The Franz Center is providing free leadership training and development during the 2020-21 academic year for faculty and staff who want to learn more about their leadership gifts and habits and about becoming a Leadership Fellow. There have been over 150 faculty and staff from across the University who have been trained as Leadership Fellows thus far, and the Franz Center is seeking to include 30 additional faculty and staff who will begin their training next fall. In addition to engaging in what some who have gone through the training describe as a “transformative experience” in which faculty/staff develop a deeper awareness of their leadership strengths and practice leveraging those strengths in service of the common good, after completing the leadership training, Leadership Fellows can serve as leadership instructors and coaches in the Leader Certificate program. Instructors in the Leadership Certificate program earn a stipend of up to $2,500/semester for their teaching or coaching.
All full-time faculty are eligible to participate. Because of certain restrictions, we are able to include only exempt (salaried) staff in the program. Please contact Dave Houglum, director of leadership for the Franz Center, at houglum@up.edu if you would like to participate, nominate a colleague, or need more information, by Friday, May 8.
The Controller’s Office will temporarily accept electronic submission of payment requests while the University is closed due to COVID-19, according to Lori Watson. Please combine all documents into one PDF file and submit to 
Shortly after his untimely death in 1989, University president Rev. Thomas Oddo, C.S.C., was memorialized by faculty, staff, students, and friends with the establishment of an endowed scholarship fund named after him. Every year the University awards scholarship funds in Fr. Oddo’s name to one or more students who meet a set of criteria which includes demonstrated commitment to service and to service learning. Criteria for the Father Thomas C. Oddo, C.S.C. Memorial Scholarship are:
University of Portland regent and longtime benefactor Amy Dundon-Berchtold passed away on Monday, March 16. A visionary real estate entrepreneur and investor, Amy, along with her husband Jim Berchtold ’63, gave generously to the University of Portland. In 2011, Amy and Jim created the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation and Applied Ethics, which offers classes, public events, and student-faculty research support. From the success of that endeavor, Amy and Jim provided the lead gift for the University’s first new academic building in 25 years, Dundon-Berchtold Hall. This new academic building has transformed the University of Portland campus, with classrooms, faculty offices, formal and informal gathering areas, and state-0f-the-art teaching resources.
In light of growing concerns around Covid-19, development has made the difficult decision to postpone #PilotsGive, originally scheduled for April 1-2 , until a future date.
The UP Writing Center has transitioned to an online/virtual service for as long as classes are not meeting in person. Writing assistants have completed training on using MS Teams for videoconferences, and the Writing Center Scheduler has been updated to indicate to students seeking writing assistance that their conferences will now be virtual rather than in-person. We have many open spots on our scheduler, and since students will overall have less contact with their professors and peers, a one-on-one conference with a writing assistant could be a great way for them to find support in this strange time. Please consider encouraging your students to meet virtually with a writing assistant for any writing project they have still to complete this semester. From brainstorming ideas to putting finishing touches on a paper, we can help!
Starting Sunday, March 22, Campus Ministry will be streaming and posting Sunday and Daily Mass online. Sunday Mass will be streamed at the regular time of 10:30 a.m. and Daily Masses at the regular time of 12:05 p.m. Check the Campus Ministry website for more details 
Microsoft Teams is a program for engaging with students both synchronously and asynchronously, allowing for chatting, video and audio calls, and even sharing presentations with students while on a call. However, according to Sam Williams, academic technology and innovation, because of the many features it has, it can be a bit intimidating to get started with. Here is a guide on the basics of starting a 1-on-1 chat, and starting a classroom team for group or singular at distance instruction.
The following message was sent to the entire University of Portland community on Friday, March 20, by University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C.: 
Information service would like to warn everyone to remain vigilant for scams related to Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Cyber criminals may send phishing emails with malicious attachments or links to fraudulent websites to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or donating to fraudulent charities or causes. Exercise caution in handling any email with a COVID-19-related subject line, attachment or hyperlink, and be wary of social media pleas, texts, or calls related to COVID-19.