Dear Patriots,
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the importance of digital literacy cannot be overstated. As your Chief Information Officer, I am committed to ensuring our institution remains at the forefront of technological advancements, equipping our community with the skills necessary to thrive in the digital age.
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Why Digital Literacy Matters
Digital literacy encompasses the ability to effectively and critically navigate, evaluate, and create information using a range of digital technologies. It is about understanding how technology impacts our lives, our work, and our society. In higher education, digital literacy is crucial for several reasons:
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Enhancing Learning Experiences: Digital tools and resources make education more interactive, engaging, and accessible. From online courses to virtual labs, technology opens new avenues.
- Preparing for the Workforce: Employers increasingly seek candidates proficient in digital skills. Fostering digital literacy prepares our students to meet the demands of the modern workplace, ensuring they are competitive and capable in their chosen fields.
- Promoting Critical Thinking: Digital literacy encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. It enables individuals to discern credible information from misinformation.
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Fostering Inclusivity: Digital literacy empowers individuals by providing the skills needed to utilize digital technologies effectively. This ensures that everyone has equal access to information, communication tools, and opportunities. By bridging the digital divide, digital literacy helps create a more equitable and connected society.
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Our Commitment to Digital Literacy
At George Mason University, we are dedicated to partnering and integrating digital literacy into our curriculum and campus culture. Here are some initiatives we are undertaking:
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Workshops and Training: ITS offers flexible, no-cost workshops and training sessions on various digital tools and platforms to enhance proficiency and confidence in using existing and emerging technology.
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LinkedIn Learning: LiL offers more than 2,000 videos on a broad range of subjects. LiL courses are also available for employees in MasonLEAPS.
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Business Intelligence Trainings (MicroStrategy): Many options for MicroStrategy training are available on the BI Training and Workshops page.
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Systems Administrator Leadership Team (SALT) Forum: Every month, ITS provides a learning opportunity for system administrators to share ideas, expertise, and best practices to build a stronger technical and security-conscientious community. For details, visit the SALT website.
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Artificial Intelligence Training: George Mason's Continuing and Professional Education, offers a three-day course in Responsible AI (RAI). For details, see AI Courses and Programs.
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Want to get more out of Microsoft 365? Microsoft Learn offers free, self-paced courses, designed to help you master the tools available in your subscription. MS Learn can be accessed at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/ or via the Viva Learning App within MS Teams.
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Digital Resources: Our library and industry partners provide access to a vast array of digital resources, including e-books, online journals, and databases. Invaluable digital resources for research and learning and can be found on the Library Tech page.
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Microsoft Copilot Studio: An excellent resource to securely aid in academic and operational efficiency and growth. Microsoft Copilot Studio makes it easy to automate everyday tasks, streamline communication, and manage your time more effectively and securely. Explore how it can support your productivity goals at https://copilot.microsoft.com/.
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IT Support: ITS is always available to assist with any technical issues or questions you may have 24/7/365. Call 703-993-8870, use live chat, or submit a request ticket. We are here to support your digital journey!
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Get Involved
I encourage all members of our community to take advantage of these opportunities. Whether you are a student, faculty member, or staff, enhancing your digital literacy will benefit you personally and professionally. Stay curious, stay informed, and stay connected.
Together, let's embrace the digital future and ensure that George Mason University remains a leader in higher education. Let’s Go!!
In Community -
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Dr. Charmaine Madison
Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Information Technology Services
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Introducing Matthew Dalton, ITS Chief Information Security Officer
Matthew Dalton has been selected as the new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for ITS and will officially begin his journey with George Mason on May 12, 2025. Matthew Dalton is an innovative cybersecurity leader with over 25 years of experience at R1 institutions. He brings a wealth of knowledge across multiple realms, including risk and compliance management, forensic investigations, and identity and access management. He has developed multiple high-performing information security organizations and developed world class cyber security programs at both Ohio University and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
As a member of the ITS senior leadership team, Matthew will play a major role in providing the vision and leadership to oversee and enhance the university’s information security program for central systems, and the decentralized computing environment, including secure research computing. Matt will serve as the champion for George Mason information technology risk and compliance objectives in the process.
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Going Green with University Sustainability
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ITS values the vital relationship between sustainability and everyone’s most relied-upon resource – technology! This year, we joined forces with Facilities and University Sustainability to highlight how technology plays a crucial role in sustainability and how you can make a lasting impact.
