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This Issue: November 10, 2024
Constructive Dialogues Fall Events (Oct. 28-Nov. 6)
Join UP’s Constructive Dialogues at our continued series of events this Fall, including our special Election Night Watch Party at the Pilot House. (Read More).
Vote UP National Vote Early Day (Oct. 29)
Calling all faculty, staff, and students to bring your ballot and join Vote UP for National Vote Early Day! Stop by the Diversity Center on Tuesday, October 29 from 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. for National Vote Early Day! Bring your ballot and celebrate the power of voting with the UP community. (Read More).
Dia de los Muertos Photo Submission Invitation! (Due by Oct. 30)
Día de los Muertos is a time to remember, honor, and welcome home the souls of the dead, particularly loved ones that have passed. Campus Ministry and the Latinx Student Union (LSU) are collaborating to set up an Ofrenda in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. We invite everyone, regardless of your cultural background, to submit photos of loved ones who have passed to commemorate and honor them through inclusion in the Ofrenda. (Read More).
Bridging Differences: Effective Communication in a Diverse Environment (Oct. 31)
Human Resources will host a workshop focused on essential strategies for inclusive communication in our diverse campus community. This presentation will equip you with practical tools to navigate cross-cultural interactions, mitigate biases, and leverage diverse perspectives. (Read More).
Please Join Us for The 2024 Undergraduate Research & Internship Symposium (Nov. 1)
You are cordially invited to attend the 2024 Undergraduate Research & Internship Symposium. Formerly known as the Fall Poster session, this event will celebrate the amazing work done by our summer student researchers and interns and will feature a new time and location, refreshments, and Audience Choice Awards for posters and internships. (Read More).
Fostering Balance: Virtue and Burnout in Academia—A Conversation (Nov. 1)
Faculty at small institutions often experience burnout as they fuse personal passions and identify with the work output, leading to fatigue, burnout, and, ultimately, low morale. Please join the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Faculty Welfare Committee for a lunch discussion about faculty, work, and vocation within our institutional “family” context. (Read More).
All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Month of Remembrance (Nov. 1-2)
As we begin November, the Month of Remembrance, in which we remember all our loved ones who have gone before us, there are two special celebrations of note. In the Catholic Church, we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day as important dates in which we pray for the dead and Campus Ministry will offer masses and prayers for the community. (Read More).
VPN Changing to “vpn.up.edu” (Nov. 4)
The existing VPN, “remote.up.edu,” will be retired on Monday, November 4. All VPN users are encouraged to start using the new VPN at “vpn.up.edu.” This new VPN will continue to use the Cisco Secure Client application, though the client may perform a quick update upon the first connection to vpn.up.edu.
National First-Generation College Celebration Week Incoming! (Nov. 4-8)
First Generation College Celebration Week (FGEN Week) is a special week dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of first-generation college students and their contributions to the UP community. During FGEN Week, we will host at least one event each day, designed to engage and inspire our first-gen community. We look forward to welcoming everyone across campus to join in. (Read More).
ROTC Veteran’s Day Vigil (Nov. 11)
The ROTC programs will conduct a 24-hour vigil in honor of fallen veterans at the Praying Hands Memorial. The vigil will conclude on November 11 at 11 a.m. with a ceremony featuring a fly over by Air Force jets, special guest speaker, and reception.
Diversity Equity Inclusion Justice and Access All Faculty Unity Celebration! (Nov. 11)
Join the members of the DEIJA Faculty Senate Committee for a social celebration! Meet your faculty representatives, enjoy refreshments, and learn about what’s developing with DEIJA across campus. (Read More).
UP Theatre Presents: “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 plays in 60 minutes)” (Nov. 13-23)
Every night’s a different show with “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 plays in 60 minutes),” as the audience gets to pick the order in which scenes are performed and the actors must get through the whole performance before the clock strikes zero. (Read More).
Spring/Summer Software Requests (Nov. 15)
If you need additional programs for your Spring or Summer classes, you may submit your requests to Information Services via our online form through November 15. (Read More).
Reserve Your Free Copy of This Year’s ReadUP Book Selection (Nov. 15)
It’s time to reserve your free copy of this year’s ReadUP selection, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Portland author Cheryl Strayed. This New York Times-bestselling memoir chronicles Strayed’s three-month trek as a young, inexperienced hiker on a 1,100-mile journey of self-discovery. (Read More).
