In an email to the campus community last week, SPU's COVID Decision Group announced that beginning Monday, Jan. 31, classes will return largely to in-person learning and the campus will return to the health and safety protocols that were established for Autumn Quarter. Read the entire email here.

The 2021–22 School of Business, Government, and Economics Dean’s Speaker Series welcomes Sheila Burroughs, executive director of HR strategy and market expansion for Kaiser Permanente. She will speak on “The Nature of Careers and Jobs” Thursday, Feb. 3, 9 a.m., in the Library Seminar Room. Sheila is a seasoned HR executive with more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry. To register, email cal@spu.edu.

What is traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)? Is it a real medicine or a culture? Or is it just a legend, like in a Gong Fu movie? Does it really work? The Department of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics is sponsoring a virtual lecture via Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 3, 3–4:30 p.m. with Dr. Yiwen Su. Dr. Su started his career in 1980 at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He moved to the U.S. in 1998, and has since taught master's and doctoral programs in five of the acupuncture schools in North America, including Bastyr University, Professor Su was appointed by the Washington State Department of Health as one of four expert members on the Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Advisory Committee. He and his wife, Dr. Li Jin, have a private practice at Su & Jin Acupuncture and Natural Healthcare in Northgate.

How does the Word in worship help form us into God’s people? What are ways we can creatively employ Scripture as we design our worship services? On Friday, Feb. 4, 6–8 p.m., in Upper Gwinn Cascade Room, join pastor and preaching professor Joy Moore along with artist and minister Lo Alaman to consider these questions together. Joy Moore is a dynamic "teacher of preachers" who is passionate about her role in shaping those who will lead communities of faith. Lo Alaman is an artist of the spoken Word. Professor of Old Testament Bo Lim will also participate. Find more information and purchase tickets here, which includes dinner.

You are invited to the 2022 C. May Marston Lecture given by Owen Ewald, the C. May Marston Associate Professor of Classical Languages and Civilizations. Owen will present his topic, “Classics and Social Media,” on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 3 p.m., in Upper Gwinn Commons. The lecture will focus on the creations and curations of Classics students — memes, red-pill communities, and the dark academia aesthetic —  and discuss these groups and themes for educational purposes.

Entry is free and wheelchair accessible. All current SPU students and employees must show their SPU card upon entering the event. Additionally, either proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test will be required as a condition of entry for anyone who is not a current SPU student or employee. For more information, visit the C. May Marston Lecture website.

This workshop from the Office of Inclusive Excellence provides practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations in the workplace around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Supervisors are especially encouraged to participate but all are welcome. Next session: Feb. 15, 12–1 p.m. (Zoom). Learn more here or register on Percipio.

SPU Dining Services has a bevy of tasty dining promotions throughout February in Gwinn Commons, Einstein's Bagels, Subway, and campus espresso counters — from Carrot Cake Day to a Valentine’s Day cheesecake bar to Banana Bread Day. For more information, including locations, visit sodexomyway.com and check out the February Event Calendar.

A message from the Office of Inclusive Excellence: Networking luncheons for faculty and staff of color are hosted to provide a point of connection with OIEX and as an opportunity for faculty and staff of color to network with colleagues across campus. The next luncheon will be Wednesday, Feb. 16, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. in the Royal Brougham Pavilion Hendricks Falcon Club. Please register here by Friday, Feb. 11.

Nominate a current SPU junior student for the Barnabas Servant Leadership Scholarship. Students should demonstrate Christian character, have made a commitment to on- or off- campus service, show a willingness to take on tasks regardless of recognition or challenge, and demonstrate leadership  The recipients of this scholarship receive a $750 cash grant and a $250 contribution in their name to a charity of their choice. Nominations are due by March 4, 2022, using this online nomination form.

Sign up for In Context, a discussion series on racism and capitalism run through Catalyst. Our goal is to equip SPU community members to work toward a better world by thinking critically about systems of exploitation. All SPU students, staff, and faculty are welcome! This quarter, we will meet on Thursdays, Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Feb. 17, and Feb. 24, 4–5:30 p.m. Please reach out to student Patti Fong at fongp@spu.edu with any questions.

SPU has partnered with Curative — a company with a network of over 13,000 sites across 18 states and three CLIA certified, high-complexity labs — to provide COVID-19 testing for the greater Seattle community and our campus. The testing is by appointment only in the Student Union Building across from the Unicom desk. Hours are 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. with some additional later time slots reserved for SPU community members by referral.

Walk-ups cannot be accommodated. The number of tests and hours of testing will be limited to keep traffic at a minimum in the building. The Ross Parking Lot will be available for the public. To make an appointment, visit the Curative site or navigate directly to the appointment page.

Office and departments can request KN95 masks through Facilities and Project Management by filing out an online request via tma.spu.edu. Please make the request by department or office, and for one mask per person. The CDC currently recommends that you wear the most protective mask that fits well and that you will wear consistently. Surgical masks that fit securely, like KN95, KF94, and N95 masks, offer better protection than single/double layer cloth masks.

To promote a healthy working environment and in compliance with applicable law, SPU has created a training presentation regarding COVID-19 infection and prevention that all faculty, staff, and student employees must complete by Feb. 11, 2022. The training can be accessed through Percipio, SPU’s online training platform for employees (formerly known as Skillsoft). The training is approximately 17 minutes long, covers both general COVID-19 information and specific SPU policies, has closed captions available, and contains links to websites with additional information.

Detailed information about how to find and access the training was included in an email on Jan. 13, 2022, from the SPU COVID-19 Decision Group. If you have any difficulty accessing the training, contact Audrey Kamemoto in the Office of Risk Management at kamemoto@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 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, Feb. 3, and the next issue will be published Monday, Feb. 7. 

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.

Sara Shaban, assistant professor of journalism, had her book, Iranian Feminism and Transnational Ethics in Media Discourse, published in January by Rowman & Littlefield.