kindness has worked to elevate the idea and actions related to kindness across our campus,” Forrest said. In the 2022-23 academic year, 30 members representing 19 departments or units across Mason were part of the Mason Chooses Kindness committee.

Kindness Station at the School of Business includes treats, giveaways, and tips on how to spread kindness at Mason. Photo by School of Business

After attending university-wide Mason Chooses Kindness events, several School of Business colleagues saw an opportunity to address a larger need for continued encouragement and connection within their unit. Jackie Brown (MA ’12), area chair and senior instructor, business foundations; Cameron Harris (BA ’06), assistant area chair and associate professor, business foundations; Gretchen Hendricks, senior instructor, business foundations; and Christine Landoll (BS Accounting ’89, MS Taxation ’92), director of business engagement at the School of Business, formed the core of the group.

This “goodwill team” highlights and encourages acts of kindness and well-being across the school, leading the first unit-focused MCK activities. With the support of School of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé, the group focuses on four key areas: staff and faculty recognition and engagement, student engagement, alumni engagement, and curricular impact.

“I am delighted with the efforts of our team,” Vinzé said. “The intent of Mason Chooses Kindness and its applications are closely aligned with a key strategic priority for the business school, one that emphasizes our focus on inclusive excellence and a cohesive culture.”

One way the team has implemented kindness in the school is through its Kindness Stations at each school location. Kindness stations include a quick list of no-cost acts of kindness that can be done right at the station, such as using the Thank a Teacher or Pats for Patriots forms to share gratitude or recognition. They also served as a one-stop shop for other tips, such as helping a colleague or classmate, smiling and checking on friends and colleagues. The stations also included giveaways such as coffee, cookies, small succulent plants, and stickers, as well as fidget toys that could be borrowed from the station.

As a result of the increased visibility of Pats for Patriots, the School of Business submitted more Pats for Patriots than any other school or college during the academic year.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

The emphasis on kindness also extends to the student experience. In the BUS 103/303: Developing Your Professional Skills I and II classes, kindness and well-being are integrated into the curriculum. In BUS 103, students are asked to participate in mindfulness exercises and complete gratitude journals or cards to help deal with end of the semester stress. In BUS 303, students are asked to write for the Thriving Together Series through the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, which is a series that highlights both the research and practices used to enhance one’s well-being. This assignment allows students the opportunity to research professional skills topics through a well-being lens.

Mason sophomore Jivantha Fernando became a Kindness Ambassador in fall 2022. “Many peers and professors have embraced me for my kindness. As an international student [being a Kindness Ambassador] has also given me the chance to spread kindness from my cultural viewpoint,” Fernando said.

Lucas is pleased with the growth of the project. “I applaud my colleagues in the School of Business,” Lucas said. “We’ll be able to apply what they’ve developed and lessons learned to other units across the university, which puts us on a path to sustaining this kindness revolution at Mason.”

Interested in getting involved with MCK or learning more about how to integrate kindness into your microcosm? Check out the MCK Toolkit.

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Intentional acts of kindness: Adding purpose to your actions

Colleen Rich — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 18:52:42 +0000

Intentional acts of kindness: Adding purpose to your actions Colleen Rich Mon, 02/14/2022 - 13:52

There are so many ways to be kind, such as writing a thank you note to a friend who helped you out, paying for someone’s coffee or fast-food order behind you in line, or simply sending a “thinking of you” card.

As part of Intentional Acts of Kindness, Patriots can participate in National Random Acts of Kindness Day on Thursday, Feb. 17. To celebrate acts of kindness, the Mason Chooses Kindness (MCK) committee has arranged exciting events for the Mason community including a workshop session examining how Disney characters embody emotional intelligence and how this connects to leadership.

Another event Patriots can take part in is a social media challenge. Everyone will be encouraged to use the hashtag #MasonChoosesKindness to share how they plan to spread kindness intentionally on that day. All the tweets containing the hashtag will be liked and shared on MCK social media platforms: Twitter @Mason_Kindness, Instagram @Mason_Kindness, and Facebook @MasonKindness.

