04-18-2022

You are invited to Anchors Away, an event celebrating the start of summer for both students and staff/faculty, on Thursday, April 28, from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on the Quiet Side of the Commons. There will be dinner provided at the event, along with a bunch of outdoor games and activities. Anchors Away is a fun university tradition that brings everyone together. We hope you will join us to celebrate the end of the school year!

NOTE: This is free to staff and faculty and you can pick up a ticket when you arrive at the event.

The University community is invited to join us in celebrating our graduating class of 2022 at the Baccalaureate Mass at 5 p.m. in the Chiles Center on Saturday, April 30. Come and support our graduates in prayer and celebrate their many achievements! NOTE–There will be no 10:30 a.m. Mass in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher on Sunday, May 1, due to University Commencement activities.

We also welcome any students, faculty, and staff who might wish to lend their voices in song to be part of our Choir for the Baccalaureate Mass. Please contact Hector Mendoza, Campus Minister for Liturgical Music (mendoza@up.edu), with any questions or to offer your talents in celebrating our graduates!

As we move into the last month of the Spring term, please see ATSI’s April Techtalk Blog post for information on Zoom updates and what is new in Zoom for the month of April.

The Committee on Committees would like to hear from all faculty regarding their interest and preferences for committee assignments for the 2022–2023 academic year. It is important that everyone completes this short survey to let the Committee know their service history, service interests for next year, as well as availability across a variety of service opportunities. 

The Committee on Committees will meet in May and, using the information from the survey, will reconfigure these important committees for the next academic year. 

Faculty who do not complete the survey are assumed to be available for assignment in any role on any committee in 2022-2023. The survey can be found at: https://uportland.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aabX82yowLxNP2S.

Questions can be directed to Eric Anctil, chair of Committee on Committees (anctil@up.edu).

Beginning April 18, visit the Clark Library Covert Gallery for a photo research exhibit on the intersecting themes of economic, social, and environmental justice. The exhibit features work by the students of the “Organizing for Environmental Justice” spring 2022 class at the University of Portland, facilitated by Lizz Schallert, social work. Join us for a reception with the exhibitors at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 21 in the Covert Gallery on the main floor of the Clark Library.

Questions? Contact libraryevents@up.edu. 

The University’s student-run weekly newspaper, The Beacon, recently won a Silver Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) at Columbia University in NY. The Crown Awards are the highest recognition given by the CSPA to a student print or digital medium for overall excellence.

The Beacon also won several Mark of Excellence Awards (i.e., first place)from the Society of Professional Journalists, Region IX (5 states) in these categories: 

• Breaking News Reporting
• Feature Writing
• General Column Writing
• Sports Photography
• Videogame Reporting

The Beacon was also a finalist (2^nd or 3^rd place) in these categories:

• General News Reporting
• In-depth Reporting
• Editorial Writing

Introduction of Leadership Fellows Formation Program:

Traditional conceptualizations of leadership often focus on leaders being defined by their position, responsibilities, and power, while in many cases commanding, controlling, and coercing their followers. At UP, we see leadership differently. We emphasize the inclusive assertion that everyone can be a leader and express leadership through intentionally cultivated knowledge, skills, mindsets, and the leveraging of unique leadership strengths. In the midst of the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of life, we celebrate that leadership is both what we do and the essence of who we are and who we are becoming. We lift up the idea that leadership is manifested through relationship and is enacted through serving and accompanying others on their journey and working for social justice. Leadership is by and for ALL of us, collaborating together toward a more holistic vision of the common good. With this in mind, we hope you will consider participating in the Leadership Fellows Formation Program in Fall Semester 2022.

Why should I get involved?

• Leadership is for ALL–The UP community needs leadership from many different voices and perspectives from across campus. Learn how UP thinks about leadership and add your ideas to enrich the discussion. All are welcome and encouraged to participate.
• Learn more deeply about YOU and who you are becoming! You will gain a deeper awareness of your leadership strengths and practice leveraging those strengths through our strengths-based approach to leadership development. 
• Develop critical leadership knowledge, skills, and mindsets to apply to your personal and professional contexts 
• Get ENGAGED–Cultivate community with faculty and staff members across campus. Intentionally form relationships with colleagues who deepen your learning, support you and goals, and provide a catalyst for your continued growth and transformation.  
• Interested in being a future leadership coach and/or instructor–This program is a pre-requisite to serve as a leadership coach and/or instructor in the Leader Certificate Program; however, completion is not a guarantee of future placement (there is additional preparation that is required for those who desire to serve in those roles).
• Leadership coaches and instructors can earn a stipend of up to $2,500 for their teaching or coaching.

What does the program entail?

