UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

11-11-2013

Faculty Welfare Committee Meeting, Nov. 11

staff & faculty portraitsThe Faculty Welfare Committee’s next meeting is on Monday, November 11, according to Tamar More, physics. University provost Tom Greene will be joining attendees at this meeting, and members welcome issues from faculty.

The Faculty Welfare Committeee is the official vehicle whereby policies concerning faculty salary, fringe benefits and working conditions are to be brought to the University administration, and serves as a negotiating team to work directly with the administrative offices on areas of interest to the entire faculty. The committee assists faculty members in cases where a particular faculty member might have a problem which does not seem to be taken care of through the regular channels.

The Committee’s role in handling any matters brought to it under this consideration will be:

  • To inform the faculty member of all the usual channels open to him/her
  • To improve communication (if necessary, to bring the parties together for a better understanding of the situation)
  • To see if correct procedures and processes are followed and that a report, when appropriate, is made to the Senate.

Faculty who would like the committee’s assistance may contact any member: Tamar More, Mike Eom, Lara Trout, Caroline Mann, Ken Kleszynski, and Barbara Braband.

Alan Shapiro Reading, Nov. 12

shapiro copyPoet and memoirist Alan Shapiro will read from his work on Tuesday, November 12, at 7:30 p.m., in Buckley Center room 163. His talk, part of the English department’s Readings and Lecture Series, is free and open to faculty, staff, students, and the public.

As the author of eleven collections of poetry, Shapiro has explored family, loss, domesticity, and the daily aspects of people’s lives in free verse and traditional poetic forms. His most recent book of poems is Night of the Republic (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012). His poetry frequently appears in The New Yorker. In his memoirs, The Last Happy Occasion and Vigil (1997), Shapiro has written about the death of his sister and the role that poetry has played in his life. He is also the author of a collection of essays on poetry, In Praise of the Impure: Poetry and the Ethical Imagination: Essays, 1980–1991.

For more information, contact the English department at 7228 or english@up.edu.

Tuition Remission Due Nov. 15

please_note-283x300Faculty and staff applications for tuition remission are now accepted via online forms only and can be accessed through the HR website at www.up.edu/hr/, according to HR director Bryn Sopko. In addition to this easier access, HR has updated the application dates for remission to match the deadline in student accounts, so please keep these dates in mind:

  • Spring term: November 15
  • Summer term: April 5
  • Fall term: July 1

Please note that there are separate tuition remission application forms for undergraduate and graduate course work, and that any graduate level tuition remission benefits will be taxable to the employee on the value above $5,250 for attempted credits and subject to applicable withholdings, and will be reflected on the W-2 form of the tax year the remission was applied. A summary on tuition remission and links to the online forms are available here. For more information contact human resources at 7461 or hr@up.edu.

Math Colloquium, Nov.

hatton-mime_1_0The next Math Colloquium will be held on Wednesday, November 13, from 4-5 p.m., in Buckley Center room 207. The speaker will be Ross Hatton from Oregon State University, who will present “Robotics and Geometry.” Hatton is a mechanical engineer specializing in robotics, so his talk will likely be of interest to computer science/engineering faculty and students. Refreshments will be served. For more information contact Carol Bruce, mathematics, at 7166 or bruce@up.edu.

East Africa Interns Needed

eastAfricaThe Moreau Center for Service and Leadership, in partnership with the Pamplin School of Business and Shiley School of Engineering, is currently seeking applicants for the East Africa Initiative Internship. Applicants can come from any school within the University. This 10-week summer program in Kenya usually begins with an introduction to the work of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and the remainder of the internships is a collaboration with the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD), which provides students the opportunity to be immersed in Kenyan culture and to work with grassroots organizations to develop sustainable solutions to important issues facing the community.

Preference is given to sophomore and junior applicants who will be returning to campus in fall semester of 2014, but all class years are welcome to apply. Applications are due Friday, November 22. For more information and the application, go to http://www.up.edu/moreaucenter/, or contact Dave Houglum, Moreau Center, at 8559 or houglum@up.edu.

