A message from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions: We would like to thank the following faculty and staff for partnering with us on a number of key (remote) recruitment events. From single-handedly working with over 120 students in multiple Honors sessions (Dr. Chris Chaney!), to giving keynote talks (Dr. Eric Long!), to leading a myriad of academic information sessions, we are incredibly grateful for the “it takes a village” approach that each of you have demonstrated in giving of your time.

Big thanks to Peg Achterman, Carlos Arias, Robert Baah, Phil Baker, Janet Bester-Meredith, Lisa Blanchard, Elena Brezynski, Dale Cannavan, Jake Carlson, Brian Chin, Carlie Curlee, Barbara Davisson, Katie Douglass, Lydia Florence, Brian Gill, Annie Gray, Karen Gutowsky-Zimmerman, Laura Hartley, Danny Helseth, Lena Hristova, Becky Hughes, Lisa Ishihara, Jeff Jordan, Sharleen Kato, Brian Kearney, Dan Keene, Jeff Keuss, Craig Kispert, Scott Kolbo, Antwinett Lee, Jaeil Lee, Jerilynn Lepak, Rick Lorig, Sandy Mayo, Ben McFarland, Jennifer McFarlane, Jennifer McKinney, Raphael Mondesir, Heidi Monroe, Tim Nelson, Dung Nguyen, Jennifer Norton, Robbin O’Leary, Jeff Overstreet, Karisa Pierce, Melani Plett, Charlotte Pratt, Cindy Price, Bill Purcell, Gloria Rizo, Kelsey Rorem, Leland Saunders, Lane Seeley, Jenny Tenlen, Josh Tom, Dennis Vickers, Catalina Vlad-Ortiz, Zhiguo Ye, and all of the Admissions and EMM staff and student employees!

The John Perkins Center is hosting this annual writing competition for students enrolling or enrolled at SPU. The Perkins Prize honors the legacy of John Perkins’ work in reconciliation and Christian community development. Entries are due by April 2, 2021. The winner will receive a $1,000 SPU tuition scholarship. Visit the Perkins Prize web page for detailed information.

The Spring Virtual Career Fair is happening Wednesday, Feb. 24, 12–4 p.m. on Zoom. Over 70+ employers have registered and are ready to meet your students! Remind your students that they can register for the Career Fair via Handshake and then sign up for individual employer sessions. Registration is open until one hour before the event starts.

More than 6,000 SPU parents and family members recently received the February 2021 In the Loop parents e-newsletter, which included information about new majors, Spring Break housing for students, study abroad, and the Homecoming and Family Hub.

From the Center for Career and Calling: On Thursday, Feb. 25, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. on Zoom, students can connect with Alex Booker, former tech recruiter and now minister of worship at SPU, and Crystal Stanfield, global senior manager of talent acquisition at Advanced Sterilization Products. They will candidly discuss their experiences working while black. More information is available on Handshake.

To SPU faculty and staff, on behalf of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities campus ministers: You are invited to our CCCU Conference that has been opened up to all in the CCCU and friends for FREE! Chaplain Lisa has been a part of the planning for this conference and if this peeks your interest, we will be focusing on topics such as critical race theory, Christian nationalism, and systemic racism. The conference is Feb. 25–26, 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., and you will need to register for both days to receive the Zoom links for each day. Get more information and register here for the conference.

• Lenten Stories: Follow UMin on Instagram throughout Lent for weekly Scripture readings and stories from SPU students about how they are being stretched in this season. 
• Season of Saturday: During Lent, we are curating online space for communal practices of confession, lament, repentance, and renewal. You are invited to participate through submitting your note of "declaration" for our online tree.
• View the Chapel schedule for upcoming information, subscribe to UMin YouTube for past Chapels, and view Chapel live on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Computer and Information Systems is continuing the rollout of Teams Calling on a department-by-department basis. To help prepare faculty, staff, and student employees for this transition, CIS is hosting Teams Calling Orientation to help the community get acquainted with using their campus phone number in Teams. The final orientation date is Thursday, Feb. 25, 1 p.m. Sign up for a session in Microsoft Bookings. To learn how to prepare for Teams Calling and get other updates on this project, visit the CIS Technology Blog.