• Live Sessions: 6, 1-hour live in-person sessions (2 per month) during Fall Semester 2022: Live sessions bring the whole cohort together to learn, share, and explore leadership.
• Pre-work for live sessions: Participants will be invited to engage with materials such as readings, videos, and assessments to deepen their learning and make progress toward their goals.
• Pod discussions–Pods are small groups of 3 – 4 participants. The purpose of the pods is to cultivate community, deepen the learning, and forward the action and goals of participants.

o   Pods meet approximately 2 times per month, each being approximately 30 minutes (at a day/time that is convenient for the pod members).

o   Outline of each pod meeting structure/questions will be provided by the program.

• Leadership Laboratory–Participants will choose one leader character habit and additional professional and personal goals that they wish to focus on during the arc of the program. Pod members will serve as collaborators in curiosity and accountability, helping support and challenge their pod members. 
• Individual Leadership Exploration Library–Optional resources that participants can engage with to deepen their leadership learning and growth.
• Reflection/Integration–Participants will complete a short reflection that gives them the opportunity to integrate, connect, and apply their learning to personal and professional contexts.

Total approximate time commitment for program = 16 hours (approximately 1 hour per week during Fall Semester 2022)

 What are the dates of the live sessions?

• Session #1: Wednesday, September 7, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (Location: TBD) 
• Session #2: Wednesday, September 21, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (Location: TBD) 
• Session #3: Wednesday, October 5, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (Location: TBD) 
• Session #4: Wednesday, October 26, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (Location: TBD) 
• Session #5: Wednesday, November 9, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (Location: TBD
• Session #6: Wednesday, November 30, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (Location: TBD) 

What are faculty and staff saying about the program?

“The leadership program has been a transformative experience for me, not only in how I relate to and coach students in the leadership program, but also in my daily personal and professional life.  It has given me a fresh perspective of how I might serve as a leader in my various communities by giving me tools to recognize and leverage my strengths, rather than always focusing on how to improve my areas of “weakness.”  Furthermore, the leadership program has afforded me valuable opportunities to learn from and collaborate with faculty and staff across campus who are also seeking to improve their impact and efficacy in their own personal and professional relationships.” – Hannah Highlander, Associate Dean for Students & Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences

“My experience in the leadership program provided gateways to discussions and experiences that intersected with my personal and professional pathways. Entering the leadership program, I realized my definition and lens of what leadership meant to me was going to be re-examined and reflective in my day-to-day activities. This same notion has served as a guide when serving the UP students who are enrolled in the leadership program.” – Benjamin Gallegos, Assistant Professor of Education, School of Education

“Everyone wants to ‘level up.’  What all successful people have in common is that they have learned who they are, what they want to become and, most importantly, how to get there.  What I like most about the leadership program is that it provides well-defined framework in place to teach a student that fundamental skill set and then provides the mentorship to make it happen.  It’s like training wheels for being awesome.” – Andrew Nuxoll, Associate Professor and Program Chair of Computer Science, Shiley School of Engineering

“Working with and learning from Leadership Fellows has been a consistent highlight for me as an educator and a mentor. The leadership program has been a wonderful professional and personal opportunity for me as well. With this program, I have honed my professional leadership qualities and strengths and I recommend this program wholeheartedly to other faculty and staff seeking similar growth opportunities.” – Amber Vermeesch, Associate Professor & Interim Director of Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, School of Nursing

“The Leadership Fellows Formation Program was an opportunity for me to develop my leadership skills, as well as build my capacity to coach and teach leadership with students. The program also enabled me to build relationships with faculty and staff from across the university, connecting me with the larger UP community.” – Molly Cullen, Academic Program Counselor, Pamplin School of Business

“Part of the reason I enjoy this program is the chance to learn from people further along the journey. The people and the conversations that happen in this program have helped me sharpen my skills as I aim to be a better support to our students. It’s helped me stop and reflect on the kind of leader I am becoming.” – James Peña, Wellness Education and Prevention Programs Coordinator, Student Affairs

How do I register?

To register, please complete this registration form (or go to this link: https://uportland.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5cMIkXWW4rSQkHc). 

There is not a fee to participate in the program. For questions, please contact Dave Houglum, Director of Leadership & Leadership Professor of Practice at houglum@up.edu. 

Les joined us in February. We are overjoyed to have him on the team, and he has been settling in wonderfully as he gets to know folks around campus–you may see him at your next tech appointment! He shares the following details about his time before coming to University of Portland:

My first paid computer job was as “professional staff” at Ball State University while pursuing an undergraduate degree in vocal music performance. I really enjoyed the mixture of tech and music while getting my degree. After moving to the Northwest, I ended up as a systems engineer at a fortune 500 company where I would wear many hats: desktop/server admin, software trainer, corporate national network engineer, and eventually IT manager over offices in Oregon and Alaska. I continued singing professionally the entire time, so when my daughter was adopted and IT was centralizing, I stepped away to spend more time with her, perform, and teach music. I’ve spent the last decade or so teaching voice at Concordia Portland, Willamette University, and Pacific University while performing a great deal in the Northwest, across the US and in Canada and Europe. I never lost my love of tech so the past two years of remote classes and technology solutions really set my interest buzzing, and I decided to change course yet again. I’m thrilled to bring my skills and learn new ones with an excellent IS team at UP. I’m grateful for the warm welcome I’ve received from everyone and look forward to meeting more of you in the months to come.

