UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Core Samples

Come to a Core Samples Lunch this Semester!

All staff and faculty are invited to attend one or both of this spring’s Core Samples Lunches, as guests of the Garaventa Center and Core Program. These have proven a terrific way for all of us to build our knowledge of what happens in UP’s Core Curriculum.

  • Wednesday, February 21, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m., chemist Valerie Walters will offer a glimpse of her X-level CHEM 331X course called “Chemistry in Paintings.”
  • Tuesday, April 2, 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., English professor Lars Larson will offer “Literature: The Opposite of Escape,” taken from his English 112 Foundations course.

Both buffet lunches will be held in the Teske Room of the Commons.

Learning from gifted teachers over free food and without exams: could it be any better?

Seating is limited; please RSVP to Karen Eifler, eifler@up.edu.

Core Samples Lunches This Fall

Learning cool stuff from our stellar colleagues is one of the great perks of being at UP! This fall we will continue to experience the Revitalized Core in a series of three Core Samples Lunches open to all faculty and staff, especially program counselors. Enjoy lunch as a guest of the Garaventa Center and Core Program—seats are limited to 12 per gathering in the Teske Room. Please RSVP to Karen Eifler, eifler@up.edu.  

Here is the schedule for Fall:  

Tuesday, October 3, 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Gregory Pulver will teach “What IS Art?” from his FA 107/108 Foundations course.  

Tuesday, November 7, 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Elise Moentmann will teach from the Core Habit of HOPE.  

Wednesday, November 15, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Neil Oculi will teach from his X-level ENV course on “Global Environmental Justice.”

Final Core Samples Lunch (Mar. 29)

All staff and faculty are welcome to the final Core Samples lunch for this academic year on Wednesday, March 29, from 11:30 a.m–12:15 p.m. in the Teske Room of Bauccio Commons. Let the Garaventa Center and Core Director buy you lunch and then learn from Rachel Wheeler as she offers a slice from THEO 205 (Biblical Texts in Contexts, one of only 6 courses that every single UP undergrad gets to take) called “The Bible & Climate Change (aka Ecological Hermeneutics).” This coincides with an international teach-in on climate change that UP’s CAS is participating in. Learn about a green reading of scripture from a talented colleague! Be part of an international movement! Enjoy a complimentary meal! Please RSVP directly to Karen Eifler, eifler@up.edu by March 24 to secure one of the limited seats. 

Invitation to Core Samples Lunch (Feb. 14)

All faculty and staff are invited to the first Core Samples lunch of the semester on Tuesday, February 14, 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Murphy Room, 4th Floor of Franz Hall. Cheri Buck-Perry will offer a 25-minute slice from her new Exploration-level course, Literature and Cultures of Food, “A Feast for The Senses: Lunching with MFK Fisher,” followed by discussion and questions from participants. Learn cool stuff from a great colleague, and enjoy a catered box lunch, compliments of the Garaventa Center and Core Program! Seats are limited; please RSVP directly to Karen Eifler, eifler@up.edu. 

Core Samples Lunch #2: Seats Going! (Nov. 16) 

All intrigued faculty and staff are invited to the next Core Samples lunch on Wednesday, November 16, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Teske Room of Bauccio Commons. Caery Evangelist will offer a snapshot from her Foundations Level PHL 220 course, called “Twinkies and The Order of Perfection”—exploring core elements of Anselm’s Ontological Argument.” The Garaventa Center and Core Program will treat you to lunch and some cool, assessment-free learning and playing around with ideas. Caery will teach for ~20 minutes, then turn it over to the group for questions and insights.  

Seats are limited, so please RSVP to Karen Eifler (eifler@up.edu). 

Core Samples Lunch: Last Call for Sept. 27

There are 3 seats left for the first Core Sample lunch on Tuesday, September 27, at 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Andrew Guest will offer a 20-minute excerpt from his X-Level course The World Cup in Mind & Society, called “Performance Under Pressure: Scientific Thinking, Global Consciousness, and the Perfect Penalty Kick,” followed by an open discussion. Learn cool stuff, enjoy a complimentary lunch as a guest of the Garaventa Center and Core Program with a diverse group of staff and faculty colleagues. RSVP by September 26 to Karen Eifler, eifler@up.edu/8014. The next Core Sample lunch will be November 16.

Sign Up for a Core Samples Lunch (Sept. 27)

Engrossing new courses are being offered at the Exploration Level of the revitalized Core. All staff and faculty are invited to attend the first in a series of “Core Samples” lunches on Tuesday, September 27, from 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Teske Room of Bauccio Commons. In this new series, faculty teaching such courses as “Literature & Cultures of Food,” “History of Rock & Roll” and “Global Environmental Justice,” will teach a 20-minute segment from their course, then open it up for discussion among attendees. It’s a great chance to see our colleagues shine, learn cool stuff, find out more about the new Core, and enjoy a complimentary lunch, as a guest of the Garaventa Center and the Core Director. Andrew Guest will offer the first one, “Performance Under Pressure: Scientific Thinking, Global Consciousness, and the Perfect Penalty Kick,” an excerpt from his course The World Cup in Mind & Society. There are 15 seats available; please RSVP to Karen Eifler (eifler@up.edu) by September 23 to reserve a space for the first round. The second Core Samples lunch will be Wednesday, November 16, from 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.