The Seattle Pacific Foundation is pleased to announce its newly elected Board member, Tim Porter. Tim is a managing director at Madrona Venture Group, a Seattle-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies in the Pacific Northwest. Tim is also a member of the three-person Investment Committee for the first Alliance of Angels Seed Fund, and serves on the boards of the Washington Technology Industry Alliance and the Technology Alliance. He is also on the investment committee of Global Partnerships Social Venture Fund.

You are invited to participate in Diversity 101, a workshop led by Sandra Mayo, vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The workshop will be held Thursday, November 1, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. in the Library Seminar Room.

What do we mean by "diversity" at SPU and why does it even matter? This introductory Diversity 101 training is intended primarily for those who are new to the SPU community or unfamiliar with our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. With a focus on building individual and institutional capacity, this training provides a shared language and framework for SPU employees to move forward productively in the work of diversity.

Registration is open to all, while priority will be given to new employees. Lunch will be provided for those who sign up by Tuesday, October 30. Register here on Skillsoft.

Once logged into Skillsoft, select the "Instructor Led Training Sessions" link on the left side of the screen, then select "Session Schedule." This will bring up the list available classes. Choose "Actions" for the Diversity 101 session, which will bring up a pop-up window allowing you to "Enroll in this Session." If you have any issues or questions about registration, please contact Mardeth Hughes in Human Resources.

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) offers seed grants to support departmental diversity action plans, which each department will create over the next three years. As your office or department begins developing your action plan, consider applying for a seed grant.

The following categories are eligible to apply for funding:

• Academic departments initiating the Departmental Readiness Evaluation (DRE).
• Non-academic departments working on initiatives that advance one or more of the University's strategic diversity goal areas.

Unsure of how to implement a diversity action plan? Have questions about the seed grant process? Stop by the ODEI during drop-in office hours. We’ll be glad to work with you.

Tuesday, October 30 | 7:30–9:30 a.m.
Demaray Hall 253

Stop by the Educational Technology and Media offices (located on the lower level of the library) for the Tech Showcase on Tuesday, October 30, 12–2 p.m. See and try some of the technology the office has been testing this year, discover the technology you can check out, and enjoy some light snacks. This session will run like a conference poster session with different stations that you can browse at your convenience.

Learn more about the health and wellness benefits SPU offers and what is new for 2019 by attending this hour-long drop-in session. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions with a Cigna representative. No registration is required, and light refreshments will be served.

Open-enrollment session with Cigna representatives
Wednesday, October 31
10:30–11:30 a.m.
Library Seminar Room

This seminar will cover SPU's retirement program plan provisions, investment options, and services, as well as how Roth contributions are taxed compared to a traditional pre-tax contribution. Open to eligible faculty and staff retirement plan participants and one guest.

Brighten Your Horizons Seminar and Dinner
Wednesday, November 7 | 5:30–7 p.m.
Upper Gwinn Commons, Queen Anne Room

To sign up: Select this RSVP, then select "YES" and the number who will be attending. Enter your name and email address. Finalize your appointment by selecting the "RSVP Now!" button located on the bottom of the page. If you have already registered with SignUpGenius, login first and then RSVP.

The video of the keynote address for the Day of Common Learning titled “Green Jesus: Embracing a Sustainable Faith,” delivered by professor, author, and pastor A.J. Swoboda is now available on YouTube. The Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development is also adding materials from the afternoon breakout sessions on the Day of Common Learning Digital Commons site.

Join the SPU Music Department, community leaders, and local arts organizations for dialogue and artistic presentations exploring reconciliation within the African, African American, Latin American, and Caribbean communities. Participants will engage in stories around liberty, reconciliation, hope, love, and faith through music, spoken word, dance, visual, and dramatic arts.The event is inspired by Associate Professor of Reconciliation Brenda Salter McNeil’s book Roadmap to Reconciliation.

Roads to Reconciliation
Thursday, November 15 | 6–9 p.m.
Nickerson Studios

On Tuesday, October 30, SPU’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, as well as School of Health Sciences administrative and nursing faculty offices, will move from Marston Hall to 6 Nickerson along the canal. The Health and Human Performance programs and faculty offices will remain in Brougham Pavilion.

Please note that they may be offline temporarily while they get settled. But stay tuned for a future time in November when to have an opportunity to see the new offices, classrooms, and lab space.

In July, the School of Health Sciences learned the Norcliffe Foundation approved a $1.5 million grant to help renovate this new facility for the Lydia Green Nursing Program.

Faculty and staff are invited to the “First Fridays Colloquium Series” sponsored by Social Justices and Cultural Studies. The series is titled “Seeking Justice Through Stories.” The next events are Friday, November 2, in Weter Hall 201.

Problems in Medicine
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Guest speakers: Dr. Benjamin Danielson with the Odessa Brown Clinic. Hosted by: Max Hunter, assistant professor of biology and director of Pre-Professional Health Sciences Program

Social Justice Internships/Jobs
3–4 p.m.
Staff members from the Center for Career and Calling will talk about new career opportunities in the field of social justice.