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, we encourage you to nominate the student 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 5, and can be found on the University Ministries Student Leaders web page.

All faculty and staff who come to campus must complete an online self-screening to attest that they meet certain criteria for being on campus (e.g., not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms). SPU has developed a campuswide tool through Banner (login into Banner and select Personal Menu) to report a daily COVID-19 self-attestation for faculty and staff working on campus (including Camp Casey and Blakely Island). A link to the self-attestation form is also available on the Stay Smart website, which is now highlighted in the top banner on the SPU homepage.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, March 1, and the deadline is Thursday, Feb. 25. 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.

In recognition of her service to the SPU community, Laurie Collins, budget manager in the School of Theology, was nominated by her peers and selected by Staff Council as the February Staff Member of the Month. Congratulations and thank you, Laurie! Learn more about Laurie and nominate a colleague for recognition on the Staff Council website.

From Undergraduate Admissions: Many, many thanks to the 193 faculty members who are handwriting note cards to our admitted students (for this fall). These students are making their college decision in the midst of a pandemic — many without ever having set foot on campus! Faculty: Please write and send your cards by March 1. Prizes will be announced at the March Faculty Senate meeting. Please contact Michelle McFarland, director of enrollment services, at mcfarlandm@spu.edu with any questions or concerns. Thanks for being incredible partners in this team effort!

Dale Cannavan, associate professor of exercise science and chair of the Health and Human Performance Department, presented a lecture at the international Kabuki Education Week to over 200 virtual guests. His topic, on the kinematics and kinetics of the foot, was titled, “The foot: training from the ground up.”

Pete Renn, associate professor of curriculum and instruction and assistant dean in the School of Education, recently had his review of Education’s Ecosystems: Learning through Life by Bertram Bruce included in the John Dewey Society’s journal, Education and Culture, 36 (2) 59–62.

It takes a lot of talented and dedicated people to support a university, and we want to recognize them and their good work in the Faculty/Staff Bulletin's new weekly feature, "Applause." Give a shoutout to someone for their efforts at Seattle Pacific by sending submissions (and photos if possible) to fsb-editor@spu.edu with "Applause" in the subject line. Anonymous submissions (you can indicate if you would like to remain anonymous) will also be accepted, and submissions may be edited for clarity. If you have questions, contact Bulletin Editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu.

The Office of Human Resources would like to congratulate Kate Barker on her new appointment as associate director, Center for Applied Learning.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming Becky Johnson, administrative assistant, Provost Office and Office of Inclusive Excellence.

From University Archivist Adrienne Meier: The School of Education is in its 100th year of training teachers. The Board of Trustees authorized the creation of a Normal School in 1921, and SPC began offering classes in education in the 1921–22 academic year. Candis J. Nelson was hired in 1921 to run the Normal School, and her efforts built the school into a major part of Seattle Pacific College's course offerings, as well as a highly regarded trainer of teachers in the state of Washington. At the time of her retirement in 1940, SPC President C. Hoyt Watson described Nelson as a teacher who was “intellectually up to date, pleasant, always informed, scholarly, challenging, and shows a sympathetic interest in individual students which is ideal” (May 1940 SPC Bulletin). Nelson’s philosophy of teacher training continues in the School of Education today. The accompanying photo shows Nelson at the 1927 Commencement.

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Said Jenny Tenlen, associate professor of biology: “Rachel Johanson in SAS has been tremendous — for three quarters now, she has had to completely re-invent the Time Schedule to reflect our pandemic realities. On top of that, she has been overseeing the creation of the 2021–22 Time Schedule. She responds to questions promptly and cheerfully, and has been a huge help (especially when I was first learning how to use CourseLeaf). Really, everyone in the Registrar’s office — Rachel, Kenda Gatlin, Debbie Crouch, and Serena Severance — deserve major kudos for all the work they do with the catalog and scheduling.”