The SPU community is invited to an evening of introductions, discussion, and snacks with residents of Tent City 3 on Thursday, January 8, 7 p.m. in the SUB Gazebo Room. The evening’s agenda is: 

7 p.m. Welcome and snack
7:10 p.m.       Welcome from SPU leadership (President Martin, Vice President for Student Life Jeff Jordan, and ASSP President John Jarman) 7:25 p.m. Tent City 3 residents. (“What we’re hoping for this time.”) 7:35 p.m. Representatives from Assistant Professor of Education Julie Antilla’s Autumn Quarter USEM class present knit items
7:40 p.m. Interim University Chaplain Bo Lim and student Elizabeth Rueda-Herrera share brief Scripture and prayer 7:45 p.m.     Social time continues
8:30 p.m.     Event ends

The Academic Counseling Team in Student Academic Services will be available for drop-in questions in the lobby of Demaray Hall during the first week of Winter Quarter. These brief appointments are intended for students with Winter Quarter scheduling issues or who are on academic probation. The question table will be open during the following hours:

Tuesday, January 6: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Wednesday, January 7: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Thursday, January 8: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friday, January 9: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

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 only $25. Make an appointment by calling 206-281-2231.

If you need to make changes to your section of the Undergraduate Catalog but are nervous about making them on your own, join members of the University Communications Web Team on Thursday, January 8, 12-1 p.m. in Lower Weter Hall for a special brownbag Q&A just for catalog editors. Bring your lunch, your catalog changes, and your laptop if you have one, and we’ll supply the help and cookies. If you plan to come, contact Kathy Henning in University Communications at kathy@spu.edu or 206-281-2329.

A message from Robbin Riedy, assistant director of Educational Technology and Media. "In an effort to support our ever-growing population of TechSmith Relay users, we’d like to create a ‘Digital Tour’ website featuring examples of how our existing users (yourself, colleagues, professors, instructors, students, administrators, coaches, educational technologists, etc.), are currently benefiting from TechSmith Relay and other TechSmith solutions. If you have examples to share, fill out the online form for submission. Submissions are due Friday, January 23, 2015. All those who complete the form and have their video selected by TechSmith will receive a $20 gift card to Amazon.com. (Please note: All users are encouraged to submit multiple submissions. However, each user will only receive one, $20 gift card.) Thank you for your help reaching out to end users. Please feel free to contact me at rriedy@spu.edu or 206-281-2786 if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.”

A message from Celeste Cranston with the Tent City 3 Services Committee. “As an SPU host community, we are hoping Tent City 3 will have one hot meal per day while they are on campus. If you want to get in on this wonderful opportunity, check the meal preparation calendar, then contact me at cransc@spu.edu for more details and to set a date. (If you are interested in cooking on a Monday, the use of the First Free Methodist Church kitchen between 3-6 p.m. may be an option.)"

The SPU Tent City 3 Services Committee is hosting a “Mostly Men’s” Clothing Drive for Tent City 3 until Friday, January 16. Donations of men’s new or gently used clothing can be placed in the big blue collection barrels located in the Ames Library, Weter Hall, Eaton Hall, Demaray Hall, or Otto Miller Hall. If you have questions, contact tentcity3@spu.edu.

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, January 6, to have stationery order(s) delivered on Friday, January 16. Stationery orders are now delivered once a month. Stationery orders made after 10 a.m. on January 6 will be delivered February 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 remove your spouse and/or children from your health care plans? If so, contact Human Resources (HR) to complete the appropriate form. It must be submitted to HR by the 10th of the month, prior to your dependent's access to new coverage. Otherwise, the change can only occur the subsequent month, and any premiums paid will not be refunded. Changes might also 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 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 Human Resources at 206-281-2816.

A message from Undergraduate Admissions: “At the SPU Scholars Competition on February 9 and 20 in Upper Gwinn, we invite about 100 of the top applicants to campus to compete for five full-tuition scholarships. Faculty interviews are an integral part of the competition process, and we hope to have faculty participation from each discipline. This will be a chance for faculty to interact with our strongest applicants, as well be a time for the prospective student to learn more about his or her major of interest. It is an exciting opportunity, as many students fly in from around the world for this prestigious event. We are in need of faculty who are willing to commit up to three, half-hour interviews with the students between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on one or both of the competition dates. Faculty interviewers will be given questions to follow and a score sheet to rate the applicant. If you are interested, please email your availability to Visit and Events Coordinator Amanda McGovern at mcgoverna@spu.edu.”

The Resident Advisor (RA) selection process for 2015-16 is coming up fast and we need your help in obtaining nominations for qualified candidates. Our campus is blessed with many students who have exceptional academic, spiritual, and leadership gifts. If you know students who rise above — leaders among leaders — we would greatly appreciate your participation in nominating them for the selection process. If you would like to nominate a student, email Lynn Ernsting in the Office of Residence Life at russel@spu.edu no later than January 9. Thank you in advance for your support!

Friday, January 9
Women’s gymnastics vs UC Davis. Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

For all the latest in Falcon sports, visit the Falcons website.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every week 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 8. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, January 12. 

Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction Julie Antilla-Garza presented her study on migrant education speech tournaments at the national Literacy Research Association conference in Marco Island, Florida, in December. Her study explores the dialogic literacy practices of high school migrant students as they participate in extracurricular speech tournaments sponsored by the Migrant Education Program (MEP) in California. Julie situated her study within the MEP by explaining that the MEP is a part of federal Title 1C that supplements the educational experiences of children of migratory farmworkers, and that tournaments are valorized annual events across the 24 MEP regions in California. Julie worked with Assistant Professor of Education Jorge Preciado to review video records of 68 speeches, 15 interviews, 30 participant-shot videos, and numerous artifacts such as score sheets and student surveys.

Daniel Castelo, associate professor of dogmatic and constructive theology, recently taught a week-long course on Trinitarian theology in Ahuachapan, El Salvador. The course was part of the Course of Study program sponsored by Duke Divinity School, the United Methodist Church, and the Evangelical Methodist Church in El Salvador. In addition to Salvadorans, Daniel taught Methodist pastors, ministers, and laypeople from Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. This was his third trip in support of the program, and many repeat students simply refer to him now as "Hermano Daniel."

Professor of Apparel Design and Merchandising Jaeil Lee recently spoke to the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles conference at Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea. Her presentation was titled “Seeking Future Careers in Global Fashion Industry and Academia.” The conference was co-sponsored with the Center for Fashion and Technology at Seoul National University.

The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to join us in welcoming the following new employees. Contact information is available through the online SPU White pages.

Megann Allen, Center for Professional Education program coordinator, School of Education
Gene Kim, interim director for the Center for Integrity in Business, School of Business, Government, and Economics
Kimberly Petersen, career counselor, Center for Career and Calling