UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

05-25-2020

Summer Offerings From the Learning Commons

The Learning Commons invites all students to connect with peer tutors, writing assistants, and speech and presentation consultants as an effective learning strategy for greater success in their college courses. Working with our tutors also makes your online learning experience at UP more social. This summer, we offer students the following online tutoring programs in Microsoft Teams:

  • Math Resource Center: Simply send an email to mathtutor@up.edu to request a math tutoring appointment.Provide two or three good days and times to meet.
  • Writing Center: We have five writing assistants ready to support UP students during the summer term. Students can send an email request to writing@up.edu. Please include two to three good days and times to meet.
  • Language Studio: Students can access language tutor hotlines at frenchtutor@up.edu and spanishtutor@up.edu.
  • Natural Sciences Center: Students can request biology, chemistry, and physics tutoring appointments at biotutor@up.edu, chemtutor@up.edu, or physicstutor@up.edu.
  • Speech & Presentation Lab: Students can improve online presentation skills by requesting an appointment at speech@up.edu.

Students can find strategies for learning online at the college level by clicking here.

The Learning Commons’ virtual tutoring takes place on the Microsoft Teams platform which is available through the University’s Office 365 MyApps at this link.

To support the success of their virtual tutoring appointments student can take the following steps:

  • Use a laptop or tablet with a camera and microphone.
  • Become familiar with the Office 365 MyApps and search for the Teams app. Go to an introductory video on joining a meeting in Teams at this link.
  • If possible, download the Microsoft Teams app on their device.
  • Schedule appointments 48 hours in advance, if possible.

All questions regarding the Learning Commons’ virtual tutoring program can be directed to Jeffrey White, Learning Commons, at white@up.edu.

Columbia Sportswear Employee Store: You’re Invited!

Columbia Sportswear has reopened their employee store and is offering UP faculty, staff, and families special deals on gear needed to get outside, get some fresh air, and take advantage of Oregon’s outdoor recreational areas as they begin to reopen. The offer is open from May 22 to June 14.

The safety of Columbia Sportwear employees and shoppers is a number one priority. Below are some of the precautions being taken to ensure safety while in the employee  store:

  • Wiping down and sanitizing checkout surfaces between each customer 
  • Sanitizing fitting rooms between each customer 
  • Providing hand sanitizer for shoppers and employees 
  • 6’ marked checkout lines to maintain social distancing 
  • Limiting number of customers allowed in the store at one time 
  • All employees will be wearing face coverings 
  • Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own face coverings to wear while shopping 
  • Contactless payment options like Apple Pay

The Columbia Sportswear Employee Store offers the same discount given to CS employees, which is 40 to 50 percent off regular retail pricing for SOREL, Mountain Hardwear, prAna, and of course Columbia Sportswear products. There will also be clearance items at an additional 30 to 40 percent of employee pricing.

To gain access simply bring the printed invitation (click here) or show it on your mobile phone. Bring UP ID or business card, pay stub, signature of work email, etc. Also have personal photo ID. 

The invitation is valid for UP employees plus four guests; employee must be present. Store access only; offer not valid for online purchases.

 Find store location and hours here or on the invite.  Please note: hours have changed to Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Virtual Writing Assistance Available All Summer

While the in-person Writing Center will remain closed until further notice, virtual writing assistance is available for all students taking courses at UP this summer. If you’re teaching a summer course, especially one involving writing, will you let your students know about this service? One-on-one sessions with our experienced writing assistants will happen via video, by way of Teams + Google Docs. Our goal is to not just to inspire better papers, but to empower students to become better writers.

To make an appointment, students can simply email writing@up.edu and a writing assistant will get back to them within 24 hours (we do not use the scheduler at WCOnline in summer). Another option we are piloting for summer courses is to offer faculty the option of a “Dedicated Writing Assistant” for their course. Dedicated writing assistants will meet with faculty members to learn about the course’s writing assignments and then be available for students seeking assistance with those assignments.

Please contact Writing Center director Molly Hiro (hiro@up.edu) if you’d like to learn more about this option.

Recreational Services Virtual Fitness Summer Schedule

Recreational services will start its virtual fitness summer schedule on Wednesday, May 13, with eight classes offered each week including: Plyometrics, Yoga, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), and Zumba. Join the fitness fun! To join the virtual fitness MS Team, email Kaitlin Bourne at bourne@up.edu.

Monday:
  • 12:15 pm – Yoga Works with Kaitlin
  • 5:30 pm – Plyometrics Plus with Lauren
  • No classes on Memorial Day, Monday May 25
Tuesday:
  • 12:15 pm – HIIT with Brie
Wednesday:
  • 12:15 pm – Zumba with Brady
  • 5:30 pm – Plyometrics Plus with Lauren
Thursday:
  • 12:15 pm – HIIT with Brie
Friday:
  • 9:00 am – Yoga Works with Kaitlin
Saturday:
  • 11:15 am – HIIT with Brie
For more information go to http://www.up.edu/recservices.

