Returning to Campus in the Fall
Returning to Campus in the Fall
UP Parents Wordmark; Photo of 2 different UP students with their families
UP Parent Newsletter: July 2020
Dear Pilot Parents,
I hope you have had a chance to read through President Fr. Mark Poorman’s detailed July 17 update. I recognize the uncertainty that many families currently feel in multiple aspects of their lives and the lives of their students. I am inspired and encouraged by the diligent preparations that campus colleagues are making to enthusiastically welcome students back to campus next month. Indeed, it is in times like these that I am reminded of the strength of a small, tight-knit community. In that spirit, I’d also like to share these inspiring words from Naveen Gudigantala, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Operations and Technology Management:
“At UP, we take great pride in delivering high-quality education. Regardless of the current circumstances, we are working hard to empower ourselves and our colleagues to plan for a successful new academic year. Although we cannot control everything, you can count us to be dedicated, hard-working, and committed to your student’s success. You can expect us to be innovative, creative, and yet highly empathetic to the needs of our students. With your support, we hope to have a great academic year. Thank you for your faith in UP.”
Thank you for entrusting UP with your student’s education. We hope the information provided below brings clarity to some of the questions we have been receiving from families. If there are other questions we can help answer, please reach out to our office at parents@up.edu or 503.943.7328. We are always happy to assist you.
Sincerely, 
Katie Seccombe
Associate Director, Parent Engagement

Engaging Students in News Ways

Fr. Dan Parrish
Fr. Dan Parrish, C.S.C. Ph.D.
Naveen Gudigantala
Naveen Gudigantala, Ph.D.
UP employs outstanding faculty members, many of whom quickly sprang into action in March to move their courses online and continue UP’s mission during a global pandemic. We recently connected with Pamplin School of Business faculty Fr. Dan Parrish, C.S.C., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, and Naveen Gudigantala, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Operations and Technology Management. Hear what they learned from the spring semester, creative approaches they are taking to engage students in new ways, and advice for the fall semester.

Back to The Bluff

We're excited to welcome our Pilots back to The Bluff for Fall 2020! Task forces of faculty, staff, and students have been working all summer to develop protocols to promote student safety when we return to campus. Please continue to revisit the Back to The Bluff hub for the latest details regarding the fall semester on campus, including information for students regarding screening, testing, quarantine, isolation, and contact tracing, and details on teaching and learning.

Important Dates

Looking for important dates for the fall semester regarding Academics, Student Accounts, or Residence Life? We’ve compiled several helpful calendars on our Parent website. Keep track of important dates and deadlines coming up, including: 
  • August 3: Fall 2020 semester invoices due.
  • August 19–20: Move-in (by appointment only) for returning resident students.
  • August 24: Fall semester classes begin. 

Preparing to Manage Health Care on Campus

We recognize that health and safety is top of mind for all our families right now. We’ve compiled some resources and reminders to help your student prepare for managing their health care on campus this fall. Please review this information with your student and encourage them to adhere to outlined practices to help us ensure the health and safety of all students returning to campus. We’re all in this together!

Residence Hall Move-In

All students living on campus in the fall have now received their assignments for their residence hall, room, roommate, move-in day, and move-in time. Please encourage your student to contact their roommate soon, as it is important that they start talking and planning with their roommate early. Please read through the move-in guidelines carefully, especially noting how many guests a student can bring with them and important day-of procedures to help things run smoothly. We appreciate your cooperation!

Shipping Boxes to Campus

Students who are planning to live on campus in the fall may be considering shipping dorm supplies, books, and other essential belongings to campus before their arrival. These packages may be shipped to your student’s campus address before move-in, but packages should arrive no earlier than July 27. We encourage you and your student to read through Mailing Services’ plans for package distribution this fall.

CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

In May, UP received funds from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Fifty percent of these funds in the amount of $1,336,002 will be provided to eligible students who attended UP in the Spring 2020 semester and who have incurred expenses such as child care, food/meals, housing, technology, or travel expenses due to the situation surrounding COVID-19. Funds will be split evenly among all eligible students who apply. The application deadline has been extended to September 15, 2020. If you are unsure if your student is eligible, please encourage your student to check their UP email for reminders. Additional information is available on the website, and questions can be sent to CARESAct@up.edu.

National Survey of University Families

The Office of Alumni & Parent Relations is proud to be part of a national research study to understand the needs and experiences of families during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey will help our office and other programs like ours understand your experience and consider how we can better serve parents and families as they support their college students, as well as represent UP in the national picture. We realize you may be dealing with many challenges right now, and we don’t want to add a burden. But if you have a few minutes to share your thoughts and views in this online survey, we’ll be grateful. The online survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. After completing the survey, you can choose to be entered into a drawing to win 1 of 20 $25 gift cards. Your responses will be kept private and will not affect your relationship with UP.

Fall Class Opportunities

Beyond your student’s core classes and major requirements, there are many other class offerings available that can help them develop leadership skills and prepare for internships and future careers. Check out these exciting additional classes being offered during Fall 2020 and encourage your student to register!

What We're Reading

“During this difficult time, we can help our students create strategies to avoid stress and anxiety. We can also model good emotional self-care and be aware of how stress and anxiety might be impacting our own lives.” The mental health of our students is always a priority. If your student has been showing signs of stress while at home due to being away from friends and general uncertainty about the impact of COVID-19, we encourage you to review these tips provided by CollegiateParent.
parents@up.edu | 503.943.7328 | 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203
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