Similar to last week’s Distinguished Scholar Awards competition, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will host more than 60 admitted students and their guests this Friday, February 7. Students will be competing for five full-tuition scholarships by interviewing with faculty and admissions staff, and participating in group discussions hosted by Chris Chaney, director of the SPU Honors Program.

The admissions team would like to publicly thank Professor Chaney for hours of service between these two DSA dates, Professor Eric Long for an award-winning presentation to students on both days, the faculty and staff engaging with students via the majors and activities fair, and the following faculty and staff for serving as interviewers: Denise Daniels, Helen Chung, Randy Beavers, Jenny Tenlen, Raphael Mondesir, Rod Stiling, Peg Achterman, Pete Renn, Owen Ewald, Katie Clum, Jake Carlson, Bethany Cummins, Teylar Greer, and Kate Barker.

We still have need for several more faculty members to help interview these amazing students this Friday, either 9–9:45 a.m. or noon–12:45 p.m. Please contact Helen Talbot in UGA at talboth@spu.edu, if you can serve during either of these times.

In collaboration with Swipe Out Hunger, Sodexo, and ASSP, Seattle Pacific launches the Swipe Out Hunger initiative on campus starting Monday, February 3. Students will be able to self-identify if they need help by filling out an online form. Faculty and staff can also submit the name of a student who needs support getting access to food. All requests are confidential. To learn more about the program, visit the Swipe Out Hunger SPU website or email swipeout@spu.edu.

Please visit the Health Services website for links to updates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Washington State Department of Health on the viral pneumonia outbreak (2019-nCoV), which began in Wuhan, China, in early December 2019. These websites have information on who is affected, what actions are being taken, and advice for travelers. The situation is changing rapidly, but based on the current information, the immediate local health risk from this coronavirus is still low.

A message from University Ministries: During Winter Quarter, we will alter Chapel locations between Upper Gwinn (first and third Tuesdays) and residence halls (second and fourth Tuesdays). Chapels are held on Tuesdays at 11:10 a.m. Please refer to the online Chapel schedule for location information. Chapels held in residence halls will be hosted by the respective hall.

The next Chapel speaker on Tuesday, February 4, in Upper Gwinn will be Rev. Paul Kim with the John Perkins Center.

For this year’s C. May Marston Lecture on Tuesday, February 4, C. May Marston Assistant Professor of Classics Owen Ewald will discuss universal history, reviewing examples from several ancient Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Chinese historians. These histories, often a response to attempts at world domination (either to describe what has been conquered or what remains independent) can provide modern people with insights for how and how not to attempt to write universal history. The lecture begins at 3:15 p.m. in Demaray Hall 150.

The History Department invites you to their next News & Nachos event on Thursday, February 6, 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Eaton Hall 112. Professor Emeritus of History Bill Woodward will talk about "Immigration and Restriction: Chinese Exclusion, Japanese Internment, and Today's Borders." His talk is part the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read: King County, a community literacy endeavor in which members have many opportunities to read and discuss a book that matters to Pacific Northwest history and culture. The selected book is When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka, which portrays life during the Japanese internment during World War II.

You are invited to the Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series, “Grandfather in the Bones: Scientific Racism and Anglican Missionaries in Uganda, c. 1900–1930” given by Rebecca Hughes, assistant professor of history. The event will be held Thursday, February 6, 3–4 p.m., in the CIS Large Conference Room.

You’re invited to an unforgettable night at the Alumni Awards Dinner on Saturday, February 8. We’ll be honoring Alumni of the Year Alissa Shattenberg ’00 and Jamie Shattenberg ’99, and Medallion Award Honorees Terresa Davis ’07 and Julieta Altamirano-Crosby MEd ’18. Learn more about each recipient by watching their videos and listening to their SPU Voices podcast interviews. Purchase tickets for $25/person online.

Do you know a student who demonstrates Christian character, has made a commitment to on- or off-campus service, shows a willingness to take on tasks regardless of recognition or challenge, demonstrates leadership, and is currently a junior? If so, nominate him or her for the Barnabas Servant Leadership Scholarship. Recipients of this scholarship receive a $750 cash grant and a contribution of $250 given in their name to a charity of their choice. Online nominations are due by March 6, 2020, and can be found on the University Ministries Student Leaders web page.

A message from Sigma Rho (philanthropic organization of Family and Consumer Sciences). We are hosting a rummage sale fundraiser this spring to raise money for student scholarships. As you begin cleaning out closets and decluttering, consider donating the following items: clothing, furniture, decor, linens, kitchen items, tools, toys, camping and exercise equipment, jewelry (real and costume), and books. (No appliances or electronics.) All items must be in good condition. Please tell your friends and family we want their treasures, too, and start setting your boxes aside! All proceeds support student scholarships. More details to come.

Homecoming and Family Weekend is this weekend, February 7–8 ,and the entire SPU community is invited. Highlights include academic and activity reunions, the Alumni Awards Dinner, a live taping of the SPU Voices Podcast, theatre’s mainstage production Urinetown: The Musical, Student Talent Show, and much more. For more details and to register for events, visit spu.edu/homecoming.

