• Enhancing Student Opportunities: Donations directly support essentials like scholarships, academic programs, and enhancing the student experience. They ensure that University of Portland provides robust opportunities for our current Pilots, and accessibility for the very best future students, regardless of finances.
  
• Reflecting Catholic, Holy Cross Values: Philanthropy mirrors the values of service and caring for our greater community. In giving, parents support not just their own child’s education, but also the wider mission of forming a generation of compassionate, ethical leaders ready to make a positive impact on the world.
  
• Strengthening the Pilot Community: Giving to a common mission fosters a sense of solidarity and shared responsibility. When parents, alumni, and friends come together in this way, the bond strengthens between them, the students they believe in, and UP. This collaborative effort ensures University of Portland can continue its mission of forming students who are prepared to grow in faith, leadership, and service.

The Pilot Family Portal will feature carefully selected articles and draw information from UP’s website to provide families with timely updates throughout the year. You can choose to receive notifications either weekly, twice a month, or once a month.

If your department is organizing an event that families may want to discuss with their student (such as Career Fair, Grad Fair, housing sign-ups, Commencement), please continue to send this information to parents@up.edu for inclusion in the portal.

To set up your account, visit https://up.campusesp.com/signin.

On the registration form, type N/A where it asks for student name (unless you’re a current parent!). You can select any ‘communities’ based on your interest, and be sure to check the “UP Faculty or Staff Member” box as well; we have a dedicated community for faculty and staff to ensure you are aware of Family Weekend, Orientation, or other campus events focusing on our Pilot families.

Once you have signed up, you can log in at any time at https://up.campusesp.com to access your personalized newsfeed, view upcoming events, or update your profile and notification preferences.

Reach out to Bryn Rose at roseb@up.edu with any questions.

Here are some tips as we start the school year: 

• Don’t worry about starting the conversation: Asking them about their alcohol choices will rarely lead to them choosing to consume more alcohol. Having open conversations relating to their decisions about substance use is incredibly important to get them the practice to share those with other people in their lives. It is much better to have an uncomfortable conversation about what their alcohol use might be rather than a conversation after they participate in unsafe behaviors.  
• Remember the facts: Alcohol and other drugs can cause harm to your body. That is a fact, and it is ok to want your student to be safe and healthy. It is ok to tell your student the ways that alcohol can negatively impact their mental and physical health. Get comfortable sharing that you disapprove of unsafe substance use, and share that you disapprove because you want them to be healthy.   
• Reject the myth that it is a part of college: Challenge the norm that binge drinking, underage drinking, and risky substance use are a part of college life. Avoid sharing stories about times you engaged in these behaviors, and instead have conversations about what they plan on doing. 
• Empower them to make good choices: It can be hard for even the most seasoned adults to set boundaries and say “no”. Tell them how important it is to talk with their friends about their boundaries with substances, and make sure they are making friends who look out for them. 

Conversation starters: 

• How is move-in going? Do you like your roommates? 
• Have you been in any situations with alcohol? How did that feel? 
• Have you thought about your boundaries with alcohol? I want to make sure you’re safe, I know these conversations with friends can be difficult! 
• Have you looked into any events on campus to make friends that don’t involve alcohol? I heard Pilots After Dark is fun! 
• How have you managed the stress of the beginning of the academic year? I want to let you know that I’m here for you if you need to brainstorm healthy coping strategies. 

Counseling Updates 

UP has hired new counseling staff, and we are working on a bunch of wonderful changes to our Counseling Center to provide new and exciting programming. They will be open 8:30-4:30 Monday-Friday to any UP student. If your student needs to make an appointment, they can come into the building in the Upper Level of Orrico Hall, or they can call at (503)943-7134. The Counseling team is dedicated to supporting your students’ mental health and academic success while helping them flourish as human beings and empowering them to actively engage in their mental health journey. 

For updates on new programming at the counseling center check out their website: www.up.edu/counseling