UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Office of the Provost

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.

 

Latest Academic Update Available Now

Were course evaluations higher or lower this semester? How did grades turn out for this semester? With and without P/NP? How many degree candidates took part in virtual Commencement?

If you are interested in these questions and other information, read the latest Academic Update at this link.

For more information contact the provost’s office at staten@up.edu.

2020 Commencement Information

Commencement weekend takes place from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3, 2020. This note provides important information for faculty and staff as our community prepares for this important academic event.

Commencement Website: You are invited to visit the Commencement Website at this link, where you can access comprehensive information about the event, including schedules, regalia ordering information, FAQs, and more.

Schedule Highlights:

  • Friday, May 1, 2020: ROTC Joint Commissioning Ceremony – 1 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 2, 2020: Nurses’ Pinning Ceremony, noon; Baccalaureate Mass, 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 3, 2020: Commencement I, 10 a.m., Chiles Center–College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education. Commencement II,  3 p.m., Chiles Center–Pamplin School of Business, Shiley School of Engineering, and School of Nursing

Academic regalia for faculty and staff may be rented online now through Jostens. Select the option “Graduation Caps & Gowns.” Estimated costs are $56 for complete master’s regalia and $21 for hood only, and $63 for complete doctorate regalia or $24 for hood only. The last day to order rental regalia without incurring a $15 late-order fee is Wednesday, March 18, 2020.

Academic regalia may also be purchased online by selecting the “Fine Quality Regalia” option. The master package is $349, Sussex doctor package is $539, and Windsor doctor package is $799.

Please contact us at commencement@up.edu if you have additional questions about Commencement.

 

University Club. Feb. 28: Come One, Come All!

The University Club (the event, not the place, stresses Thomas Greene, provost) returns on Friday, February 28, beginning at 4 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons Board Room. Please mark your calendars now to join in an almost-Spring celebration of community.

For more information contact Kathleen Staten, provost’s office, at x7105 or staten@up.edu.

Provost’s Initiative for Undergraduate Research: Apply Now

Since its inauguration in 2015, the Provost’s Initiative for Undergraduate Research has provided support for faculty members from across the University who collaborate with undergraduates on a semester-long research project. The provost’s office is committed to increasing opportunities for student experiential learning, and this initiative represents a key element in achieving that goal.

Faculty members are invited to apply on behalf of themselves and an undergraduate student researcher for stipend support for an intensive undergraduate research experience during the summer. Students are expected to work full-time (35 hours/week) for 6 weeks on the project or the equivalent of 6 weeks over the course of one or both summer sessions. Faculty members are expected to work with and mentor the students in a co-designed research project.  Students will be paid $2,500 for their work on the project. Faculty will be compensated $1,500 for mentoring the student in research.

Applications are available at this link and are due February 15, 2020. Email ur@up.edu with questions or call John Orr, assistant provost, at x7286.

 

Please Load Scholarly Activity On The Portal

The Scholarly Activity Portal is always live and ready for faculty input on PilotsUP under the “Academics” menu. The data obtained via the portal is used to populate A Community of Scholars (published annually by the Provost’s office), the Clark Library’s annual celebration of UP authors, and annual self-evaluations. Faculty members will send a report from their portal to their respective deans as a part of the annual self-evaluation process, and they can also use the data entered to develop their personal curriculum vitae.

You can find the link to the Scholarly Activity Portal in the Academic menu of PilotsUP or you can go directly here. You will have to enter your username and password to login to the Scholarly Activity Portal until it moves from PilotsClassic to the new portal.

For any questions about uses of the portal, please contact John Orr (orr@up.edu); for questions about how to use the tool, please contact Michele Leasor (leasor@up.edu).

New Faculty Members: Welcome to UP!

Conceptual Image Of A Welcome Door Mat

This week the Office of the Provost is pleased to introduce:

Visit the 2019 New Faculty Profiles page and get to know all our new faculty members.