Winter/Spring reservation requests are now being taken for the Faculty/Staff House at SPU's Camp Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island. The dates of stay are January 2 through June 10, 2019. Reservation requests are due by October 31. The winter/spring requests are selected by lottery and are not affected by summer stays at Casey. Please visit this link to request a reservation. If you have questions, please contact Camp Casey at 866-661-6604 or campcasey@spu.edu.

In an ongoing effort to ensure better security for all users and campus data resources, Computer and Information Systems announces that faculty, staff, and student employees may now turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) with Duo Security as an additional layer of security for their SPU account.

After setting up your account, you’ll use both something you know (i.e., your password) and something you have (e.g., smart phone, security token, etc.) to login to your SPU account, thus preventing malicious users from gaining access to the personal and student data your account has access to, even if your password is compromised. For more information about what 2FA is and why SPU has implemented it, see the latest CIS blog post.

Enroll your account and learn how to set up 2FA.

(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.)

Research suggests emotional and physical well-being may increase among undergraduates when they practice mindfulness. To learn more, visit the Wellness blog.

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, November 6, to have stationery orders delivered Friday, November 16. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on November 6 will be delivered in December. For more information, contact Hope McPherson in University Communications at hmcpherson@spu.edu.

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, November 1. The next Bulletin will be published on Monday, November 5.

Associate Professor of Music Stephen Newby will participate in Jordi Savall's "Routes of Slavery: Memories of Slavery, 1444–1888," on Tuesday, November 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Benaroya Hall. Renowned early music interpreter Jordi Savall and artists from Europe, Africa, and the Americas trace the journey of enslaved peoples from 1444 to 1888 through historic music and readings. Reverent and spirited, this powerful program is a living history of a long and painful past, from songs of resistance to songs of hope. The event is presented by Early Music Seattle and the Seattle Symphony

Psychology and Scholarly Communications Librarian Kristen Hoffman and Digital Education Librarian John Robertson hosted a roundtable discussion titled "Open Textbooks and Faith Perspectives"  at the Open Education conference in New York. The roundtable addressed the question of incorporating Christian faith perspectives into open access textbooks or supplemental materials and how that work might be shared with the broader community.

Professor Emeritus of History Bill Woodward participated in the 50th anniversary biennial meeting of the Conference on Faith and History (CFH), hosted by Calvin College. Also present where SPU Professor Emeritus of History Mike Hamilton, and Tammy Van Dyken (visiting history professor in 2008-10, now at Western Kentucky). Three takeaways of note: 1) It was confirmed that SPU will host for the first time the West Regional CFH meeting next October; 2) The groundbreaking research being done by young Christian historians is wonderfully heartening; 3) But disheartening is the slow but steady erosion of Christian higher education enrollments and consequent loss of history faculty (even worse in the Midwest than here), promising fewer opportunities for the emerging generation of historians to serve the mission of Christian universities.

Professor of European History Alberto Ferreiro attended a conference in Rome at the Vatican and the Pontifica Universita della Santa Croce where he gave a presentation titled "De cura populorum et pauperum: Attending to the needs of the Poor in the Gallic and Hispano–Roman/Suevic–Visigothic Councils." (Minorities in the Councils. Concilio e Minoranza, Konzil und Minderheit, 10-14 October 2018, Rome.)

The Office of Human Resources would like to welcome the following new employees to campus:

Jeff Bass, web designer, University Communications
Erin Rooney, undergraduate advisor, School of Education
Dido Tzortzi, Title IX special investigations officer, Safety and Security
Esther Yun, social media specialist, University Communications

Kristen Hoffman, psychology and scholarly communications librarian, was interviewed for a story in EdSurge titled "OER is Growing at Religious Colleges, But Raises Unique Challenges." EdSurge provides independent news and resources to help readers understand the role of technology in education. Kristen and SPU Digital Education Librarian John Robertson hosted a roundtable discussion titled "Open Textbooks and Faith Perspectives" at the Open Education conference in New York.

Professor of Biology Cara Wall-Scheffler was recently quoted in The Scientist magazine about new research that shows the pelvic bones of women have been shaped more by random evolution than by natural selection. The Scientist is the magazine for life science professionals — a publication dedicated to covering a wide range of topics central to the study of cell and molecular biology, genetics, and other life-science fields.

Eugene Peterson, a graduate of the Class of 1954 and the 1995 Alumnus of the Year, passed away on October 22. The longtime pastor and Regent College professor was the author of more than 30 books, including The Message, a paraphrased Bible translation. He was featured in Response magazine many times, and contributed several articles. The University Communications staff wrote a short bio on his life and republished many of his articles on SPU Voices.

From University Archivist Adrienne Meier: Fifty years ago this month, Seattle Pacific adopted soccer as a varsity sport for men (the women’s varsity team was established in 2001). Since 1968, the sport has grown from a little-known game in the United States to one of the most popular sports to play. The program at SPU has gone from competing in a four-team league including the University of Washington, Western Washington, and Seattle University to winning six NCAA Division II national championships and sending several athletes to play professionally in the American leagues. The Falcon covered the new varsity team on October 4, 1968.