Global Impact Seminar: Launch a career pathway in global development work

October 19th, 2020

Join the engineering department for the first George Fox Global Impact Seminar of the 2020-21 school year, to be held via Zoom tomorrow (Wednesday) from 4 to 5:15 p.m.

Dr. Juan Lucena, director of the humanitarian engineering program at the Colorado School of Mines, will speak on “From Project to Practice: How to Build Bridges Between Passion and Careers for Engineers in Community Development.”

His talk will focus on ways for students to transition from their time at Fox to graduate school with the hope of aligning their engineering careers with their passion for humanitarian or community development work.

In particular, he will discuss how to assess competencies gained in community development projects in relation to those needed to launch a career pathway in development work along with how graduate training can help fill the necessary gaps.

He will also share lessons learned in the development of undergraduate projects in humanitarian engineering at Colorado School of Mines and the development of their new humanitarian engineering graduate program, to compare and contrast what can be gained at the undergraduate level and what remains to be done as a graduate student.

For students interested in global development and humanitarian work, you won’t want to miss this Global Impact Seminar!

Questions? Contact Jeff Walters (jwalters@georgefox.edu).

Comings and Goings

October 19th, 2020

Shawn Daley joins the university this fall to serve as chief strategy and business development officer. An alumnus of the university, from which he earned a master of arts in teaching degree in 2004, he arrives from Concordia University, where he served as the chief of staff of closure operations, managing the wind down of operations at the institution’s Portland and Boise campuses. Previously, he worked at Concordia as the executive vice president of business development and innovation and as its chief innovation officer. Shawn also taught at Concordia as an associate and assistant professor of education for 10 years. In addition to his degree from George Fox, he is currently enrolled in Michigan State University’s educational technology and educational psychology PhD program, and he holds a master’s degree in history from Portland State University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Loyola University in Maryland. Shawn lives in Portland with his wife, Cadie, his three children, Griffyn, Fiona and Norah, and their seven pets. He is a member of Holy Redeemer Parish in North Portland. A native New Yorker, he is an avid New York Islanders fan.


Carlos Ordonez (Graduate Admissions) is no longer with George Fox University.

Movers & Quakers

October 19th, 2020

Jacob Vahlenkamp is transitioning into the role of associate director of admissions for systems.

About Our People

October 19th, 2020

Kelly Chang (Psychology) presented three papers with students Cameron Stumpf, Abigail Bullock, Benjamin Shannon and Deborah Campbell in the virtual juried proceedings of the recent Western Social Science Association Conference. The papers were entitled “Virtues, resilience, and well-being of indigenous youth in Peru,” “Adolescent resilience and self-esteem in Nicaragua,” and “Resilience in Nicaragua: Preliminary Validation and factor analysis of the CYRM-28.”

George Fox received a $998,606 grant from the Oregon Health Authority for its three-year start-up of the Interprofessional Primary Care Institute. Julie Oyemaja, PsyD (pictured) wrote the grant and is the founding director and principal investigator. The IPC Institute is a collaborative learning community for healthcare learners and professionals. It promotes a diverse workforce and interprofessional primary care teams focused on strengths and Strengthening Each Otherâ„¢. The institute’s growing interprofessional team includes 60-plus directors and advisors from a variety of public, private and faith-based agencies in and outside of Oregon. In addition to business associates, faculty from George Fox’s psychology, nursing, physical therapy, social work and physician assistant programs hold positions as practice directors. The IPC Institute is funded by the Healthy Oregon Workforce Training Opportunity Grant Program (HOWTO), which is administered under the direction of the Oregon Health Policy Board in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Health & Science University. For more information, visit ohsu.edu/howto.


Ron Clark (Seminary) recently published a book, Spiritual Growth Stories for Life Groups, through Point of View Publishing. He also participated in a panel discussion with the Portland police chief and members of the National Faith and Blue Weekend Oct. 9-11. The YouTube video of the panel is available at this link.

All invited to Political Civility Project debate tonight at 7:30 p.m.

October 18th, 2020

The 2020 George Fox Political Civility Project continues, looking for ways to counteract increasing polarization and alienation in American politics.

At 7:30 p.m. tonight (Monday), professors Mark Hall and Phil Smith will debate about whom we should vote for in the U.S. presidential election. Attendees will be invited to assess levels of civility in the debate and also hear a brief report on how the vice presidential debate, and perhaps others, fared in terms of civility.

Attendees will also be given a chance to comment on what next steps our university should take to promote peacemaking in politics.  The event is open to the public via this Zoom link, and those on campus may attend the event live in Bauman Auditorium.

In compliance with social distancing regulations, when the room reaches its 100-person COVID capacity, any others who arrive will be directed to join those attending (including any off-campus guests) via Zoom.

Questions? Contact Ron Mock (rmock@georgefox.edu).

Invisible Disabilities Week: Join us in highlighting invisible disabilities

October 18th, 2020

Do you have an invisible disability? A learning disability, mental health condition, chronic health condition, or something else?

