UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

06-29-2020

Please Check “Back to The Bluff” Website for Latest on Campus Re-Entry

All University of Portland faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to check regularly for updates on the Back to The Bluff webpage using this link, according to Michael Lewellen, VP for marketing and communications. New content is being added weekly as the University’s August 17 reopening date nears.

This page will continue to serve as the primary source of information that prepares the University community for campus re-entry as we approach the fall 2020 semester. Fall semester will include a blend of in-person classes and remote instruction, as well as a variety of campus life experiences that meet safety guidelines set forth by the State of Oregon. Please return to this page often! Many of our protocols are still in development, and our plans are subject to change as our understanding of COVID-19 evolves.

Course Packs for Fall 2020: Please Submit Now

To ensure your classes have course packs on Monday, August 24, please submit your materials to printing services as soon as possible! Packets received after Monday, July 27 cannot be guaranteed completion because of the time it can take to confirm copyright information.

If you have any questions, please contact Kassie Hansen, printing services, at x8101 or printjobs@up.edu.

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Applications due Sept. 15, 2020

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers hundreds of awards each year to teach, research and conduct professional projects internationally. University faculty members and administrators as well as for professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, and independent scholars are all eligible to apply. Awards vary in duration from two weeks for the International Education Administrator programs to a year for some research and teaching placements. View the Awards Catalog to determine if there is a good fit for your professional interests.

All eligibility criteria must be met at the time of grant application. Basic eligibility criteria are included below, but specific countries may have additional requirements.

  • U.S. citizenship
  • Two years since the date of completion of a prior Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant
  • Residing outside the U.S. for no more than one year in the six-year period preceding application submission
  • Generally, a Ph.D. or equivalent professional/terminal degree is required
  • Foreign language proficiency may be required depending on the country, type of grant activity (teaching or research), and the nature of the proposed project. English is sufficient for teaching activities in many areas of the world.

Contact John Orr, orr@up.edu, if you plan to submit an application this year.

New Online Beauchamp Virtual Fitness Classes

Recreational services is offering NEW online virtual fitness classes in July on MS Teams! Classes will begin on Monday, July 6th. Please see the schedule below.

  • Mondays at 12:1 5pm – Yoga Sculpt with Sammy
  • Tuesdays at 5 pm – Conditioning and Flexibility with Cameron
  • Wednesdays at 12:15 pm –  HIIT with Brie
  • Tuursdays at 12:15 pm – Zumba with Megan
  • Fridays at 10:15 am – HIIT with Brie
  • Sundays at 10:1 5am – HIIT with Brie
To become a member of the Rec Services Virtual Fitness Team, email Kaitlin at: bourne@up.edu.

Scholarly Activity Portal Unavailable Thursday, July 16

The Scholarly Activity Portal is being upgraded and will be unavailable on Thursday, July 16, 2020 until 11 a.m. Please plan accordingly.

Users will no longer have to login to PilotsClassic after the upgrade and will continue to be able to find the Scholarly Activity Portal in the Academics section of PilotsUP. The upgraded portal will look significantly different in order to work within the newer version of PilotsUP, but will continue to have the same functionality. We have tried to incorporate as many suggested improvements as possible in this upgrade.

Please contact Michele Leasor at leasor@up.edu or x8264 with questions.

Easier Access to Clark Library Databases

Off campus users of Clark Library databases may have noticed their access feels more seamless. Library staff collaborated with information services to change the authentication method so it works through My Apps Single Sign-on, which reduces the need to log on as often. It seems like a small thing, but it makes a difference! Library databases are available through the library website or from the My Apps page. Please email reference@up.edu if you have questions about this change.

A Message from Dr. Eduardo Contreras

Dear members of the University of Portland community:

We want to acknowledge the range of experiences articulated by the messages shared on Instagram by @blackatuniversityportland. As we examine each of these examples deeply and with open hearts, we realize the pain in these narratives as well as the individual and collective trauma of these events. As an institution that is committed to equity and inclusion, any instance of injustice does not align with our values and must be rectified. We are reviewing the individual posts and acting in appropriate ways, including in accordance with our harassment and discrimination policies. We are also aware of an inflammatory Instagram site that appeared over the weekend. We reject the premise and harmful impact of that site.

