On Friday, January 11, the “Seattle Squeeze” begins when the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) permanently closes the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The new SR 99 tunnel will open in early February. This closure will be the longest highway closure in the history of the Puget Sound region. If you are interested in looking into alternative modes of transportation such as one of the SPU vanpools or vanshares, contact Transportation Manager Heather Eide at eideh@spu.edu.

In order to plan ahead and prepare for extra road congestion and commute times, SDOT has provided some suggestions on how to help manage the impact:

1. Come in earlier or later. Most people commute in the morning between 7–9 a.m., and in the afternoon between 3–6 p.m. Talk to your supervisor about changing the hours you work.
2. Leave your car at home. Try biking, walking, carpool, vanpool, or public transit.
3. Give yourself extra travel time. Traffic will be slower and will last longer throughout the day.
4. Visit seattletraffic.org for the tools and information you need to get around during the #Seattle Squeeze.
5. For live camera images: web6.seattle.gov/travelers
6. Or visit these websites:

• 99tunnel.com
• AlaskanWayViaduct.org
• kingcounty.gov/getready

To help with the upcoming "Seattle Squeeze" when the Alaskan Way Viaduct permanently closes January 11 and before the new tunnel opens in February, Lyft and Uber are reducing their fare by $2.75. In essence, when you use Lyft in combination with a bus route, your $2.75 bus fare is covered. Lyft and Uber will take riders to/from various transportation hubs. 

• Lyft discount code: REALIGN99
• Uber’s discount code: COMMUTESMART

Faculty: If you’ve decided to offer some of your course in a flipped, blended, or online format during the traffic disruption caused by the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure and want to chat through possibilities, visit the staff in Educational Technology and Media on the lower level of the library on Wednesday, January 9, anytime between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Or, get in touch by email, phone, or zoom.

If you want to record anything in our studio on that day — perhaps a welcome to the digital side of your course or a provocation to set up an online class discussion — please email Senior Instructional Designer David Silcox-Rither at ritherd@spu.edu to set up a time slot. If you’d like to use our teleprompter, try to have your script to David 24 hours in advance.

Tired of 'fake news' and punditry? The History Department is hosting a new brownbag series, "News & Nachos." Move past sound bites and headlines for substantive conversations about current events in historical perspective. The first meeting is Thursday, January 17, 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. in the first floor Alexander Hall conference room. The first topic is "The Islamic State," facilitated by Assistant Professor of History Alissa Walter. Chips and salsa will be served. The series is for students, faculty, and staff, and all are welcome! 

On January 12 and 13, Assistant Professor of Music Chérie Hughes and Roberto Limón will perform concerts at the Frye Art Museum and Nickerson Studios. The January 12 performance is a concert hosted by the Seattle Guitar Society, and the performance on January 13 is part of the SPU Faculty Artist Series. Their program will include works by Argento, deFalla, Granados, and Bach.

For over 12 years, Chérie and Roberto, known as "The Pacific Duo," have excited audiences with programs that explore the subtle colors and rich poetry of the voice and guitar repertoire. The duo has been privileged to have had the support of the Mexican government’s Coordinación Nacional de Música y Ópera, which sponsored a recital tour for them of concert halls throughout Mexico City, Guanajuato, and Salamanca.  

Saturday, January 12, 2 p.m.
Seattle Guitar Society
Frye Art Museum Recital Hall, 704 Terry Avenue, Seattle
Admission: Free

Sunday, January 13, 4 p.m.
SPU Faculty Artist Series
Nickerson Studios Recital Hall
Admission: Free. This event will be livestreamed.

The Seattle Pacific Art Gallery will present a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Colleen RJC Bratton, January 14ꟷMarch 8. There will be a reception with the artist on Thursday, January 17, 5ꟷ7 p.m. at the gallery.

Bratton lives and works in Seattle. She graduated with a degree in visual arts and philosophy from Seattle University, and is a member of SOIL Gallery, a collective and nonprofit gallery established, supported, and managed by Seattle artists. Her sculptural paintings are influenced by the emotions and energies found in revelatory moments the artist has experienced or witnessed. They act as personal therapy and social commentary in a topsy-turvy world.

About her site-specific work, Bratton says, "To bask in those first rays of sun after a long winter and feel the presence of a new season­­ — has this lingering hope come to fruition? Empirical sun transports glimpses of a bright future into the present gray with texture, temperature, color, and light. Underlying comedic elements point to the possible absurdity of such an intense optimism and offer an alternative: the first rays don’t signal hope but instead signal fire."

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.

Postcards are now available to distribute to students who you would like to encourage to apply for a resident advisor position. The postcards include information about the application process and space for you to write a personalized note of encouragement. To request postcards and/or to submit names of students you’d like to recommend for the role, please email BeAnRA@spu.edu by January 7. Thank you in advance for your support!

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, January 8, to have stationery orders delivered Tuesday, January 22. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on January 8 will be delivered in February. For more information, contact Hope McPherson in University Communications at hmcpherson@spu.edu.

More than 3,000 SPU parents and family members received the December In the Loop parents’ e-newsletter, which included a video Christmas message from President Dan Martin, tips for helping students stay on track to graduate in a timely manner, 2019 Homecoming news, and more.

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 10. The next Bulletin will be published on Monday, January 14.

Continuing his contributions marking the centennial of the end of World War I, Professor Emeritus of History Bill Woodward will trace the long range impact of World War I propaganda posters at a program at the Museum of History and Industry on Monday, January 14, 7–8:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for MOHAI members and $10 for the general public. 

The Office of Human Resources would like to welcome the following new staff to the University:

• Kyle Gough, painter/plumber, Facilities & Project Management (Welcome back!)
• Brad Hall, payroll technician, Controller’s Office
• Janet Hauck, business and social sciences librarian, University Library 
• Bethanee Reynolds, residence life coordinator, Residence Life

The Office of Human Resources would like to congratulate the following staff members on their new appointments:

• Susie Becker, operations and testing manager, Center for Learning
• Cynthia Johnston, assistant director, internal operations, Center for Career and Calling

Ken Foreman, the legendary track and field coach whose accomplishments stretched from Seattle Pacific all the way to the United States Olympic team, passed away on December 23 at the age of 96. A memorial service will be held Sunday, January 27, 2 p.m., at Royal Brougham Pavilion