Cynthia Bentley, administrative coordinator at University Libraries, knows firsthand the unexpected good feeling that a small act of kindness can generate, when someone at the Dunkin Donuts at Mason unexpectedly paid for her order. “The act of kindness not only encouraged me, but it inspired me to be kind to someone else,” Bentley said. “What a wonderful day it was.”

A new way to recognize acts of kindness at Mason is Pats for Pats, i.e., Pats on the back for Patriots that lets staff, faculty, students or alumni thank someone for being “kind, generous or thoughtful toward others,” according to the website. The initiative went into action this semester and focuses on recognizing both random yet small-scale acts of kindness with the goal of encouraging all to continue participating in kind actions.

“Individuals who were nominated through this form will receive an anonymous MCK-branded e-card on Random Acts of Kindness Day with a blurb including the nominator’s message along with what they were ‘caught' being kind for,” said Philip Wilkerson, industry advisor at University Career Services and the lead for awards and recognitions in the MCK executive committee. “After this day, the nominee’s that live or work on campus will be awarded with a physical MCK-branded card and/or sticker and those living off campus will receive an email with a MCK-branded e-card and/or sticker.”

“All of us like being on the receiving end of kindness,” said Nance Lucas, executive director of the Center for Advancement of Well-Being and chief well-being officer at Mason. “Patriots, we challenge you to get caught in these acts of goodness and let's all be the ripple effect of kindness in our communities.”

The Mason community is encouraged to perform intentional acts of kindness every day and the given resources are generously beneficial in helping individuals discover the many ways of being kind.

“When a stranger or a friend goes out of their way to do something kind for you, you remember it longer. It has more impact,” said Christophe Riffo, an international credential specialist in the Office of Admissions and Mason Kindness Ambassador.

“Intentionality also validates or affirms what we are able to extend to others no matter how small or simple the gesture might be,” said Al Fuertes, associate professor at the School of Integrative Studies and Mason Kindness Ambassador. “In the process, it gives us a deeper sense of meaning, fulfillment, and self-appreciation.”

There are many resources available online such as the new edition of the Mason Chooses Kindness Toolkit, Thriving Together Series: Intentional Acts of Kindness article, and Famous Quotes on Kindness and Well-Being that provide ideas and tools to help you spread kindness. The MCK committee also released its new Acts of Kindness Calendar, featuring ideas for putting kindness into action every day of the month.

“I recently injured my knee, and I am on crutches,” said social work major and Mason Kindness Ambassador Casey Jalen Nelson. “There have been so many people who have been willing to step in and give me a hand, holding doors open for me and asking me if I need help. The acts of kindness of Mason students in the community warms my heart.”

“You never know when someone is going through a hard time. A little bit of kindness that you give can make all the difference,” said Melissa Bevacqua, director of undergraduate admissions.

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Mason Kindness Ambassadors know small gestures can have a big impact

Colleen Rich — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 17:59:56 +0000

Mason Kindness Ambassadors know small gestures can have a big impact Colleen Rich Thu, 11/11/2021 - 12:59

Mason's first group of Kindness Ambassadors gathered Monday, Nov. 8, to be recognized for their commitment to spreading compassion and hope. Photo by Sierra Guard/Creative Services

Mason’s first group of Kindness Ambassadors gathered Monday, Nov. 8, to be recognized for their commitment to spreading compassion and hope.

They were honored at a reception where they heard from President Gregory Washington, Mason Chooses Kindness Co-Chairs Nance Lucas and Lewis Forrest, Vice President of University Life Rose Pascarell, and Kindness Ambassadors Chair Vanessa Thompson about the critical importance of spreading kindness.

"Mason Chooses Kindness is really kind of a Mason thing to do,” Mason President Gregory Washington said. “Of course we would be involved in this because it’s fundamentally who we are. It embodies holistically our seven core values and is a clear extension of the things that many of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni do every day.”

The ambassadors—45 students, 73 faculty and staff, and 21 alumni—were nominated by people at Mason for their embodiment of kindness and their positive impact on the campus community. Their work is part of the Mason Chooses Kindness (MCK) initiative.

Some of the Kindness Ambassadors reflected on why kindness is essential and shared their plans for spreading kindness at Mason and beyond this academic year.

