Fall and the start of school are just around the corner! Plans are underway for the Autumn Celebration and Open House at Hillford for all faculty and staff on the afternoon of Thursday, October 19. More specific information about the celebration will come later, but I want to use the opportunity to extend our institutional commitment to address homelessness in Seattle by participating in a drive for school supplies for homeless students ages 4–18. We will work with Project Cool, one of our CityQuest partners. This will be a great moment to restock Project Cool’s supplies as they provide backpacks, school supplies, and basic health items to hundreds of homeless children and teens.

Here is a list of items Project Cool has requested. We will gather together for fellowship and collect the items on October 19, but I invite your participation and wanted to tell you in advance to enable you to take advantage of “Back-to-School” sales.

• Crayola crayons (box of 24)
• Crayola colored pencils (box of 12)
• Thick colored markers (box of 10)
• Highlighters
• Pens (black and blue)
• #2 pencils
• Pink erasers
• Gluesticks (nontoxic)
• Toothbrushes (individually wrapped)
• Toothpaste
• Floss (containers of 40 yards+)
• Wide- & college-ruled filler paper
• Wide- & college-ruled 1-subject notebooks
• Wide- & college-ruled composition notebooks

Enjoy the rest of this beautiful summer, and I look forward to seeing everyone back on campus next month.

Student Academic Services will be closed on Tuesday, August 29, for an organization day. SAS will open again on Wednesday, August 30, but will operate with limited hours while the staff is at their annual retreat. The office will be open 9 a.m.ꟷ12 p.m., and then 1ꟷ4:30 p.m. Normal hours and operations will resume on Thursday August 31.

The library will be closed Thursday, August 31, for its annual retreat.

A message from Alumni and Parent Relations: Last year’s inaugural Grand Reunion ꟷ a signature event of SPU’s 125^th anniversary ꟷ was such a blast, we’re bringing it back as SPU’s all-alumni reunion weekend full of fun events and activities. On October 6 and 7, whether it’s been one year or more than 50 years, all alumni and their families are invited back to campus to reconnect with former classmates, professors, and friends. There will be academic and affinity groups, class reunions, a Falcon Family Field Day, and the Taste of SPU All-Alumni Reunion Party. Faculty and staff are invited to join in and celebrate with the Falcon alumni network. For more information and to register, visit the website.

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A message from Cynthia Johnston, student employment coordinator: This is an excellent opportunity to meet nearly 500 students who are seeking part-time jobs while attending SPU. This year's job fair will be on Thursday, September 28, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Students are looking for a variety of employment opportunities, and come with a wide array of previous work experience and classroom experience to suit your business needs. We have limited space this year, so register today. (Early-bird registration ends in August.) As an on-campus employer, you will receive a discount during registration. (If you have any part-time openings at your organization for current students, join us at the Fall Job Fair.) Register online, and select “Fairs” tab. If you do not already have a Handshake account, you will need to create one.

Graduate Admissions has moved from Demaray Hall to the second floor of 4 Nickerson Street. Prospective graduate students should be directed there to receive information about SPU graduate programs.

Faculty and staff can now order from the online Camp Casey Store and get free delivery through on-campus mail. Check out the collection of clothing, hats, coffee mugs, and more. These make great gifts for those who love Camp Casey!

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The School of Business, Government, and Economics has several new continuing education professional certificate courses beginning Autumn Quarter. Many involve just two quarters of night classes and have no prerequisites. Topics include digital marketing, project management, Lean Six Sigma, supply chain management, analytics, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship. Learn more about each program here.

A message from Athletics: Who doesn’t love Talon? Well in the Athletics Department, we sure love our mascot, and want to make sure he stays in pristine condition. We now have a new process to reserve the Talon mascot suit, which includes a fee. For more information, contact Madi Velling, internal operations coordinator, at vellingm@spu.edu. 

