UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

02-08-2021

Latest Community Message From Fr. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C.

Dear University of Portland Community Members,

I write today with several important updates regarding plans for a primarily in-person Fall 2021 Semester, our mode of instruction for the Summer Sessions, a freeze on tuition and academic fees for the 2021–22 academic year, and this May’s Commencement exercises.

But first, I offer my gratitude to all UP community members who have helped to make the start of our semester such a success. Here on The Bluff, COVID-19 positivity is low, residential students and on-campus staff are following our Pilots Prevent health and safety strategies, in-person classes have begun, and spirits are high. Those learning, teaching, and working remotely continue to find new and creative ways to connect with one another and live out our mission, albeit at physical distance. This positive start is the result of dedication, ingenuity, and common concern—three hallmarks of the UP community. Our semester has only just begun and we still have a way to go. But if we work together and look out for one another, I am confident that this academic term will be a success.

Plans for a Primarily In-Person Fall 2021 Semester: With hope and optimism, I share that the University of Portland is planning to conduct a primarily in-person Fall 2021 Semester. Classes will once again mostly be held in-person in our academic buildings, residence halls will return to close-to-normal occupancy, and most campus programming and events will resume.

As we have stated since the outset of the pandemic, flexibility will be essential. In the months ahead, we will closely monitor trends in COVID-19 positivity and the impact of new virus variants. We will be prepared to pivot to alternative plans, if necessary. Further, it is highly likely that the fall semester will not look like a complete return to “normal.” Given the uncertainty surrounding vaccine availability and long-term public health guidelines, we anticipate that some courses and events will continue to be held virtually and other operations may be impacted.

Nevertheless, in light of all that we have learned over the past eleven months, we are confident that we can safely and effectively return to primarily in-person operations in the fall. The COVID-19 Steering Committee will provide updates on our plans in the coming weeks.

Summer Sessions: Very briefly, I note that final decisions regarding the instructional format for Summer Sessions I and II have not yet been made. Information regarding Summer Session I will be shared with the campus community by March 5.

Tuition and Academic Fee Freeze for the 2021–22 Academic Year:In the coming days, students and families will receive a letter from the University announcing that tuition and academic fees will remain unchanged for the 2021–22 academic year. While the University has faced financial challenges as result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to making a UP education as affordable as possible. More information about tuition and fees for next year, as well as a comparison of UP’s costs relative to peer institutions, is provided in the letter that students and families will receive soon.

Commencement 2021: Our annual Commencement exercises will occur on May 9, 2021. The University has not made any decisions regarding the format of our ceremony. A committee of graduating seniors, faculty, and staff is currently studying this issue and will solicit feedback and perspective from the campus community, most especially those who are scheduled to graduate in May. The committee hopes to make a recommendation about Commencement 2021 by the end of February. At that time, we will also share information about the 2021 Commencement speaker and recipients of the Christus Magister Medal and honorary degrees. Regardless of format, we are committed to finding a meaningful and memorable way to honor UP’s Class of 2021 that complies with health restrictions and promotes the safety and well-being of our community.

I once again encourage you to visit our Pilots Prevent website and read our weekly Helping Pilots Prevent newsletter for the latest information on how the University is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please know of my gratitude for all that you have done to help UP navigate this time of challenge. As always, I am praying for you, your loved ones, and all who have been impacted by this pandemic.

Sincerely,

Rev. Mark L Poorman, C.S.C.
President

Spring 2021 Provost’s Initiative for Undergraduate Research Recipients: Summer Applications Due Feb. 15

Herbert MedinaThe Office of the Provost is pleased to announce recipients of the Spring 2021 Provost’s Initiative for Undergraduate Research awards. These faculty members have been selected to collaborate with and mentor an undergraduate on a co-designed research experience during the 2021 spring semester:

  • Sherry Abbasi, engineering: “Brain imaging and psychological self-assessment correlation in PTSD patients” with Erik Liu
  • Andra Davis, nursing: “Integration of oncology nurse-led telephone support for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy using evidence-based symptom guides into clinical practice” with Cassandra Padgham and Dasha Efremov
  • Lara-Zuzan Golesorkhi, political science: “Refugee Women’s Livelihoods in a Global Pandemic” with Trevor Riedmann
  • Cara Hersh, English: “No Curtains in Atonement: Early Modern Drama and the Postmodern Novel” with Siena Di Sera
  • Andrew Lafrenz, nursing: “The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental and Physical Health in College Students” with Brylee Kiminski
  • Jordy Wolfand, engineering: “Using machine learning to uncover patterns in water quality in the Los Angeles River Watershed” with Anna Tinoco

A reminder to faculty: applications for Summer 2021 Provost’s Initiative for Undergraduate Research awards are available now in the Undergraduate Research section of PilotsUP. Applications for Summer 2021 are due February 15, 2021.

MediaSpace Copies of Zoom Recordings

The ATSI team has discovered that during 2020, some Zoom recordings synched to MediaSpace may have automatically been copied to the libraries of all meeting/class attendees due to platform settings.

These settings have since been updated to prevent any future occurrences. If you have any recordings which you would prefer attendees not be able to access, you can check if they have access (and remove it) by doing the following:

  • Log into MediaSpace (accessible via your myapps account or directly at https://mediaspace.up.edu)
  • Click your name in the top right corner
  • Click “My Media”
  • From your media list, open the Zoom video you want to make sure is not shared with other users
  • Click Actions -> Edit
  • Click the “Collaboration” tab
  • Under “Collaborators” a list of anyone who can see the video in their library will be displayed. Click the “X” next to anyone you wish to remove (if no one is listed, access was not given to attendees).
  • Confirm your desire to delete the users’ access on the popup

For questions, please contact ATSI at atsi@up.edu.

