This is a reminder about the Faculty and Staff Forum on Tuesday, February 2, 3–4:30 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. The purpose of the forum is to continue the conversation, following the open student forum and Alex Gee’s presentation in January, about SPU’s commitment to racial diversity and reconciliation. During the forum, we would like to hear from faculty and staff on these issues, recap several things we are hearing from our students regarding the campus climate, and highlight several concrete steps to improve our efforts. I encourage all of you to make this a priority in your schedule as we continue our commitment to listen, dialogue, and take action. Thank you for your ongoing efforts to become people of wisdom and model grace-filled community. 

Join an evening of prayers, black spirituals, and ecumenical readings on Tuesday, February 2, 7:30 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church. The service features the SPU Gospel Choir, faculty members Robert Baah, Carlene Brown, Raedene Copeland, and Nyaradzo Mvududu, and special guest concert pianist William Chapman Nyaho. The service is directed by Stephen Michael Newby, SPU associate professor of music and director of Center for Worship. 

The library’s first Creative Conversations event this quarter on Thursday, February 4, will feature professors Michael Paulus, Bruce Baker, and Mike Langford discussing their work on constructing a framework for digital wisdom that includes theological principles, cultural critiques, and formative practices. Light snacks will be provided.

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Hundreds of prospective students and their families will be on campus Thursday, February 4, and Friday, February 5, for SPU Friday Plus. High school and transfer students will stay overnight in the residence halls on Thursday, then dine in Gwinn, attend informational sessions, and visit classes on Friday. Look for these students and their families and make them feel welcome.

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Centuries before George McDonald, J.R.R.Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis, the Græco-Roman world featured many examples of non-realistic fiction. Owen Ewald, the C. May Marston assistant professor of classics, will look at the creative works of early writers during the annual C. May Marston Lecture on Tuesday, February 9, at 3 p.m., in Demaray 150.

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A message from University Advancement: Thanks to gifts and pledges of more than 500 donors, the Campaign for Alexander Hall is now completed. Gifts to SPU’s historic first building include $750,000 from The Norcliffe Foundation and $400,000 from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. More than 300 alumni gave generously, including a $2.5 million gift from Becky Arnett Gilliam ’80. Thank you to all who supported the restoration with prayers and donations to achieve the $6.2 million campaign goal and a beautifully stable Alexander Hall.

A message from the SPU Wellness Initiative: The SPU Wellness Initiative is a group of faculty and staff working to improve the mental, physical, and emotional health of undergraduates. During Winter and Spring quarters, we will provide you with information about common mental health problems that students deal with on a daily basis. We hope this will help faculty and staff identify students that may need extra support. We will also provide you with campus and community resources that are available for students. This month, we are focusing on stress and how stress affects the mind and body. Faculty and staff may be interested in a new book titled Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind over Body, examining how the mind can overcome the physical and psychological effects of stress. NPR recently aired a story about the book. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to check out the new SPU Wellness website, which has lots of information on student stress, campus wellness activities, and resources.

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The SPU Theatre Department presents this Tony Kushner play about an aging father, his estranged son, and an all-knowing magician. Performances are February 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. in E.E. Bach Theatre in McKinley Hall. There will be a Saturday matinee performance on February 6 at 2 p.m. Learn more and buy tickets online. 

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On Monday, February 8, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will host 50 of SPU’s top admitted students for a campus competition for five full-ride scholarships. This is the first day of the Distinguished Scholar Award — formerly the SPU Scholar Award — competition, and students will interview with faculty and admissions staff; participate in group discussions and presentations; as well as visit classes throughout the day. Thank you to the faculty who have volunteered to help with interviews for this event. There is still time to volunteer for the second day of the competition on Friday, February 19. Contact Myra Veltkamp, visits and events coordinator, at veltkm@spu.edu if you would like to participate.

Seattle Pacific Seminary’s Asian American Ministry Program, in partnership with the John Perkins Center and the Office of University Ministries, is hosting a two-part Church Leaders Forum titled “Pastoral Implications for Racial Reconciliation and the Church,” February 9 and 23, 1-3 p.m. The first event on Tuesday, February 9, features Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, who will teach the first course of SPU's new Master of Arts in Asian American Ministry degree. The second meeting is Tuesday, February 23, and features Associate Professor of Reconciliation Studies Brenda Salter McNeil. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend. If you have questions, contact seminary@spu.edu. For more information on the forum, visit the website.

