SPU and World Relief will co-host a public forum on Wednesday, February 15, to discuss current events surrounding refugees and immigrants coming to the United States. The evening will include discussions with refugees, information on how to support refugees and immigrants in the community, as well as a time of prayer. The forum will be held in Upper Gwinn Commons on the SPU campus, 7-8:30 p.m.

How do place and location shape our understanding of belonging and community? Why do so many Christians experience a faith that is culturally separate from others we deem “different”? Associate Professor of Missiology David Leong examines these questions and more in his new book, Race and Place: How Urban Geography Shapes the Journey to Reconciliation, during the next Creative Conversations event on Thursday, February 16, 12-12:50 p.m. in the Ames Library Reading Room. Light snacks will be provided. Please feel free to bring your lunch.

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A message from the Center for Career and Calling: All faculty and staff are encouraged to tell your students about our second Mega-MeetUp on Wednesday, February 15, 2:30-5 p.m. More than 30 employers from business and government organizations will be on campus. The Mega MeetUp is a cross between a networking event and a career fair – and a great place to find opportunities! Here is an updated list of the employers attending. All SPU students, alumni, faculty, and staff are welcome.

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The Music Department is hosting a series of concerts during Winter Quarter showcasing instrumental and choral ensembles. The Jazz Ensemble will perform Tuesday, February 21, 7:30 p.m. in Nickerson Studios. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform Friday, February 24, 7:30 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church.

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Tell your students to get a jumpstart on finals week at the Night Against Procrastination on Wednesday, February 22, 6 p.m. -12 a.m. in the SPU Library. This special night of studying includes:

• Center for Learning study table groups
• Writing Center tutors
• Faculty on hand to answer questions
• Yoga and Zumba study breaks
• Pizza and snacks
• Drawings for gift cards to local coffee shops
• A grand prize drawing for lunch with President Martin

If you have questions, contact Assistant Professor of English Peter Moe at moep@spu.edu.

This year’s Palmer Lecture will be held Tuesday, February 28, 7 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. The speaker is Dr. Ralph Watkins, Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Columbia Theological Seminary. The lecture, titled “Faith in the Visual Age: Can You See God?,” will explore how people of faith can share their story in a world wired for story, and how to engage the "image generation." The lecture is free and open to the public. More information can be found at online.

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From now through Thursday, February 23, faculty and staff will receive two free meals if you purchase a Faculty/Staff Block 10 Meal Plan. That’s 12 meals for $77, or $6.42 per meal! (Limit one per person.) You can use the plan in Gwinn Commons any time during their 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 can be carried quarter to quarter as long as you are employed at the university. If you have questions, call Housing and Meal Plan Services at 206-281-2188 or email housing@spu.edu.

The second date of the Distinguished Scholar Award competition, hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and University Scholars, will be Friday, February 17. Sixty of SPU’s top admitted students will be on campus competing for five, full-tuition scholarships through presentations, interviews, discussions with staff and faculty, and participation in a majors fair. Please look for these students and their guests and make them feel welcome.

Join us for the next brownbag lunch on Thursday, February 16, noon to 1 p.m., in the Lower Weter large conference room. Bring changes you need to make to your website and we will walk you through them. If you have a work laptop, please bring it. Feel free to bring your lunch, and we’ll provide munchies. Email Kathy Henning in University Communications at kathy@spu.edu if you plan to attend. Sitecore/Contribute Brownbags occur the third Thursday of every month except December and July.

Join Seattle Pacific University’s Music Department as they welcome Seattle Symphony Conductor Laureate Gerard Schwarz to Nickerson Studios on Thursday, February 16, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. He will discuss his current work with the All-Star Orchestra and Khan Academy to encourage a greater understanding and enjoyment of classical music. 

The Finance Office has updated their forms for rush checks and request for payments, as well as the instructions for accounts payable and payroll. Please use the revised forms on their webpage moving forward.

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The Office of University Communications has produced a 360 video for undergraduate recruitment. The virtual campus tour lets you join a basketball scrimmage, visit a residence hall room, sit down to dinner with students, step into a chemistry lab, and ride along with the SPU crew team. Just move your phone or slip on a VR headset to explore the action from every angle, or view on your computer monitor using your mouse.

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This month we recognize National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, February 26-March 4. Many college students struggle with disordered eating or body image concerns. The body positive movement is a new approach that aims to end the harmful consequences of negative body image.

The SPU Wellness Initiative is a group of faculty and staff working to improve the mental, physical, and emotional health of undergraduates. The monthly posts on the Wellness Initiative blog provide faculty and staff with information about common mental health problems that students deal with on a daily basis, and can help them identify students who may need extra support. The initiative also provides information on campus and community resources available for students. 

To learn more, visit the Wellness blog. 

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Don’t know what to get for that special someone for Valentine’s Day? Get them a Valentine’s Day Card available at Academic Perks, Common Grounds, and the C-store. Each card has a special gift certificate for campus dining retail locations ranging from $2.75-$7. 

February Deals of the Month

• Get a free 21-ounce fountain drink when you purchase a foot-long sandwich from our SUBWAY location.
• Enjoy a $2 grande Cold Brew coffee from Common Ground

Tuesday, February 14: Happy Valentine’s Day with these special treats.
• Academic Perks and Common Grounds: Valentine’s Day cupcakes and cookies
• Bertona Street Pizza: Heart-shaped pizza
• Cocina del Sol: El Burrito Mi Corazón
• Subway: Get three cookies for $1.50 

Friday, February 17: $5 Friday Specials
• Academic Perks and Common Grounds: Strawberry Lemonade Refresher and a cookie
• Bertona Street Pizza: Cheese Steak Pizza
• Cocina del Sol: Tex-Mex burrito
• C-Store: Two Magnum Ice Cream bars
• Einstein’s: Power Protein Bagel with peanut butter and coffee
• Falcon Grill: Hot dog, fries, and beverage
• Subway: Foot-long Spicy Italian Sandwich

For the latest information on Falcon sports, visit the website.

Tuesday, February 14
Men's basketball vs Saint Martin’s, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

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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 16. Due to the Presidents Day holiday, the next Bulletin will be published Tuesday, February 21.

Assistant Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology Joey Collins and his research team recently presented their research on transformational leadership and developmental differences at the Society of Consulting Psychology Conference. Joey also participated on a panel of senior organizational consultants discussing failed interventions and lessons learned from their organizational consulting practice.

Professor of History Bill Woodward continues an extensive outside professional speaking and consulting schedule. In recent weeks, he helped the Pacific Science Center in a grant-funded project to connect science, history, and art museums. In that capacity, he gave a lecture on transportation history for the Pacific Science Center’s “Science in the City” series. He has also given talks on the history of presidential elections to Cristwood and Warm Beach senior communities, and a two-part lesson on understanding “Big History” through Jesus’ parables to an adult class at First Free Methodist Church. On several occasions, he has helped teens working on National History Day projects. He continues to serve as president and host for the Pacific Northwest Historians Guild, which holds its monthly programs the fourth Thursday of each month in the Ames Library. (The next one on February 23 features member Junius Rochester recounting the story of Hawaiians who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company.)

Associate Professor of Sociology Karen Snedker led a student trip to Olympia for the statewide Housing and Homelessness Day. Seven students participated. They went to workshops, rallied on the capitol steps, and met with their legislators to advocate for fair housing legislation and funding to address homelessness.  

The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to welcome May Tag Yang, a new graduate enrollment counselor in Graduate Admissions.