Marketing Division Earns 17 Awards for Work Produced in 2019-2020

CASEThe Division of Marketing and Communications has received 17 awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District VIII for work produced during the 2019-2020 year including two “Grand Gold” awards for projects deemed best in their category and a “Platinum” finalist award that will compete for national recognition. Two of the awards were recognized in “pivot” categories, honoring work that addressed challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards include

Platinum Finalist – “Home and Free” from Portland magazine for Best Article

Grand Gold – Portland magazine Winter 2020 issue, (Human) Nature for Alumni/General Interest Magazine

Grand Gold – Pollentia Undergraduate Research Expedition video for General Information Video

Gold – Veritas Vos Liberabit book cover for Design

Silver – The Story of The Bluff (for Reunion 2020) for Design/Illustration

Silver – Veritas Vos Liberabit book for Multi-Page Publications

Silver – Virtual Commencement Hype Video for PSAs and Commercial Spots

Silver – School of Nursing 85th Anniversary branding campaign for Department or Unit Branding Programs

Silver – Online Commencement for Special Event Pivot (award shared with University Relations and Athletics)

Bronze – Moreau Center Mission Statement video for Communications Pivot

Bronze – Portland magazine email for Digital Communications/External Newsletters

Bronze – Team UP social campaign for Social Media

Bronze – SHINE website for Websites/Microsites (award shared with the Office of Development)

Bronze – Graduating Seniors Write Letters to Their First-Year Selves for General Information Video

Bronze – The Beauty of The Bluff for PSAs and Commercial Spots

Bronze – “The Dream is Intact” from Portland magazine for Feature Writing

Bronze – “Affordable Affordable” from Portland magazine for Feature, Profile or News—Less than 1,000 Words

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is dedicated to education advancement in the areas of alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services. District VIII includes colleges, universities, and independent schools in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and Nunavut.

For more information, contact Michael Lewellen, marketing and communications, lewellen@up.edu.

New Date: Why Theology Needs Schitt’s Creek, March 2

Take two for this event which has moved to March 2. Like a dash of humor with your theology? Join Karen Eifler, co-director of the Garaventa Center, for “Why Theology Needs Schitt’s Creek,” the next installment in the popular Beckman Humor Project “Why Theology Needs…” series. Eifler will highlight thematic elements of Schitt’s Creek – the series that swept the comedy category in the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards – and propose what we can learn from this Canadian sitcom to deepen our understanding of Catholic faith. Free live Zoom webinar, Tuesday, March 2 at 5 p.m. at this link. Hosted by the Garaventa Center.

For more info: up.edu/beckmanhumor/events or garaventa@up.edu.

Moreau Center for Service and Justice: Spring Engagement Experience (SEE) Portland

Join the Moreau Center for Service and Justice to SEE Portland. The Spring Engagement Experience (SEE) Portland is an opportunity to learn stories of racial (in)justice and community strength and resistance in the Black, Indigenous, and other communities of North Portland. Learn how we connect to these shared stories and explore how we move forward together as a community.

Find out more and register for the free SEE Portland by February 14. All current faculty, staff and students are invited to participate. Contact Tyler Wagner, wagnert@up.edu, with any questions.

TLC Teaching Tip: Universal Design for Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we teach and learn.  Your experience may be similar to those faculty who have told me they recently implemented Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to develop new teaching strategies that otherwise would not have been implemented had it not been for the remote-learning model caused by the pandemic.   In AES we have received countless student reports of the thoughtful ways in which you as faculty support student learning and growth in these challenging times. Most of you plan to update and implement new iterations of these strategies once the University returns to a completely in-person model, post-pandemic.

How does this trend impact pedagogy moving forward?   Both Inside Higher Ed and the Chronicle of Higher Education recently featured articles addressing UDL planning for a post-COVID higher education landscape.  We as a University community recognize and celebrate your tremendous efforts in adapting your teaching to meet ever-evolving learning needs this year. The work you do to update your pedagogy to meet current needs, while stressful, is also urgent, flexible, experimental, innovative, and deeply appreciated by students.  This ongoing pedagogical work informed by UDL is happening across the country in myriad disciplines, including surgical education, and facilities and technology planning.   As these articles suggest, this work is most effective when done as a community within a user-centered UDL planning process which integrates physical design and technology considerations, and includes perspectives of faculty, administrators, students and IS staff. We in AES look forward to supporting this ongoing work and welcome your feedback and questions at any time.  As always and especially now, thank you for your ongoing partnership in support of students.

For more information please contact Melanie Gangle,  AES Manager at gangle@up.edu.

ShareUP Virtual Support Hours

The Division of Marketing & Communications hosts virtual support hours on Zoom, by appointment, every Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. to help faculty, staff, and students master all the offerings of the ShareUP brand portal. If you have questions or comments about ShareUP and would like to virtually chat please email Chris Long at longc@up.edu to set up a virtual appointment.

Teaching & Learning: Practicing What You Teach

Jeffrey WhiteAs professionals in teaching within higher education in trying times, we can leverage the Learning Commons’ peer educators to facilitate students’ practicing what we teach, says Jeffrey White, Learning Commons administrator. Learn about Practicing What You Teach, useful information about why we should make the benefits of trained peers helping peers visible to students and how we can best connect them with the Learning Commons’ highly trained peer staff. For more information, contact White at white@up.edu.