“Alkestis” Pre-Show Event

alkestis copyThe Garaventa Center has pulled together an eclectic panel of scholars to provide insights into the current University main stage production, “Alkestis.” Prior to the performance on Saturday, November 16, audience members can gather in the Mago Hunt Recital Hall to listen to Alex Santana (Rumpakis Professor of Hellenic Studies), costume designer Gregory Pulver, and philosophy professor Jeff Gauthier as they illuminate aspects of the show from their unique perspectives, helping hone eyes and ears to perceive even more in this rarely-produced masterpiece. Wine and snacks are provided free of charge at this session; participants should procure their own ticket to the play itself.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with the panel commencing at 6:45 and ending at 7:15, allowing plenty of time to be seated in the main theater. The Garaventa Center will partner with performing and fine arts again in spring for a similar event at a performance of “Cymbeline.” For more information, contact Karen Eifler, Garaventa Center, at eifler@up.edu.

Advent Concert Tickets Available Now

AdventConcert copyFree tickets are now available for the Advent Concert on Saturday, December 7, at 8 p.m., at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Contact the performing and fine arts office at 7228 or pfa@up.edu to be sure of getting tickets to this popular holiday concert.  The University Singers will present selections from Handel’s Messiah with professional orchestra and student soloists Rodrigo Gaspar-Barajas, Amelia Segler, Meagan Usselman, Katrina Welborn, and Ashley Woster. Michael Connolly with conduct. This concert is always full and tickets will likely be gone before Thanksgiving, so please get yours right away.

P-Card Users, Take Note

knott copyVisa is offering a new service to merchants to provide greater security for online transactions. The Verified by Visa service is a global program that helps to verify the identity of an online shopper at checkout and in real time through the shopper’s use of his or her personal password or other identity data. This works like a PIN for an ATM card.

Some staff have already encountered this service when making online purchases (such as airline tickets). Wells Fargo has informed the University that more and more merchants will be using Verified by Visa in the near future. Any merchant using the service is required to include the Verified by Visa logo on their home page with an option to sign up before the checkout process begins. This will affect any personal Visa card purchases, as well as those made for official University business with a P-card.

The first time a P-card user attempts to make an online purchase from a merchant enrolled with Verify by Visa, he or she will be asked to activate the card during checkout. This will require a unique ID number (the last four digits of your UP ID number), the monthly credit limit, and the University’s zip code. This information is available at https://www.wellsfargo.com/com/ (where you reconcile your P-card) and by clicking on “personal profile” in the “user information” link on the left sidebar. P-card users are also welcome to contact Theresa Knott, purchase card coordinator (pictured), at 8712 or knott@up.edu for this information, Once you have activated your card with Visa and have created a password, you will be able to use that password any time you encounter the Verified by Visa at checkout.

If you would like the option to activate your card in advance or learn more about the Verified by Visa service please refer to the FAQs provided by Wells Fargo on the Controller’s website at this link. For more information contact Knott at 8712 or knott@up.edu.

Speech & Debate Team Results

simmons copyThe University of Portland’s Speech and Debate Union competed last weekend at the 41st annual Smelt Classic at Lower Columbia College, according to Brian Simmons, communication studies. Congratulations are due to the following students on their impressive accomplishments at that speech and debate tournament:

  • Anna Murphy, Spanish and business administration, advanced to the final round of debate winning 2nd place; won an award for being the 4th best individual debate speaker; and advanced to the final round of Impromptu Speaking winning 5th place.
  • Lakshmi Biswas-Diener, communication studies, advanced to the final round of debate winning 3rd place; and won an award for being 6th best individual debate speaker.
  • Arthur Hammer, business administration, advanced to the final round of Editorial Commentary winning 1st place; won an award for being 10th best individual debate speaker.
  • Elizabeth Hartley, biology, advanced to the final round of Extemporaneous Speaking winning 5th place.
  • Grace Holmes, environmental ethics and policy, won an award for being the 9th best individual debate speaker.

For more information contact Simmons at 8025 or simmonsb@up.edu.

Men’s Soccer Home Games

1a1mensoccerThe Pilots men’s soccer team returns to friendly confines this week when they take to Merlo Field for two home WCC games. The action kicks off on Friday when Saint Mary’s comes to Merlo Field for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Then, please make plans to join us in giving the seniors on the team a lively send-off as they go up against San Francisco on Senior Day, November 17 at 1 p.m. For tickets call 7535, and for more information go to www.portlandpilots.com.