Courier service will continue

Monday, March 30th, 2020

Mail Services will be running its courier service between campuses. Deliveries will be made weekly on Wednesday morning. Anything that is going to the Portland Center needs to be brought to Mail Services by no later than 9:30 a.m.

If you have questions, contact Richard Silver at rsilver@georgefox.edu.

Finance offers drop box

Monday, March 30th, 2020

Finance has a drop box located to the left of the front door that can be used for most business coming into the department. This may be more convenient for all of us while the buildings on campus are locked. We are here processing transactions, and we will check that box several times during the day.

Please be sure to secure your documents in an envelope. The information submitted should include your contact information so we can reach you if we have questions.

Questions? Contact Cris Banton at cbanton@georgefox.edu.

Thank you,
The Finance Team

Mail Services is back to regular hours

Monday, March 30th, 2020

Mail Services has resumed its regular operating hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions? Contact Richard Silver at rsilver@georgefox.edu.

Bruin Store is open by appointment

Monday, March 30th, 2020

Until further notice, the Bruin Store will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, by appointment only. This is so that we can honor the social distancing guidelines and have enough time between customers to deep-clean surfaces. Please call the store at 503-554-2540 to set up an appointment time.

We are doing a few other things to help our customers stay home and stay safe:

  • Shipping is free for all online orders, with no minimum purchase, and we are shipping orders out daily.
  • We are cleaning and quarantining all rental books as they are checked back in, and they are not being put out for sale immediately.
  • We will have a few racks of professional clothing from The Closet Project set up in-store for appointments as well. At this time those purchases are still cash-only, and we are taking extra precautions regarding all cash handling.
  • All leftover T-shirts from The Closet Project pop-up that were 100% cotton were donated to those who are making masks for the local hospitals. Nearly 90 T-shirts were donated, and many have already been sewn into masks and re-donated to our medical community.

We will be providing updates via the Daily Bruin and on Instagram (@the_bruin_store). Questions? Contact Paige Jacobs at pjacobs@georgefox.edu.

Information on building access for students

Monday, March 30th, 2020

The following buildings will be accessible to students via card access Monday through Friday for the remainder of the spring semester:

  • Stevens Center: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Canyon Commons: 9 a.m. to noon and 5 to 6 p.m.
  • Beebe post office: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Klages and the Roberts Center will be locked. If you need to check your mailbox in either of those locations, please call Campus Public Safety so that we can grant you access to the building.

The athletic buildings will be locked. All other areas, including 24-hour spaces, have been shut down for students. Student workers and researchers will have to request special access and will need a supervisor’s approval.

Questions? Contact 503-554-2090 or email Elrike Shaw at eshaw@georgefox.edu.

Info on keeping Zoom meetings secure

Monday, March 30th, 2020

It is critical for each of us to keep our students and fellow employees safe in our online meetings as we continue with the academic terms. Zoom has recently released this blog post with helpful information about keeping your Zoom meetings secure while providing the best experience for those you interact with.

Please contact the service desk (servicedesk@georgefox.edu) with any questions about managing meetings in Zoom.

Sign up to join prayer initiative

Sunday, March 29th, 2020

The Office for Spiritual Life invites the university community to “Pray 4 Today,” a prayer initiative that begins today (Monday).

The idea is simple: We are looking for four people to sign up to pray per day for the remainder of the spring semester. How you pray, where you pray, and for what or whom you pray are up to you – but will you consider joining us?

If you are interested, please sign up here. Questions? Contact our office at spirituallife@georgefox.edu. Thanks!

Encourage students to enroll in online courses

Sunday, March 29th, 2020

Faculty: Encourage your students to take advantage of our numerous summer online listings! All summer online courses are 50 percent off tuition, and although sections are filling up very fast, there are still slots left for some general education options (CHEM 120, BIBL/RELI 215, MATH, MUSI, and more).

Direct students to our website for details and to online director Brian Doak (bdoak@georgefox.edu) if they have any questions. 

University closed today for spring break holiday

Thursday, March 26th, 2020

All Newberg, Portland, Salem and Redmond offices are closed today (Friday) for the spring break holiday.

Join the university pastors to pray for our students

Thursday, March 26th, 2020

The university pastors and the Employee Prayer Network would like to invite you to consider joining us in a special spring semester prayer project. 

Knowing that there are many personal concerns within our student community – including physical and mental health, finances, family relationships, soul care, graduation transitions, and academic success – this is an important time for us to pray for our students purposefully, listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and praying with consistency.

If you would be willing to pray for the same five students each business day, from now through May 1, please send an email to Jamie Noling-Auth (jnolingauth@georgefox.edu) and the Office for Spiritual Life can provide you with a list of students. Or, if you have a specific group that you know and want to pray for, would you share those names with us?

We would love to make sure that all of our undergraduates have someone committed to praying for them in this unusual time. (As always, all student information needs to remain within our employee community in order to protect student privacy and adhere to FERPA guidelines.)

Thank you! Contact our office (spirituallife@georgefox.edu) with any questions.

Friendsview in need of Personal Protective Equipment

Thursday, March 26th, 2020

There is a shortage of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for health care workers who are caring for the most vulnerable during this COVID-19 pandemic. Many medical facilities and organizations simply have little to no supplies.

At Friendsview, it is reported that by the end of this week the staff will not have disposable PPE and will need to move to contingent plans of using reusable options.

