Message from the Office of Alumni, Parent, and Family Relations: In lieu of our traditional on-campus Homecoming and Family Weekend gathering this year, we’ve created a website curated with fun and engaging opportunities to connect with the SPU community. Check out the Homecoming and Family Hub! We’ll be adding new content through June, so check back often. We hope you’ll join us virtually for this unique Homecoming year. Visit now at spu.edu/hub.

Intramurals is offering virtual yoga classes for Winter Quarter! Shannon Pawloski, a certified and seasoned yoga instructor, will guide you through an hour-long class. If you are interested in taking a twice-a-week break, join us on Zoom Mondays and Tuesdays at 5 p.m. Sign up through Calendly. If you have questions or issues, email intramural@spu.edu.

• 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.

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.

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 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.

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 8, and the deadline is Thursday, March 4. 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.

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.

Annie Kato, assistant professor of management, recently had a commentary titled “Teaching I-O Psychology for the Greater Good” published in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice.

Stephen Newby, professor of music and director of composition, will deliver the lecture “Teaching the Music of Black America” on Thursday, March 4, 12:30 p.m. (Pacific Time)/3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) at Toronto’s York University’s Expanding the Musical Canon: Extensions of the Black Musical Traditions speaker series. Stephen’s lecture will explore and present ways and reasons for engaging and teaching music of Black America. Register here for the Zoom event.

A chapter written by Kimberly Segall, professor of English and cultural studies, titled “Media Sites: Political Revivals of American Muslim Women,” was published in the textbook, The Oxford Handbook of Politics and Performance, published by Oxford University Press. The book presents a “systemic study of the fields of political science and performance studies and the common language they share,” and brings together “leading scholars across the fields of politics and performance to examine democratic representation as a series of political performances.” Kim's chapter analyzes sites of digital media that have informed recent historic movements — such as the women’s march and Black Lives Matter — while considering a very specific group of leaders and participants that she has worked with from the Seattle region in the American Muslim Empowerment Network.

Associate Professor of Education Jorge Preciado, Assistant Professor of Special Education Krystle Jalalian-Chursky, Instructor of Teacher Education Jennifer Norton, SPU doctoral student Ira Rasikawati, and Professor Emeritus of Education Rick Eigenbrood recently had an article titled, “Achieving positive classroom experiences for Latino K–5 students,” published in the Journal of Latinos and Education. 

Sandy Mayo, vice provost of inclusive excellence, was mentioned in The Christian Post article, “CCCU launches new database of racial, ethnic diversity resources.” Sandy chaired the Commission on Diversity and Inclusion for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, which developed this resource now available online at diversity.cccu.org/.

Benjamin McFarland, professor of biochemistry, was recently quoted in The New Yorker article, “Why Does the Pandemic Seem to Be Hitting Some Countries Harder Than Others?” Explained Ben, “A few weeks ago, Siddhartha Mukherjee interviewed me about a little research project my students did as part of CHM 4363 Biochem III last spring for his recent piece on COVID for the New Yorker. This work was done in Spring 2020 CHM 4363 Biochem Seminar with about a dozen students, most of which continued to work on it over the summer.”

From Ruth Adams, associate vice president for student success: “Sarah Walter — Thank you very, very much for all you did in getting the assistant provost process and responses organized during remote-only interviews. It’s just amazing to me how you juggle all you do for this place. What a marvel you are — truly a marvel!”