News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.
After finishing a choral concert on campus this past Sunday, a group of University Singers quickly made their way to a sold-out Moda Center to sing backup for The Eagles! Don Henley thanked the backup vocalists, with the crowd erupting in cheers for their performance.
The Office of Human Resources would like to share the ways in which you can obtain FREE COVID-19 testing kits. As the University will no longer be providing free kits once the remaining supply has been distributed, the following are resources available to you:
Kaiser members can go here to order tests from Kaiser Permanente. Members may also call 800-413-2000 to schedule a time to pick up free testing kits from a Kaiser Pharmacy (based on availability of supply).
Employees who are not covered under the University’s health care should contact their insurance company for information about how to obtain home test kits from their insurance.
If you are symptomatic or feeling ill, HR reminds you to please stay home, rest, wear a mask, test, and quarantine and/or isolate as appropriate. If you do test positive for COVID-19, please report here for contact tracing purposes.
Both sick time and COVID time remain available to you, along with other resources and guidance found here.
Please direct any questions you may have about COVID time, COVID protocols, or other related concerns to Human Resources at hr@up.edu.
Title IX information session and Q&A on Tuesday, February 21 (6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.) in the Brian Doyle auditorium and also on Zoom.
Tammy Herdener (interim Title IX Coordinator) will provide general information on the Title IX program, answer questions, and introduce the new Title IX Coordinator for University of Portland.
All are welcome to attend! For more info, contact the Title IX office x8982.
Are textbooks affordable for all UP students? Open textbooks and Open Educational Resources (OER) can enhance student success by reducing the cost of course materials and ensuring that all students have access to course readings. You are invited to join Clark Library librarians Christina Prucha and Philip Vue for a one-hour, in-person discussion to learn more about this possible alternative to high-cost textbooks and how you can participate in this movement. Wednesday, February 22, at 4 p.m. in the Library Classroom (map). Questions? Please contact Christina Prucha or Philip Vue.
All are welcome to participate in one or all of the three book discussions unpacking ideas and themes in this year’s ReadUP selection, The Great Believers. Each discussion occurs in the Library conference room, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Each will focus on a different aspect of the book and be facilitated by different community members, employing their distinct lenses:
We invite you to the second, and last, CAS Colleagues event of the year! Please mark your calendars for Monday, February 27, 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. in Franz 120. Mingle, sip, chat, and take a moment to immerse yourself in the scholarly worlds of Amy Ongiri (Director of CAS Ethnic Studies Program) and Valerie Banschbach (Environmental Studies, Dean of CAS). Explore with us what it it’s like to teach about energy and environmental justice contestations as well as the scholarly world of ethnic studies and visual culture. All are welcome! Programming begins at 12 p.m.
At the heart of it, the thread that weaves us together is our intellectual curiosity; the drive of a hungry mind to reach out and explore the world.
For questions or ideas for future Colleagues events, please contact Jacqueline Van Hoomissen (vanhoomi@up.edu).
Applications for Summer 2023 Provost’s Initiative for Undergraduate Research awards are available now in the Undergraduate Research section of PilotsUP. Applications for Summer 2023 have been extended and are now due March 1. More information can be found here.
As we approach the midpoint of the Spring term, it is time to think about your Summer and Fall term software needs so that they can be included in our new classroom builds. Items included on the 2022–2023 school year builds will NOT be automatically included—with the exception of internet browsers, Microsoft Office, Kaltura, Teams, Zoom, and Ladibug.
To place your requests, please use our Software Request Form. The deadline for these submissions is 4 p.m. on Friday, March 17.
Note: Software requests for the School of Engineering will be handled through a separate process, with information to come soon.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate students for the Oddo Scholarship. This significant scholarship is awarded each year to one or two students who demonstrate a commitment to learning with and from others through service and community engagement grounded in their faith. This endowed scholarship was established to honor the memory of former University of Portland President Father Thomas C. Oddo, CSC.
For more information about the criteria for the award and to nominate a student by March 27, please visit the website and complete the nomination form.
The Committee on Mission, Campus Ministry, the Office of the Provost, and Human Resources invite you to attend a day-long spiritual retreat for faculty and staff on Friday, March 31. The retreat will be held on campus from 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The goal of the retreat is to provide a time for individual and communal spiritual reflection and renewal during the Lenten Season, to deepen faculty and staff connections to one another and to the University’s Catholic, Holy Cross mission and identity, and to invite staff and faculty to reflect on and embrace their vital contributions to our shared mission.
Sign-up information can be found here.
Please note that participation in the day-long retreat will be considered a regular workday for staff, per supervisory approval.
Please contact Mission Committee chair Shannon Mayer at mayers@up.edu with any questions about registration, schedule, participation, accommodations, etc.