They are in need of the following items:

  • Safety goggles
  • Sunglasses with side coverage
  • Face shields
  • Bandanas
  • Cloth gowns
  • Lab coats
  • Scrub jackets
  • Scrubs
  • Disposable rain gear (ponchos)
  • Sleeve covers
  • Coveralls
  • Oversized long-sleeved shirts that can be laundered and re-used
  • Aprons
  • Gloves and masks

If you are able to help in any way, all donations can be dropped off in the front lobby at Friendsview, marked “Attention: Deb Sabin.”

Thanks for your consideration.

Commencement will be changing

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

In light of recent events, George Fox will not hold commencement ceremonies on campus on Saturday, May 2 (traditional undergraduates) or the following week (ADP/grad programs).

The university is working on plans to allow graduates to celebrate their achievements, but any decisions will be dictated by how the COVID-19 pandemic evolves in the coming weeks.

For more details, visit the university’s coronavirus response page.

Join the university pastors to pray for our students

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

The university pastors and the Employee Prayer Network would like to invite you to consider joining us in a special spring semester prayer project. 

Knowing that there are many personal concerns within our student community – including physical and mental health, finances, family relationships, soul care, graduation transitions, and academic success – this is an important time for us to pray for our students purposefully, listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and praying with consistency.

If you would be willing to pray for the same five students each business day, from now through May 1, please send an email to Jamie Noling-Auth (jnolingauth@georgefox.edu) and the Office for Spiritual Life can provide you with a list of students. Or, if you have a specific group that you know and want to pray for, would you share those names with us?

We would love to make sure that all of our undergraduates have someone committed to praying for them in this unusual time. (As always, all student information needs to remain within our employee community in order to protect student privacy and adhere to FERPA guidelines.)

Thank you! Contact our office (spirituallife@georgefox.edu) with any questions.

Mail Services posts change of hours

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

As of today (Wednesday), Mail Services will be open three days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon. The service window will be open to hand packages to customers between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon.

The adjacent room for sending packages out will be open as needed. Have all outgoing packages brought to Mail Services by no later than 11 a.m. These changes take effect immediately and will resume until we revert to our regular schedule on a date to be determined.

Please contact Richard Silver (rsilver@georgefox.edu) with any questions.

Info on departmental storage clean-out

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

If you are working on campus and find yourself with downtime, consult with your supervisor and department about cleaning out and organizing your departmental storage with the goal of reducing or eliminating the need for storage space.

When going through departmental storage, please consider the following:

  • Is your storage space organized?
  • How long has an item been in storage and how often is it utilized?
  • Is it obsolete, outdated or expired?
  • Should your files or item go to another department such as Archives, Plant Services, or IT?
  • Are your files needed for accreditation or regulatory purposes?
  • Does it need more secure storage (for example, items covered under FERPA)?
  • Can your files be digitized?

Once normal operations resume, Plant Services will conduct a physical audit of all storage space on campus. Questions? Contact Dan van der Water at dvanderwater@georgefox.edu.

Financial aid office is still here for you

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

Our financial aid office is here to serve students throughout the current COVID-19 situation. While we are not available in person, we are ready to meet needs in a variety of ways:

  • Schedule a phone appointment here (or video by request)
  • Email or call our office or your financial aid counselor directly. If your counselor is unavailable, leave a message and we will return your call.
  • Submit documents online, by email (finaid@georgefox.edu), fax or mail
  • We are available to answer questions related to family financial changes and the 2020-21 academic year
  • The Department of Education also has a helpful FAQ for students, parents and borrowers.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions. We are here to help!

Gupta offers insight in new ‘Hope in the Midst of Crisis’ video

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

What are your worries? Where is your hope? Professor Nijay Gupta reflects on Matthew 6 in the Portland Seminary’s newest “Hope in the Midst of Crisis” devotional series episode. You can watch it here.

Be encouraged and be well.

Campus Public Safety releases bicycle policy

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

Campus Public Safety will be rounding up any bicycles left behind on Monday, March 30, as we want to give students the chance to take them home first.

Because of the unprecedented circumstances, bicycles will not be donated this summer. Instead, we will store them until your return in the fall. If you would like us to store it beforehand, please call and give us a description and location of your bike.

Also, if it has a combination we will unlock it if you give us the combination. If it has a key the lock will be cut so we may store the bike. 

Questions? please call 503-554-2090. 

Coronavirus Pandemic: New Oregon Restrictions

Monday, March 23rd, 2020

Oregon’s governor yesterday issued a statewide order for citizens to stay home except when traveling for essential work, buying food and similar critical supplies, or returning to their own homes. 

As part of the “Stay Home, Save Lives” campaign, the governor issued the following guidelines …

Do:

  • Stay home as much as possible (kids, too)
  • Stay at least six feet away from others
  • Go out only for essentials (groceries, medical care)
  • Exercise outside (hiking, biking) only if you can be six feet apart from others
  • Have video and phone chats
  • Drop food off to neighbors who can’t go out

Don’t:

  • Gather in groups
  • Get together with friends (no drinks or dinners)
  • Have play dates for kids
  • Make unnecessary trips

Please note restriction on spending

Monday, March 23rd, 2020

In anticipation of a temporary reduction in campus services and staff working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, finance and purchasing are asking for your help to cut or defer all spending that is not critical to the operation of the university. 

To assist with this goal, all purchases over $1,000 must have an authorized purchase order. Please limit all office supply orders to only include items that are critical to operate.

We are currently reviewing changes to credit card limits and availability, and we will communicate with affected departments/employees once those changes are finalized no later than Wednesday, March 25, 2020. 

For help, please contact:

Matt Hammar, mhammar@georgefox.edu or extension 2006 for purchase order help and information.

Kathi Becker, kbecker@georgefox.edu or extension 2166 for Visa and Concur help and information.