This week (Oct. 18 through 24) is Invisible Disabilities Week. The Disability Awareness and Accessibility Group, @gfu.accessibility Instagram page, and the Disability Services Office are joining together to highlight invisible disabilities.

We don’t want to miss anything, so if you want an invisible disability to be highlighted, fill out this anonymous Google Form.

Questions? Contact Andrea Byerley (abyerley@georgefox.edu).

Check out the ARC’s weekly newsletter

October 18th, 2020

Check out this week’s ARC newsletter! This edition contains a brand new Close Reading Guide created by our ARC consultants and a meme of the week!

Want to make a writing or academic coaching appointment this week? Email the ARC at the_arc@gerogefox.edu or make an appointment at arcschedule.georgefox.edu.

Join Disability Awareness and Advocacy Group’s meeting today

October 17th, 2020

The Disability Awareness and Advocacy group is meeting today (Sunday) from 4 to 5 p.m. over Zoom. We will introduce new members, discuss our efforts to becoming a club, and begin planning for upcoming events.

See you there!

Questions? Contact Hannah Mason (hmason17@georgefox.edu)

Instructions on voting

October 16th, 2020

It’s time to vote! If you are a resident of Oregon, here are the steps to take:

If you are registered you will receive a ballot two or three weeks before the election via mail. You will receive a mail-in ballot automatically because that is Oregon law.

To change your voting address, go to this link and follow the instructions. Mail your ballot back by Wednesday, Oct. 28. If you miss that date, you will need to drop it in a ballot box.

If you live out of state:

The government will allow you to vote via absentee voting (mail-in) in the state you are attending school. Visit this page for information on how to vote if you live out of state. To change your address, check out this page.

Tips for preventing a rejected ballot:

  • Vote early. That means mail in your ballot before Oct. 28.
  • Make sure your signature is the same as the signature on your driver’s license.
  • Do not vote twice.
  • Remember to mail in your ballot; do not keep it as a souvenir.

Join Political Civility Project debate Monday at 7:30 p.m.

October 16th, 2020

The 2020 George Fox Political Civility Project continues, looking for ways to counteract increasing polarization and alienation in American politics.

At 7:30 p.m. (please note updated start time) this Monday, Oct. 19, professors Mark Hall and Phil Smith will debate about whom we should vote for in the U.S. presidential election. Attendees will be invited to assess levels of civility in the debate and also hear a brief report on how the vice presidential debate, and perhaps others, fared in terms of civility.

Attendees will also be given a chance to comment on what next steps our university should take to promote peacemaking in politics.  The event is open to the public via this Zoom link, and those on campus may attend the event live in Bauman Auditorium.

In compliance with social distancing regulations, when the room reaches its 100-person COVID capacity, any others who arrive will be directed to join those attending (including any off-campus guests) via Zoom.

Questions? Contact Ron Mock (rmock@georgefox.edu).

Join Political Civility Project for debate this Monday

October 15th, 2020

The 2020 George Fox Political Civility Project continues, looking for ways to counteract increasing polarization and alienation in American politics. 

At 6 p.m. this Monday, Oct. 19, professors Mark Hall and Phil Smith will debate about whom we should vote for in the U.S. presidential election. Attendees will be invited to assess levels of civility in the debate and also hear a brief report on how the vice presidential debate, and perhaps others, fared in terms of civility.

Attendees will also be given a chance to comment on what next steps our university should take to promote peacemaking in politics.  The event is open to the public via this Zoom link, and those on campus may attend the event live in Bauman Auditorium. 

In compliance with social distancing regulations, when the room reaches its 100-person COVID capacity, any others who arrive will be directed to join those attending (including any off-campus guests) via Zoom. 

Questions? Contact Ron Mock (rmock@georgefox.edu).

Flu shots are still available

October 15th, 2020

Flu shots are still available at the Health and Counseling Center. Students on the student health insurance plan are free; all others pay $20.

Please call 503-554-2340 to schedule an appointment.

Get involved with the Disability Awareness and Advocacy Group

October 15th, 2020

The Disability Awareness and Advocacy group is meeting this Sunday, Oct. 18, from 4 to 5 p.m. over Zoom. We will introduce new members, discuss our efforts to becoming a club, and begin planning for upcoming events.

See you there!

Questions? Contact Hannah Mason (hmason17@georgefox.edu).

Attend virtual guest lecture: ‘Complicity in Racism: The Path Forward’

October 15th, 2020

The university community is invited to attend a virtual lecture, “Complicity in Racism: The Path Forward,” put on by the George Fox Honors Program, on Friday, Oct. 30, at 10:30 a.m.

The event features Jemar Tisby, an author, speaker and president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, for which he writes about race, religion and culture.

Tisby will explore racial justice solutions and cultural conversations that compel action. For more information regarding Tisby and his presentation, click here.

