The Daily Bruin

Please note the accelerated payroll deadlines for December. Due to Christmas break, we will have fewer days to process the December payroll.

Please have all check requests submitted and approved by Friday, Dec. 9. Temporary part-time employee timesheets also should be forecasted and locked and approved by Dec. 9.

Regular employee timesheets and student timesheets can be locked at the end of the month as usual. The student payday will be on Thursday, Dec. 15, and the regular employee payday will be on Thursday, Dec. 22.

Questions? Contact the payroll team at payroll@georgefox.edu.

The finance office will be closed from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2 for Christmas break. Deposits that need to have a December 2022 date must be brought to the finance office no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22. If it arrives later, it will go into a deposit for January 2023.

Please look around your desks and file cabinets to see if there are any lingering items that need to go to the bank. If you are taking extra time off during the Christmas/New Year holiday, please send your deposits over before you leave.

If you have any questions about deposits, please contact Heather Groenlund at ext. 2173. Thank you, and have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed new year!

We are still in need of several volunteers to serve as ushers at Midyear Commencement on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. in Bauman Auditorium.

Come help us greet our guests, hand out programs, direct graduates’ family and friends to their seats, and make graduation a special event for everyone!

All George Fox employees who participate as ushers will have the option to receive $50 through payroll, or take three hours off in lieu of this gift. Non-university volunteers will receive a gift card in the same amount.

Please contact Laurie Fair at ext. 2140 or lfair@georgefox.edu if you would like to volunteer to serve our grads and their families on this memorable day!

The university pastors invite you to enter into the Advent season using the Advent Reader with weekly devotionals written by Pastors Jamie Johnson, Cyndi Murillo, Olivia Pothoff, Rus St. Cyr and Gaby Viesca.

If you would like a printed copy, please send an email to spirituallife@georgefox.edu.

With the hustle and bustle of faculty, administrators and staff working hard to serve our students, the Connect office is here to help! We would love to get to know you and see how Connect can collaborate.

Wondering who we are? Come to our GFC Christmas Open House today (Friday) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All George Fox employees are invited to stop in for some savory snacks, sweet treats, a Christmas gift, and a chat about how we can collaborate with your program.

George Fox Connect, which includes the university’s adult degree completion programs, high school dual-credit initiatives, and strategic business partnerships, is located in the Margaret Lemmons House at Meridian and Sheridan streets. We are next door to the Office of People & Culture and on your way to Coffee Cottage. Bring your Christmas cheer.

We look forward to seeing you!

Contact Metra Augustin at maugustin@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.

What does it take to navigate the holidays?

Using the nine holiday reindeer as examples, we will show you how you can use your strengths to chart a course toward a meaningful holiday season. We will also provide tips and strategies to navigate away from common pitfalls that come up during this time of year.

The webinar takes place next Friday, Dec. 9, from noon to 1 p.m., and is presented by Providence Behavioral Health Concierge providers Cathlyn Fraguela-Rios and Dawn St. Aubyn.

Click here to register for the webinar.

If you have any questions, contact Aga Luptak at aluptak@georgefox.edu.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is the big day! Join us in celebrating the Christmas season on the Newberg campus!

You are invited to gather for cookies, coffee and cider in the Stevens Center atrium at 4 p.m. That will be followed by a tree-lighting ceremony, carols, and a devotional in the same location at 4:30 p.m.

Then, from 5 to 7 p.m., we’ll have carriage rides in the quad, a Christmas photo booth, a roaming Santa, choir and ensemble caroling, a petting zoo, the Maker Hub’s “Santa’s Workshop,” and ornament decorating.

As for treats, we’ll be serving gourmet s’mores and hot cocoa (1927 S’mores Company), seasonal popcorn (Miss Hannah’s Popcorn) and apple cider, coffee, and cookies (compliments of Bon Appetit).

So, dress up in your favorite Christmas costume or sweater (there will be an incentive to do so) and join us!

With the hustle and bustle of faculty, administrators and staff working hard to serve our students, the Connect office is here to help! We would love to get to know you and see how Connect can collaborate.

Wondering who we are? Come to our GFC Christmas Open House this Friday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All George Fox employees are invited to stop in for some savory snacks, sweet treats, a Christmas gift, and a chat about how we can collaborate with your program.

George Fox Connect, which includes the university’s adult degree completion programs, high school dual-credit initiatives, and strategic business partnerships, is located in the Margaret Lemmons House at Meridian and Sheridan streets. We are next door to the Office of People & Culture and on your way to Coffee Cottage. Bring your Christmas cheer.

We look forward to seeing you this Friday!

Contact Metra Augustin at maugustin@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.

If severe winter weather makes travel to or from campus unsafe, George Fox will temporarily close the campus and cancel in-person classes. However, remote/online courses will not be canceled because of weather conditions.

If road conditions are unsafe, employees will be expected to work remotely if they have work that can be accomplished from home. If remote work is not possible, employees should contact their supervisor. If you are unsure whether it is prudent to travel, you should use your personal judgment and make the right decision for yourself regarding coming to work.

The following is our process for announcing when in-person classes are canceled and campus is closed:

• The provost will make the decision to close campus and cancel in-person classes by 6:30 a.m. for the Newberg campus and Portland Center for daytime classes or 2:15 p.m. for evening classes.
• Decisions on weekend classes and at the Redmond site will be made by the professor. Remote/online classes will be held even if the campus is closed.

Major considerations for university closure are road conditions, ice, utility service disruption, and how long the severe weather or emergency is likely to last.

