I am so grateful our Autumn Quarter is underway and I am enjoying the activity and excitement it brings. Thank you to all for the work and effort undertaken to welcome our new students into the SPU community. I heard comment after comment from the families of our new students expressing how "personable" they found SPU to be. It gave them great confidence that this was a place where their son or daughter would be welcomed and find a sense of belonging.

In light of recent presentations, discussions, and reflections surrounding the University’s Statement of Faith, I thought it might be beneficial to send the condensed version of our statement that I mentioned in my address last week. I have already heard of faculty incorporating the statement into their syllabi, as well as various offices utilizing it at staff meetings to facilitate conversations related to our Christian identity. These conversations are valuable, even critical, to our shared life as a community of believers.

As I mentioned last week, this condensed version could be a useful tool for our own understanding and alignment, as well as help us more clearly convey to external constituents or prospective students and families our identity in Christ.

SPU Statement of Faith (Condensed)

1). We are orthodox
We believe in:

• God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ, as proclaimed in the Bible and the historic creeds of the Church;
• God’s grace and the promise that we can have an abundant life in Christ.

2. We are Evangelical.
We believe in:

• God’s desire to restore a relationship with us through our faith in Jesus Christ.
• The Holy Scripture as inspired by God and authoritative for our faith and practice.

3. We are Wesleyan.
We believe that:

• God is love and loves everyone;
• God’s love can be freely received by anyone, enabling both the forgiveness of sin and the transformation of lives;
• God’s love is practiced in caring for the world, especially the poor and powerless.

4. We are ecumenical.
We believe that:

• The inclusion of many faith traditions reflects God’s vision of the unity of all people in Christ;
• We are spiritually and intellectually enriched by the gifts and contributions of the various Christian communities;
• It is God’s desire to create a diverse community, based on Christ’s reconciliation of all things

You can read SPU’s complete Statement of Faith online.

Preparations are underway for Tent City 3’s encampment at SPU from November through February. As in 2012 and 2015, volunteers are welcome to join one of our three committees: Food, Services and Auxiliary; Campus Programming; and Church and Community Programming. Please email tentcity3@spu.edu if you are interested. All volunteers are welcome to help on move-in day (TBA). If you’d like to do something other than lifting and carrying, we welcome contributions of lasagna, salad, or dessert for move-in dinner with Tent City 3. More information to come. 

The Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (VPDEI) will host a meet-and-greet reception on Tuesday, October 10, 3–4:30 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the Office of the VPDEI and hear a vision for the work of diversity at SPU in the year ahead. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend. The event begins at 3 p.m. with informal networking and refreshments. A brief program with remarks from President Martin and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sandy Mayo will begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by an opportunity to meet Sandy.

Winter/Spring reservation requests are now being taken for the Faculty/Staff House at the Camp Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island. The dates of stay are January 2 through June 11, 2018. Reservation requests are due by October 20. The winter/spring requests are selected by lottery and are not affected by summer stays at Casey. If you have questions, contact Camp Casey at 866-661-6604 or campcasey@spu.edu. Request a reservation online.

The School of Theology faculty have issued a Statement on Racial Justice, which can be read in full online. The statement is a renewed version of the Statement of Solidarity and Commitment to Action issued in 2014 as part of the “Seattle Evangelicals for Racial Justice” worship service. 

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A warehouse sale of premium-brand men's and women's clothing and household items from some of Seattle's most iconic retailers will be held in Peterson Hall on Friday, October 6, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and Saturday, October 7, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Many of the items will be almost 90 percent less than retail prices. The sale is sponsored by SPU’s chapter of Sigma Rho, a philanthropic organization of Family and Consumer Sciences alumni and friends. All profits will benefit FCS scholarships and the Faculty Professional Development Fund. 

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(The SPU Wellness Initiative is a group of faculty and staff working to improve the mental, physical, and emotional health of undergraduates. The monthly posts on the Wellness Initiative blog provide information about common mental health problems that students deal with on a daily basis. We hope this will help faculty and staff identify students who may need extra support. We also provide campus and community resources that are available for students.)

All college students have mental health needs. Transitioning to college for the first time, or returning for another school year can be difficult for all students. It’s important to consider how faculty and staff can act as mentors to promote positive mental health and academic outcomes for students. Similarly, students may benefit from mentoring other students or community members. To learn more about the impact of mentorship, visit the Wellness blog.

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A message from Housing and Meal Plan Services: Through midnight on Friday, October 6, faculty and staff can receive two free meals if they purchase a Faculty Staff Block 10-Meal Plan. That’s 12 meals for $79 (or $6.58 per meal.) Limit one per person. Faculty and staff can use the plan in Gwinn Commons any time during their hours of operation, or use it to purchase Simply to Go meals at the Corner Place Market, Academic Perks in the SUB, or Common Grounds in Weter Hall. Meals can be used for guests, too. Plans can be purchased through Banner. Meal balances transfer from quarter to quarter while employed at the University. If you have questions, call Housing and Meal Plan Services at 206-281-2188 or email mealplan@spu.edu.

