On Oct. 20, Athletic Director Jackson Stava announced the decision to add a women’s golf program as the 13th sport offered by SPU. The program is set to compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II in the fall of 2023. The Falcons plan to join Montana State Billings, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin's, Simon Fraser, and Western Washington as GNAC members with women’s golf. Visit the Athletics site for the full story.

SPU is honored to be the host of the 2022 NCAA DII Fall Festival — one of the flagship events on the NCAA DII calendar — Tuesday, Nov. 29–Dec. 3. About 1,500 student-athletes and coaches will come to Seattle to compete in six separate national championship events, and hundreds of volunteers will be needed for the festival.

In coordination with SPU’s Senior Leadership Team, faculty and staff can volunteer for this event during their normal work schedules without needing to take vacation or leave time, although volunteering during work hours must first be approved by your supervisor prior to registering as a volunteer. Family members, friends, youth sports clubs, etc., can also volunteer, so feel free to pass along the links. Volunteers do not need to be associated with SPU. Visit the Fall Festival Fan Information website to see events and campus and Seattle locations. Volunteers will receive NCAA Championships apparel and credentials along with snacks and meals if the volunteer shift is during a meal window. Email Hannah Murphy in Athletics at murphyh3@spu.edu with questions, and sign up to volunteer here.

International Student Services is reviving its Holiday Homestays program. Each year, we have a handful of international students who have expressed interest in staying with a host family over the winter break to experience U.S. holiday traditions. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage cross-culturally with our students! If you have any interest in participating in this program in the future, please contact Jenny Elsey, Associate Vice President for Student Life, Dean for Student Success, at elseyj@spu.edu. We might even have a couple of opportunities for folks interested in hosting a student this holiday season!

Pam Nolte ’76, co-founder, actor, and teaching artist at Taproot Theater Company, has been teaching improv classes to Alzheimer’s patients since 2010. Not only has this work been rewarding for Pam, but her students have also been experiencing incredible results. Stream now online or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

Thank you to everyone who attended the recent Benefits Fair. Congratulations to the 21 lucky employees who won raffle prizes!

Neal Dewitt	$50 Amazon e-Gift Card	HSA Bank
Scott Beers	$25 Visa Gift Card	LTC Solutions
Lenora Meyers	Two nights Stay at Ft. Casey Inn	Camp Casey
Evelyn Ampofo Gyimah	Large Priority Flat Rate Box	SPU Mailing Services
Robyn Myers	Yeti Mug/Starbuck Card	Standard
Dan Faires	Water Bottle/$25 Target Gift Card	Standard
Grace Seo	$25 Falcon Funds	Housing/Meal Plans
Rebekah Johansen	$25 Falcon Funds	Falcon Cards
Glen Prindle	First Aid Kit	Safety and Security
Kate Barker	Mini Retro Beverage Fridge	Safety and Security
Suzanne Hsu	$50 UBER Gift Card	Transamerica
Theresa Maloney	$50 UBER Gift Card	Transamerica
Shannon Sherman	Slim Sonic Care Toothbrush	Delta Dental
Marci Walden	Dragon Sunglasses	VSP
Grant Rasmussen	SPU Sweatshirt	SPU Bookstore
Jennifer Young	Faculty/Staff Meal Plan 10	SPU Dining Services
Tracy Norlen	Harry & David Gift Basket	Aetna
Frank Kinard	$50 Jakes Grill Gift Card	AON

The three grand prize winners ($100 cash) are Payton Aparicio, Camp Casey; Brad Hall, Finance; and Teresa Lewis, Finance.

Please congratulate all the winners! We hope to see you next year!

The Center for Career and Calling is hosting a LinkedIn Photobooth to help students prepare for the Career Fair on Thursday, Nov. 3. On Wednesday, Nov. 2,  from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., the center will provide free headshots for students. Please spread the word to your students and encourage them to attend. More information can be found on Handshake. Faculty: please see the email from Elle Gohr in CCC that contains a PowerPoint slide for you to use in your classes.

A message from the Center for Career and Calling: The Virtual Career Fair for students is happening Thursday Nov. 3, 3–6 p.m. There will be 45 employers present, including T-Mobile, Seattle Children’s, and the Seattle Mariners, who are excited to meet with our students! Students can sign up for a 30-minute info session with employers, and/or schedule 1:1 appointments with recruiters for 10 minutes. Registration is now open on Handshake. Faculty: please see the email from Elle Gohr in CCC that contains a PowerPoint slide for you to use in your classes.

