As impossible as it might seem, we’re nearing the end of the Fall 2025 semester. This week, we’re full of gratitude for all the work you do in Mason Core, whether you teach students directly or support the development, maintenance, and assessment of Mason Core courses. Thank you for all you do for our students! 

As the semester winds down, here are some ways you can wrap up this semester well and prepare for a strong start in January. 

1. Proactively manage your grading. Chunk your grading into smaller sessions of 60 to 90 minute blocks with breaks. You might also want to set a realistic daily target. For example, grading 10 papers per day rather than focusing on finishing everything. While it feels time consuming at first, consider developing rubrics. Grading goes faster and using an objective standard ensures grading remains consistent from the first assignment to the last, when you are likely tired and perhaps annoyed at seeing the same issues over and over. If you are seeing the same issues, a comment bank for common feedback points is very useful. In addition, you can use this information to revise the assignment for the following semester so you won’t have the same experience next time.   
2. Reflect on what went well this semester. Instead of getting lost in the weeds of grading and final exams, take a moment to reflect on the highlights of the term. We encourage you to also offer this space for reflection to your students, asking them to write down three things they will take away with them from their Mason Core course.  
3. Schedule time to unplug over winter break. It might be tempting to jump right into planning for Spring as soon as Fall grades are posted, but we encourage you to schedule a few days where you disconnect from email, Canvas, and Spring semester planning. Replace screen time with other activities, such as getting coffee with a friend, reading a book, or going for a walk. Taking time to rest can help reduce your risk of burnout. Read about recharging over winter break.  
4. Set realistic goals for Spring semester. Once you’ve had time to rest, consider what goals you might want to set for yourself in Spring. Was there something you routinely did this semester that helped you balance your workload? Is there something you wish you had prioritized but didn’t? Is there a new teaching tactic you want to try to better engage students?  

No matter what your plans, we hope you finish this semester well and enjoy the upcoming break. 

We are approaching the assessment submission deadline for all Global History, Natural Science, and Writing Intensive courses. We appreciate your ongoing commitment to Mason Core, and the data we receive from the assessment process helps to further refine Mason Core to better serve our students. If you are teaching a course in any of these categories, please plan to participate. Please refer to the resources shared with you from Chris Lee in OIEP or follow the button below for information regarding the assessment collection process. 

Do you teach courses in the ITC and QR categories? Do you have thoughts to share about the learning outcomes or how the categories could better serve students today? Keep an eye out for invitations from us next semester to share your thoughts as we respond to data from the last assessment cycle. More to come!  

Next Workshop Offerings Coming February 2026! 

The Mason Core Instructor Certification Program (MC-ICP) focuses on the strategies necessary for teaching non-majors and ensuring student success as part of Mason Core. Our next round of workshops will be available starting in February 2026. We will share more information once those are open for registration.  

MC-ICP is open to all George Mason University instructors who have taught one or more Mason Core courses in the past two years. All instructors who complete the program will receive a certificate and a special email signature-file recognition icon. In addition, their academic unit leaders will be notified directly of their achievements.  We hope to see you at a workshop! 

Revising a course or developing something new for Mason Core consideration? We recommend faculty review our course development and proposal resources available on our website.  

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