UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

University Relations

Christmas Light on The Bluff

This year’s Christmas Light on The Bluff celebration includes a variety of fun, festive, and faith-filled activities. Staff, faculty, and their families are invited to stroll our beautiful campus under the glow of twinkling lights and enjoy our celebration of this most sacred season: 

  • Presidents’ Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony – Tuesday, Nov. 29, 4:15 p.m. (Academic Quad) Join University President Robert Kelly and ASUP President Emma Fuller as we mark the first week of Advent with the lighting of our campus Christmas tree. Cocoa will be served beginning at 4:15 p.m. Remarks and lighting follow at 4:30 p.m.
  • Advent Vespers Concert – Saturday, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. (St. Mary’s Cathedral) This beloved tradition, presented by University of Portland Singers and Bel Canto, is free but tickets are required and can be reserved here.
  • Santa’s Workshop – Saturday, Dec. 10, 4–8 p.m. (Quiet Side of the Commons) Bring the kids to have a photo taken with Santa, build a craft, write a letter to Santa, and participate in service projects for our community. RSVP here.
  • Nativity Viewing & Personal Prayer Opportunity – Saturday, Dec. 10, 4–8 p.m. (Chapel of Christ the Teacher) The chapel will be open for prayer, reflection, and a special opportunity to view the University crèche (nativity). 
  • Candle Lighting & Intentions – Saturday, Dec. 10, 4–8 p.m. (UP Grotto) Candles in our grotto may be lit by anyone, Catholic or not, as the intention of a prayer. The flame signifies the prayer’s ongoing nature even after the person has left. Candles may be lit for loved ones who have died, in gratitude, or for any other intention.

Employee Donors Make a Difference for UP Students 

Each year, hundreds of UP faculty and staff members like you donate in support of students and programs here on The Bluff. Some employees fund scholarships, on their own or as a group. Some give crucial funds to centers and programs that impact student experiences such as Moreau Center Immersions, Campus Ministry, and first-generation student programming. Others give in support of their favorite academic program or Pilot Athletics team. 
As an employee, there are many ways you can give: 

  • Make a recurring payroll deduction: Give when you get paid! Set up your donation to be automatically deducted from your paycheck. Sign up here >> 
  • Give a monthly gift or one-time gift: Make your donation by credit card online (giving.up.edu/donate) or by mailing a check to the Office of Development, Waldschmidt Hall. 

Employees who give to Athletics also receive the additional benefit of being able to join the Pilot Club donor society (https://giving.up.edu/athletics) at a 50% discount. Join now with a gift of $250 or $20.83 per month to your favorite Portland Pilots Athletics fund. When you join Pilot Club by November 18, you will be entered to win tickets to see the Portland Pilots Men’s Basketball team compete in the Phil Knight Invitational (https://www.rosequarter.com/hoops/phil-knight-invitational).  

When faculty and staff members give, you send a powerful message to Pilot families, alumni, businesses, foundations, and friends of the University—and most importantly, to students—that those closest to UP invest in its mission and student success. Thank you for your ongoing support of students! 

Contact Jessie Lamb, Director of Annual Giving, at lamb@up.edu with any questions. 

PilotsGive, April 7-8: Together we all add UP!

This Wednesday and Thursday (April 7-8, noon to noon) get ready for PilotsGive! We’re looking for 2,500 donors to support scholarships, emergency assistance, academics, Pilot Athletics, student services, and more during this 24 hours of Pilot Pride.

Here are a few ways you can support our Pilots this year:

Wear purple! Do you have your PilotsGive shirt? If not, stop by the Development team conference room on the 5th floor of Waldschmidt to pick one up.

Attend a virtual event. We can’t all be together in person, but we can still celebrate our Pilot Pride together in style. Put on your purple gear and join us for the PilotsGive Kickoff and Closing events. Prizes will be announced and fun will be had by all!

Register for the PilotsGive Kickoff – 4/7, 11:30 a.m. -12:05 p.m.
Register for the PilotsGive Closing Countdown – 4/8, 11:45 a.m. -12:15 p.m.

Support your favorite program. Every gift counts on PilotsGive and gets us closer to unlocking extra funds for crucial student support. Make a gift of your own and share why you love UP on social media. Help unlock challenge gifts like:

Grand Challenge
Mary Anne ’62 and John Wagner want our community to reach its goal of engaging 2,500 donors for PilotsGive. They are challenging all Pilots to support students who are striving for an education. When we hit 2,500 donations, the Wagners will unlock a $100,000 challenge gift!

Academic Challenge
Proud Alumnus, Board of Regent member and Pilot parent Rich Baek ‘93 is offering $15,000 to be split between the top 3 schools with the most donors! 1st place: $8,000, 2nd place: $5,000, 3rd place: $2,000

Scholarship Challenge
Ralph ’73 and Sandi Miller have always been passionate about scholarship support. As a Board of Regent member, Ralph sees first-hand the impact scholarships make on a student’s life. This year, when 200 others give to Tuition Assistance and Scholarships during PilotsGive, the Millers’ $50,000 challenge gift will be released!

