The Daily Bruin

Are you dreaming of owning your own home, or simply wondering what it takes to get there? You and your family are invited to attend a Free Homebuyer Education Seminar this Wednesday, July 29, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Sutton Community Room at the Friendsview Retirement Community in Newberg.

Whether homeownership is a near-term goal or a down-the-road dream, this interactive evening is designed for both first-time and repeat buyers to bust common myths, explore loan options, and map out a clear path forward.

You will have the unique opportunity to connect one-on-one with trusted industry professionals – including financial planners, credit repair specialists, mortgage lenders, and realtors – to get your specific questions answered and build a personalized roadmap.

The event is completely free for our employees and their families, but an online registration is required to secure your tickets, so please click this Eventbrite link to RSVP today! 

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is hosting Summer Visit Day on campus today (Friday). With around 450 visitors expected, we’re asking students and employees to help extend the Be Known Promise throughout the day. Here’s what you can keep in mind:

• Use street parking instead of campus parking lots (specifically Stevens and Hoover lots). Guests will be arriving on campus at 8:30 a.m. and will fill the main campus parking lots.
• All visitors will take a campus tour at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Be mindful of guests walking through the main buildings on campus.

If you have questions, email visit@georgefox.edu or call Lauren Hill at 503-554-2245.

We are still in need of volunteers for Welcome Weekend! This is our chance to welcome each and every new student as they step onto campus.

With such a large incoming class, we need all hands on deck as we each do our part to make students and their guests experience the Be Known promise. And who better to do that than our own faculty and staff?

Please complete this form if you would like to join our team to volunteer, and we will contact you with further instructions.

Questions? Contact Kara Holcombe at kholcombe@georgefox.edu.

Serve Day 2026 is set for Wednesday, Sept. 16, and preparations are underway!

A big thanks to the 305 employees who have already completed the “SD 2026 Employee Info Gathering Survey”! If you haven’t already done so, please complete it before Aug. 10.

We want to do our best to prioritize making serve site connections for you, our employee colleagues, that could encourage ongoing community service partnerships throughout the year – and over the years!

Also on the form, you can note any limitations and previous serve site connections or questions you might have, and we’ll take it all into consideration when coordinating this summer.

If you’re planning to be on sabbatical, family leave, or know of a significant change that will keep you away from campus during the week of Sept. 16, you can let us know using the form, which is essential for our preparations.

The next 50 days will breeze by, and before you know it, it will be time for Serve Day 2026!

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

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be hosting Summer Visit Day on campus tomorrow (Friday). With around 450 visitors expected, we’re asking students and employees to help extend the Be Known Promise throughout the day. Here’s what you can keep in mind:

• Use street parking instead of campus parking lots (specifically Stevens and Hoover lots). Guests will be arriving on campus tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. and will fill the main campus parking lots.
• All visitors will take a campus tour at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Be mindful of guests walking through the main buildings on campus.

If you have questions, email visit@georgefox.edu or call Lauren Hill at 503-554-2245.

Recent Microsoft Windows security updates have created a critical incompatibility issue affecting all university HP laptops. Left unaddressed, the update can trigger “blue screen” system crashes, rendering devices unusable.

To maintain campus cybersecurity, IT must perform a mandatory, 15-minute BIOS/firmware update on approximately 300 affected laptops. Because this specific update carries technical risks, it cannot be deployed remotely and must be completed in person.

To minimize disruption, IT technicians will be visiting campus offices building-by-building to service devices directly. If your HP laptop hasn’t been updated yet, please bring it to tomorrow’s all-employee meeting for on-site IT support.

You can also schedule a 15-minute appointment at the Service Desk using this link.

If you have feedback, questions, or need to coordinate around summer travel, please reach out to the Service Desk at servicedesk@georgefox.edu. 

George Fox Athletics and the Chehalem Park & Recreation District are partnering to host Bruin Sports Day, a free clinic for second- through eighth-graders from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20.

The event invites kids to practice skills in a variety of sports and learn from Bruin coaches and athletes. Preregistration is required through CPRD and can be completed here. 

