Each week, members of the Teaching & Learning Collaborative offer faculty five-minute interventions for thinking about teaching. In this week’s submission, Lars Larson, English, invites us to think about expanded possibilities for a question-driven curriculum.
03-15-2021
Faculty Development Day, May 11: Call for Session Proposals
The Committee on Teaching and Scholarship is pleased to announce the return of Faculty Development Day which will be a virtual event on May 11, 2021. The schedule and number of programs are still to be determined. However, the committee is now accepting proposals for 45-minute sessions on topics related to the keynote theme or on a topic of interest to you and your peers. Please email a title, brief program description, whether you prefer to have it recorded, and any other requests to tas@up.edu by April 1.
The keynote theme is “Building Trust and Finding Encounters: Frameworks for Respectful Engagement with Our Students and with Each Other.” The presenters are Professor Loretta J. Ross, Smith College and Simon Aihiokhai, University of Portland.
Keynote Abstract:
As faculty members at the University of Portland prepare students to respond to the needs of an interconnected world, it is essential to navigate the terrain of increasingly globalized and diverse identities and to build trust. Our multiple identities: race, class, gender, religion, ability and other salient aspects influence how we view and react within our local, national and global spaces. Faculty members have the opportunity to learn about their students who come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, to de-colonize their curricula, and to teach in culturally responsive and relevant ways. We all need to learn to communicate with those whose identities are embedded within different political, cultural, and religious or secular worldviews by seeking encounters with humility and by building trust through these encounters. Engagement with multiple perspectives is the hallmark of an educated person, and understanding how our identities as well as belief systems, both religious and secular, influence our institutions, cultures, and policies, as well as our own disciplinary perspectives is a critical undertaking. Three pillars will form the basis of the keynote: Trust, Encounter, Knowledge.
More details are available on the Faculty Development Day moodle site.
PilotsGive, April 7-8: Together we all add UP!
Mark your calendar for April 7-8, noon to noon, for one of the biggest giving days of the year at the University of Portland. PilotsGive is a day of worldwide Pilot pride that raises critical support for scholarships, programs, innovative learning experiences, and student success.
There are many ways to show your support and raise funds for the area of campus that is most meaningful to you:
- Inform your community about PilotsGive via your social media and connections. Toolkits are live here
- Become a PilotsGive ambassador and get a PilotsGive t-shirt!
- Make a gift to an area of UP that has a special place in your heart.
Need help getting started on fundraising for your area of campus? Training and support are available through the Office of Development. Contact Jessie Lamb, Development, at lamb@up.edu for more information.
New Pamplin School of Business Dean: Michael DeVaughn
The University of Portland (UP) has completed its search for a new Dean of the Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr., School of Business, naming Michael L. DeVaughn, Ph.D., to the position effective July 1. Dr. DeVaughn becomes the successor to Dr. Robin Anderson, who retired in June 2020. Since Dr. Anderson’s retirement, Dr. Gary Malecha, the University’s Tyson Distinguished Professor, has served as Interim Dean for the Pamplin School.
Dr. DeVaughn makes history as the first African-American dean of the UP business school named for Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of the R.B. Pamplin Corporation. A search committee chaired by UP Provost Dr. Herbert A. Medina directed the national search that identified and ultimately selected Dr. DeVaughn.
“Dr. DeVaughn comes to UP with a deep personal appreciation for the strength of our educational offerings and the richness of our community,” said University President Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., in an announcement today to UP faculty, staff, and students. “When speaking with Michael, his passion for our University’s Catholic and Holy Cross missions, his dedication to matters of equity and inclusion, and his commitment to business education rooted in the liberal arts are immediately apparent. His experience as a teacher, scholar, and administrator, together with his empathy and enthusiasm, make him the right person to lead the Pamplin School of Business into its next exciting chapter.”
“I am thrilled to be joining UP as the next Dean of the Pamplin School of Business,” said Dr. DeVaughn about the appointment. “UP’s educational, mission-centered excellence has been on my radar for years, ever since my son was an undergraduate there. As a Pilot parent, I am already a member of the UP family and look forward to the next, exciting, challenging chapter of my engagement with the University.”
Dr. DeVaughn joins the University from the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been a faculty member at St. Thomas since 2008 and has served in various leadership roles at the institution including Faculty Director of the M.B.A. Program and Research Fellow in the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship. His scholarship has centered on organizational learning and entrepreneurship, as well as the delivery of business education.
Dr. DeVaughn received his bachelor’s degree from Brown University, his M.B.A. from Indiana University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining St. Thomas, he served on the faculty at the University of Minnesota and enjoyed a successful career in the private sector with corporations including Ralston Purina, PepsiCo, and Fleet Financial Group (now Bank of America).
TechSmith Knowmia to be Retired in 2022
TechSmith recently announced that it will be sunsetting the TechSmith Knowmia (formerly Relay) product over the course of 2022 in order to focus on its media creation and editing products, Snagit and Camtasia.