Join us for PilotsGive!

New Director for Office of Alumni and Parent Relations: Gina Amato Yazzolino

Gina Amato Yazzolino ’96 has been named director of alumni and parent relations effective April 12.  Yazzolino succeeds Craig Swinyard, Ph.D. ’98, who stepped away from the position last December to resume teaching as an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics.

“Our University of Portland community will benefit from Gina’s strong non-profit experience and her zeal for relationship-building,” said Bryce Strang, vice president for University relations.  “At a time when we are hopeful to return to some sense of normalcy, Gina joins a collaborative, University–wide effort to connect and provide meaningful engagement opportunities with our alumni and parent population.”

Yazzolino comes to UP from the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon where she was development manager since 2015 with a special focus on major gifts and planned giving.  Her career also features other successful nonprofit assignments, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Archbishop Howard School at St. Rose.

“It is an honor and privilege to be joining the University of Portland community as director of alumni and parent telations,” said Yazzolino.  “As a proud alumna returning to The Bluff, I look forward to strengthening connections and engagement with the alumni and parent communities through service, leadership, advocacy and faith rooted in our Holy Cross education.” 

PilotsGive, April 7-8: Together we all add UP!

Mark your calendar for April 7-8, noon to noon, for one of the biggest giving days of the year at the University of Portland. PilotsGive is a day of worldwide Pilot pride that raises critical support for scholarships, programs, innovative learning experiences, and student success.

There are many ways to show your support and raise funds for the area of campus that is most meaningful to you:

Need help getting started on fundraising for your area of campus? Training and support are available through the Office of Development. Contact Jessie Lamb, Development, at lamb@up.edu for more information.

Lifetime Achievement Award for Michael Lewellen, Marketing & Communications VP

Michael Lewellen, vice president of marketing and communications, will receive the 2020 William W. Marsh Lifetime Achievement Award by the Public Relations Society of America – Oregon Chapter during their virtual Spotlight Awards Gala on Thursday, December 3.

William Marsh was a leading figure in the public relations profession in Oregon for nearly 40 years, and was president of the Portland Metro PRSA Chapter (now PRSA Oregon) in 1963. Aside from his time in the profession, Marsh taught at Marylhurst University from 1986-1993, before passing away in 1996 at age 81. This award was established and named for him in 1986.

During the Marsh Award segment, University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., and Portland Trail Blazers CEO Chris McGowan will offer video comments on Lewellen’s service in the public relations field during his 38-year career. Because the Spotlight Awards are virtual this year, those who would like to watch the event can reserve free tickets using this link.

Update From Fr. Mark: Cost-Saving Adjustments, COVID Testing, Pilots Prevent Dashboard

Dear Colleagues,

As always, I pray that this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and well. Preparations for our Spring 2021 Semester are well underway, and I write now to provide an update on our work and preview some important communications that you will receive in the coming weeks.
Adjustments to Cost-Saving Strategies
The financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt by almost every individual, family, and organization across the country, and our University of Portland community is no different. We have been forced to make difficult decisions to promote the University’s financial stability, and I recognize the toll that these decisions have had on our faculty and staff. I will be forever grateful to individuals across the University for their sacrifice and dedication throughout one of the most challenging times in our institution’s history.
Thanks to the limited re-opening of residence halls next semester and other budgetary adjustments, I am pleased to report that we will be able to relax some of our cost-saving strategies and take other steps to lessen the financial burdens being placed on UP community members.
We intend to reverse the temporary faculty and staff salary reductions on December 31, as originally planned. Members of the University’s senior leadership team, however, have voluntarily agreed to a continued reduction in their pay. As the University’s operational needs change in the Spring 2021 Semester, many employees’ furloughs will be eliminated or reduced. Additionally, as stated in the open enrollment communications you have received from our Human Resources Benefits Team, most cost increases for UP-sponsored medical and dental insurance will be absorbed by the University, and most employees receiving coverage through UP will not see an increase in their monthly medical and dental insurance costs next year. For now, other cost-saving strategies (such as University contributions to retirement accounts and suspension of professional development budgets) will continue.
On Tuesday, November 17, Interim Vice President for Financial Affairs Eric Barger will send a message to all University employees with further information on these changes and several other matters related to the University’s finances.
COVID-19 Testing Protocol and “Pilots Prevent” Dashboard
Critical to the University’s success next semester will be our COVID-19 screening and testing protocol. As I announced in my October 2 message, our comprehensive preventative strategy has four components: baseline testing for all on-campus students and employees, ongoing screening, surveillance testing, and symptomatic testing. In the weeks that have followed my announcement, the University has further developed our protocols and selected an industry-leading third-party vendor to help us refine our plans and administer tests. Additionally, we have published our Pilots Prevent Dashboard to provide ongoing information on testing and the presence of COVID-19 on campus. Very soon, members of the University’s COVID-19 Steering Committee will provide much more detailed information on these plans to all community members.
Conclusion
We continue to closely monitor the course of the pandemic, and our prayers continue to be with all those who have been impacted. While we welcome recent developments in COVID-19 treatments and vaccinations, headlines also illustrate that the serious impacts of this pandemic are still far from over. We must remain nimble and responsive to conditions locally, regionally, and nationally. At this time, we have confidence that the protocols we have developed for next semester will help to keep our community safe while enabling us to advance our sacred mission of teaching and learning, faith and formation, and service and leadership.
I offer once again my gratitude to all in the community who are working tirelessly in support of the University we cherish. Along with the Holy Cross Community here at UP, I am praying for you, your loved ones, the brave health care workers on the frontlines, and all members of our global community as we navigate these extraordinarily challenging times. May we continue to move forward with a spirit of resolve, compassion, and hope.
God bless,
Father Mark