“In our world today, especially in our community, there is so much anger, hostility, and division that drives us apart and turns us against each other,” said public administration major Ransom Fox, a student Kindness Ambassador. “All it takes is one act of reaching out instead of attacking, one nice gesture instead of vileness, one light of kindness to melt away the darkness that divides us.”

Forty-five Mason students are serving as Kindness Ambassadors. Photo by Sierra Guard/Creative Services

Fox founded the Patriot Protection Association, a Mason student organization that collaborates with area community organizations on well-being projects. “We just finished a fundraiser for the Bethany House NOVA, which is the largest domestic abuse shelter in Northern Virginia, partnering with them and PRSSA to raise over $500,” he said, adding that the group is looking for its next project.

“Practicing kindness is so important to me because of how unkind the world can be,” said computer science major Nasrin Ali, a student Kindness Ambassador. “If I can do something to change even a little bit of the negativity, I am happy to do it.” She plans to “befriend more people, give out genuine compliments, and help people who may need it. I hope people will be encouraged to join in when they see what I am doing.”

The stress of the pandemic has highlighted the importance of kindness, said ambassador Laura Todd, a digital learning instructional designer at the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. “Practicing kindness has always been important to show empathy and build connection with others. Being kind lets people know that we are all in this together.”

Todd said she wants to find new ways to help students who may be struggling, whether that’s due to food insecurity or because they are far from home. “Our diversity is our strength, and kindness is the scaffold that supports our diverse community.”

She would like to see if there’s a way to share fresh greens from Mason’s greenhouses through vouchers from the Patriot Pantry, or find a way for students to share gently used textbooks.

Practicing kindness is a vital part of education, said ambassador Shira Kulok, director of Mason’s Child Development Center. “It represents the foundation to positive human interaction. We are a vast community, all interconnected, benefitting from the kindness of others. It is my belief that kindness must be modeled to young children by the adults in their life to learn its importance and how it is shown to others.”

Practicing kindness “requires courage and strength, as it represents one’s time, affection, and compassionate acts of generosity,” said ambassador Mariana Estrada, an assistant teacher at Mason’s Child Development Center. “Showing kindness helps us connect with other people and build meaningful relationships. Additionally, I strongly believe that being kind to yourself is essential as it is a form of self-care to provide patience, acceptance, and caring toward oneself.”

It’s enjoyable to be kind, added ambassador Catherine Olien, associate director, Center for Humanities Research. “It makes life a little more fun, and it costs nothing! Showing kindness can give anyone you meet a wholesome, positive feeling, and it tends to be contagious; it's often reflected right back at you!”

Olien said that her goal is for people be more inspired and energized after talking with her. “If I can tell someone is feeling unhappy or anxious, I invite them to tell me what's going on. I hope others can do the same. We can't always ‘fix’ a situation, but a dose of kindness is often enough to improve things.”

Spreading kindness is a vital way to spread love and peace to others, said ambassador Janae Johnson, assistant director of University Information. “It's important to be kind toward others because we don't know what situational experiences may be impacting their life. If I can make just one person's day a little brighter with a smile, hug, or kind word, then I'm doing my part to spread peace and love.”

Even small acts of kindness can impact others in significantly positive ways, Johnson said, and she hopes that by being a role model of positivity, she will encourage others to spread kindness too. “I encourage everyone to remember that small acts of kindness can ripple into waves of positivity and to pay it forward!”

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Mason celebrates World Kindness Day with week of activities

Colleen Rich — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 20:51:58 +0000

Mason celebrates World Kindness Day with week of activities Colleen Rich Tue, 11/02/2021 - 16:51

World Kindness Day, celebrated globally on Nov. 13, was created by the World Kindness Movement. ��AV will celebrate the week of Nov. 8 with events to promote kindness and caring across all campuses, as part of the Mason Chooses Kindness (MCK) initiative.

Patriots can write and draw kindness messages in chalk on the Fairfax Campus on Monday, Nov. 8. Sign up for MCK chalking here.

Kindness Ambassadors—45 students, 73 faculty and staff, and 21 alumni who were nominated for their embodiment of kindness and their positive impact on the campus community—will be recognized by President Gregory Washington at a reception on Monday, Nov. 8.

