OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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COVID-19 website: To facilitate the ongoing sharing of information about the virus, Oregon State University has added a link on the OSU homepage to a page that provides detailed and up-to-date COVID-19 information; links to OSU, local, state and federal resources; and updates on the latest federal travel restrictions
NEW! Today’s Timely Teaching Tip: Wondering how to communicate better with your students? Posting a weekly Canvas announcement that includes an overview of the week, due date reminders, and timely updates will help students stay engaged. Begin with a welcome announcement on the first day of class. Visit Keep Teaching for all the Early Summer Timely Teaching Tips.
Today in the News Media is a synopsis of some of the most prominent coverage of OSU people and programs. Inclusion of any item constitutes neither an endorsement nor a critique, but rather is intended only to make the OSU community aware of significant items in the media. Content appearing includes timely news and feature stories from broadcast, print and online sources. Occasionally, opinion pieces and first-person columns appearing in mainstream media outlets that are written by faculty members and pertain to their academic or professional expertise may be included based on their unique, informative value, timeliness and space constraints. It is not the policy of OSU Today to include Letters to the Editor.
Also citing the Johns Hopkins study, Steve Clark, an Oregon State University spokesman, said the institution believes there are better ways to test than screening everybody as they come back to campus. Testing all students is “valuable only at that moment,” he said, noting that students who do not have the virus when they are tested could get it the next day.
David Blunck, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Oregon State University, has created a research lab on his farm, where he and postdoctoral scholar Sampath Adusumilli are studying how burning trees behave.
United Academics of Oregon State University and Oregon State University have signed and adopted an inaugural collective bargaining agreement for the faculty union, the two parties announced last week.
Pedal Corvallis, which began operations in 2016, had 10 stations, including four at Oregon State University, one of the program’s key sponsors.
Join host Bob Santelli for a conversation and live remote performance with Texas blues great Jimmie Vaughan: an American Strings event in support of Oregon State University students, presented in partnership with the College of Liberal Arts, OSU Alumni Association and OSU Foundation.
There’s a psychological benefit of digging into the dirt, of feeling the soil crumble, said Lisa Flexner, Oregon State University-Cascades psychology professor.
“We work closely with seed scientists at Oregon State University to source improved varieties and the latest genetics, selected for drought-tolerance and disease-resistance,” says Dawn Griffin, one of four women who purchased the long-established company a little more than five years ago.
Oregon State University President Edward J. Ray released the following statement about the opinion this morning by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
TRACE-COVID-19, the groundbreaking Oregon State University project to determine community prevalence of the novel coronavirus, is expanding to include two days of sampling in Newport on June 20-21.
Today’s workspaces: Gildha Cumming, director of Admissions and Communications with the Honors College, works with Bagheera the black cat (loves to sleep by the window) and Yoda the tabby (always up to mischief, social and friendly forever kitten). “Side note, Yoda took part in the kitten socializing training offered through the College of Vet Med.”
Michele Jones, accounting technician with the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, is enjoying her remote workspace, set up by her husband. “I can look outside and watch the weather, or my dog play. It's a very serene place to work.” Follow OSU Today on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/osutoday1/ and catch up on any workspace photos you might have missed so far.
NEW! Investment and PERS webinars: The Maps Credit Union CFS investment team is conducting a Weekly Webinar Series on a variety of investment topics that include current market updates. Tuesday, June 23, noon - Investing With Social Responsibility; Wednesday, June 24, noon - Long Term Care Solutions; Wednesday, June 24, 3 p.m. - When is your Retirement Date?; Thursday, June 25, noon - Investing With Social Responsibility.This is one way to educate yourself without leaving the comfort and safety of your own home. (These are not OSU events but are tailored to OSU clients and during normal circumstances are held on campus. There is no charge.)
American Strings Webcast: An Evening with Jimmie Vaughan, Benefit for Beavers Care. Join host Bob Santelli for a conversation and live remote performance with Texas blues great Jimmie Vaughan in an American Strings event to support OSU students through Beavers Care, presented in partnership by the College of Liberal Arts, OSU Alumni Association and OSU Foundation. A founding member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the older brother of Texas blues legend Stevie Ray, Jimmie Vaughan brought renewed attention to Texas blues in the 1980s, ultimately leading to Austin becoming a major American blues center. Tuesday, June 23 at 5 p.m. Registration is required to receive link to live webcast. Donations to Beavers Care are encouraged.
PFLA discussion: How can the Professional Faculty Leadership Association (PFLA) help grow your own skills, connections and career? Join us on Wednesday, June 24, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for an interactive discussion and opportunity to connect. All are welcome to join us! Non-members: Please contact Gretchen Dursch, PFLA Director of Professional Development to register & receive the ZOOM link.
Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB): 8-Week Series: CEB is a practical skills training committed to utilizing the experience of emotion as a path for developing well-being. By integrating wisdom traditions, modern psychology, current emotion research, and contemplative practices, CEB provides a secular platform for transformation. Led by Jacob Lindsley, an incoming member of OSU's SPS, and sponsored by OSU's Contemplative Studies Initiative. Eight Sundays: July 12-Aug. 30 noon to 3 p.m. via Zoom. $300 if registered by July 1. $100 for OSU Students. Email [email protected]. More info here.
NEW! Event Planner Symposium: Do you plan events or meetings? University Events is pleased to offer our second session with helpful connections and tips. We’ll discuss planning events with COVID-19 considerations as well as having presentations by Printing and Mailing, Parking Services, Special Occasions and Youth and Safety Compliance. June 25, 9-10:30 a.m. This event will be held through Zoom. To get the link please contact University Events at [email protected].
DATE CHANGE! Community Building & Social Distance Webinar: Join the Adventure Leadership Institute as we host a webinar on community building during the age of social distancing. Learn some activities and talk about why maintaining community is crucial during this time. Click the link to register: Community Building & Social Distance, Thursday, July 16, 2-3 p.m. Check out more of our webinars offered summer term here. Questions? Contact Emily Abrams.
Free Public Health Insider webcast series: The recent global health crisis has placed the public health field into the forefront of our daily lives. Explore the impact of public health on your life and community with the Public Health Insider webcast series, Wednesdays at noon on June 24, July 1 and July 8. Discover how shifts in policy, social and environmental influences, technology and more impact public health with talks from experts in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences. Learn more and register.
Upcoming Webinar: Disinfectant Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Join OSU's National Pesticide Information Center as we address common questions about disinfectant safety. We'll talk about precautions; how cleaners, sanitizers, and disinfectants differ; and how to use EPA's List N to find products. Registration is required, space is limited, and the webinar will be recorded. Wednesday, June 24 at 11 a.m.
Community Building & Social Distance Webinar: Join the Adventure Leadership Institute for a webinar on community building during the age of social distancing. Learn some activities and talk about why maintaining community is crucial during this time. Click the link to register: Community Building & Social Distance, Wednesday, July 1, 1-2 p.m. Check out more of our webinars offered summer term here. Questions? Contact Emily Abrams.
Remote Floor Monitor Training: The Office of Emergency Preparedness is offering remote Floor Monitor and Building Manager evacuation training. This is open to OSU Floor Monitors and Building Manager to assist in their roles during building evacuation. To schedule, contact [email protected].
NEW! Clauson retirement: Milo Clauson is retiring from Wood Science & Engineering in the College of Forestry. He came to OSU in 1986, and spent the first part of his career on a research vessel. In 1998 he joined Wood Science & Engineering, where he has played the roles of MacGyver, programmer, machinist, woodworker, and mentor. Milo’s fingerprints are on much of the wood science research conducted at OSU over the last three decades and his expertise will be missed. A celebration is planned as COVID restrictions allow. Meanwhile, if you would like to reach out to Milo, please send correspondence to Wood Science & Engineering and it will be delivered to his home.
NEW! Gupta retirement: Rakesh Gupta is retiring from Wood Science & Engineering in the College of Forestry. He came to OSU in 1991 with a Ph.D. from Cornell and began work as an Assistant Professor of Timber Engineering. He participated in multiple post-disaster assessment teams in an effort to improve building practice. Many of his graduate students were dual majors with Civil Engineering and have gone on to impactful careers in professional engineering. The Forest Products Society recognized his many contributions by awarding him its Markwardt Wood Engineering Award. A celebration is planned as COVID restrictions allow. Meanwhile, if you would like to reach out to Rakesh, please send correspondence to Wood Science & Engineering and it will be delivered to his home.
NEW! Under the Orange Light: Recording of the webcast Under the Orange Light: COVID-19, are now available. The Faculty Senate Executive group presented a series of lightning talks by faculty who will take the audience on an intersectional journey to better understand the current COVID-19 global pandemic. They can be found at https://senate.oregonstate.edu/under-orange-light-covid-19-webcast.
NEW! Parking policy changes: Fiscal Policy 03-110-206 Parking Fines & Permit Sales has been revised to update language. Full policy is currently under review and will be implemented later this year. Please contact the Fiscal Policy Coordinator for your Business Center or the Policy Steward listed on each policy with any questions.
NEW! Scholarship policy: Fiscal Policy 03-140-508 Fellowships, Scholarships & Student Payments has been revised to change scholarship “awards” to “scholarships." Full policy is currently under review and will be implemented later this year. Please contact the Fiscal Policy Coordinator for your Business Center or the Policy Steward listed on each policy with any questions.