Faith and Intellectual Life Discussion Group Meeting (Nov. 15)
At the next FILDG meeting, we will be discussing “Earth’s Mysterious, Deep-Dwelling Microbes We Are Only Starting to Understand” by Ferris Jabr and the poem “Stone” by Charles Simic. All faculty and staff are welcome. (Read More).
Sigma Xi Public Lecture: “How do you account for human behavior changes in a pandemic?” (Nov. 18)
You are invited to a Sigma Xi public lecture featuring Peter Graven, PhD. Graven is a health economist who works in advanced analytics and data science at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and he will discuss how changes in human behavior can affect the spread of disease during a pandemic. (Read More).
Honors Readings Courses for 2025-2026—Now Accepting Proposals (Nov. 27)
The Honors Program is looking for faculty-led readings courses to be offered next year (fall 2025 and spring 2026). This is a fun opportunity to teach a 1-credit, pass/no pass course to a group of no more than 15 curious and academically engaged juniors and/or seniors. (Read More).
PortLog: Chiles Center—Celebrating 40 Years
Happy 40th Birthday to the Chiles Center! Since its dedication on October 20, 1984, this multi-purpose domed arena has been a venue for many distinguished speakers and performers, but first (and most importantly!) it is the home of our amazing Pilot Athletics teams. (Read More).
Calling All First-Generation UP Staff and Faculty!
Help us celebrate our first-generation students! With the upcoming National First-Generation week, we would like to create a database of First-Generation faculty and staff we can point to as resources for this population as well as a resource for each other. If you are a faculty or staff member that identifies as a first-generation college student/graduate and would like to assist with this effort, you can complete a brief online form to be included in the database. (Read More).
Academic Senate Committee on Committees—Faculty Survey (Closes Dec. 4)
The Academic Senate Committee on Committees seeks to gather your interests and abilities to serve on senate committees. We are asking faculty to please complete an Academic Senate Committee on Committees Service Survey to help us determine committee appointments for the 26/27 academic year. (Read More).
New to The Bluff—Amanda Hanincik—Title IX Coordinator
Amanda Hanincik, from Grand River Solutions, has joined UP to serve as Title IX Coordinator. Amanda previously worked as the Director of Educational Equity and Title IX Coordinator at Lafayette College where she played an integral role in preparing for and implementing policies and procedures to comply with the 2020 and 2024 Title IX regulations. (Read More).
October Zoom Update
For information on Zoom updates and how Zoom is addressing AI, check out our October Techtalk Post!
Screening of OPB documentary, “Road to Sunrise: A Journey to Reconcile Oregon’s Racist History,” featuring Taylor Stewart ’18 (Oct. 28)
Join us for a screening and discussion of OPB’s documentary “Road to Sunrise: A Journey to Reconcile Oregon’s Racist History,” featuring the racial justice work of UP alum Taylor Stewart ’18. Taylor will be joining us for the discussion. (Read More).
The English Department Reading & Lecture Series Welcomes UP Alumnus Mark Pomeroy (Oct. 30)
The English Department Reading & Lecture Series will be hosting UP alumnus Mark Pomeroy for a reading from his second novel, “The Tigers of Lents” on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 5-6 p.m. in Brian Doyle Auditorium. “The Tigers of Lents” takes place in Southeast Portland and on The Bluff, as it details a family of sisters moving beyond their poverty-strained years of high school. (Read More).
Faculty & Staff Autumn Retreat (Nov. 8)
The Mission Committee, the Office of the Provost, and Human Resources invite all faculty and staff to attend a day-long spiritual retreat on Friday, November 8, 2024. The retreat will be held on campus and will highlight themes of Catholic Social Teaching. (Read More).
Don’t Miss a Core Samples Lunch this Semester! (Nov. 13)
Learning from gifted teachers over free food and without exams: could it be any better? All staff and faculty are invited to attend one or both of this fall’s Core Samples Lunches, as guests of the Garaventa Center and Core Program. These gatherings are a terrific way to build your knowledge of what happens in UP’s Core Curriculum. (Read More).