A message from Nate Mouttet, vice president for enrollment management and marketing: Our 2019-20 autumn branding campaign is now underway, using a mix of traditional and digital strategies designed to reach prospective students and parents as well as general audiences. The new brand messages you will see support our mission statement, and they are built with the goal of amplifying SPU’s presence, utilizing multiple ad formats, raising awareness, and encouraging students to learn more, visit, and ultimately apply. We will vary our messages as we emphasize our differences from other campuses and the opportunities we provide.

The campaign duration is timed with application generation and runs through the early application deadline on November 1. Look for our new ads on billboards, buses, websites, Google search, and in social media.

Faculty and staff are invited to attend the Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarship Day on Friday, September 27, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. in the School of Health Science building, 36 Cremona Street. DNP students will present their scholarly projects.

A message from the Athletic Department: As we prepare our promotional schedule for this year, we want to include YOU, our beloved faculty and staff, in the process. Please take two minutes this week to complete our survey to better improve the Falcon game day experience. For more information, contact Stefanie Kosco, fan engagement and corporate sponsorship manager, at stefanie@spu.edu.

A message from Campus Dining Services: As a "Good Idea" collaboration with Staff Council, every first Friday of the month will feature a $5 special for faculty and staff with presentation of their Falcon Card. Here are this week’s specials.

• C-store: Simply-to-go salad and Yoplait yogurt
• Common Grounds: Venti caramel macchiato
• Subway: Turkey and ham 6-inch sub

A message from Tracy Norlen, director of public information: We are launching a new webpage to highlight faculty and staff research and expertise. This page will mostly be used as a resource for the media, but it will also be helpful for anyone looking for a knowledgeable person on a certain subject. If you would like to be included in this new resource, complete this online form. (Password protected.) The form is designed so that you can easily copy and paste information from your current CV or resume. You will find more details on the online form. If you have questions, contact Tracy at tcnorlen@spu.edu or 206-281-2977.

The weight room and fitness center in Brougham Pavilion are available to faculty and staff. The cost for access is $6 per month (free for commuters), paid through payroll deduction. The fee includes access to Brougham Pavilion, showers, and a personal locker. If you are interested in using these facilities, contact Madi Velling, office manager in Athletics, at 206-281-2085 or vellingm@spu.edu.

Mr. Darwin's Tree , the acclaimed British one-man play about Charles Darwin, will be performed in the E.E. Bach Theatre on Thursday, October 3, at 7 p.m. The production will be followed by a faculty panel who will respond to the performance and answer audience questions. The event is free, wheelchair accessible, and open to the public.

Written by noted playwright and director Murray Watts, and starring leading British film, TV, and theatre actor Andrew Harrison, Mr. Darwin's Tree has been described as “a brilliant, fast-paced and beautifully detailed performance” (Church Times). Broadway Baby reported that “Mr. Darwin’s Tree explores not only science, but religion, the divine intricacies of the soul, and what it is to be human…. A rare treat.”

The play is produced by Scholarship & Christianity In Oxford (SCIO), the UK Centre of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), and underwritten by the Templeton Religion Trust and The Blankemeyer Foundation. The play explores the life and work of Charles Darwin and his impact on science and religion.

Faculty are encouraged to incorporate the show into fall courses as appropriate.

Three SPU professors and poets, Scott Cairns, Jennifer Maier, and Mischa Willett, will read from their work and discuss the writing process at the Seattle's Hugo House, one of the country’s leading centers for writers. Their event, titled "Language as a Way of Knowing," is Thursday, September 12, at 7 p.m.

Each Autumn Quarter, University Ministries holds a Church & Ministry Fair to give students an opportunity to learn about their local worship options. If you would like your church to be represented at the fair, email your church name and contact email to umconnects@spu.edu, so we can send an invitation. This year’s event is Thursday, October 3, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in Martin Square (rain location: Weter Hall).

Seattle Pacific University now uses Quality Press for campus stationery orders. Through Quality Press, you will access a “Storefront,” allowing 24/7 ordering. Business cards ordered by Thursday at 6 p.m. will be delivered the following Wednesday. Allow five to seven business days for all other orders. Note: Orders will be delivered to Mailing Services and to your office via your normal campus mail delivery. Go to Banner >> Employee Menu >> Stationery Products Menu >> Create an Order.

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 you wish to make to your 403(b) account contributions must be made by the 10th of the month. 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 Mardeth Hughes in HR at 206-281-2816.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every other week during the summer. 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, September 12. The Bulletin will resume weekly publication on September 16.

An article by Assistant Professor of Philosophy Matthew Benton titled "Religious Diversity and Disagreement" was published in The Routledge Handbook of Social Epistemology. It covers epistemological issues arising from facts about religious disagreement and religious diversity.

Assistant Professor of Management Helen Chung recently presented papers at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management in Boston. The first paper, “Metaleptic Moments in Organizational Life,” received a Best Paper Award by the Organization Development and Change Division. Helen presented a second paper, “An Economy of Abundance: Human Potential in Organizational and Academic Life," for the Management, Spirituality, and Religion interest group.

In August, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of Global Development Studies Brad Murg was invited by the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to present his research examining China's Belt and Road Initiative. Brad was also invited to participate in a closed door, roundtable meeting with various officials from the IFA examining US-China relations and the implications for Laos and the Greater Mekong subregion as a whole.

Master Gardner Jeff Daley will give three lectures at local nurseries and gardens this month. 

Bellevue Botanical Garden Master Gardener Fall Festival Lectures and Plant Sale, Saturday September 7, at 11 a.m. "Gardening with Seasonal Intention" will look at what plants present their best in the fall and winter seasons. Plants will be for sale and proceeds benefit the Master Gardener program.

Swanson's Nursery, Saturday, September 14, at 10 a.m. "Right Plant, Right Place" lecture specifically focusing on great plant choices for every garden. The lecture will be in combination with a nursery tour. 

West Seattle Nursery, Saturday September 21, (Time TBA). Lecture about incorporating ornamental grasses into the garden along with plants that complement the grasses for a well-rounded garden presentation.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming the following new staff members. 

Hector Acevedo, coordinator, Multi-Ethnic Programs
Allison Groseclose, program coordinator, Marriage & Family Therapy
Krisit Holt, chemistry lab coordinator, Chemistry