Mason Chooses Kindness committee members will serve coffee and donuts and give away kindness swag items to Patriots on Tuesday, Nov. 9, from 8 to 10:30 a.m. on Wilkins Plaza and the Johnson Center East Plaza (near David King Hall). If you would like to volunteer, sign up here.

Committee members will also decorate the George Mason statue to celebrate kindness. Be sure to walk by the statue on Tuesday, Nov. 9, for a kindness boost from George Mason IV.

As part of the Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series, professional speaker, coach, and author of “The Strategic Stop” Greg Nelson will speak Tuesday, Nov. 9, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Learn more and register here.

Patriots are also invited to post World Kindness Day messages online.

Kindness Day highlights and encourages good deeds in the community, and it serves as a reminder that simple acts of kindness have power.

Visit the Mason Chooses Kindness online toolkit for kindness resources.

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Mason Chooses Kindness emphasizes intentional kindness

Colleen Rich — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:49:10 +0000

Mason Chooses Kindness emphasizes intentional kindness Colleen Rich Mon, 02/15/2021 - 14:49

Those who come to the Fairfax Campus in person will also notice visible signs of Mason Chooses Kindness, including kindness messages written in chalk by students and the Mason Chooses Kindness banner outside the Johnson Center. Photo provided

While National Random Acts of Kindness Day on Wednesday, Feb. 17, celebrates being kind spontaneously, the Mason Chooses Kindness (MCK) initiative is emphasizing intentional acts of kindness every day. Mason Chooses Kindness aims to help Patriots thrive together through kindness with resources, events and ways to get involved in creating a kindness revolution at Mason.

“At Mason, we’re calling the National Random Acts of Kindness Day the National Intentional Acts of Kindness Day,” said Nance Lucas, Mason Chooses Kindness co-chair, Mason’s chief well-being officer, and executive director of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. “While recognizing kindness on Feb. 17 is important, it’s really about emphasizing kindness on the other 364 days of the year. Giving and receiving kindness are bucket-fillers for our overall well-being. Kindness deepens our connections with one another, which is something I think we’re all yearning for during these challenging times.”

Mason Chooses Kindness Co-Chair and University Life Associate Dean Lewis Forrest said being kind intentionally helps connect Mason students and employees to the movement. “From the beginning of the initiative, MCK has emphasized being intentional in the education, awareness and engagement with our community.”

Since the start of this academic year, the Mason Chooses Kindness movement “has been able to energize members of our campus in a short period of time,” Forrest said, with events that have reached faculty, staff and students. Those events have included service projects, such as assembling care packages for local first responders, and a guided kindness meditation walk.

“The goal is not just to spread kindness, but to share stories and educate our community about the research related to kindness,” said Forrest.

The “Connecting through Kindness” online panel on Feb. 3 featured students and employees discussing why kindness matters and ways to practice it. Kathleen Dwyer, an integrative studies major and student leadership consultant in the Leadership, Education and Development (LEAD) Office, was one of the panelists. She said the initiative is helping students “create a different dialogue where we can focus on personal kindness.

“Internalizing that within yourself and being understanding, having the patience with yourself, is a great place to start,” Dwyer added. “Being able to connect that to service, I think, is a really great opportunity to watch yourself grow. And I think Mason has done a great job of still providing different ways to get involved in a virtual setting.”

MCK has accomplished a lot so far, said Lucas, including creating an MCK Toolkit and raising awareness about the science behind kindness and its well-being benefits.

More events are planned this semester—starting with the online “Leading with Kindness” program at noon Wednesday, Feb. 17, in which participants will develop a mind map focused on how to use kindness as a guiding leadership value. Patriots can visit the MCK website for such online activities as a kindness calendar and kindness bingo.

The center will continue to share videos and stories of kindness while hosting workshops, panels and roundtables for students, faculty, staff and alumni, Lucas said. “We plan to host gatherings featuring instructors who integrate kindness in their classrooms and student leaders who are educating others about compassionate leadership.”

Those who come to the Fairfax Campus in person will also notice visible signs of MCK, said Forrest, including kindness messages written in chalk by students and the Mason Chooses Kindness banner outside the Johnson Center.

“We’ll know we’re successful when we see a kindness revolution happening on all our campuses,” Lucas said.

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