Volunteering Leads to Bookstore Discount

The discount, formerly part of the Community Service Encouragement Program, serves to encourage students to commit time to volunteer efforts, either individual or organizational, both on and off campus. With proper documentation, it offers a once-a-semester 20 percent discount on all Mason gear for students that have dedicated a minimum of 50 volunteer hours of community service, 25 which are off campus.

Student Government Secretary of Treasury Kyle McDaniel said the idea came to him while reading the annual report of Fairfax County’s Advisory Social Services Board, on which he serves.

“It was one of those light bulb moments,” said McDaniel, “I was sitting at my computer one night around 2 a.m... I started thinking about the university and if there was a way for students to help... The rest was a simple matter of brainstorming.”

A form documenting the student’s hours must be completed and signed by a faculty advisor or third party official if the hours are performed under a non-Mason organization. Paperwork must be submitted to the Student Government office no later than 5 p.m. on the last day of final exams. Upon review, the one-time discount will be issued by the bookstore for use the following semester in which the service hours were completed.

Those who participate in the program and are eligible for the discount will also be entered into a drawing for a $75 gift card to the Bookstore. The drawing will take place on the first day of classes for the semester in which the discount will apply.

McDaniel says he owes thanks for the bookstore’s willingness and speediness to participate in the program to General Manager Barb Headley.

“He shot me an e-mail saying ‘I have an idea,’ saying he had his proposal and wanted to meet,” said Headley. “I shot him an e-mail and said ‘sure.’” Headley, who took the position of general manager at Mason this past summer, helped arrange details surrounding the discount.

The discount, due to contractual issues with bookstore operator Barnes & Noble, does not apply to textbooks. A full list of restrictions will be available soon on the Student Government website, sg.gmu.edu.