A message from Computer and Information Systems: If you’ve been following along with our weekly Cybersecurity Awareness posts, by now you have MFA enabled on your accounts and a password manager set up to store all your passwords. Those tools help to secure your account, but malicious actors have other ways to steal data or defraud users. Learn more about malicious emails and how to identify them in the CIS Technology Blog.

Explore topics of open data, open scholarship, and open educational resources with librarians, fellow faculty, and ETM as they relate to climate justice and more specifically, to your courses.

In person: Wednesday, Oct 26, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Library Seminar Room. Bring your brown bag lunch and we will provide cookies, tea, and coffee.
Online: Friday, Oct 28, 10– 11 a.m. Zoom link: https://spu.zoom.us/j/98853496125?pwd=dG1aSC9iSDlwa2xpbkxSQ2hoUlhCUT09

A message from Human Resources: Open Enrollment is now underway and runs until Friday, Nov. 4. This is your opportunity to make changes to your benefit election, including medical, dental, vision, and flexible-spending accounts for the upcoming 2023 benefit plan year.

• Please review: 2023 Open Enrollment information
• Here is how to make changes: Banner instructions

SPU’s retirement plan is among the most effective ways to help you secure the future you deserve. As part of Open Enrollment, SPU’s Transamerica representative, Ronee Dakin, will be available to answer questions about your retirement plan, Tuesday–Wednesday, Nov. 1–2. You can also attend a retirement webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 26. 

Live Webinar: “Retirement Plan Essentials”

• Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m.
• Register here

Individual Retirement Strategy Appointments

Ronee can review your personal retirement strategy and answer any questions you may have.

• Tuesday, Nov. 1, and Wednesday, Nov. 2
• Make an appointment

PACE NW, part of Pivot NW, is hosting a session on Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. to share what has been learned in five years of research funded by The Lilly Endowment for connecting young adults and the greater church. Specifically, we will embark on a rhythm of encouraging, training, and networking those who care about young adults so that there is a greater spiritual safety net in the Pacific Northwest. Breakfast and lunch is provided. Contact Martin Jimenez with any questions at martinjimenez@spu.edu. Register online.

Pivot NW is a research and innovation grant funded by The Lilly Endowment and based at SPU. PACE is an expansion of Pivot NW which worked within congregations from 2016-21.

A group of students in Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement are working with Recovery Café to collect items they need to help their unsheltered or homeless constituents. Recovery Café offers individuals recovering from various addictions and issues a place to get food, connect to resources, and spend time with each other. The students’ goal is to promote health through education and support them in any ways they can. You can help by collecting warm clothes such as these items for Recovery Café members by Wednesday, Nov. 9.

• Jackets
• Oversize shirts
• New socks
• Gloves
• Scarves
• Hats
• Anything else that can fit in this category

Please drop off any clean and washed items in one of these locations:

• School of Health Sciences building, 6 Nickerson, first floor
• Student Union Building, second floor
• Weter Hall, third floor

The Center for Career and Calling is hosting a “CCC and Cider” open house for faculty and staff on Thursday, Oct. 27, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Student Union Building, second floor. You’re invited to drop by for some hot cider, treats, and a chance to connect with the CCC team and learn more about what we offer your students. Looking forward to seeing you there!

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly on Mondays during the academic year (or Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday). The next deadline is Thursday, Oct. 27, and the next issue will be published Monday, Oct. 31.

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.

Alison Stigora, assistant professor of art, has a new exhibition currently on view at MadArt Studio in South Lake Union. The installation, titled SALVAGE, includes a massive wave created with logs from Puget Sound, immersive light sculpture, and audio component developed in collaboration with recent SPU graduate Rachael Fasano. The exhibition is on view now through Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022.

Jason Thornberry, receptionist for School of Education and an adjunct professor of writing, recently had his poem “alone together,” written at the height of the pandemic, published by The Bookends Review. Jason added that this was his 75th publication.

Alberto Ferreiro, professor emeritus of European history, organized and led a two-week Catholic pilgrimage in Spain in September and October. The lodging was in Discalced Carmelite Monasteries. Sites visited were Salamanca (four days), Leon, Avila (three days), Segovia (three days), and Toledo (three days). The emphasis was on the role of the Catholic Church in the founding of universities, building of cathedrals, and much more. Masses were celebrated by a priest/chaplain in historic churches related to Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross. At times, the group attended Mass with the local residents. Alberto also spent a week on his own in Santiago de Compostela, visiting friends and doing research. The full month closed out in Madrid for four days visiting with friends. Dates for another pilgrimage in 2023 are set already.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming Scott Finch, security officer, Office of Safety and Security.