The LGBTQIA+ Work Group will share with the SPU community the substance of the recommendation they have recently sent to the Board of Trustees regarding SPU’s sexual conduct expectations and employment policy. Three meetings will be held with different primary audiences in mind. Members of the SPU community are invited to attend the meeting associated with their constituency group if possible, however, attendance at a different meeting is fine as needed for scheduling reasons. Further information will be sent to the community regarding these meetings, but for now, please note the following meeting dates and locations:

• Faculty: Wednesday, May 11, 3:30–4:30 p.m. in Upper Gwinn
• Students: Wednesday, May 11, 6:30–7:30 p.m. in Upper Gwinn
• Staff: Thursday, May 12, 10–11 a.m. in Demaray 150 (will also be livestreamed)

The SPU Music Department is offering a series of choral and instrumental events in May, including an extraordinary finale to the academic year with a combined concert of the SPU choirs, Wind Ensemble, and Orchestra on May 25 and 26. The evening will include performances of works composed with “great expectations” for their premiere, including winners of the inaugural student composition contest, winners from the annual student concerto competition, and a full performance of Beethoven’s Mass in C major. You can attend the concert, offered both evenings, in person or via livestream. Visit the LIVE! from SPU Music webpage for details.

The Student Counseling Center (SCC) is committed to the emotional, social, physical, spiritual, and academic well-being of SPU undergraduate students. Staffed with licensed mental health counselors and professional graduate interns, the SCC provides free, confidential, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed brief counseling for individual students, as well as relationship counseling, campus outreach, and same-day support for urgent matters. The SCC has a registered dietitian on staff providing nutritional guidance to students, as well as support for food and body issues. A wide range of issues are addressed at the SCC, including stress, anxiety, depression, relationships, school adjustment, motivation, spirituality, sexuality, disordered eating, grief, loss, and trauma. The SCC also offers weekly wellness workshops designed to equip students with tools and perspectives that will support their mental health amidst challenging times. To learn more, please visit our website.

The latest SPU Voices Podcast features Jeff Van Duzer, former SPU provost, dean of the School of Business and Economics, and professor of business ethics and business law. Jeff's teachings draw on his distinguished career in higher education, law, and financial management. He practiced as a partner with the international law firm Davis Wright Tramaine for more than 20 years and is the author of Why Business Matters to God: (And What Still Needs to Be Fixed), along with many other articles in academic and popular journals. Listen or read the transcript here.

Virtually connect on Wednesday, May 18, at 7 p.m. with colleagues, donors, alumni, and parents to experience how Seattle Pacific’s mission is carried out through the Center for Faithful Business and its documentary film series, Faith & Co. This captivating series inspires our students and people around the globe to approach work differently as faithful followers of Christ. Interim President Pete Menjares will present the 2022 President's Award for Philanthropy to Seattle Pacific donors Eric and Keri Stumberg for their extraordinary generosity which made Faith & Co. possible. Register today.

The Office of Human Resources is hosting a Retirement Ready Series, May 9–13, 2022. It is an opportunity for faculty and staff who are making plans or preparing to retire in the near future to learn about related topics and provide a forum for retirement questions. We hope that you will be able to join us live or take advantage of these recorded events. For series details AND links, watch for 2022 Retirement Ready emails from Human Resources.

From the Office of Human Resources: Transamerica representative Ronee Dakin will be available for one-on-one consultations May 12–13. She can discuss your retirement strategy over the phone or virtually. Please have access to the internet during your consultation. Please make an appointment here.

SPU Volleyball Summer Camps and Clinics are just around the corner! With a camp for each grade and skill level, we would love to have your daughters join us this summer as we enjoy and grow in the game of volleyball. As a reminder, children of SPU faculty and staff receive a 25% discount! We hope to be a part of your summer plans! Register online.

The School of Psychology, Family, and Community presents Voices of Autism 2022 on Sunday, May 15, 2–4 p.m., online. The keynote lecture, “Overview of Incredible Years Programs and Adaptations for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),” will be delivered by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, PhD, MSN, MPH, who founded the Parenting Clinic at the University of Washington School of Nursing. This event is free and open to the public, although donations of $5 per person are suggested. This annual event features a resource fair and keynote lecture to share the experiences and perspectives of members within the autism community. Learn more.

Enjoy these dining specials in May:

Gwinn Commons:

• May 10: Shrimp Day —  Serving Shrimp Po Boys at lunch
• May 11: Ice Cream Sundae Bar — Ice cream sundae bar with lots of toppings at lunch
• May 13: Pasta Bar — Pasta Bar at dinner
• May 18: Pancake Bar — Pancake Bar at lunch
• May 24: Mac and Cheese Bar — Macaroni and Cheese bar at lunch
• May 26: Clam Bake (Swipe Plus) — For an extra swipe at dinner students and guests can get food from the clam bake section
• May 30: Memorial Day — Hours of operation will be breakfast/lunch: 9 a.m.–2 p.m., and dinner: 5–7 p.m.

SPU’s retail locations:

• May 10: Academic Perks and Common Grounds Special — 10% off grande toasted vanilla latte
• May 18: Footlong Special at Subway — $6 Cold Cut Combo Footlong
• May 26: Einstein’s Special — Small smoothie and cookie for $6.39

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 weekly during the academic year. The next deadline is Thursday, May 12, and the next issue will be published Monday, May 16.

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.

From the Office of the Provost: We have nine faculty retirements at the end of this academic year. The Faculty/Staff Bulletin will highlight our retiring faculty members each week. This week we honor Miriam Adeney and Tom Amorose.

