September 29, 2025

For the sixth year in a row, Portland State University is ranked No. 1 for Social Mobility in the Pacific Northwest and have risen to 42nd nationally by U.S. News & World Report. Social mobility measures how well a university supports economically disadvantaged students—especially those receiving Pell Grants. At PSU, more than half of students receive the Pell Grant, and the university helps more low-income students increase their economic status than any other college in Oregon.

The General Education Task Force invites PSU faculty, staff, and administrators to join a presentation on general education research and options developed by faculty- and staff-led subcommittees. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback and engage in discussion on potential general education initiatives for the campus.

When: Friday, Oct. 17 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where: Smith Student Union Ballroom

A finalized agenda will be shared with the campus prior to the event.

Celebrate an outstanding colleague in PSU’s research community. Visit Research & Graduate Studies’ home page to start your nomination by Monday, Oct. 27. Completed nominations are due Monday, Nov. 17.

Several PSU employees from the president’s office will temporarily perform the duties of Board Secretary as Caitlin Phipps transitions out of the position for an opportunity out of state. The board secretary serves as the primary liaison between the Board of Trustees and the university’s administration and is responsible for working with the president, university leadership team and trustees in promoting effective board governance and fostering collaboration between members of the university community and the board.

Walktober is back for its 15th year! From Oct. 6–Nov. 6, this free 31-day challenge motivates the PSU community to get moving, set personal goals and join friendly competitions. Earn prizes simply by increasing your steps—whether you walk or roll, solo or with a team.

Kick things off at the Walktober Launch Event on Monday, Oct. 6, 12:30–1:30 p.m. in ASRC 215. Meet new people, form teams and check out the full calendar of group walks around campus. Registration is open now. Presented by Campus Recreation.

Need a change of scenery for your next meeting? Campus Recreation is excited to introduce the Meet & Move program, designed to help you stay active while you connect with others.

All Campus Rec members can now bring non-member guests to meet on the track for free. Instead of sitting across a desk, you can walk or roll while you chat. Walking meetings have been shown to boost creativity and focus while making conversations feel more open and collaborative.

So, whether you're brainstorming or networking with a colleague, skip the coffee shop and head to the Rec Center for a meeting in motion!

No auditions are required, and singers of all levels are welcome. Explore a variety of musical styles in 4-part harmony while connecting with colleagues and the PSU community.

Rehearsals: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12:40–1:30 p.m., starting Oct. 7 — Lincoln Hall 319
Fall Term Concert: Dec. 5 at First United Methodist Church
Fees: $80/term, scholarships available — no one turned away

“One of my biggest goals for the rest of my working life is to eradicate shame around singing. I really believe everyone should be singing.” – Ian Timmons, Director

Come to the Engineering Building (EB) Atrium to help create a new community mural (pictured above). This is a fun, paint-by-numbers project—no art experience needed, all supplies provided!

Drop in during the Community Hour (12:40-1:30 p.m.) on the following dates:

Open to all PSU students, faculty and staff. The final mural will be unveiled on Nov. 12 at Maseeh Exchange: Power & Energy Event!

Student Success is welcoming back our new and returning students through Welcome Week tabling and extended drop-in advising!

The Welcome Table will be offered on Monday, Sept. 29 and Tuesday, Sept. 30:

Extended Drop-In Advising will be offered from Monday, Sept. 29 through Thursday, Oct. 2 and resume to regular drop-in hours for the remainder of the week. View the flyer for additional details per pathway.

Hosted by: The Office of Student Success

Partnering with: University Academic Advising, University Career Center, Transfer Center, University Studies, and Student Success departments.

Student Academic Support Services offers free resources to boost your students’ learning and performance, including one-on-one Academic Coaching, Peer Tutoring at the Learning Center, and skill-building workshops. The ROADS to Success presentation series brings topics like motivation, time management and study strategies directly into your classroom to reinforce key skills.

Explore the Faculty Resources page to see how to complement your teaching and help every student reach their potential.

This fall, the University Career Center launches Career Week, a quarterly series giving students access to career fairs, networking, resume reviews and employer panels that connect academics to professional opportunities.

View and share the Fall Career Week schedule.

Questions? Contact Giovanna DiFalco: GDiFalco@pdx.edu

Our colleagues at Student Activities and Leadership Programs (SALP) launched a new initiative this fall to help students find belonging at Portland State. It’s called Find Your PSU, and the purpose is to find friends, expand their networks and just have fun while at Portland State. Find Your PSU is a website and an app. Please consider sharing this with students in your syllabi and email signatures — to help them make connections and accomplish their goals at PSU!

The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) Region 10 University Transportation Center is excited to host the Region 10 Student Transportation Conference! The student conference is free, and open to all undergraduate and graduate students. Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided. Learn more and register.

The National Policy Consensus Center, in the Hatfield School of Government, is a leader nationally and in Oregon for advancing the use of collaborative governance methods through innovative services, education, and research that help people address public policy disputes and implement community-based solutions.

We are hiring a Fiscal and Operations Manager. The National Policy Consensus Center Fiscal and Operations Manager provides supervision and leadership to the operations department. We would love for you or others in your network to consider joining our team.

Learn more and apply!

For questions, contact npccdesk@pdx.edu.

Have a job that you want to promote internally?

Email Currently@pdx.edu for inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Please limit submissions to 100 words or less.

Amy Parker, coordinator of PSU’s Orientation & Mobility Program, talked with OPB’s Think Out Loud about the growing need for orientation and mobility services; Alexander Ried Ross, senior instructor in geography, discussed political rhetoric with KGW; Film and Media Studies Instructor Matthew Ellis talked with PDX Eater about Portland’s passion for David Lynch; and Catherine McNeur, professor of history, shared what she’s reading to stay sane with Willamette Week.

All week

Deinum Prize Showcase Exhibition: Missing Everglades of the West

PTXM Sustainable Legacies | Oxana Ake: Meadow in Flower

Storywork: The Prints of Marie Watt, from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation

Viking Days

Course Support Virtual Office Hours (M-Th)

Monday, Sept. 29

History Welcome Back Event

Tuesday, Sept. 30

SGRN Fall Welcome Event

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Party in the Park

Politics and Global Affairs Meet & Greet

Thursday, Oct. 2

Acosia Red Elk Dance Performance

Friday, Oct. 3

West Coast Brazilian Jazz Collective Master Class

Viking Days - Music @ Midday: Music Faculty Showcase

Viks Volleyball v. Sacramento State

Saturday, Oct. 4

Storytime at the PSU Farmers Market

PTXM Kombucha Textile: Past, Present, and Future

Sunday, Oct. 5

Softball v. Clark College & Mt. Hood CC

Find more events at: PSU Events, OAI Events, Viks Athletics

Presented

Hollie Hix-Small, Gerry Sussman

People

Miriam Abelson, Jan Haaken, Charles Klein, Jennifer Ruth 

Published/Exhibited

Rachel Noorda, Bennett Gilbert, Alissa Hartig, Eva Thanheiser

Grants

Papireddy Kancharla

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CURRENTLY is a weekly newsletter for the employees of Portland State University, published by University Communications. News items, events and accolades should be sent to currently@pdx.edu. Deadline is noon, the Tuesday before publication. See the Currently website for submission guidelines and schedule.