As you head into the summer months and think about the upcoming year, the Moreau Center for Service and Justice would like to invite faculty and staff to consider serving as immersion accompaniers for the 2019-20 academic year. Applications are due by Sunday, September 15 using the online application found here, and Moreau Center staff would like to give ample time to consider this opportunity.
The immersion accompanier role is open to UP faculty or staff members in full-time, exempt positions who have a commitment to service and community engagement, a desire to encourage student formation, and a willingness to live simply while immersed in an extended experience with students. Immersion experiences offered next year are listed below:
Fall Break
- North Portland Civil Rights Immersion
- Rural Immersion (Yakima, WA)
End of Winter Break
- Urban Immersion (Portland)
Spring Break
- Border Immersion (US-Mexico Border)
- Affordable Housing Immersion (Pacific Northwest)
- Environmental Justice Immersion (Portland and Columbia River Gorge)
Summer
- Tanzania Immersion (2-3 weeks in May)
- Peru Immersion (2-3 weeks in May)
Any questions can be directed to Tyler Wagner, Moreau Center, at wagnert@up.edu.
Faculty and staff members who know of any students who plan to do postgraduate service are asked to let the Moreau Center for Service and Justice know. Email 
University of Portland is ranked 9th nationally among peer institutions as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers, according to a study released by the agency on March 20, 2019. UP currently has 12 alumni serving around the world. Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, more than 220 University graduates have become Peace Corp volunteers.
The University will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 21, featuring Diversity Dialogues at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. The guest speaker will be Erin Jones, a longtime educator and former administrator with Tacoma Public Schools, who will speak about her experience as a black woman in her field and how to continue Dr. King’s legacy and work.
It’s not too late to donate to the Tanzania Immersion Silent Auction Fundraiser! Donations are being accepted in the Moreau Center for Service and Justice office in St. Mary’s through Wednesday, November 21. Donations are the backbone to the success of this fundraising event. People can donate individually or as a group. We appreciate a wide range of items, from inexpensive to expensive, purchased or handcrafted, gifts of time or services, gently used in great condition, or gift cards large or small.
All faculty and staff members are cordially invited to the Post-Grad Service Dinner hosted by the Moreau Center for Service and Justice on Wednesday, October 24, at 5:30 p.m., in Bauccio Commons. Please join us for an evening with other alumni, staff, and faculty who have participated in a wide variety of post-graduate service programs, both domestically and abroad. Share your experiences with interested students and learn about different ways the Moreau Center works to support post-graduate discernment for our students. Also please share this invitation with any students who may be interested in participating in post-graduate service.
The Moreau Center is excited to announce an expanded title, “The Moreau Center for Service and Justice.” The addition of a tag line is intended to better communicate the center’s mission to students and partners both on and off campus, one that stresses building meaningful partnerships grounded in mutually beneficial service that advances justice. Our theme for the year is to unpack Cornel West’s thought provoking quote, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” Stop by the office in St. Mary’s Student Center to pick up a sticker with our new name and theme, and please encourage students to get involved with service and justice.
The Moreau Center Bike Sale fundraiser will benefit the new Tanzania Immersion service trip, and will take place on Wednesday, September 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in front of the Clark Library. Cash, checks, and cards will be accepted. Please come help our student realize their dream of helping communities abroad.
All University community members are welcome to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his call to action for so many people today, on Monday January 15, 4:30-5:30 p.m., in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. Reflections will be given by Simon Aihiokhai, theology. For questions, please call the Moreau Center at x7132.
Donations from faculty and staff have been the backbone of the success of the annual silent auction fundraiser for the Moreau Center’s Nicaragua Immersion service program. All faculty, staff, students, and UP friends are welcome to participate in the silent auction, either as a donor of items or a bidder. This year’s auction will take place from Monday, December 4 to Friday, December 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons main entrance hallway.