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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.

Campus Dining is repeating last week’s promotions. Here they are:

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 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.. Get a FREE raspberry cheesecake cookie when you purchase any footlong sub. (While supplies last.)

Sandella’s: BBQ chicken fireside wrap only $3.99. Make it a meal (chips and a 21-ounce fountain drink) for only $6.99.

Einstein’s Bagels: It’s tween time from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Purchase a medium cup of coffee and a sugar cookie for $3.59.

Grill: Limited time offer – Texas BBQ pork sandwich with grilled onions and coleslaw on ciabatta bread for $5.39.

New Retail Promotion on Fridays. Stop by these campus dining retail outlets and take advantage of a special promotion every Friday.

$5 Friday Retail Promotion:

Medley: 5-topping salad

Grill: Grilled cheeseburger and 21-ounce fountain drink

Einstein’s Bagels: Bagel dog and 21-ounce fountain drink

Sandellas: Grilled flatbread and 21-ounce fountain drink

Subway: Six-inch chicken breast sub and 21-ounce fountain drink

Tuesday, February 2

Women's basketball vs Saint Martin's, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

Thursday, February 4

Women's basketball vs Montana State Billings, Brougham Pavilion, 5:15 p.m.

Men's basketball vs Concordia (Oregon), Brougham Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 6

Men's basketball vs Western Oregon, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

For the latest in Falcon sports, visit the website.

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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, February 4. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, February 8, 2016.

A chapter written by Assistant Professor of Economics Geri Mason titled “Strategies for the Integration of Poverty Alleviation into Management Curriculum - Poverty: How Can Business Help?” was published in Responsible Management Education and the Challenge of Poverty: A Teaching Perspective. This book includes 12 chapters authored/co-authored by 16 members of the United Nations PRME Anti-Poverty Working Group. It showcases innovative teaching, module development, and program design methods that integrate the issue of poverty into global business management courses and curricula.

Writer in Residence Suzanne Wolfe will read from her second novel, The Confessions of X, at Seattle’s Elliott Bay Book Company on Saturday, February 6, at 7 p.m. The book tells the story of Augustine of Hippo’s nameless lover, their relationship before his famous conversion, and her life after his rise to fame. 

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Professor of European History Alberto Ferreiro gave three lectures at the Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bothell for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults catechesis program in January. The topics were: Son of God, Four Marks of the Church, Paschal Mystery, and the Eucharist. His recent publication is an essay titled “'A Little More than the Angels': Anthropology and the Imitatio Christi in a Catalán Sermon by Vicent Ferrer on St. James the Greater,” in On the Shoulders of Giants: Essays in Honor of Glenn Olsen (David F. Appleby and Teresa Olsen Pierre, eds.). Papers in Mediaeval Studies, 27. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2015, pp. 179-207. Professor Glenn Olsen was Alberto’s Weter Lecture respondent in 1991.

The School of Psychology, Family, and Community is pleased to announce that some of its faculty and students recently presented their research at this year’s Society of Personality and Social Psychology Conference in San Diego, California.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Tom Carpenter gave a talk on active learning techniques titled "Using Qualtrics for Active Learning Labs.” 

Industrial-Organizational Psychology doctoral student Jared Wymer presented a poster co-authored with Professor of Psychology Margaret Brown titled “The Effect of Intergroup Helping on Social Justice Attitudes: An Examination of Mediators.”

Tom Carpenter also presented a poster titled “Opposing Roles of Guilt- and Shame-Proneness in Trait Self-Forgiveness: A Motivational Analysis.” Tom would like to thank his co-authors: Stefanie Tignor, doctoral candidate at Northeastern University; Amanda Willett, a former student of Tom’s from Baylor University; and Dr. Jo-Ann Tsang of Baylor University.

Psychology undergraduate students Katherina Daczko and Carl Sallee presented a poster co-authored with Tom Carpenter titled “Gender and Self-Forgiveness: Evidence for Different Pathways.”

In response to faculty and student requests, the library has upgraded our JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) subscription from a print subscription to online access. Published since 1883, JAMA is an internationally recognized peer-reviewed general medical journal. While primarily a medical title, JAMA covers topics of interest for bioethics, biology, nursing, nutrition, and psychology. The library has online access back to 1998 and print access back to 1966.

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