A message from Undergraduate Admissions: All faculty and staff are aware that it takes more than just the admissions team to attract the next class of SPU students. We are grateful for the support of our wonderful faculty, who are handwriting several thousand notecards to our admitted students this month. Every single personal contact with this group of students counts! A big shoutout to the Sociology Department for getting the ball rolling on Friday, and to the School of Health Sciences, including Health and Human Performance, for their notecard-writing session over lunch! Please contact your chair to learn if your department or school will be gathering together (with snacks and SPU swag giveaways), or if you want to write notecards on your own this month. If you have questions, email Michelle McFarland in UGA at mcfarlandm@spu.edu.

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers diversity seed grants up to $1,500 to support departmentwide initiatives that advance one or more of the University’s strategic diversity goals. Seed grants are awarded quarterly, with the winter application cycle closing this Thursday, February 6. Apply for a seed grant here, and contact us at odei@spu.edu with any questions.

Faculty and staff musicians (and their family members) are invited to participate in the SPU Symphony Orchestra this Winter Quarter. Now preparing for the winter concert on Thursday, February 27, the Orchestra rehearses Thursdays in Beegle Hall, 7–9 p.m. The Winter Concert will celebrate dance music by African-American composers of the 20th century, including Duke Ellington and Florence Price. Email Christopher Hanson, assistant professor of music education and director of music education and orchestral activities, at ctfhanson@spu.edu with questions.

Come to the live taping of the SPU Voices podcast on Saturday, February 8, where we will chat with SPU professors about what faith for the future means to the SPU community. The faculty panel includes: Dave Nienhaus, professor of New Testament studies, Christine Chaney, professor of English, Kenman Wong, professor of business ethics, and Jenny Vaydich, assistant professor of psychology. To attend, RSVP here.

The School of Business, Government, and Economics was delighted to learn that its Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation was extended another five years. AACSB accreditation is known worldwide as the most recognized form of specialized/professional accreditation an institution and its business programs can earn. SBGE is proud to be among the 5% of business schools in the world and 30% of business schools in North America who are AACSB accredited. The SBGE has had AACSB accreditation since 2000, and gives a special thanks to the team at SBGE, particularly faculty and staff.

Google Drive and DropBox will need to take a back seat to OneDrive. Learn why at a Computer and Information Systems training event on Tuesday, February 11, at 1:15 p.m., or Wednesday, February 12, at 11:15 a.m., and begin storing, sharing, and accessing documents securely, wherever you are. Please RSVP here and contact Allison Pincus in CIS at pincusa@spu.edu with any questions. Light refreshments will be provided.

SPU’s Department of Engineering and Computer Science will offer on-campus summer day camps for 9th–12th graders (as of autumn 2020). Students can jump-start a tech career at hands-on programs focused on video game creation, mechatronics and 3D printing, and programming fundamentals. No coding experience necessary. They’ll earn college credit and a $1,000 SPU scholarship. Learn more and register at spu.edu/techcamps.

The SPU Theatre Department presents the award-winning Urinetown: The Musical on February 6–8, in McKinley Hall Theatre on campus. The play hilariously critiques the legal system, capitalism, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics, and musical theatre itself.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of a matinee performance on Saturday, February 8 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors (age 60 and over) and students (age 25 and under) with a valid ID.

Tickets are available for purchase at the door, online at the theatre box office, or by calling 206-281-2959. The theatre is wheelchair accessible.

SPU’s Disability Support Services present their annual "No Limits, No Boundaries" event on Wednesday, February 5, 5:30–7 p.m. in Nickerson Studios. The evening will include films and discussion regarding diversity and inclusion of various types of abilities. Light refreshments will be served. The annual event focuses on increasing campus and community awareness of disability. Please contact dss@spu.edu for accommodations.

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 every Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) during the academic year. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, February 10. The deadline is Thursday, February 6. 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.

In recognition of her service to the SPU community, Debbie Crouch, senior associate registrar for academic services, was nominated by her peers and selected by Staff Council as the February Staff Member of the Month. Congratulations and thank you, Debbie! Learn more about Debbie and nominate a colleague for recognition on the Staff Council website.

Jaeil Lee, professor of apparel design and merchandising, was quoted in the article “New York Fashion Week beckons for Spokane designer Sofia Mantoni” about the Pacific Northwest’s place in the fashion industry.

Roger Feldman, professor emeritus of art, and his site-specific sculpture installed at Marysville/Pilchuck High School, were featured in The Marysville Globe in an article titled “MPHS unveils new ‘HopeGate’ sculpture that beckons students to lean into their future.”

For his monthly cartoon, Nate Hoover, office manager in the School of Theology, explains this month’s feature; "Sometimes a pun doesn’t need to be forced; it works perfectly well both ways." Select the link to see the cartoon.

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