Share Your Experience: All Together

Call for creative works! How is our University community responding to these uncertain times? The Clark Library requests your images and stories, showing how your life and work have changed and continue to change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your voices will be the record of this historic event. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to submit photographs, drawings, poetry, films, and more using this link.

Latest Message to UP Community from Fr. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C.

Dear UP Students, Faculty, Staff, and Families:

I pray that this message finds you and your loved ones well.

The current circumstances are unprecedented and challenging. Our human family has experienced tremendous suffering, loss, doubt, and disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In times like these, I find myself thinking of a refrain derived from the Constitutions of Holy Cross: we are called to be “people with hope to bring.”

Hope can seem distant and detached from reality in times of difficulty. But at UP, hope is an essential part of our DNA. It is in this very spirit of hope that I write to you with information about UP’s intention to safely return to in-person instruction, face-to-face working conditions, and campus activity and residentiality.

In my video message on April 27, I shared our goal of resuming in-person instruction in the Fall Semester. For the past several weeks, UP leadership and staff have been working to design and implement multi-level, comprehensive strategies for the resumption of University operations.  Three inter-divisional task forces have been assembled to formulate and execute operational resumption activities. These task forces and their assignments are as follows:

  • Academics – All matters related to the provision of instruction and academic services.
  • Campus Life – All matters related to campus activity, residentiality, and community welfare.
  • Operations – All matters related to management of the University’s physical spaces and technology infrastructure.

In addition to these task forces, intra-departmental teams in areas such as Financial Affairs, Human Resources, and Athletics are conducting important operational resumption work.

I have directed the leadership of these task forces and teams to abide by four guiding principles in their work: (1) maximize the health, safety, and wellbeing of all community members; (2) act in a mission-consistent, data-informed manner; (3) promote continuity of University services; and, (4) communicate with community members quickly and clearly. I thank them for the work that they have accomplished and the work that is to come.

As of today, we intend to commence our Fall Semester on Monday, August 17. Residence halls and on-campus dining facilities will open on this date. Staggered move-ins will occur during the early part of this week. Mandatory orientation sessions and coursework introductions will take place for all students. Further guidance on this period, including specific arrival instructions for on-campus residents, will be provided over the course of the summer months. Students and families should wait for further instructions prior to making travel plans and other arrangements for their return to campus during the first half of the week of August 17. We will begin in-person class instruction for the Fall Semester on Monday, August 24.

We will also make the following modifications to the academic calendar for fall 2020:

  • We will forgo a traditional Fall Break in October. Doing so will permit us to achieve the necessary hours of instruction while reducing the likelihood that community members will leave, become exposed to infectious agents at their destinations, and bring those agents with them upon their return to UP.
  • In-person instruction will end on Wednesday, November 25, in advance of our Thanksgiving Break. Students will leave campus and will not return for the remainder of the Fall Semester. We will undertake efforts to make students’ departure from campus safe and orderly.
  • Beginning Monday, November 30, and concluding Thursday, December 3, final exams will be administered online.

In addition to these changes to the academic calendar, we will also have to make modifications to the campus experience. We will adhere to strict health and safety protocols, including social distancing; de-densification of residence halls, academic buildings, and other campus spaces; testing; contact tracing; frequent cleaning; and the wearing of face masks. We will prepare for the potential need to isolate or quarantine residential students who test positive or may have been exposed to COVID-19. Health and safety protocols for faculty and staff will also be implemented. Additionally, we must be prepared for the possibility of a severe new outbreak of COVID-19. Unfortunately, we cannot rule out the need to quickly return to virtual instruction or make further modifications to the academic calendar.

There are many variables still beyond our control, including directives from local, state, and national health authorities that could potentially cause us to reconsider our plans. But we shall proceed in a spirit of hope that, with current positive trends around testing and treatment, as well as the ingenuity and determination of many across campus, we will be able to safely resume University operations.

There will be multiple communications from the University throughout the coming months to keep you informed of our planning and to instruct you on key steps to be taken by UP students and parents. University employees will receive further guidance from the Office of Human Resources on telework and other work-related conditions. I know that you have many questions, and we thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we roll out our plans over the coming months.

Along with the Holy Cross Community here at UP, I am praying for your continued health and safety, as well as all who are on the front lines of this pandemic. I pray also in thanksgiving for UP’s dedicated faculty and staff, resilient students, supportive families, and faith-filled mission.