Weather and environment can impact mood and mental health. As we’re in the middle of summer and away from the fast-paced environment of academia, it’s important to recognize the benefits of sunshine and increased access to the outdoors and outside activities. We all may benefit by participating in outdoor activities or spending time in natural restorative environments. To learn more, visit the Wellness blog.

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You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, September 5, to have stationery orders delivered on September 15. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on September 5 will be delivered October 13. To see deadlines and delivery dates for the remainder of the fiscal year, visit the “Create an Order” stationery page in Banner. For more information, contact Hope McPherson in University Communications at hmcpherson@spu.edu.

The 10th of each month is the last day to make changes to your upcoming payroll check. Do you need to add or remove your spouse and/or children from your health care plans? If so, contact Human Resources (HR) to complete the appropriate form. Changes might include events that are expected to impact your benefits and deductions, such as your spouse or children gaining or losing coverage due to employment, birth, marriage, etc. Additionally, any changes you wish to make to your 403(b) account contributions must be made by the 10th of the month. For changes to your 403(b) account, contact Transamerica Retirement Solutions at 1-888-676-5512 (5 a.m.-6 p.m. PST), or 1-800-755-5801. If you have any other benefits-related changes, call Mardeth Hughes in HR at 206-281-2816.

Find out about resident and retail dining summer hours of operation online. Here are upcoming specials at various Campus Dining outlets.

New at SUBWAY: $3.79 6-inch Sub of the Day
Head to SUBWAY MondayꟷFriday this summer to find out the daily special $3.79 6-inch sub.

New at SPU Dining Online Shop
Give a gift to Common Grounds with a Campus Dining retail gift certificate or get yourself a bag filled with treats and savings. Check out the new online shop.

8/28-9/1: Common Grounds Special

20 percent off any venti beverage from Common Grounds.

9/4: Labor Day
All retail dining locations are closed for the holiday (SUBWAY, C-Store, Cocina del Sol, Common Grounds). More

Visit the Falcons online for all the latest information.

Thursday, August 31

Women's soccer vs Chico State, Interbay Stadium, 4:30 p.m.

Men's soccer vs Chico State, Interbay Stadium, 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 2

Men's soccer vs Sonoma State, Interbay Stadium, 7 p.m.

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The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every other week during the summer months. If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity. The next deadline is Thursday, September 7. The next Bulletin will be published on Monday, September 11, and resume weekly publication.

In recognition of her service to the SPU community, Valerie Connor, manager of the University Welcome Team in University Recruitment and Admissions, was nominated and selected as the August Staff of the Month. Valerie’s colleagues noted that she has “consistently given exemplary customer service in the midst of many demands on her time.” Congratulations and thank you, Valerie! Learn more about Valerie and nominate a colleague for recognition on the Staff Council website.

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Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of Global Development Studies Brad Murg led a roundtable discussion of Cambodian development professionals examining Christopher Coyne's work "Doing Bad by Doing Good." He also served on a series of panels at a conference organized by the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP), discussing international humanitarian law and Cambodia's role in promoting global norms of human rights protection. Brad serves as CICP senior research fellow, appointed by His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sirivudh. He also recently completed a project for the Cambodian Freedom Forum, which sets out the economic portion of their "Cambodia 2040" vision program. Finally, he served as part of a CICP delegation to Prey Veng province to interview former Khmer Rouge fighters, as part of a program aimed at deepening the reconciliation process in Cambodia. He is looking forward to the relative calm of Autumn Quarter in Seattle.

The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to welcome the following new employees:

Dennis Gagaoin, associate director of admissions, Undergraduate Admissions
Damon Smith, Jr., undergraduate admissions counselor, Undergraduate Admissions
Correction: Korrin Wild, assistant coach – women’s volleyball, Athletics

Dorothy Rosenberger, wife of Professor Emeritus Bill Rosenberger, passed away at the Warm Beach Senior Community in Stanwood, Washington, on August 14, at the age of 94. She was a music educator and choir director for the Seattle and Lake Washington School Districts and many churches in the greater Seattle area. A memorial service was held August 26.

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