PSU reaffirms support for Asian American and Pacific Islander students amid grant loss |
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education notified colleges and universities, including Portland State, that it was discontinuing funding for certain grants at Minority-Serving Institutions. At PSU, this impacts the five-year, $2 million grant we received in 2023 as part of our federal designation as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). On her blog, PSU President Ann Cudd reaffirmed the university’s commitment to underrepresented students and to seeking alternative funding to sustain culturally affirming services for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) students.
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Operational Excellence: Report and update |
Last week, Vice President of Finance and Administration Andria Johnson shared an update on Operational Excellence, a multi-year initiative to improve PSU’s administrative operations and create a more sustainable, rewarding work experience. The steering committee has released recommendations for Finance, Human Resources, and Marketing & Communications, with a focus on reducing duplication, strengthening support, and creating career pathways for employees. A summary and the full report are available on the Operational Excellence website.
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Workshop sets direction for assessing academic programs |
Academic leadership completed a two-day workshop Sept. 8-9 to continue building practical approaches for examining the vitality of academic programs using data from Gray DI and institutional sources, leveraging learning from our last year's academic program revitalization efforts. Deans, department chairs and other academic and campus leaders worked collaboratively to refine methodology for assessing programs across five domains: Student Success, Market Demand, Financial Performance, Mission Alignment and Organizational Viability. The workshop resulted in identification of meaningful data-points that will inform the academic Plan for Institutional Vitality and Organizational Transformation (PIVOT). More details about PIVOT will continue to be shared through upcoming communication from the Office of Academic Affairs.
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Track our progress on the strategic plan |
Key performance indicators (KPIs) for Strategic Imperatives 1 and 2 of PSU's strategic plan, Future in Focus, are now available. These measures show how the university is advancing its priorities and will be updated regularly.
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At 14,000 feet, President Cudd reflects on the future of PSU |
This summer, PSU President Ann Cudd continued her love of mountain climbing by scaling two 14,000-feet+ mountains in Colorado. In a blog article entitled, “Embracing Change and Finding Our Place," she writes about one particular climb — Mt. Harvard — and the opportunity it gave her to reflect upon the “challenges and opportunities” facing Portland State.
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Mark your calendars for upcoming employee events at PSU |
In addition to the variety of events happening on campus each week, this year there is also a series of employee-only events, presented by PSU President Ann Cudd.
Like last year, each term will include at least one Administrative Briefing, where university leadership will cover a variety of topics and answer questions. These are hybrid events.
New this year are monthly Town Halls, held on campus during the community hour from 12:45 to 1:25 p.m. These are an opportunity for employees to take a deeper dive into key topics and see what their colleagues are doing to support the university’s mission. These are in-person events that will be recorded and available for viewing on Currently’s Employee Events webpage.
Here are the dates for 2025 Fall term:
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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month at PSU |
Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 - Oct. 15!
To celebrate, Global Diversity & Inclusion is hosting a special family welcome event to celebrate the start of the school year and the journey to college! This gathering brings together students, their families, and university faculty and staff for an afternoon of connection and celebration. Enjoy food and drinks, games, prizes, and the opportunity to meet and welcome our students and their families as they begin this exciting new chapter.
Date: Thursday, Sept. 18
Time: 6 - 8 p.m.
Location: PSU Urban Center Building Rooftop Terrace, 506 SW Mill Street
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And don’t miss the new video below, highlighting the dedicated PSU faculty, staff and students working to help the university achieve Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation.
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Elevate your research and accelerate your grant-seeking success
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The Office of Research and Graduate Studies has launched the Catalyst Institute to help faculty transform ideas into funded grants. Applications are now open for our flagship program Catalyst Immersive, an accelerator program with workshops, coaching, and peer support to craft competitive proposals. The workshops run biweekly Nov. 7, 2025 – Feb. 27, 2026, with continued support through summer 2026.
Apply by October 10, 2025.
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Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA) Policy |
This summer, PSU adopted a NAGPRA policy to support the repatriation of Native American human remains and belongings. Under this policy and federal law, PSU personnel need consent to borrow or study any Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains or certain types of cultural items. Research and Graduate Studies (RGS) is also preparing an Inadvertent Discovery training course via Canvas on what you should do if you find human remains or cultural resources on campus or during field research.
The RGS NAGPRA webpage contains more information about the policy and how to protect cultural resources during field work. Links to the Canvas course will be added to the website later in fall quarter when it becomes available.
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New Standard for the management of IT product security |
The Office of Information Technology (OIT) has adopted a new standard describing best practices for managing security vulnerabilities in IT systems and is soliciting feedback, for details please see the blog post linked below.
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Advance your professional education this fall with a DEI certificate
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A reminder that the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate program through PSU's Center for Executive and Professional Education (CEPE) begins Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Inclusive workplaces — where every voice is heard and ideas are welcomed — see stronger collaboration, more innovation and teams that thrive throughout our campus community. Building this kind of environment takes more than intention, it requires skills to foster belonging, value diverse perspectives and lead with empathy.
This non-credit, online program led by industry experts offers weekly interactive sessions exploring workplace systems of oppression, privilege and bias.
PSU employees (.5 FTE or above) receive 50% off CEPE courses and programs. Space is limited - reserve your spot today!
Questions? Contact CEPE at cepe@pdx.edu
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News Briefs and Announcements:
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Get discounted tickets using to the Viks Football Homecoming game v. Montana — Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at Providence Park! Use code: PSUStaff to receive the discount!
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Catching up on PSU's summer highlights? Visit PSU News to read the latest stories and updates.
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Kenneth Ruoff, director of the Center for Japanese Studies, talked with The Japan Times about the impending succession crisis; Carmen Ripollés, associate professor in art history, discussed the historical importance of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum with Oregon Art Watch; and Visiting Scholar of English and theater Daniel Pollack-Pelzner shared an excerpt from his biography of Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist,” with the New York Times.
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Presented
Steve Bleiler, Cassio de Oliveira, Sally Guyon, Hollie Hix-Small, Will Parnell, Thea Prieto, Jack Straton, Eva Thanheiser, Hyeyoung Woo
People
Martín Alberto Gonzalez, Elizabeth Almer, Berrin Erdogan, Talya Bauer, Tom Gillpatrick, Kimberly Kahn, Susan Kirtley, Jesse Locker, Carlos Mena, Carmen Ripollés, Ken Ruoff, June Ryu, Eva Thanheiser, Hyeyoung Woo
Published/Exhibited
Heejun Chang, Scott DuHadway, Bennett Gilbert, Tom Gillpatrick, Jon Holt, Susan Kirtley, Qin Lian, Piman Limpaphayom, Carlos Mena, Joel Owens, Carolyn Quam, Jessica I. Ramirez, Brandon Reich, Carmen Ripollés, Teresa Roberts, J.J.P. Veerman, Yazhen (Sophie) Xiao, Jing Zhao
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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.
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