The Daily Bruin

To enhance safety and accessibility on campus, the university has installed a new Evacu-Trac chair in the Medical Sciences Building. This specialized equipment allows for the quick and safe evacuation of individuals with mobility limitations down stairwells during an emergency.

If you work in the Medical Sciences Building, please attend a brief hands-on training session to learn how to operate the new equipment and assist students, colleagues, or guests in safely exiting the building if an emergency arises.

Training Details:

• Date: Wednesday, Sept. 9
• Time: 4:30 to 5 p.m.
• Location: Medical Sciences Building, third-floor west stair landing

Your participation helps us maintain a safe and supportive environment for everyone. We hope to see you there!

Contact Kim Knoernschild at kknoernschild@georgefox.edu with any questions.

There are just three in-person tickets remaining for this year’s Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference, which marks the largest gathering of international Lewis scholars and fans in the world.

The conference is open to the public, so please feel free to share the registration link with family and friends, near and far. It will meet on the Newberg campus Sept. 24-27.

Unlimited online tickets are also available for purchase and viewing. George Fox staff and students have the option to attend for free, with the commitment to serving in a volunteer role. Volunteers can sign up here.

Questions? Contact Twila LaMar at tlamar@georgefox.edu.

We are so excited to have you join us for Serve Day on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Serve Day is one of George Fox’s most meaningful annual traditions — a day when employees and students step off campus together to learn and serve alongside community organizations and neighbors.

Participation is required for all full-time undergraduate students. Here are some important reminders for the day:

• Update or confirm your contact information: Make sure your contact information is up-to-date in MyGeorgeFox. To update your information or verify, go to MyGeorgeFox, click “Profile” and then “Contact Details.”
• Save the date for Sept. 16: All university offices and departments will be closed on this date. Leave the day open to volunteer. The event kickoff starts at 9 a.m., and teams will return to campus between 1 and 3 p.m. A celebration on the quad will follow.
• Look out for communication: You will receive communication from your living area, or respective serve site leader, leading up to the event. The information will include site number (this indicates where you will meet on the quad), site location, and additional details. 

If you have any questions, please contact serveday@georgefox.edu.

Serve Day 2026 is on Wednesday, Sept. 16! As we are less than two weeks away, we are especially in need of more people to drive personal vehicles.

If you are willing to drive and not already scheduled to drive to a site, please email Megan Springer at mspringer@georgefox.edu. If you still have not completed your Serve Day survey, please do so as soon as possible here. 

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for a serve site, to lead, or drive during this important day of community and service. 

Thanks again for modeling for our students the way to serve with passion both at George Fox and beyond!

A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our recent survey! We received an incredible response, and your insights, candid feedback, and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

As promised, we randomly selected four participants to receive one of four gift cards to Grocery Outlet. The winners are: Elijah DeJong, Brooke Brown, Emily Kelly-Bernal and Ayden Stewart.

Each have been sent an email with instructions to receive their gift card. Please contact Jere Witherspoon at jwitherspoon@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.

Do you have graduate or AOD students who could use help with writing projects or citations? Do they seem to be feeling overwhelmed and stressed?

Encourage them to make an appointment with the Virtual Learning Center (VLC) for writing and general academic support. Meetings might include talking about time management, reviewing an assignment, discussing citation styles, or talking through the body paragraphs of their paper. We offer Google Meet or asynchronous 50-minute appointments.

To schedule an appointment, students should go to the TracClould icon at the bottom left corner of their Canvas course menu.

Questions? Email Heather Harney at hharney@georgefox.edu or the VLC at vlc@georgefox.edu.

Looking for help with brainstorming for your next project? Need help with your partially drafted paper? Feeling overwhelmed and stressed? Want to get on top of things before finals?

Make an appointment with the Virtual Learning Center (VLC) for writing and general academic support. Meetings might include reviewing the assignment, discussing citation styles, or talking through the body paragraphs of your paper. All of our appointments are free, 50-minute Google Meet or asynchronous consultations.

You can schedule an appointment by clicking on the TracCloud icon at the bottom left corner of your Canvas course menu. The VLC opens on Monday, Sept. 7.

Questions? Email Heather Harney at hharney@georgefox.edu, or the VLC at vlc@georgefox.edu.

Need help writing a paper, staying on top of your assignments, or preparing for tests? Come to the Academic Resource Center (ARC), where you will find students helping students. Through one-on-one consultations, peer consultants can help you become a better reader, writer and learner.