Pilots Prevent COVID-19 Tracking and Posting Dashboard Activated Nov. 9

In accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Oregon Health Authority, the University of Portland will track and post via this dashboard relevant data pertaining to the presence of COVID-19 on our campus.  The information posted is based on University-led testing of UP students only, and does not reflect self-reported student cases or test results of faculty and staff. As we partially open our campus next semester, we will report all COVID test results administered by the University, including faculty and staff tests results. The athletics department continues baseline and surveillance testing consistent with NCAA and Oregon mandates.

Information monitored includes the number of COVD-19 tests administered; positive test results identified; number of students isolated and/or quarantined; and aggregate data of positive cases both on and off-campus. This statistical dashboard will be updated weekly on Wednesdays, or more frequently as dictated by the pandemic.

Pilots Prevent is the University’s health initiative that provides resources and information to keep our campus community healthy and safe. Visit the Pilots Prevent website to learn more about COVID-19 related health and safety practices, find out tips for optimizing health, access downloadable resources, and discover how we can all do our part to care for the health of our communities.

For more information, contact the Office of Wellness & Prevention, wellness@up.edu.

US News & World Report Ranking: UP Ranked No. 2 In West

The University of Portland is now ranked second out of 127 institutions listed in the “Regional Universities – West” classification according to U.S. News & World Report magazine. The University also placed second in the 2020 rankings – its highest ranking to date. In the 2018 and 2019 rankings, the University placed sixth in the same “Regional Universities – West” category. This ranking marks the 26th consecutive year the University has received a Top 10 ranking. The full rankings can be seen on the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges website.

Among notable measures in the U.S. News & World Report methodology is the University’s 90% average first-year-to-second-year retention rate for the past several years and six-year graduation rates of 82% and 84% for the last two student cohorts. In addition, the University’s Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering’s reputation for excellence continues to rise. This year, the engineering program was ranked 33rd nationally among engineering schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s.

According to U.S. News & World Report, regional institutions are those that provide a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs, but few – if any – doctoral programs. The universities in this category are not ranked nationally but rather against peers in one of four regions – North, South, Midwest and West – because they tend to draw students primarily from surrounding states.

U.S. News & World Report’s methodology for this category weighs heavily on student retention rates, peer assessment and faculty resources; as well as on student selectivity, financial resources earmarked for educational purposes and the alumni giving rate.

University of Portland’s commitment to its mission of teaching and learning, faith and formation, and service and leadership has been successfully proven through its graduates. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the University of Portland ranks among the highest in the nation alongside peer institutions for the number of students and alumni earning Fulbright grants for several consecutive years.

Portland Magazine Wins National Silver Award

The University of Portland’s Portland magazine has won a national Silver Award from CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) in its annual Circle of Excellence awards. Portland won second place in the “Magazines, Alumni/General Interest 3x Per Year category.

In announcing the award, CASE’s statement about Portland reads: “After Portland magazine’s two-year hiatus following the death of beloved, longstanding editor Brian Doyle, editor Jessica Murphy Moo put the wheels in motion again with new designer Darsey Landoe (using partial redesigns from Zehno). They had an audience eager to receive Portland again, and expectations were high in terms of both content and design. Portland magazine has a strong and unique brand; it is more literary and heartfelt than many alumni magazines. The brand was also very much attached to the previous editor. So the team needed to figure out how to continue to give the audience what they wanted—authentic, deeply human stories—with a new editor at the helm. This first year of the redesigned magazine offers great stories—a balance of personal essay and reporting. A New York Times writer described his work with the Compton Cowboys, and the founder of a nonprofit named Girls Build told a personal story about her work to encourage girls to consider careers in the trades. The editor wrote about an archeological dig in Mallorca, Spain, and an alumnus wrote about his summer answering phones at the White House. The tradition of spiritual writing continues as well. The elements of the Portland magazine tradition are there. In the first year of the redesigned magazine, the team delivered the authentic, deeply human storytelling our readers wanted and expected.”

Please congratulate Jessica Murphy Moo for her outstanding vision and leadership in continuing Portland magazine’s reign as one of the top university magazines in the U.S. and beyond.