NEW! Procurement policy: Fiscal Policy 03-140-206 Procurement Cards has been revised to update restrictions (section 3.6). Please contact the Fiscal Policy Coordinator for your Business Center or the Policy Steward listed on each policy with any questions.
NEW! Gift policy: Fiscal Policy 03-150-208 Gift Funds has been revised to provide clear guidelines for accepting, processing, recording and acknowledging gifts. This policy consolidates GCG 210 Gift Funds, FIS 102-05 Gift, Grant and Contract Income and FIS 202 Endowment Earnings. Please contact the Fiscal Policy Coordinator for your Business Center or the Policy Steward listed on each policy with any questions.
NEW! Reimbursement policy: Fiscal Policy 03-140-203 Student & Volunteer Cash Reimbursements (previously Cash Out) has been revised to increase the threshold and provide clear guidelines for timely reimbursement to students and volunteers through a Cash Out process. This policy replaces FIS 407-01 Cash Out. Please contact the Fiscal Policy Coordinator for your Business Center or the Policy Steward listed on each policy with any questions.
Larry Roper retirement: Larry Roper, faculty member in the School of Language, Culture, and Society and former Vice Provost for Student Affairs, is retiring after 25 years of service. Tom Scheuermann is gathering personal notes and well-wishes for Roper, and will compile these into a portfolio/binder to give to him in late June. Anyone wishing to participate can email them to [email protected] or send cards and notes to Tom Scheuermann, 1089 High St. SE, Salem, OR, 97302. Please send them before June 26. To contribute to the Human Services Resource Center in his honor, go here.
Larry Landis, Director of the Special Collections and Archives Research Center of OSU Libraries, is retiring: After 30 years in archives at OSU, Larry Landis is retiring, and his last day is June 30. Among his many accomplishments, Larry helped to establish the Oregon Multicultural Archives in 2005, authored A School for the People: A Photographic History of Oregon State University in 2015 (available from OSU Press), and worked on various OSU150 activities. After June 30, Larry can be contacted at [email protected].
Kobel retirement: Janine Kobel is retiring. She came to OSU in 1980 as a first-year student, began as a student employee in 1981, became classified staff in 1987, graduated from OSU in 1995, advanced to professional faculty in 2005, and retires June 30, 2020. She is a first-generation college student, a first-gen career professional, and soon, a first-gen retiree. After June 30, she can be reached at [email protected]. In lieu of a gathering, Janine would like her friends and colleagues to send her letters and greeting cards through the U.S. Postal Service: PO Box 2483, Corvallis, OR 97339.
Minimum Wage increase: The Oregon Minimum Wage will increase in all three areas (Standard, Portland Metro, and Nonurban Counties), effective July 1, 2020. Any employees who are currently paid under the new minimum wage rate will have their rates adjusted to meet the new minimums. To see the new Oregon minimum wage rates, click here: http://hr.oregonstate.edu/policies-procedures/administrators/classification-compensation/new-oregon-minimum-wage-rate-summary
SEIU Classified 2.1% COLA: Effective July 1, 2020 all classified employees represented by the SEIU will receive a 2.1% COLA increase as negotiated in the 2019-21 OPU/SEIU Collective Bargaining Agreement. University Human Resources is in the process of updating the compensation tables on the OHR-Class/Comp website to reflect these upcoming changes. The new rates can also be found at the back of the 2019-21 Collective Bargaining Agreement, Appendices G & I, and located here: https://hr.oregonstate.edu/sites/hr.oregonstate.edu/files/2019-21cba_0.pdf
Not sure what the next step is in your business venture? The OSU Advantage Accelerator is currently accepting applications for its first-ever VIRTUAL SUMMER Accelerate cohort which begins Wednesday, July 8. Accelerate is open to Oregon teams and/or teams with a connection to OSU who want to launch a high-growth business or want to explore the commercialization potential of a technology. Upon completion of the eight-week program, teams will have: an elevator pitch, a five minute pitch deck completed, product market validation, feedback from many mentors, and more. For teams with OSU intellectual property, completion of Accelerate enables eligibility for $15k of OSU AID funding. To learn more and apply, visit: https://advantage.oregonstate.edu/advantage-accelerator/programs/accelerate
Call for Applications: Blended Learning Innovations in Pedagogy (BLIP) Faculty Fellowship. Applications for the 2020 – 2021 BLIP Faculty Fellow (.25 FTE) are now being accepted. The Initiative offers a teaching faculty fellow the opportunity to shape blended learning programming for colleagues across campus, in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning, Ecampus, Academic Technology, and the Office of Undergraduate Education. More information can be found here. Deadline to apply: July 1, 2020.