Stay notified! Here’s how find out if a decision has been made when severe weather occurs:

• Visit the George Fox Flashalert.net page. This is the first site updated. Enter your email address to create an account and receive notifications from FlashAlert Messenger.
• If you wish to receive a notification on your mobile device, download the FlashAlert smartphone app for iOS or Android. Either log-in or create an account if you haven’t already.
• Listen to local radio and television stations or visit their websites (this info comes via Flashalert).

Call the George Fox University switchboard at 503-538-8383. More information on campus closure policies can be found at georgefox.edu/closure.

This Thursday and Friday, Dec. 1-2, please swing by the Bruin Bookstore for our faculty and staff appreciation party!

Take 20% off your entire purchase in-store (restrictions apply, but all non-clearance apparel and gifts are included!), or go to Coupon-20.com and enter code 1478 for 20% off any online apparel or gift item.

We’ll have coffee, cider and hot chocolate, plus some delicious snacks. Hope to see you here!

Contact Laura King at lking@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Holidays can often become a more stressful than pleasant time, particularly during times of uncertainty.

Find out here how you can manage your time and stress this holiday season.

Take deep breaths here and now.

More COVID-19 Bivalent (Pfizer) booster vaccination clinics are here!

The clinics will be held on Friday, Dec. 2, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., and Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 1 to 4 p.m. The vaccines are free of charge.

The clinics will be held at the Health and Counseling Center (located on River Street). Please arrive five minutes early to your appointment, and bring your COVID card with you. We will see you there!

Call 503-554-2340 if you have any questions, or to schedule an appointment.

Come to the graduate research symposium hosted in Canyon Commons (Room 102-103) on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The DMSc program was created in response to an ever-growing demand for healthcare leaders, particularly in rural, traditionally underserved and international locations. Our DMSc students are excited to present their research to you in a symposium-format doctoral defense.

The focus of our students’ research is rooted in service and leadership, particularly with an emphasis on global health and humanitarian service and leadership. As a part of their coursework, our DMSc students participated in a service trip to Africa and the greater Pacific Northwest.

Come to the symposium on Dec. 8 to hear about the exciting research our DMSc students have been doing. You will not only have the opportunity to hear about their research, but you are also encouraged to ask questions and interact with our students.

A silent auction will be held during the event and will showcase handmade items from master craftsmen and women throughout Africa.

For more information (or to donate to a future DMSc service trip), contact us at padmsc@georgefox.edu

Please note the accelerated payroll deadlines for December. Due to Christmas break, we will have fewer days to process the December payroll.

Please have all check requests submitted and approved by Friday, Dec. 9. Temporary part-time employee timesheets also should be forecasted and locked and approved by Dec. 9.

Regular employee timesheets and student timesheets can be locked at the end of the month as usual. The student payday will be on Thursday, Dec. 15, and the regular employee payday will be on Thursday, Dec. 22.

Questions? Contact the payroll team at payroll@georgefox.edu.

President Robin and Ruth Baker cordially invite employees to celebrate together at this year’s Christmas Concert on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 2:30 p.m. in Bauman Auditorium. Reserve tickets here.

Employees are entitled to two complimentary tickets for Sunday’s matinee (while tickets last!). Once you select the seat you would like to reserve, you will then choose “employee comp” from a pricing option list. Following the concert on Sunday, employees are invited to a Christmas open house at the president’s home from 4 to 6 p.m. at 701 E. Franklin St., in Newberg.

If you can’t make Sunday’s festivities, employees can get complimentary tickets for Friday or Saturday evenings’ performances. Or employees and students can attend a free family-friendly dress rehearsal at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8.

Questions? Contact Carly Reumann at creumann@georgefox.edu.

Employees are invited to shop the Nike Company Store on Friday, Nov. 25, through Tuesday, Dec. 27. Please download this pass for all the details and read the fine print carefully. You’ll need to take your employee ID with you, and ID for family members who accompany you.

Have fun shopping!

Questions? Contact Sara Reamy at sreamy@georgefox.edu.

The university pastors invite you to enter into the Advent season using the Advent Reader with weekly devotionals written by Pastors Jamie Johnson, Cyndi Murillo, Olivia Pothoff, Rus St. Cyr and Gaby Viesca.

If you would like a printed copy, please send an email to spirituallife@georgefox.edu.

Are you in the holiday spirit? Then you won’t want to miss the university’s Christmas celebration event on the Newberg campus on Thursday, Dec. 1!

You are invited to gather for cookies, coffee and cider in the Stevens Center atrium at 4 p.m. That will be followed by a tree-lighting ceremony, carols, and a devotional in the same location at 4:30 p.m.

Then, from 5 to 8 p.m., we’ll have carriage rides in the quad, a Christmas photo booth, a roaming Santa, choir and ensemble caroling, a petting zoo, and ornament decorating.

As for treats, we’ll be serving gourmet s’mores and hot cocoa (1927 S’mores Company), seasonal popcorn (Miss Hannah’s Popcorn) and apple cider, coffee, and cookies (compliments of Bon Appetit).

So, dress up in your favorite Christmas costume or sweater (there will be an incentive to do so) and join us!

As we prepare our offices for the Christmas season, here are some safety tips to be mindful of. May your decorating be creative and safe.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Kim Knoernschild at kknoernschild@georgefox.edu.

The U.S. Postal Service has announced price changes for first class mail, with changes scheduled to take effect Jan. 22, 2023. The new rates include a three-cent increase on the price of a first class Forever stamp, from 60 cents to 63 cents.

Mail Services has a wide variety of stamps available, so stop by and purchase what you like. Come take advantage of the savings before prices goes up.

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