We will be open for appointments starting Monday, Sept. 7! Our hours are 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Fridays. To schedule an appointment, go to the TracCloud icon on your Canvas dashboard.

Questions? Contact Heather Harney at hharney@georgefox.edu.

The Color Run will take place at 6 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 4. We are kicking off the year with this annual event in front of the Hobson/Macy/Sutton (HMS) complex. Grab your free T-shirt, run through the balloon arch, color with your friends, and enjoy the Slip N Slide run.

Please remove your car from in front of Sutton before the race starts if you don’t want it covered in color.

The Starlight Parade will take place from 5  to 6:30 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday). It’s a NEON OUT! Come celebrate our first football game of the season with free neon Blue Zone merchandise and a show brought to you by our cheer, dance and drumline teams.

Join us in the parade as we gather students from each dorm and make our big entrance into the student section. Check out the activities weekly email for more details.

Coming up:

• Starlight Parade: Saturday, Sept. 5, at 5 p.m. (parade will go past all dorms)
• Fox Co. Fair (clubs/church fair): Friday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. on the quad
• Fox Jamboree: Friday, Sept. 18, at 8 p.m. on the quad
• ’80s Dance: Friday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. in EHS

Contact activities@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Let’s work together to help students succeed! The Academic Resource Center (ARC) is here to be a resource for students.

To make sure we’re ready to help, please let us know if you are assigning an ARC-required assignment or an extra credit opportunity. Knowing this helps us better prepare our consultants and anticipate an increase in student visits.

We also encourage you to send students our way for general support! We can assist them with:

• Writing: We can help students at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to putting the finishing touches on a paper.
• Academic Coaching: We can help students build crucial skills like effective time management and study strategies.

Your partnership makes a huge difference in helping us help students. Thank you for including us as a resource in your classes.

Contact Heather Harney at hharney@georgefox.edu if you have a required assignment, would like to assign extra credit, or if you have questions.

Navigating Medicare doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Whether you’re approaching retirement yourself or helping a parent or spouse figure out their options, expert help is on the way.

George Fox has partnered with SGIA Medicare Consulting to bring you exclusive, interactive virtual Medicare seminars. Bring your spouse, bring your parents, and get the clarity your whole family deserves—completely free!

What you’ll learn:

• Medicare Basics Demystified: Understand Parts A, B, C, and D without the confusing jargon.
• Smart Plan Comparison: Get a clear, unbiased breakdown of Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement plans.
• Timelines & Deadlines: Learn key enrollment windows so you avoid permanent financial penalties.
• Live Q&A: Get your personal, family-specific questions answered by trusted professionals in real time.

Click either of the links below to choose the session that fits your schedule:

Option 1: Tuesday, Sept. 22 | Noon
Option 2: Tuesday, Sept. 29 | 3 p.m.

Whether you need immediate coverage answers or just want a head start on planning for the future, don’t navigate it alone. Reserve a spot for you and your family members today!

Questions? Contact Aga Kasprzyk at akasprzyk@georgefox.edu. 

At George Fox, our mission is to provide a Christ-centered community that fosters a safe living, learning, and work environment. We believe that every person is created in the image of God (Imago Dei), and because of that inherent dignity, any act of sexual harassment, assault, or violence is a direct violation of our values and will not be tolerated.

Soon you will be receiving an email to your George Fox account with detailed information about these courses. All undergraduate students must complete two online courses through Vector Solutions/Safe Colleges by Sept. 25, 2026:

• RespectEdu Foundations for College
• Alcohol & Other Drugs

Failure to complete both courses by Sept. 25, 2026, will result in a $50 fine for each course.

Important Reminder: If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact Campus Public Safety at 503-554-2090 or dial 911.

If you have any questions, please contact Jere Witherspoon at jwitherspoon@georgefox.edu.

Confidential Resources

• Health and Counseling Center: 503-554-2340
• University Pastor’s Office: 503-554-2320

Resource Contact Information

• Reporting Sexual Assault at George Fox University
• Sexual Misconduct & Title IX Care Team

At George Fox, our mission is to provide a Christ-centered community that fosters a safe living, learning, and work environment. We believe that every person is created in the image of God (Imago Dei), and because of that inherent dignity, any act of sexual harassment, assault, or violence is a direct violation of our values and will not be tolerated.

