UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

12-14-2020

Seventh Annual ReadUP Book: “How to Be an Antiracist”

On behalf of the ReadUP Committee, please join in UP’s seventh annual ReadUP program. This year’s selection is How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, who will be speaking at a virtual event this spring, as part of this year’s annual Schoenfeldt Writers Series.

How to Be an Antiracist is a New York Times #1 bestseller and was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, and The Washington Post, among many others. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University and the founding director of Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research. He won a National Book Award in 2016 for his non-fiction book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.

A limited number of print books will be available for those who are able to pick up the book on campus. More information on how to reserve one of these free copies will be communicated in the coming weeks. Or start reading online now, through the library!

Check back regularly at up.edu/readup for more information regarding upcoming book discussions and other highlights.

 

Holiday Payroll Information: Help Us Pay You Correctly and On Time

Christmas break is around the corner and to ensure the correct payment of employees’ wages, we ask you to report your time cards correctly and submit them on time. Please follow the holiday policy found under “Payroll Guidance for Non-Exempt Employees on Holidays and Shutdown Days” at this link.

Time cards are due on the following schedules:

  • Monthly (exempt) time cards were due by Thursday, December 17 for the entire month of December (vacation/sick hours), and will be paid on Wednesday, December 23. Please note that the next paycheck for monthly employees will not be paid until January 29, 2021.
  • Semi-monthly (hourly) timecards were due by Monday, December 14 for the pay period 12/1/20 to 12/15/20 and were paid on Friday, December 18. The second half of December time cards is due on Monday, December 21 for the pay period 12/16/20 to 12/31/20 and will be paid on January 5, 2021. This paycheck includes shutdown and Christmas day hours so please report your time cards appropriately to reflect the holiday.
  • Student time cards were due on Wednesday, December 16 for the pay period 12/1/20 to 12/15/20 and will be paid on Wednesday, December 23. The second half of December time cards is due on Wednesday, December 23 for the pay period 12/16/20 to 12/31/20 and will be paid on January 8, 2021.

Please be sure to submit your time cards on time for these accelerated payroll schedules. The 2021 payroll schedule will soon be available on the payroll page.

Contact the payroll office for more information at x7338 or payroll@up.edu.

Virtual UP Staff Luncheon: Dec. 21

Because of restrictions on public gatherings due to COVID-19, UP’s Staff Christmas Luncheon will be replaced by a special video program this year. Staff will receive an email around 11:45 a.m. on Monday, December 21, with a link to the prerecorded video. The program will include a Christmas greeting from University president Fr. Mark Poorman, C.S.C.; presentation of the staff awards; and recognition of new employees and employees celebrating milestones in their years of service at UP.

If you have questions, please contact hr@up.edu.

Please Sign Up or Renew Payroll Deduction Gifts This Month

Every year, hundreds of UP staff and faculty give back to UP, adding crucial support for students and programs. Thank you! Payroll deductions must be renewed at the end of each calendar year. Your gift is tax-deductible and can be directed to any area of campus that matters most to you.

If you would like to renew your deduction or start a new one, you can do so at http://giving.up.edu/payroll or by contacting Jessie Lamb, director of annual giving.

 

It’s Back! Countdown to Christmas 2020

This month, the UP community is celebrating the Advent Season with the development office’s 25 Days ’til Christmas online calendar. So far, we’ve shared Advent prayers, gourmet baking tips from Fr. Dan Parrish, Christmas playlists, and more. Join us in counting down to Christmas with a new surprise each day.

Saint John’s Bible Moment: The Birth of Christ

Spend two minutes beholding Donald Jackson’s luminous “Birth of Christ” from The Saint John’s Bible. The music here is provided by singers Nicole Leupp Hanig, performing and fine arts, and music student Cameron Creitz ’23 singing English and German verses of “Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming,” respectively. Members of UP’s music department—faculty and students—provided the music for several months’ worth of these glimpses of UP’s Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible. Look (and listen) for those in upcoming issues of UPBeat.

Clark Library: A Few Things for the Holidays

Looking for something to do over the break from the comfort of your home? Visit our December Holidays guide to listen to a selection of holiday music or browse related eBooks and streaming videos. Then hop over to the Leisure Reading & Watching guide to see available fiction and memoirs from our eBook collections, as well as feature films from streaming video collections. Two of these collections offer video of performances from Broadway and the National Theatre in London.

If you find yourself reflecting on the past year, we invite you to submit any type of creative work related to your experience of events in 2020 to our All Together project. Examples of creative works are photographs, videos, essays, poems, drawings, paintings, etc. We are collecting these to create an archive of this historic time.

Columbia Sportswear Employee Store: You’re Invited!

With the holiday season here, now is a great time to shop at the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store. University of Portland faculty and staff have exclusive acces from December 4 to December 27. To allow more time for shopping, the store will be open from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily. Plan your shopping for weekdays and evenings to avoid the store’s peak times.

  • Holiday Sale discounts are in addition to already marked Columbia employee pricing (40 – 50% off regular retail pricing)
  • Holiday Sale 10% off discount runs until December 6, 2020
  • Holiday Sale Doorbusters will be available through December while supplies last
  • All the latest products from the Columbia Sportswear Company family (SOREL, Mountain Hardwear, prAna, and of course Columbia Sportswear)

Please bring your UP employee invitation, either printed or on mobile phone. Also bring your work ID and personal photo ID. You can bring four guests as long as you are present. Not available for online purchases. Shoppers are required to bring their own face coverings to wear while shopping and Columbia is taking all precautions to keep employees and visitors safe and healthy.