Starting in May 2022, Dave Houglum is offering leadership coaching for UP faculty, staff, and athletic coaches at no charge. This is a great opportunity for anyone who desires a collaborator and thought partner who will help them make forward progress toward their goals and deepening their learning and awareness. 

About Dave Houglum’s background as a professional leadership and executive coach:

In April of 2021 Dave earned the CPCC certificate (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) from the Co-Active Training Institute by completing over 200 hours of training, 100+ hours of coaching clients, feedback on multiple recorded coaching sessions with individual coach supervisors, group coaching supervision, mentor coaching, and final practical exam. The Co-Active Training Institute is widely recognized as the most rigorous professional coach training and certification program in the industry and is known as the “gold standard” of coaching by the Institute of Coaching, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. Additionally, he earned the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential through the International Coaching Federation and is currently progressing toward the next credential level. Within UP, Dave provides leadership coaching to undergraduate students, faculty, staff, and athletic coaches. Dave also serves in the International Coaching Federation Oregon Chapter’s pro-bono coaching initiative, where he provides leadership coaching to non-profit executives in the Portland metro area. 

Process:

Here is what the process looks like, if you are interested: 

1. 30-minute intro session–to meet you, give you more information about coaching and the process, hear about what your goals are/how you’d like to grow as a leader, and determine if you’d like to proceed.
2. 8 – 12, 1-hour leadership coaching sessions during the course of 4-6 months (your choice, 6 months is most common, but flexibility is given to meet your needs and have this be the most powerful experience for you).

Additional Details:

• Coaching is conducted via Zoom or phone.
• Participants and session content are strictly confidential.
• Participants help drive the coaching process by bringing topics that are important to them to the sessions (topics vary widely, but are often focused on the development of specific leadership skills and mindsets, goal achievement and fulfillment, areas you want to deepen your awareness and learning, and areas where you feel stuck that you want to change).

Testimonials:

“Dave is as affirming, insightful, reflective, and resourced of a coach as anyone could ask for! His clear passion for facilitating the growth of others is itself motivating, and he creates the ideal safe-yet-charged-for-change environment that empowers his clients to participate actively in their own assessment, exploration, and formation. Through coaching with Dave, I was able to dedicate time to focus on areas of personal struggle and freedom that I’d long found difficult to address. In less than a year, I’m well on my way to overcoming personal hurdles I’ve faced for nearly 3 decades. Thank you, Dave!” – H. P.

“Dr. David Houglum is dedicated, resourceful, thoughtful, and creative as a coach who appreciates and approaches his clients as being whole from the beginning, guiding them to find and develop their own full potential. In his coaching sessions he is offering a safe and rich environment and a large toolbox for self-assessment and personal growth. Thank you, Dave, for your insightful guidance to what leadership could mean to me in my different roles.” – E.B.

“Dave’s coaching is the epitome of empowerment. His passion for helping others find their leader within and to connect with one’s authentic, best self allowed him to meet me where I was and explore what was next for me on my journey. Dave’s commitment to coaching people as fully capable, creative and resourceful beings helped me find my footing through my struggles with becoming a coach myself and empowered me to discover what it means for me to live a life aligned with my values. Thank you, Dave, for your curiosity, empathy and the care you put into co-creating tools to put in my toolbox!” – A.D. 

If you are interested in receiving leadership coaching, please complete the very short interest form found here: https://uportland.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0omNwHBLo0Fqv9Y by Friday, April 22 at 5 p.m.

A ceremony and reception for all 2022 retirees will take place on Wednesday, April 20, at 3:30 p.m. on the patio of the Bauccio Commons Quiet Side. For more information contact Kathleen Staten at x7105 or staten@up.edu.

The following faculty members have announced their retirement at the conclusion of the spring 2022 semester, according to Kathleen Staten, provost’s office:

• Ami Ahern-Rindell, Associate Professor, Department of Biology
• Michael Cameron, Professor, Department of Theology
• Mark Kennedy, Professor, Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering
• Steve Kolmes, Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Molter Chair in Science
• Matthew Kuhn, Professor, Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering, Br. Godfrey Vassallo Endowed Professor
• John Orr, Assistant Provost for Scholarly Engagement & Career Readiness, Professor of English, and Director of Honors Program 
• Jane Scott, Head of Public Services, Clark Library
• Mojtaba Takallou, Associate Professor, Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering