A message from Nick Glancy, assistant vice president for risk management and university counsel: Seattle Pacific University recognizes that many in the community have been following the lawsuits filed by Jéaux Rinedahl against the University. Interim President Menjares has asked me to provide an update to faculty and staff with information about recent proceedings in the litigation.

Rinedahl filed his first lawsuit against the University in January 2021 alleging employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. On December 17, 2021, there was a summary judgment hearing regarding motions filed by both Rinedahl and the University. A summary judgment hearing is an opportunity for a judge to determine whether some or all of the issues in a case can be decided without a full trial. At the end of the hearing, the judge verbally ruled in favor of Rinedahl on some issues and stated that other issues would still need to be addressed at trial. The judge signed a written order reflecting this decision on January 5, 2022. Trial is currently scheduled for June 2022.

In general, the issues on which the judge ruled in favor of Rinedahl related to assertions by the University of religious and expressive freedom under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.The University had argued in part that as a religious organization, it is permitted under the First Amendment to use religious-based conduct expectations as criteria for employment of regular faculty members. The University recognizes that Rinedahl’s lawsuit involves issues of faith upon which Christians of goodwill — including in the University community — disagree, but the University also believes that Christian institutions should be able to work out these issues within their own communities, consistent with the free exercise of religion provided by the U.S. Constitution.The judge stated in part that she was constrained by rule as a result of the Washington State Supreme Court’s 2021 decision in Woods v. Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission.

The Woods decision by the Washington Supreme Court has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Moreover, the case is one of multiple recent and current cases addressing Constitutional issues that are relevant to the claims against the University, and the U.S. Supreme Court may issue a ruling in Woods or another case that would change the outcome of the December 17 summary judgment decision. As the University awaits possible further guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court, it continues to prepare for the trial scheduled in June and to respond to a second, similar lawsuit filed by Rinedahl in October 2021.

From now through Monday, Jan. 24, faculty and staff will receive two bonus meals if they purchase a Faculty Staff Block 10 Meal Plan. That’s 12 meals for $91 (or $7.58 per meal)! (Limit one per person.) You can use the plan in Gwinn Commons anytime during service hours. Or you can use it to purchase Simply to Go meals at the Corner Place Market, Academic Perks (SUB), or Common Grounds (Weter). Meals can be used for guests, too. Plans can be purchased through Banner. Meal balances roll from quarter to quarter as long as you are employed at the University. Questions? Call Housing and Meal Plan Services at 206-281-2188 or email mealplan@spu.edu.

A reminder from Educational Technology and Media: SPU’s Zoom now supports live captioning (machine generated) during meetings and webinars. Hosts can easily turn this feature on each meeting when live captions would be helpful. Both Computer and Information Systems and ETM have documentation on their wikis and the CIS HelpDesk is available to answer any questions.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence is hosting a networking luncheon for faculty and staff of color on Thursday, Jan. 20, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., in the Royal Brougham Pavilion Hendricks Falcon Club. Register online by Friday, Jan. 14, and learn more.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence, in partnership with the Biology Department, invites you to the Faith, Diversity, and Science Lecture on Monday, Jan. 31, 4–5:30 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. The keynote speaker, evolutionary biologist. geneticist, and author Dr. Joseph Graves, will address the questions, "How should we understand inevitability in creation?" and "Is racism inevitable?" Learn more here.

SPU now has a published policy for students called to active military duty in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces while enrolled in one or more courses at SPU. Options available to a student depend on the expected length of absence from classes, the term in which the student is enrolled, where classes take place, the time in the quarter the absence will begin, and other factors. Read the policy here.

The latest SPU Voices Podcast features alumnus Rick Newell "93. who shares his journey through personal struggles early on in his tech career. After hitting rock bottom, he felt called by God to "wake up," and moved to Seattle where he began working at the Rotary Boys & Girls Club in the Central District. Through his interactions with young men at the Club, he saw the hardships they had to overcome and came to firmly believe in the need for positive, near-peer, male role models. Listen to the podcast or read the transcript.

Don’t want an unmade bed in your background while on a Zoom call? University Communications created SPU-themed Zoom backgrounds — including interior and exterior campus shots, as well as cityscapes and illustrations — for you to use instead. Check them out on this Zoom Resources web page.

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 to your 403b account may take up to seven days to be provided to SPU for processing, so please contract Transamerica by the first of the month prior to your requested change. 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 Cherylin Shdo in HR at 206-281-2816.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. The next deadline is Thursday, Jan. 13, and the next issue will be published Tuesday, Jan. 18, due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible with an image or graphic to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity.

Raedene Copeland, assistant provost of Inclusive Faculty Excellence, along with School of Education faculty Kristine Gritter, June Hyun, David Wicks, and SOE alumna AnneRene Joseph, gave the keynote speech and various presentations at the 2021 International Conference on Productivity and Sustainability in December 2021. The conference was hosted by Krida Wacana Christian University (Indonesia), National Formosa University (Taiwan), and Seattle Pacific University (USA). Radene and colleagues spoke on topics related to equity and social justice in higher education, mental health and resilience, arts education, and promoting literacy in all content areas in K-12 schools. Liz Buffington, a SOE doctoral student, received the Best Presenter Award for her talk on promoting student agency through digital learning and universal design. Included here are the links to the full program and speakers’ bio and a teaser video with conference highlights.

At the Nov. 2021 meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in San Antonio, Texas, Professor of Old Testament Bo Lim gave the following presentations in three separate sessions: “Review of Chloe Sun’s Conspicuous in His Absence: Studies in the Song of Songs and Esther,” “‘Who Has Believed Our Report’ of the Coronavirus, AAPI Hate, and the Servant’s Suffering in Isaiah?,” and “Which Hosea and Gomer Appear in Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko?” The last session included a response by the novelist Min Jin Lee herself.

An article by Christy Barnes, adjunct instructor and Center for Professional Education program coordinator, titled "Toddler Dissertations" was published in the literary journal, McSweeney's. Christy is also a 2013 SPU MFA graduate.

An article co-authored by Grace Blum, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, titled "Becoming humanizing educators during inhumane times: Valuing compassion and care above productivity and performance" was published in Current Issues in Education, an open access, peer-reviewed academic education journal.

An article co-authored by Liz Ebersole, adjunct instructor of education, titled “Equitable access to TPACK research: Tensions about using social media to disseminate scholarship,” was published in Computers & Education Open.

Jason Thornberry, receptionist for the School of Education, had two poems published in January in Poor Yorick Literary Journal. Jason’s work has appeared in The Los Angeles Review of Books, North Dakota Quarterly, Soundings East, Broadkill Review, Sledgehammer Lit, and elsewhere.

Peter Moe, associate professor of English, had his book Touching This Leviathan, reviewed in the EcoTheo Collective. The review was titled “In the Belly of the Unknown.”

Alberto Ferreiro, professor of European history, has had a co-authored book titled, Receptions of Simon Magus as an Archetype of the Heretic: Essays by Alberto Ferreiro and Ephraim Nissan, accepted for publication. The book will be published by Palgrave in 2022. This second book on Simon Magus is part of Alberto’s ongoing research on Simon Magus, which started in 1992. Professor Ephraim Nissan is at the University of London and is a renowned expert in exotic ancient oriental religions and ancient and medieval magic. The essays are unpublished original work and the volume will be lavishly illustrated.

Mischa Willett, assistant professor of English and writing, has edited a critical edition of Philip James Bailey’s 19th-century apocalyptic poem, “Festus,” for Edinburgh University Press.

Bill Woodward, professor emeritus of history, has been delivering lectures around Washington state that focus on the parallels between the post-pandemic (and post-war) 1920s and what seems to be unfolding in the 2020s. His lectures are under the auspices of Humanities Washington, and he has presented to groups in Richland and Seattle, with several more bookings in the next two months. His upcoming talk on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 10 a.m., is via Zoom, and you are invited. Go to the Humanities WA website, or just email Bill for a link. In addition, Bill gave a presentation in December to the Lacey Historical Museum on the Washington National Guard’s role in the South Sound.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming these new staff members:

• Calvin Dias, lead auto mechanic, Facility and Project Management
• Derek Faulkner, assistant coach, Women’s Soccer, Athletics
• Anthony Hill, undergraduate admissions counselor, University Recruitment and Admissions