What does this mean for you? For now, nothing! You do not need to immediately download or move your entire library. You may also continue to utilize TechSmith Knowmia for recording and sharing of your instructional materials. But, as word travels fast in the education sphere, we wanted you to know we are aware, and we are working on it! Over the coming year, ATSI staff will work closely with TechSmith to develop migration plans to move content to our existing Kaltura MediaSpace platform or other platforms based on what will maintain the best service for our campus. This process will include opportunities for input by the instructional community as to what will be best for you.
We will release updates on plans and how you can help us evaluate replacement tools and processes over the course of 2021. In the meantime, just keep doing what you are doing- amazing work with our students!
Any questions can be sent to the ATSI team via email, atsi@up.edu.
Spring 2021 Butine Awards Announced
The Committee on Teaching and Scholarship (TAS) is pleased to announce the Butine grant recipients for the Spring cycle according to chair Diane Sotak, Clark Library. The Arthur Butine Faculty Development Fund was established to support faculty in their scholarly endeavors. The recipients are:
- Alexa Dare, Streams Environmental Humanities Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, August 3-7, 2021 ($2000)
- Andra Davis, Usability of the Primary Palliative Care Nurse Competence Assessment Tool in Undergraduate Nursing Education: A Pilot Study ($500)
- Paige Hall, POGIL Writers’Retreat, Online, July 11-15, 2021 ($520)
- Ryan Kenton, American Society of Microbiology Conference for Undergraduate Educators, Online, June 29-July 1, 2021 ($260) and World Microbe Forum, Online, June 20-24, 2021 ($250)
- Andrew Lafrenz, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Conference, Online, March 10-12, 2021 ($654)
- Kala Mayer, Towards a Resilient and Trauma-Informed Nursing School ($1000)
- Claire McKinley Yoder, Pilot Study Evaluating the School of Nursing Curriculum Using Tools Adapted from Education, Social Work and Midwifery ($2000)
- Bonnie Parks, American Library Association Annual Conference, Online, June 24-29, 2021 ($179)
- Tara Prestholdt, Society for the Study of Evolution, Online, June 21-25, 2021 ($400)
- Isabelle Soule, Evidence review for the role of the arts in improving health and well-being ($2000)
- David Taylor, BOTANY 2021 conference, Online, July 19-23, 2021 ($350)
- Amber Vermeesch, American College of Sports Medicine’s 68th Annual Meeting, Online, June 1-5, 2021 ($525)
For more information, please contact Diane Sotak at tas@up.edu.
Register Now for Wednesday Conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
ReadUP 2021 will conclude this week with the Schoenfeldt Distinguished Writers Series hosting Dr. Ibram X. Kendi as he engages the community in a dynamic conversation on Wednesday, March 31 at 5:15 p.m. via live Zoom webinar. Remember, you must register in advance, though the event is free and open to all. The Zoom webinar link will be emailed to all who pre-register. Dr. Kendi will address questions submitted by UP community members before the event on this form. Questions submitted by 5 p.m. today, Monday March 29, will be generously curated by staff in the Office of International Education, Diversity and Inclusion, with the goal of hearing from as many people as possible. Questions received after that time will be considered as time permits.
For more information on this year’s ReadUP events and resources, please go to up.edu/readup or contact garaventa@up.edu.
A Catholic Look at the Crises of Neoliberal Economics, March 23
If you find something horrifying about politicians suggesting that people just get out and shop and dine during the pandemic—even if it means their grandparents might die from COVID-19 and that is just the regrettable cost of reviving the economy—you have just faced a crisis of neoliberal economics. Want to know more? Join the webinar “A Catholic Look at the Crises of Neoliberal Economics” hosted by the Garaventa Center at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23. Theologian Matt Eggemeier of the College of the Holy Cross will use the lens of Catholic Social Teaching to unpack social problems such as racism and ecological disaster ushered in by neoliberal economics. His talk is free and open to all, and will be available at this Zoom link: https://uportland.zoom.us/j/97310481492.
For more info, please go to up.edu/garaventa/events or contact garaventa@up.edu.
Moreau Center for Service and Justice Bike Sale Fundraiser, March 19
The Moreau Center for Service and Justice is holding a used bike sale fundraiser this Friday, March 19 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. outside in front of the Clark Library. We’ll have good used bikes for affordable prices and all sales go towards supporting our student programming. Cash and card are accepted.
For questions and ADA accommodations, please contact Tyler Wagner, Moreau Center for Service and Justice, at wagnert@up.edu.
2021 Orientation Planning: Suggestions & Ideas Welcome
The planning process for Fall 2021 new student orientation programs and activities is underway, according to Jeromy Koffler, student activities. Any suggestions, recommendations, proposals, requests, or other “we should really do that!” ideas will be gratefully accepted by Koffler (koffler@up.edu); Brad Franco, history (franco@up.edu); or Montana Hisel-Cochran, business (hiselcoc@up.edu), by Tuesday, March 30.