Whether you are enrolled in classes at George Fox that are face-to-face, online, or at a distance, all graduate students and adult learners are required to complete the course titled “RespectEdu Foundations for Graduate Students – Updated.”

Please complete this course by Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, and look for an email after Aug. 31 with detailed information about it.

If you have questions, please contact Jere Witherspoon at 503-554-2316 or jwitherspoon@georgefox.edu.

Resources

• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
• George Fox University: Resources
• Reporting Sexual Assault at George Fox University
• Questions about Title IX or sexual misconduct? Contact our Title IX team.

Whether you are looking to buy your first home, sell, or refinance, the George Fox University Employee Homeownership Program is designed to simplify the process and save you money. Most participating employees save thousands of dollars off traditional loan and real estate costs through these employer-sponsored benefits.

Attend the information webinar: Discover program perks, learn how to streamline your home buying or selling journey, and see how much you could save by attending a webinar at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

Book a private consultation: Have specific scenario questions? Schedule a one-on-one session with a dedicated benefits advisor to get personalized guidance on Wednesday, Sept. 23, between 1:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Take advantage of this valuable workplace perk; click here to register for the upcoming webinar session or book your private advisor consultation! 

Questions? Contact Aga Kasprzyk at akasprzyk@georgefox.edu. 

Bruinpalooza, our Homecoming and Family Weekend party on the quad, is happening on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.! This event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your department, have fun, and engage with alumni, students and parents in our community.

We’d love for you to participate by hosting a booth at the big event. To find out more details and sign up, please fill out this form by Thursday, Sept. 10.

Reach out to Kelton Hedstrom in the alumni relations office at khedstrom@georgefox.edu with any questions.

The university’s worship team is looking for a talented electric bassist. The class is MUSA165I, and it meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:50 to 4:05 p.m., with a few chapels and a Sunday morning worship opportunity.

If interested, please contact Aaron Barnhart at abarnhart@georgefox.edu.

In the university’s ongoing efforts to pursue operational excellence and simplify administrative workflows, the Office of People & Culture, in partnership with the finance office, is updating the process for engaging independent contractors (ICs).

Requests to engage independent contractors will need to be submitted through the Independent Contractor Evaluation Request Form located on the Independent Contractor website.

If your department intends to hire an independent contractor, please review the updated policy, workflow and action items. For a step-by-step overview of the new process, please reference the External User Guide: Independent Contractor Process Flow.

Join our virtual information session today (Wednesday), from 3 to 3:45 p.m.

Contact Beth Hampton-Gonzalez at bhampton@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Balancing your vocation with parenting requires a strong support system. Tap into dedicated childcare resources to find reliable, vetted support for your children, keeping your home life anchored and secure.

To learn more about your caregiver resources, go to the university’s Wellness page.

The university will have added over 250 new student parking spaces this year with the expansion of the Morse parking lot (next to the ball fields) on Fulton and Villa. However, the first section of that lot will not be completed until mid-September, with the second portion not being completed until mid-October. Because of these timelines, parking will be particularly challenging for the first two weeks of the term.

Graduate students may park in any commuter lot or street (see the campus parking map; these areas have a gold border on the map), the parking lot on the east side of Villa Road across from East Sherman Street (the university now owns this lot), and public streets for the first two weeks of the semester.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation! Questions? Contact Karen Toohey at ktoohey@georgefox.edu.

The university will have added over 250 new student parking spaces this year with the expansion of the Morse parking lot (next to the ball fields) on Fulton and Villa. However, the first section of that lot will not be completed until mid-September, with the second portion not being completed until mid-October. Because of these timelines, parking will be particularly challenging for the first two weeks of the term.

You should have received a detailed email on Friday, Aug. 21, instructing you on your parking options while the Morse lot construction is completed.

Residential students (regardless of their parking permit color) may park in any residential lot, Lot I (North Street Lot), the parking lot on the east side of Villa Road across from East Sherman Street (the university now owns this lot), and public streets (excluding Villa Road and East Fulton Street) for the first two weeks of the semester.

Commuter students may park in any commuter lot or street (see the campus parking map; these areas have a gold border on the map), the parking lot on the east side of Villa Road across from East Sherman Street (the university now owns this lot), and public streets for the first two weeks of the semester.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation! Questions? Contact Karen Toohey at ktoohey@georgefox.edu.