Registration is required. Please register here for the virtual lecture.

Questions? Contact Nancy Schifferdecker (nschifferdecker@georgefox.edu).

Survey: Spring Semester Changes

October 15th, 2020

Hello everyone! As you have probably seen, this coming spring semester has experienced some changes in the dates of events, such as our spring break period.

In response to these changes, I’ve put together a short survey on how you personally feel about these changes and how they affect you. It should only take a few minutes to complete, and your input is valuable!

Results are recorded anonymously. Remember, you’re paying for your college experience, and you get a voice in the decisions that are made. Use it!

Questions? Contact Benjamin Harper (bharper19@georgefox.edu).

Disclaimer:

These surveys are student generated and are not to be associated with any official research conducted by faculty and staff at George Fox University. Any views or opinions presented in these surveys are solely those of the students and do not represent those of George Fox University. The distribution of these surveys is a service provided to George Fox University students as they prepare their research required by the curriculum. Students are required to have department approval. Any questions about these surveys should be directed to the students associated with the survey in question.

Will you be fastest out of the Escape Room? Competitions begin tomorrow

October 15th, 2020

Tomorrow (Saturday), groups will begin competing for the fastest time out of our on-campus Escape Room for the chance to win a grand prize!

All the time slots are filled, so if you signed up and received a confirmation email from amarchuk17@georgefox.edu for a time slot tomorrow, your group needs to show up five minutes early so we can get started on time.

Questions? Email Student Activities (activities@georgefox.edu).

Attend The Premedical Club’s first meeting Oct. 21

October 15th, 2020

The Premedical Club will be having our first meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. Space is limited to 20 people, so please use this form to sign up. We will also be hosting the meeting on Zoom.

If you would like to be added to our email list for further updates and resources, please fill out this form.

Questions? Contact Cate Snedecor (csnedecor19@georgefox.edu).

Engineers: Attend seminar regarding graduate school and development work

October 15th, 2020

Join us for the first George Fox Global Impact Seminar of the 2020-21 school year, which will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 4 to 5:15 p.m.

Dr. Juan Lucena, director of the humanitarian engineering program at the Colorado School of Mines, will be giving an exciting talk, titled “From Project to Practice: How to Build Bridges Between Passion and Careers for Engineers in Community Development.”

His talk will focus on ways for students to transition from their time at Fox to graduate school with the hope of aligning their engineering careers with their passion for humanitarian or community development work.

In particular, he will discuss how to assess competencies gained in community development projects in relation to those needed to launch a career pathway in development work along with how graduate training can help fill the necessary gaps.

He will also share lessons learned in the development of undergraduate projects in humanitarian engineering at Colorado School of Mines and the development of their new humanitarian engineering graduate program, to compare and contrast what can be gained at the undergraduate level and what remains to be done as a graduate student.   

For students interested in global development and humanitarian engineering, you won’t want to miss this Global Impact Seminar!

Questions? Contact Jeff Walters (jwalters@georgefox.edu).

University announces changes to spring semester schedule

October 14th, 2020

To reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on campus and at teaching sites during the traditional flu season, the university is altering the academic calendar for the spring semester. The change primarily affects the schedule of spring break as seen below.

Although many graduate/ADP students primarily participate remotely or online, all programs, regardless of modality, will follow a different set of academic holidays in order to ensure services are available to all students.

Graduate and adult degree students will start the semester on the date originally scheduled (Jan. 11). Spring break will be converted from a week in March to two long weekends and a midweek day of rest.

Graduate/Adult Degree 2021 spring semester (no change from current schedule) 

  • Jan. 11-April 30

Graduate/Adult Degree academic holidays

  • Jan. 18 (Monday)
  • Feb. 15-16 (Monday-Tuesday)
  • March 25-26 (Thursday-Friday)
  • April 14 (Wednesday)

Classes will be held on Feb. 19, a date previously scheduled for a holiday.

University announces changes to spring semester schedule

October 14th, 2020

To reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on campus during the traditional flu season, the spring 2021 traditional undergraduate semester will start a week later and run Jan. 19 through April 30 (with the exception of nursing students, who will begin Jan. 11 and go through April 30).

Spring break will be converted from a week in March to two long weekends and a midweek day of rest. Residential students will be able to move onto campus Sunday, Jan. 17. (Note: As their schedule may be different, nursing students should refer to communication from the College of Nursing for their specific schedule).

Traditional Undergraduate 2021 Spring Semester

  • Jan 19 to April 30 (residential students will move in on Jan. 17; nursing students may move in Jan. 10) 

Undergraduate Academic Holidays*

  • Jan. 18 (Monday)
  • Feb. 15-16 (Monday-Tuesday)
  • March 25-26 (Thursday-Friday)
  • April 14 (Wednesday)

Classes will be held on Feb. 19, a date previously scheduled as mid-semester holiday.

*Days off within the semester vary for nursing students, depending on clinical placements.