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RAMPing Up Research at George Mason
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The Research Administration Management Portal (RAMP) allows researchers to spend more time doing their vital work and less time managing logistics and compliance. George Mason RAMPed up research and was once again announced as a 2025 Carnegie Research 1 institute.
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Innovative Technology Solutions in LSEB
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The new interdisciplinary Life Sciences and Engineering Building (LSEB) demonstrates George Mason’s dedication to using technology to help students, faculty, and researchers elevate their learning, teaching, and exploration. Learn about ITS' crucial role in the opening.
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ASRB Changes: The Architectural Standards Review Board (ASRB) process has been streamlined and the request progress and process will now be tracked by TeamDynamix (TDX). Please include as much information when submitting your request to expedite the process. For questions or issues, email asrb@gmu.edu.
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Telecom System Replacement Project Update: The implementation of the police dispatch system and migration to Vonage is complete, as well as the migration of all Fax machines to the new system. The PBX is in the process of being decommissioned, including removing all associated existing hardware and verifying no phone lines remain. Finally, the unification of all Vonage accounts will begin this summer, which will enable 5-digit dialing across the university.
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- 2FA Updates: The Duo Mobile app, used by ITS to verify users’ identities for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), has been updated. The update enhances security by reducing the time passcodes are valid to 30 seconds. In the past, the passcodes did not expire. Reducing the time passcodes are valid makes it more difficult for cybercriminals to access and use the codes for phishing users’ accounts.
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Zoom Security Update: On Friday, May 16, 2025, ITS will implement a new security measure requiring all Zoom meetings to use a waiting room, passcode, or authentication for entry. If you currently have a Zoom meeting scheduled on or after the implementation date with no security measure in place, a waiting room will automatically be added to your meeting.
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Canvas Training: Beginning in the summer 2025 term, all courses will use Canvas as the university’s official LMS. Instructors who have not yet participated in Canvas training opportunities or have not begun this transition, please visit the for valuable information, resources and checklists.
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Blackboard Storage Reminder: Before July 15, users are strongly encouraged to download and save any materials from Blackboard that they may want or need to keep. Once Blackboard access ends, these materials will no longer be available. You will not have access to these courses in Canvas. If you have any questions or need assistance downloading your materials, please visit or contact the project team at .
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Windows 11 Upgrade: Microsoft will end support of Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. In anticipation, ITS has been gradually upgrading managed Windows 10 systems to Windows 11. As a reminder, users can self-upgrade their systems at any time through their device’s Software Center. If your system does not support Windows 11, please coordinate with your department to receive a new device. Systems still running Windows 10 after end of support are subject to removal from the George Mason network. For more information, see the Windows 11 Roadmap.
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Banned Applications: On Tuesday, April 15, ITS removed all previously announced banned applications (TikTok, DeepSeek, WeChat, and all Tencent software) from George Mason-owned and managed devices. These applications were uninstalled and are now disabled from running. For more information, see Executive Order 24.
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- Security Awareness Training: As a reminder, accounts will be locked if individuals fail to complete the annual IT Security Awareness training prior to their expiration date. ITS encourages timely completion of this training to avoid operational impacts. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ITS Support.
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Microsoft 365 Storage: The increased utilization of storage to support cloud applications has made the practice of vendors providing free storage no longer sustainable for higher ed institutions. To better manage our storage growth, ITS has begun a formal review of our Microsoft 365 system storage and will be implementing changes this year. More information on these modifications and project updates will be provided in the coming weeks.
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Navigating AI at George Mason
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IT Security and Strong Passwords
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Patriot Packout 2025: Overseen by University Sustainability, Patriot Packout serves to prioritize the free redistribution of donated goods to the George Mason community and those in need. The event will run from Monday, April 21 to Wednesday, May 14. To learn more about volunteer and donation opportunities, visit the PPO website.
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Staff Senate: The May Staff Senate meeting will feature guest speaker Sharnnia Artis, vice president of the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community. The meeting will take place Wednesday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to noon. Constituents are encouraged to attend in person in Merten Hall, Room 1201, or join the meeting via Zoom.
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Better Bins Preview: The Better Bins Preview (BBP) is an initiative from Facilities and Campus Operations’ University Sustainability to assess the impact of new Zero Waste Mason stations and standardized labels. They recently launched on floors 1-4 of Innovation Hall. To learn more, visit the BBP website.
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