Miriam Adeney, associate professor of world Christian studies, 43 years of service

During Miriam’s 43 years as a professor of World Christian Studies, she introduced generations of students to the richness of the global Christian faith. She has been and continues to be a global Christian leader who advocates for global equality for women of all faiths, earning her many accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Christians for Biblical Equity. Her prolific publications (nine books and over 150 articles) and global leadership, including serving as president of the American Society of Missiology, are evidence of her profound influence.

After retirement, she will continue to travel the globe and be a tireless interpreter of global Christianity. She will also continue to spend time with her three sons and their families, including nine grandchildren. We have been honored and are deeply grateful to have been led by such a generous scribe of the kingdom, who has passionately and faithfully held out for us the treasures of the Christian faith.

Tom Amorose, professor of English, 26 years of service

Tom came to SPU in 1996 to serve as the first director of Campus Writing, a role he kept for 16 years. His publications in the areas of writing-program administration at small colleges and universities have been anthologized and used as the basis for at least one national conference. But Tom’s first love, early English literature, has been the steady rhythm in his teaching throughout his career. His senior-level course on Shakespeare has helped many graduating English majors use the Bard of Avon’s plays as a lens to look back on their college experiences and forward into their post-graduate lives. Tom also took part in several iterations of SPU’s general education program design and served on many faculty task forces and committees.

Tom’s next phase involves spending more time on his current research area, the rhetoric of public lands in the American West, and possibly starting a nonprofit consultancy to help private forest landowners institute best practices for their forest holdings.

The 2022 Celebration of Service held on April 28 honored faculty and staff who reached special milestones for years of service (five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40!), as well as the faculty and staff of the year winners.

• Katherine Douglass, associate professor of educational ministry and practical theology, was named Undergraduate Professor of the Year by the Associated Students of Seattle Pacific.
• Munyi Shea, professor of counselor education and director of doctoral programs, was named Graduate Faculty Member of the Year by graduate students. 
• Sally Thunselle, director of Health Services, was named Exempt Staff Person of the Year by Staff Council.
• Celiz McClish, program manager for the Center for Career and Calling, was named the Oral V. Hemry Non-Exempt Staff Person of the Year by Staff Council.

Applications to join Staff Council are now open. Meet other staff members from across the SPU campus, help plan and execute events that educate and/or celebrate staff members, and more. Learn more and apply here.

Matthew Benton, associate professor of philosophy, recently presented a new paper, “Faith and Interpersonal Knowledge,” at a joint colloquium of the Princeton Project in Philosophy and Religion and the Rutgers University Center for Philosophy of Religion. The colloquium was held at Princeton University.

An article by John Bond, professor of educational leadership, and Dr. Paul Harvey, School of Education alumnus, titled "The Effects and Implications of Using Open Educational Resources (OER) in Secondary Schools,” was published in the journal International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning., Vol. 23, No. 2. This article contributes to the growing scholarship of OER for primary and secondary education. Twenty-eight Washington state schools using math OER with middle school students provided the context that examines OER curriculum effects, whether time duration of curriculum use influences math results, and the influence of other factors on student achievement when using math OER.

Peter Moe, associate professor of English, gave a presentation titled “Building and Writing Whales” for the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators on May 2, 2022. The talk shared his work building the Longbranch Whale (hanging in SPU's Eaton Hall), and he also shared excerpts from his book Touching This Leviathan.

An article by Alberto Ferreiro, professor of European history, titled “Crónicas, Resumen del Simposio de Dresden, Alemania, 30 Septiembre/ 2 Octubre 2021, Konzilien und die Welt der Klöster.” was published in Anuario de Historia de la Iglesia 31 (2022) 481–484. The article in Spanish is a summary and an assessment of the papers given at the conference in Dresden, Germany in September. The theme of the symposium was on the presence of monasticism in church councils across the centuries and all continents. Selected papers will be published later this year in the Annales Historiarum Conciliorum, [Aschendorff] (Annales of Conciliar History), Alberto’s contribution will be among them.

SPU was well represented at the Western Psychological Association (WPA) in Portland, Oregon, April 27–May 1, with multiple posters, papers, and symposium presentations by faculty and students in the School of Psychology, Family, and Community. Highlights included:

• Joel Jin, assistant professor of clinical psychology presented the paper, “Promoting Interests and Equity in the Mental Health Professions: The New Science of Deliberate Practice for Counseling and Clinical Psychology Skill Development.”
• Paul Kim, professor of psychology, and Joel Jin (along with five doctoral students) presented the symposium, “What will they think of me? Self-Stigma Among Asians and Asian Americans.”
• Lynette Bikos, professor of clinical psychology, and Paul Kim (along with five doctoral students) presented the symposium, “The On-and-Off-Again of Facemasks in the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Among the six posters presented was a cross-disciplinary contribution titled, “Differences in University Student Health, Physical Activity, and Anxiety during COVID-19 Restrictions,” which was co-authored by Baine Craft, professor of psychology; Kattie Thralls Butte, assistant professor of health and human performance; and Dale Cannavan, professor of exercise science.
• SPU has significant leadership at WPA. The Department of Clinical Psychology co-sponsors the continuing education program for psychologists, the Bikos Research Team coordinates the international program, and Graduate Admissions sponsored an SPU exhibit.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming these new SPU staff member:

• Riley Evans, administrative assistant, Health Services
• Annamaria Traverso, communications officer/dispatcher, Safety and Security