Welcome back to campus!
We hope your break was jolly and rejuvenating. As we collectively refocus on the job of instruction, research, and service, Higher Ed in the United States is still under threat from many angles.
There are many ways to join together, find community, and fight for the academic mission of the University of Oregon and higher education more broadly. Our collective voice is powerful and we hope you find something here that inspires you to contribute.
Drop-in to Zoom office hours with UA President Kate Celis Mills
This term, UA President Kate Celis Mills will hold weekly office hours on Thursdays from 11am-12pm via Zoom for members to drop in and ask questions or chat. Many questions have popped up in UA members Slack since the beginning of the term, and we hope these office hours will be another resource for members to talk through their concerns and desires as we start this new year.
State of the Union Town Hall, Wednesday, January 21, 5-6:30pm
Join members from GTFF, SEIU, UOSW, and UA for a cross-campus strategy session. We are moving beyond our individual unions to build a unified front that UO admin can’t ignore. Wednesday, January 21, 5-6:30pm. Save the date, and we'll provide more details soon.
Upcoming Leadership Trust Survey
UA's Communication and Action Team is seeking information about levels of trust between faculty and deans/upper administrators. The goal is to understand and identify areas on campus where people feel supported and trust the decisions of their leaders, as well as those where trust has broken down. The survey will be opened in early February.
Purely Social
The UA Politics Committee has initiated several groups for members to gather socially and build community with faculty around campus. We currently have four social engagement groups which meet regularly. For more information or to join one of the groups reach out to info@uauoregon.org.
The Fiber Artists Against Fascism (FAAF).
In this group we invite everyone who wants to practice “craftivism” — how we can channel our collective anger and frustration into making things and making a difference! Crafters of all varieties and all skill levels are welcome to gather and work on their projects, share tips, and trade stories. If you are new to fiber arts, such as crochet and knitting, and want to learn, you can connect with someone who can share tips and skills! We may also work on projects such as simple scarves, hats, and/or blankets that we can donate. Channel your inner Madame Lafarge and discover the pleasures of uncovering our communal species-being through creative labor!
The Primate Collective: Bouldering Group
Join your union siblings for climbing at Elevation gym. This group is formed with absolute beginners in mind but enthusiastically welcomes all skill levels. The culture of bouldering, at its best, is welcoming to all, no matter your body type, age, gender, level of fitness, previous experience or former athleticism. If you have ever even considered climbing, try it with us and find your primate collective! You don’t have to be in shape, but climbing will get you in shape if you let it. There is ample time for conversation and laughter between climbs.
The UA Jazz Collective
Let’s make music together! Starting in January, we’ll be hosting regular jazz jam sessions for UA members. Ideally, members of this group will already have some facility playing an instrument or singing, but no jazz background is needed. If you can play or sing any kind of music–classical, rock, blues. etc.–then you can learn jazz. In the words of jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, “Jazz music is the perfect metaphor for democracy.” Everyone has a voice, everyone listens, and it all ideally coalesces into a harmony of sound. Let’s come together and express ourselves in the democratic, exploratory (and fun!) idiom of jazz.
The Tabletop Syndicate
Our newest social engagement group, the Tabletop Syndicate starts meeting this term. We will have a variety of board games and card games on hand, including several that are easy to jump into regardless of prior tabletop gaming experience.
If you are interested in forming your own social engagement group or want more information about the existing ones please reach out to info@uauoregon.org