Please help us pass the word along! Reach out to Hailey Swenson at hswenson@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.

We are still in need of volunteers for Welcome Weekend! This is our chance to welcome each and every new student as they step onto campus.

With such a large incoming class, we need all hands on deck as we each do our part to make students and their guests experience the Be Known promise. And who better to do that than our own faculty and staff?

Please complete this form if you would like to join our team to volunteer, and we will contact you with further instructions.

Questions? Contact Kara Holcombe at kholcombe@georgefox.edu.

Show your Bruin spirit and be part of a favorite community tradition! Each year, George Fox participates in the Newberg Old Fashioned Festival Parade with a university float, and we’d love for you and your family to join us. This year’s parade is this Saturday, July 25.

This is a fun opportunity to connect with the community, celebrate George Fox, and enjoy the parade alongside fellow Bruins. Participants will help hand out candy, blow bubbles, and distribute other giveaways along the parade route.

Bring your family, wear your Bruin gear, and help us represent George Fox with pride!

You can sign up using this link. 

Questions? Contact Macey Lutey at mlutey@georgefox.edu.

Even when campus is quiet and students are away, maintaining focus through big summer projects, planning, and long workdays still takes sustained mental energy. Intentionally caring for our health and well-being matters in every season of the year.

If you want to boost your focus and mood through the afternoon, science offers a remarkably simple tool: the 15-minute sensory pause. Stepping away to a quiet, cool space to close your eyes cuts off nearly 80% of the sensory data your brain constantly processes. This swift downshift activates your parasympathetic nervous system, lowering your heart rate, releasing physical tension, and clearing away adenosine – the natural chemical compound responsible for afternoon sluggishness.

Research shows that a 10- to 15-minute rest period is the optimal “sweet spot” for mental recovery. Unlike longer naps that can leave you feeling groggy, a brief pause clears mental clutter without dipping into deep sleep cycles, giving your cognitive clarity a quick boost for the rest of the day.

Even if you don’t fall asleep, simply resting your eyes shifts your brain into restorative alpha and theta wave states. As you care for your health this week, take advantage of the quieter pace on campus and schedule a brief 15-minute reset – whether in your office, the chapel, or a shady spot outside – to sharpen your focus and refresh your afternoon.

Please be sure to share your appreciation for this year’s Milestone Service Award recipients by this Friday, July 24. These are employees who have completed five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service at George Fox as of August 2026!

How to share you appreciation and gratitude:

• Submit your tribute: Please visit the 2026 Milestone Service Award Recognition overview document to see who is eligible.
• Be personal: Share a story, express your gratitude or write a note of appreciation.
• Sign it: Remember to include your name so the honoree knows who the kind words are from!
• Deadline: Please submit your tributes by Friday, July 24.

Thank you in advance for making this an extra special celebration for our loyal employees celebrating a milestone service anniversary this year!

The Hadlock Student Center is selling four commercial-grade Matrix treadmills. They are in very good shape, cleaned often, and recently serviced, with plenty of mileage left.

For specs, pricing and details, contact Kelsey Cantrall at kcantrall@georgefox.edu.

Join us at the Bridge Cafe for lunch this week! Tuesday through Thursday we will have a build-your-own salad or deli sandwich available.

You can also join us Tuesday in the main dining room for lunch. We will be open between noon and 1 p.m.

See the full menu at georgefox.cafebonappetit.com.

The marketing communications office is producing a video this summer to highlight teachers and the vital work they do in our communities. We are looking for kids – from kindergarten all the way through high school – to help us make this video possible by acting as students in the classrooms.

The video shoots will take place at schools in the Newberg area in late July and August. We would love to have your families participate! All kids will receive a fun gift for participating.

Please sign up on this form, and we’ll be in touch with more details. 

Please note that Concur reports that were completed between July 1 and the deadline of July 10 automatically posted to FY27.

Finance will be moving those expenses (provided that they met the deadlines) back into FY26 as part of our year-end closing process. We expect those entries will be completed and visible in your VENA reports by July 23.

