The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is the weekly, internal e-newsletter for SPU faculty and staff. Only faculty, adjunct faculty, and staff receive the Bulletin, and most items are submitted by its readers. Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit information to fsb-editor@spu.edu or by selecting “Submit News” at the bottom of the Bulletin.

The Bulletin is published on Mondays (or Tuesdays if Monday is a holiday), and every other Monday during the summer. The deadline to submit information is the preceding Thursday. Submissions may be edited for clarity. The Bulletin is edited by Tracy Norlen, director of public information, and Hope McPherson, web editor, in University Communications. The Bulletin is divided into several sections.

Campus News & Events highlights the major news and events on campus. Only events related to SPU will be accepted. All faculty and staff are encouraged to submit information, including department news, campus events, or guest speakers. Digital photos or graphics are required for each entry. When possible, event information will be published two weeks prior to the event. Remember to plan ahead when submitting information.

Faculty & Staff News is for professional information related to your position at SPU or in higher education. Items of interest are conferences attended, books or articles written or published, presentations made, awards received, or research completed. Professional news from staff is highly encouraged.

SPU in the News lists most of the print or broadcast media appearances by faculty and staff. If you've been used as a resource for a reporter, let us know by submitting the information to the Bulletin.

From the Archives is a monthly feature showcasing photographs and stories from the SPU archives provided by University Archivist Adrienne Meier. The feature is published the last week of each month during the academic year, and is not published during the summer months.

Milestones is for personal news of interest to the SPU community, including births, adoptions, marriages, anniversaries, church service, mission trips, awards, and athletic accomplishments. Digital photos are always welcome. This section is also used for memorial service information.

Drawn Out Puns is a monthly cartoon by Nate Hoover, associate director for the Center for Biblical and Theological Education. The cartoons capture both the literal meaning (drawn content being puns) and the figurative/social stigma of puns being "drawn out" to excess. This feature will appear the first week of every month.

If you have any questions, contact fsb-editor@spu.edu.

For the sixth year in a row, Seattle Pacific has been named a “Best National University” in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 best college rankings. U.S. News defines national universities as those institutions offering a full range of undergraduate majors plus master's and doctoral programs and a commitment to producing groundbreaking research. 

Seattle Pacific also received high rankings in social mobility, which U.S. News describes as institutions that enroll and graduate large proportions of disadvantaged students who receive Pell Grants. (Pell Grants are a need-based federal financial aid program aimed at helping low-income families pay for college.) Other highly ranked programs were undergraduate engineering, ranked #62 out of 239 schools in the category.

Read the online press release for more information.

On Tuesday, Sept. 14, 11:10 a.m., in Upper Gwinn, join University Ministries for worship as Chaplain Lisa Ishihara introduces the Autumn Quarter theme on the "Parables of Jesus" at the first all-University Chapel of the year.

The John Perkins Center has invited Rev. Dominique Dubois Gilliard to campus in a unique opportunity for conversations on his recent book, Subversive Witness. For this autumn Perkins Series, the JPC invites you to join a leadership conversation on Monday, Sept. 20, at 10:30 a.m., and in Chapel on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 11:10 a.m. Both will be held in Upper Gwinn. 

One of University Ministries Autumn Quarter community groups will follow the book Subversive Witness in the Monday night Bible study. Students who sign up for this study will have the opportunity for Rev. Gilliard to join the Monday night launch of this group. Gilliard is also the author of Rethinking Incarceration. For more information about these events, visit the Perkins Center website.

On Thursdays, between Sept. 23 and Nov. 18 from 12:10 p.m. to 12:25 p.m., join Campus Ministries in Tiffany Loop to pray and partake in Communion and receive blessings from God to remember who God is and what God has done for us. Life is full and sometimes we need a little strength, comfort, and life-giving moments in community.

Chérie Hughes, head of vocal studies, and Dainius Vaičekonis, head of piano performance, will give a concert as part of the SPU Faculty Artist Series on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in Nickerson Studios. The program can be attended in-person and will also be live-streamed through the SPU Music home page. 

Titled “Love, Loss, and Renewal,” the program explores the many ways love helps us connect, grieve, strengthen, and find hope. The opening work is a cycle of six songs by American composer Jonathan Leshnoff. Commissioned in memory of Monica Langhammer by her family and friends, Monica Songs explores the pain of grief and loss, the celebration of life and joy, and the healing power of love and time. The program will also include the Catalonian cycle L'amor incert by Xavier Turull; Brazilian composer Claudio Santoro’s Cançōes de amor; and Spanish composer Jesus Guridi’s Seis canciones castellanas.

Tell your students about Résumé Rescue on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 3–5 p.m. (in-person), and Wednesday, Sept. 15, 1–4 p.m. (virtually). Students can book a 20-minute appointment on Handshake now by choosing the “Resume Rescue” appointment type. Students can call the Center for Career and Calling front desk at 206-281-2485 to book an appointment for that day. Résumé Rescue sessions will be conducted through Zoom and students will receive the Zoom link in advance of their appointment.

Nearly 6,000 SPU parents and families received the September In the Loop parents newsletter, which included a message from Jeff Jordan, vice provost for student formation and community engagement, information on SPU's newest faculty members, and more.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. The next deadline is Thursday, Sept. 16, and the next issue will be published Monday, Sept. 20. 

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.

Jason Thornberry, School of Education receptionist and Class of 2017 English literature alum, recently had his poem “Wide Awake in an Empty Motel Room” published by In Parentheses Literary Magazine. His poem “After” recently appeared (pg. 76) in The Olivetree Review. Jason’s work has also appeared in The Los Angeles Review of Books, Soundings East, Harbor Review, and elsewhere. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Chapman University.

Alberto Ferreiro, professor of European history, has had his article “The Theology of Preaching in the Sermons of Caesarius of Arles” accepted for publication in Aux Sources de la Provence. Caesarius was a sixth-century bishop who was known for preaching and pastoral care in southern France. Alberto is part of a team of scholars producing 10 volumes on the life and legacy of Caesarius, and the project will end in 2027. Three volumes have appeared to date. One of the main goals is to make the case for Caesarius to be declared a Doctor of the Church. Alberto has been asked to be one of the postulants to petition the Vatican. This article so far is Alberto’s fifth contribution to the series.

Cara Wall-Scheffler, professor of biology, was quoted in a Sept. 9, 2021, op-ed in The Sydney Morning Herald titled, “I long to learn about myself that only travel can teach.”