Proposed Updates to University Policies & Standards: Visit the University Policy Program’s What’s New page (http://policy.oregonstate.edu/whats-new) to view a pending policy amendment. Proposed University Policy 04-020 Use of the University Seal articulates the intended official university uses and purposes for which the university seal may be used. This page is updated frequently with new developments, so we encourage you to check back frequently. Comments or questions may be submitted to [email protected].
Call for Applications: Bridging the Gap From Education to Employment (BGEE) Seminar. Applications for the 2020 BGEE seminar for teaching faculty and instructors are now being accepted. $500 will be awarded to participants. The Seminar will provide tangible ways to include career readiness in the classroom, while also taking a hard look at the barriers to access that our first generation, high financial need, and/or students of color face. More information can be found here. Deadline to apply is June 26.
Call to Artists: The 37th Annual Art About Agriculture Competition and Touring Exhibition wants your visions of Oregon’s agricultural future.Tension/Harmony is sponsored by Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. The College invites artists to explore the relationship between the conservation of natural resources and agricultural production. Call closes June 27. Full prospectus: https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/art/tension-harmony
Applications for PCOSW scholarships and event co-sponsorships for Fall term projects are now being accepted. The President’s Commission on the Status of Women provides funding to faculty, students, and staff who are pursuing professional development, research, outreach, or creative projects related to women’s issues. Scholarships average $300 and are paid by reimbursement. Applications are due Friday, July 31, with notification by Aug. 12. Visit http://leadership.oregonstate.edu/pcosw/awards-scholarships for detailed guidelines, qualification requirements, and application links. Questions? Contact Joy Jorgensen at [email protected]
Alumni Fellows nominations are due June 30: The OSU Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the Alumni Fellows Recognition Program. Due to COVID-19, Alumni Fellows are no longer required to be on campus for the 2020 celebration. Virtual presentation and online recognition are welcome. All colleges are encouraged to submit a nomination. For departments outside of academic colleges, please submit the nomination in partnership with the alumnus’ graduating college. View application and specifics online and email nomination form and supporting materials to [email protected].
COVID-19 Disposable Facemasks are available at Chemstores: As the Corvallis campus begins to re-open, the College of Science Chemistry Department’s Chemstores is here to provide disposable face masks as well as other COVID PPE. Chemstores is located at 154 Gilbert Hall; open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Purchases are exclusively made using grant Index/activity Codes. There are no cash or card sales. An online listing of products can be found at https://chemstores.chem.oregonstate.edu/. Questions? Call 541-737-2271.
Faculty & Staff COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund Under IRS Code Section 139: In collaboration with the OSU Foundation, Oregon State University is offering emergency financial assistance grants through the OSU Faculty and Staff COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund. The purpose of this fund is to help regular classified and unclassified employees in our university community with unexpected needs during this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic. All classified staff, professional faculty and academic/research faculty are eligible regardless of service time or FTE. An individual must be actively employed on the date of grant distribution. Read more about the details of the program here. Student hourly employees, graduate assistants, and stipend recipients (e.g., fellows) are not eligible. There are separate programs for students located here: https://financialaid.oregonstate.edu/covid-19.
Postponed: Annual Steam Shutdown-Campus Wide: Each year Facilities Services performs necessary maintenance on the university’s steam system, which requires shutting off the steam throughout campus, to complete maintenance services at the plant, throughout the steam tunnels and in each building. This process affects hot water supply, heating, and all equipment that uses steam, campus wide. The decision has been made to postpone the annual steam shut down until August in order to stay within the guidelines from the Governor, university, State and CDC’s orders. The steam shutdown for 2020 will occur from Aug. 24 at 11 p.m. to Aug. 27 at 8 a.m. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you all for your understanding. For questions or comments on this closure, contact Facilities Services at 541-737-2969.
ONLINE ART SHOW: Click image above to play video. This year’s seniors in the Fine Arts department had to re-envision their final show when the pandemic struck. Hear from three 2020 BFA graduates and an art instructor about how the switch to an online platform pushed them to think outside the box. Full story on the OSU News website.
"The worst thing about that kind of prejudice ... is that while you feel hurt and angry and all the rest of it, it feeds you self-doubt. You start thinking, perhaps I am not good enough." ~ Nina Simone.
Corvallis: Sunny today, high of 86, low of 58. Sunny and hot tomorrow.
Central Oregon: Sunny today, high of 85, low of 57. Sunny and hot tomorrow.
Newport: Sunny today, high of 69, low of 54. Sunny tomorrow.
Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/