Undergraduate Admissions is hard at work recruiting next year’s new class of SPU Falcons, and they would love your help. If you know someone who was born to be a Falcon, invite him or her to apply for Winter, Spring, or Autumn 2016 quarter — then let us know. You could receive a gift! Here’s what you need to do.

First, submit the student’s name at spu.edu/referafalcon. If he or she applies and lists your name in the application, you will receive $25 in Falcon Funds.

When the student fills out the Common Application, in the SPU member section under “Contacts,” tell the student to list that he or she heard about SPU from you. Once we receive your submitted form and his or her application, you’ll get $25 in Falcon Funds. The deadline is February 1, so make sure to invite students to apply before then. If you have questions, contact admissions@spu.edu or call 206- 281-2021.

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Faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to attend this weeklong series of workshops beginning Monday, January 11, on topics including “Faith, Work, & Community” (Jeff Keuss, professor of Christian ministry, theology, and culture); “Graduate School” (Margaret Diddams, director for the Center of Scholarship and Faculty Development); and “How to Nail the Interview” (Serena Manzo, coordinator in Multi-Ethnic Programs). Panels include young alumni working in human resources and recruiting who will share tips about getting hired, and other alumni who will talk about their experiences working internationally. Encourage your students to attend three or more workshops to receive a free portfolio from Alumni Relations.

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A message from Alumni Relations: “Homecoming and Parents Weekend is the perfect time for our entire SPU community to connect with one another and parents and participate in special programming. Homecoming will feature all our Falcon fan favorites including the annual Talent Show, basketball, theatre, Homecoming Luncheon, and more. New this year will be a pre-Talent Show Tailgater (open to the entire SPU community) and Talon’s Birthday Bash, following the women’s basketball game versus Central Washington University on Saturday, January 30. Talon’s Birthday Bash will be an epic celebration sure to go down in Falcon history! The biggest change to this weekend is that all class reunions and most affinity reunions will now be a part of the all new Grand Reunion 2016 inaugural event October 7-9, 2016. (The 50-year reunion event will still take place on June 10, 2016, during Ivy Cutting.) For more information on Homecoming and Parents Weekend, visit the website."

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All offices and classroom buildings are furnished with recycle bins. Paper, plastic, metal, and glass items may be deposited in any recycling container on campus – no sorting necessary. Confidential recycle should be placed in boxes sealed with tape and clearly labeled “confidential recycle” on all sides. Only paper items may be confidentially recycled; no binders, CDs, DVDs or other plastics may be put into the boxes for confidential pickup. For more information about what can be recycled, visit the Facility and Project Management website.

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Professor of Education Nyarazdo Mvududu will lead a free Zumba class for faculty and staff on Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m. in the main gym in Brougham Pavilion. The first class is Tuesday, January 5. Nyarazdo is a licensed Zumba instructor. The class will be fun and beginner-friendly.

Prospective transfer students will be on campus on Monday, January 11, for Transfer Open House. Undergraduate Admissions is hosting an afternoon luncheon and offering a transfer admissions session in the Library Seminar Room. These students will also be touring campus and learning about all SPU has to offer for our fantastic transfer population. Look for these students and their families and make them feel welcome.

A message from Undergraduate Admissions: At the Distinguished Scholars Competition (formerly the SPU Scholars Competition), we invite around 100 of our top applicants to campus to compete for five full-tuition scholarships. We need faculty who are willing to do half-hour interviews with scholarship candidates between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Monday, February 8, and/or Friday, February 19, in Upper Gwinn. Faculty interviews are an integral part of the competition process, and are a chance for faculty to interact with our strongest applicants to help determine whether the student is a good fit for SPU. Faculty interviewers will be given interview questions to follow and a score sheet to rate the applicant. It is an exciting opportunity, as many students fly in from around the world for this prestigious event! If you are interested, email your availability to Visits and Events Coordinator Myra Veltkamp at veltkm@spu.edu.

A message from Campus Dining: Happy 2016!  We are offering great specials on all our retail locations to start off the new year.

Common Grounds /Academic Perks:
Happier Hour! From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., purchase any grande drink and receive a free pastry, while supplies last.

Medley:
Back by popular demand, we are offering a 5-Topping Salad for $5.99.

Subway:
It’s Tween Time! From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., get any item on the Simple 6 menu for only $5.

Sandella’s:
All paninis are only $3.99. (Dine in only).

CStore:
10 for 10 deal!  Spend $10 or more and get 10 percent off your entire purchase.

Einstein’s Bagels: 
Tween Time Specials. From 2 p.m.– 6 p.m., purchase a cup of coffee and bagel with schmear for $2.99.

Grill:
Limited Time Offer - Roast pork and broccoli rabe sandwich on ciabatta for $5.59.

Normally, Sitecore/Contribute brownbags are the third Thursday of the month, but because of a conflict, this month’s brownbag is Thursday, January 28, noon–1 p.m. in the Lower Weter large conference room. But if you need help in the meantime, don’t panic.

• If you’ve been trained in Sitecore, Jacob Lane in University Communications will be available by phone at 206-281-2806 on Thursday, January 7, 3–5 p.m. just for Sitecore questions. Or call Kathy Henning in University Communication at 206-281-2329 and she’ll arrange for someone on the Web Team to help.
• If you need help with Contribute, call Hope McPherson in University Communications at 206-281-2552 Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Sitecore Tip of the Month 
Here’s a question we get a lot. How can I turn a double space into a single space? Put your cursor at the end of the line before the double space and delete the return so that the paragraph break disappears. Then hit shift/return. Voila! Single space.

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.

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, January 5, to have stationery order(s) delivered on January 15. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on January 5 will be delivered February 12. 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.

Flu shots are now available in Health Services, located in Watson Hall. Current staff, faculty, and dependents (age 15 years and up) who have Cigna coverage through SPU may receive their annual flu shot free of charge as part of the preventive care benefit. For those not covered by Cigna, the cost is $25. Make an appointment by calling 206-281-2231.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. 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, January 7. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, January 11, 2016.

Professor of Clinical Psychology John Thoburn is co-author of the new book Family Psychology: Theory Research and Practice, published by Praeger Press. The textbook is an introduction to the ecosystemic nature of the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and contextual worlds of psychology, focusing on the interlocking and reciprocal relationships between theory, research, and practice.

Professor of History Michael Hamilton was quoted in a Chicago Tribune story on December 24, 2015. The story dealt with a professor at Wheaton College who was placed on administrative leave.

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