Sincerely,

Fr. Mark Poorman, C.S.C.
University President

 

2020 Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching: Tammy VanDeGrift

The Committee on Teaching and Scholarship is pleased to announce that the 2020 Teaching Award winner is Tammy VanDeGrift, Shiley School of Engineering. She has been a champion of continuous improvement in teaching and student learning throughout her 15-year career at the University of Portland. Her focus on pedagogical approaches is not solely for her own teaching, but is a passion she shared by initiating Teaching and Learning Lunches and Teaching Circles within the Shiley School of Engineering, and as a generous mentor to many faculty across campus. VanDeGrift was in the first cohort of the UP REFLECT STEM Innovation project, where one peer observer noted, “Tammy is the living embodiment of an exemplary teacher, advancing student learning through skilled content organization that enables active engagement in the classroom.”

VanDeGrift’s students express appreciation for the care she takes to create a positive learning environment tuned to their needs, and the lengths she goes to help them discern their interests and connect content to “real life” applications. Comments such as the following are indicative of the types of responses in her course evaluations: “Dr. VanDeGrift always has some way of teaching that always stays with the student. She upholds participation in a manner that isn’t filled with pressure which can be a really comfortable classroom experience. It was easy to learn hard topics thanks to the schedule and strategies used in this course.” Another colleague writes that, “She cares that her students not only learn computer science, but that all students learn and learn to be computer scientists with an understanding of their broader role in society.”

Education is also a key theme in VanDeGrift’s research, where she has made valuable contributions to her profession. She has over fifty peer-reviewed publications; many of these are related to computer science education and engineering education, including topics of student advising, retention, and diversity.

Please join in congratulating Tammy VanDeGrift on this latest honor!

2020 Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship: Heather Dillon

The Committee on Teaching and Scholarship is pleased to announce that the 2020 Scholarship Award winner is Heather Dillon, Shiley School of Engineering. Known as a dedicated and talented researcher among her peers, she has had a prolific record of scholarship in her eight years at the University of Portland. Dillon created her UP research lab from the ground up and developed collaborations with other industry and University partners to pursue work on renewable energy and energy efficiency. One of her colleagues wrote, “Heather has been incredibly successful in including students in her research program and mentoring them in research methods and in applying for summer research positions and for graduate school.” Dillon has mentored over 40 students and this work was recognized by the Provost Award for Faculty Mentors in 2017. She holds elected positions in the Engineering Division of the national Council on Undergraduate Research as councilor and vice-chair.

She has authored an impressive number of publications during her career including over 80 peer-reviewed journals, conference papers, and technical reports, as well as giving numerous presentations. She has also been a principal investigator for major grants which have benefited STEM education at UP. She is a co-principal investigator for a National Science Foundation grant, “Creating a Culture of Evidence-Based Teaching and Reflection,” which led to the development of observation protocols that are being tested and implemented by UP faculty to improve teaching practice. Most recently this work led to a year as a visiting Fulbright Canada Research Chair in STEM Education at the University of Calgary.

Please join in congratulating Heather Dillon on this latest honor.

The Beacon: Third In U.S. for Best University Student Publication

Student media advisor Nancy Copic, student activities, reports that that The Beacon has placed third nationally for Best University Student Publication in the Catholic Press Association 2020 Media Awards. DePaul University placed first and University of Dayton placed second.

Both of those programs have strong journalism curricula, so once again the University of Portland can consider it a point of pride to see The Beacon so highly regarded. The awards will be announced publicly in June. For more information use this link.

Alan Timmins Announces Retirement: Thank You For Stellar Service

The University’s vice president for financial affairs, Alan P. Timmins, has announced his plan to retire from his position as of June 30, 2020, according to a message by University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C.

He graduated from the University maxima cum laude with degrees in accounting and management before earning his MBA from Stanford University. He worked as an auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers then joined AVI (now Sarepta Therapeutics), a pioneering medical research company. At AVI, he rose through the ranks and eventually served as the company’s president and chief operating officer for eight years. In 2009, he was named one of the “Significant 75” alumni of the Pamplin School of Business. In 2011, Alan came home to UP, joining the University as Vice President for Financial Affairs.

During his tenure, the value of the endowment more than doubled from $102 million to $206 million. This accomplishment has enabled UP to fund student scholarships, support faculty, and reduce dependence on tuition. Timmins also achieved an upgrade to the University’s bond rating from BBB+ to A, reducing University interest expenses and total debt service. He has provided remarkable leadership to the Division of Financial Affairs, including the controller’s office, student accounts, budgeting, and financial aid, and has guided UP’s relationships with Barnes & Noble and Bon Appétit Management Company. His transparent, collaborative approach to sustainable budgetary management has served UP and its educational mission well.

Eric Barger, currently associate vice president and controller, will serve as interim vice president for financial affairs beginning July 1, and Lori Watson will become interim controller. Please join Alan’s colleagues in sending best wishes to him and his wife Annette for their happy retirement in Arizona.