Thank you for your patience.

We are continuing with our AI Workshops in July. Bring your laptop and your questions, or share what is working for you.

The Gemini app, Workspace Studio, and NotebookLM continue to improve with new features and capabilities to work across all our Google apps. We’ll look at those newer features.

What do you want to learn more about? Let us know here. Please remember that using Gemini AI through your George Fox account is essential for ensuring data security and data protection.

Here are details on the sessions:

• When: Tuesdays (come and go from noon to 1:30 p.m.)
• Dates: July 21 and July 28
• Where: Stevens 209

For more tips and resources, visit our George Fox IT: AI website or contact us at servicedesk@georgefox.edu.

Several spots are still available for an upcoming Summer Development Course!

If you’ve ever felt like there aren’t enough hours in the day or are looking to renew your approach to time management, join us for a two-session virtual book group on Redeeming Your Time by Jordan Raynor.

Together, we’ll explore practical, faith-centered principles for managing our time with greater purpose, focus and peace.

This is a virtual experience that meets on Friday, July 24, and Friday, Aug. 7, from 1 to 2 p.m.

Whether you’ve read the book before or are picking it up for the first time, we’d love to have you join the conversation as we learn how to steward our time in ways that honor God and serve others well. The book is provided at no cost to participants.

Email Joe Thouvenel directly at jthouvenel@georgefox.edu to register and reserve your spot!

Please note that CollegeNet will be conducting scheduled maintenance on their systems on Sunday, Aug. 2, starting at 10 a.m. During this maintenance period, which is expected to last eight hours, 25Live will be unavailable to users until systems are restored.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Alan Ghossein at aghossein@georgefox.edu.

Do you have students working in your office this summer? The admissions office is recruiting current students to act as lunch hosts during our upcoming Summer Visit Day events!

Lunch hosts will mingle around the cafeteria and chat with visitors to share more about the student experience on campus. If you have students who would be excellent representatives of George Fox and may be interested in participating, please email Miranda Engstrom at mengstrom@georgefox.edu for more information.

The next Summer Visit Day is scheduled for Friday, July 24, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Staying safe and keeping cool is our top priority as we head into a major stretch of hot weather. Beginning Monday, July 20, temperatures are forecasted to climb into the mid-90s.

To make sure we are all prepared and looking out for one another, please keep the university’s heat protocol top of mind:

• Hydrate Constantly: Drink water every 20 minutes – don’t wait until you feel thirsty!
• Time Your Tasks Wisely: If you have strenuous tasks or outdoor work, schedule them for the cooler morning hours.
• Find an AC Haven: If your workspace or building is getting too warm, head over to an air-conditioned spot like Canyon Commons, Klages or the Murdock Library.
• Look Out for Your Peers: Between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., make a habit of checking in on your coworkers and classmates every hour or two. A quick check-in goes a long way!
• Know the Warning Signs: Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the signs of heat-related illness so you can act quickly:
  • Heat Cramps (Mild): Muscle pain or spasms, usually in the legs or stomach. Action: Rest in a cool place and drink water or sports drinks.
  • Heat Exhaustion (Moderate): Heavy sweating, cold or clammy skin; nausea, dizziness, weakness, headache, or a fast, weak pulse. Action: Move to a cool place, loosen clothing, apply cool wet cloths, and sip water. Seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last over an hour.
  • Heat Stroke (Severe-Emergency!): Body temperature of 103°F or higher; hot, red, dry or damp skin; rapid pulse; confusion; slurred speech or unconsciousness. Action: Call 911 immediately! Move them to a cooler place and use wet cloths or a cool bath to lower their temperature while waiting for help.

For a deeper dive into staying safe, sun protection tips, and building up heat tolerance, you can view this Beat the Heat Safety Guide.

Have questions or need assistance? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kim Knoernschild, our environmental health and safety specialist, at kknoernschild@georgefox.edu.

Stay cool, stay hydrated, and let’s look out for each other!