We also acknowledge that we have work to do to dismantle racism and ignorance on our campus, and we are committed to this work. Just as we are humbled by the work ahead, we are fortified by the strength of our community and its ongoing efforts. As some of the posts on @blackatuniversityportland note, there are allies in our community who are actively working to advance equity on campus. Indeed, our students, faculty, staff, and administration have been engaging in this work in recent years in multiple ways. As Fr. Mark Poorman mentioned on June 12, we are planning numerous activities for the next academic year that will advance our efforts, such as:

  • Further empowering the President’s Advisory Committee on Inclusion to collaborate with the Office of International Education, Diversity, and Inclusion on initiatives, programming, and events that will center the voices and lived experiences of people of color, and support such efforts with increased funding.
  • Implementing training modules on topics such as institutional racism and implicit bias.
  • Fortifying our efforts to recruit faculty, staff, and students from minoritized groups.
  • Strengthening the University’s relationships with community organizations at the vanguard of advocacy for historically marginalized populations, such as the NAACP, Urban League, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
We thank the members of our community for the work they have done to foster inclusion and amplify student voices, particularly from BIPOC students. We welcome your continued partnership and invite your perspectives and recommendations at The Office of International Education, Diversity, and Inclusion (oiedi@up.edu).

Moodle Basecamp for Hybrid & Online Teaching is Ready!

An “all you can eat buffet” Moodle course for all faculty on the topic of Online and Hybrid Teaching has launched. An inclusive sub-committee worked to gather all the existing tools, tutorials, and emerging wisdom into one place for faculty to explore at their own pace as they prepare for fall courses. Every tool shared here is available to all members of the UP community and is well supported by our amazing ATSI and IT staffs.

The team is optimistic that your efforts this fall will feel a teensy bit less frenetic than the tectonic shift in March, as you engage with the Moodle Basecamp. The team was interdisciplinary, and the course itself allows for plenty of contributions and questions from the entire teaching community via the Forum functions. This includes a call for “Campus Coaches,” a roster of our peers who are willing to provide support—technical and moral—to anyone on campus. This roster grows each day through peer and self-nominations. We have an amazing, generous and talented faculty.

The Basecamp for Hybrid and Online Teaching is presented in scrollable blocks that faculty can dip in and out of as their time and needs dictate. The labelling is clear and intuitive. Everyone who teaches at UP has been enrolled in the course, and the team worked hard to have this ready in time to support the enormous effort faculty will put forth to be ready to welcome students in mid-August. For more information, please contact Jeffrey White at white@up.edu.

New FGEN Webinars Available to Faculty & Staff

Due to the recent enthusiasm from the UP community and FGEN (First Generation students), Matt Daily has been able to purchase additional FGEN webinar sessions and is now offering them to faculty and staff. Daily proposes to use Fridays as a time to virtually gather as a community, learn together, and possibly debrief or brainstorm ideas. If you haven’t had a chance to watch the sessions on “Jargon,” “Partnering with Parents” and “Imposter Syndrome,” please consider doing so by using this link.

If interested in attending any/all of these sessions, please email Daily at daily@up.edu for a zoom invitation. Should these time blocks not work for your schedule, Daily will also record each session and make them available.

Outdoor Pursuits Equipment Rentals, Bike Repairs Resume July 1

The Outdoor Pursuits Program will be resuming equipment rental and bike repair services on July 1, according to Matt Libby, recreational services. Hours will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All equipment, (excluding climbing equipment) such as tents, sleeping bags, bikes, stoves, kayaks, etc., is available for rent. While the Beauchamp Center remains closed, the pickup/drop off location is behind Beauchamp in the parking lot.Cash not accepted, card payments only. Reservations and pre-payment are available. Call x8748 MWF 10 a.m.-3 p.m. or email Libby at libby@up.edu.