The most current data for the Faculty/Staff directory is always available in the SPU online White Pages, but there is an option to print a paper copy. The Office Directory (office phone numbers, Fax machine numbers, mailstops, and contact service providers) section has been updated for 2017-18. The Employee Directory (people by last name and grouped by department) section is updated every day. Go to the Printable Directory webpage to print a copy of either section.

Faculty and staff are invited to participate in Project Cool’s drive for school supplies for homeless students ages 14-18. Project Cool is one of SPU’s previous CityQuest partners, and has supported more than 30,000 homeless students since its founding 28 years ago. This will be a great moment to restock Project Cool’s supplies as they provide backpacks, school supplies, and basic health items to hundreds of homeless children and teens.

Here is a list of items Project Cool has requested. The items will be collected at the Autumn Celebration and Open House at Hillford House on Thursday, October 19.

Crayola crayons (box of 24)
Crayola colored pencils (box of 12)
Thick colored markers (box of 10)
Highlighters
Pens (black and blue)
#2 Pencils
Pink erasers
Glue sticks (non-toxic)
Toothbrushes (individually wrapped)
Toothpaste
Floss (containers of 40 yards+)
Wide- and college-ruled filler paper
Wide- and college-ruled 1-subject notebooks
Wide- and college-ruled composition notebooks

Faculty and staff are invited to join the 15 academic reunions happening on campus during Grand Reunion, October 6–7. Also, don’t miss the Family and Consumer Science Department’s Warehouse Sale of clothing and household items benefiting the Sigma Rho Honorary Society in Peterson Hall. Visit the website for the complete schedule of academic reunions, locations, and how to register. There’s no cost to attend.

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A message from Response Editor Ruth Moon Mari: "Faculty members ― Has your research been published in a book or academic article this spring or summer? The next Response magazine will include mention of some faculty research. We are especially interested in collaborative projects with students. Please send details to me at moonr@spu.edu."

The Spanish Conversation Table will be available Autumn Quarter to anyone who wants to speak with others in Spanish. Beginners are welcome. Meet your classmates and colleagues, make new friends and improve your Spanish. If you want to get some help on vocabulary. come see us. You don’t have to sign up ahead of time; just bring your lunch and join us. The table meets on Fridays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. in Marston Hall, Room, 252. If you have questions, email adjunct faculty member Vilma Illanes at villanes@spu.edu.

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, October 3, to have stationery order(s) delivered on October 13. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on October 3 will be delivered on November 13. To see deadlines and delivery dates for the remainder of the fiscal year, visit the “Create an Order” stationery page in Banner. For more information, contact Hope McPherson in University Communications at hmcpherson@spu.edu.

Here are this week’s specials from Campus Dining.

Happy Hour at the new Bertona Street Grill. Through October 6, head to Bertona Street Grill receive and 20 percent off your entire purchase, 5-7 p.m.

Wednesday, October 4: Cocina Del Sol has a WILD WEDNESDAY Deal! Get a quesadilla for only $5.99.

Receive three free cookies at Subway when you take the Campus Dining Customer Satisfaction survey (link to the survey is on the receipt).

$5 Fridays are back! On October 6, get these awesome items for only $5:

• Bertona Street Grill: Teriyaki Turkey Burger
• Cocina Del Sol: Nachos
• Academic Perks and Common Grounds: Grande Mocha with a cookie
• Bertona Street Pizza: Pepperoni Pizza
• Einstein Bros. Bagels: Pork & Pretzel Sandwich with a medium coffee
• C-Store: Any pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream

For the latest information on Falcon sports, visit the Falcons online.

Thursday, October 5

Volleyball vs Northwest Nazarene, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 7

Volleyball vs Central Washington, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every week during the academic year. 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, October 5. The next Bulletin will be published on Monday, October 9. 

Carlene Brown, associate professor of music and director of the Music Therapy program, was an invited guest presenter for the 2017 International Symposium of Rural Health and Innovative Long-Term Care Services in Puli, Taiwan. She also lectured on music therapy and pain management for faculty and students at the National Taiwan University Medical School in Taipei, and gave a presentation about music therapy at the National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu City, Taiwan. She met with alumna and SPU honorary doctorate recipient Peng Meng Hui (Doris Brougham), and toured the ORTV studios, founded by Doris. ORTV continues to broadcast English lessons to Asian countries, as well as news of Christian ministry revivals throughout the world. Carlene has been invited to be the lead consultant for bringing music therapy to Taiwan. SPU’s Music Therapy program was recently ranked “The 20 Best Music Therapy Bachelor Programs" in the United States by TheBestSchools.org

An article by Associate Professor of Psychology Paul Youngbin Kim was recently published in the Journal of Psychology & Theology. The article is titled “Revisiting and Extending the Role of Religious Coping in the Racism-Mental Health Relation among Christian Asian American Students.” Read the abstract online. 

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Rob McKenna, chair of industrial-organizational psychology, was recently featured in the “Stay Married” podcast. He talked about how using insights from leader development research can affect marriage. Rob also talked about his research on leadership development, explaining how “showing up” under pressure can be applied not only to relationships in the workplace but relationships at home. The podcast is available online.

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