In case you missed it: You can now watch the virtual forum, “For Such a Time as This,” recently hosted by the Seattle Pacific Seminary. You’ll hear leaders in Christian reconciliation, community development, and congregational care as they considered the movement against anti-Black racism and police brutality, the global pandemic, and the historic U.S. presidential election.

On Thursday, Nov. 5, at 11 a.m. join students, staff, and faculty of Catholic faith for a Mass led by Fr. Jordan Bradshaw O.P., from the University of Washington Catholic Newman Center. Contact University Ministries at um@spu.edu to get the Zoom link.

The Office of Global Engagement is pleased to provide various opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to celebrate the importance of international education this week.

• Vote for your favorite international photo 
• Engage in a conversation with international students 
• Join Chris Studtmann, campus executive chef, in a Zoom food demo and learn to make Indian Curry Sauce  
• Listen to music from around the world 
• Explore Study Abroad opportunities

Visit the International Education Week webpage for more information.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence invites you to “Tell the Whole Story” on Friday, Nov. 13, 12–1 p.m. Sheila Wise Rowe, the author of Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience, will share with us why she wrote the book, as well as insights and practices that offer hope and healing. All SPU students, faculty, and staff are welcomed to this virtual event. Register here.

University Ministries and campus partners are providing opportunities for discussion, mindfulness practices, care, and spiritual reflection for election week. Please refer your students to these opportunities for pause and reflection. Follow University Ministries on Instagram and see the Self-Care 2020 web page for additional information.

The History Department's News & Nacho event titled "Can Democracy Survive" is available to view online. The event featured:

• Panelists Dr. Becky Hughes (History), Dr. Owen Ewald (Classics), Dr. Peg Achterman (Journalism), Dr. Caleb Henry (Political Science)
• Opening and closing remarks by Chaplain Lisa Ishihara
• Moderated Q&A by Dr. Alissa Walter (History)

The History Department launched News & Nachos in 2018 to lead the campus in conversations about the pressing issues of today. By placing current events in their historical contexts, we can better understand how our world came to be the way it is today.

Camp Casey is temporarily allowing the general public to rent small buildings for household groups of fewer than 11 people. Please support Camp Casey by referring your friends and family during this fall and winter! Rates vary from $160 to $400 night, with a discount of 15% during November–February. Available lodgings are currently possible to book online anytime.

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 Jan. 4–June 14, 2021. Reservation requests are due by Nov. 5, 2020. These requests are selected by lottery and are not affected by summer stays at Casey.

Due to COVID-19 and our continued desire for guest safety, some reservations may be shorted due to vacancy requirements. If we have to cancel your stay due to COVID-19, we will refund your payment. Please request a reservation online. If you have questions, contact Camp Casey at 866-661-6604 or campcasey@spu.edu. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Save the date for SPU’s completely reimagined Christmas special. This multimedia event is coming to your home at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. Behold! features genres from classical to hip-hop in settings as diverse as a Northwest forest, Seattle streets, and our own campus. Get to know the compelling and uncommon life stories and talent of some of our nationally renowned and musically gifted alumni. Watch this short promotional video with Amanda Stubbert, director of alumni, parent, and family relations. More information at spu.edu/behold.

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 to your 403b account may take up to seven days to be provided to SPU for processing, so please contract Transamerica by the first of the month prior to your requested change. 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 Cherylin Shdo in HR at 206-281-2816.

All faculty and staff who come to campus must complete an online self-screening to attest that they meet certain criteria for being on campus (e.g., not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms). SPU has developed a campuswide tool through Banner (login into Banner and select Personal Menu) to report a daily COVID-19 self-attestation for faculty and staff working on campus (including Camp Casey or Blakely Island). A link to the self-attestation form is also available on the Stay Smart website, which is now highlighted in the top banner on the SPU homepage.

A message from Health Services: Students and employees should contact SPU Health Services at 206-281-2231 right away if:

• They are feeling sick and experiencing any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 (e.g., fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle aches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea). For this purpose, fever is a temperature of 100.4°F or higher.
• You have been in close contact with a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 within the preceding 14 days. If you are unsure whether your exposure constitutes “close contact,” contact SPU Health Services to discuss. 
• If you test positive for SARS CoV2, with or without symptoms.

If you have questions, contact Health Services.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, Nov. 9, and the deadline is Thursday, Nov. 5. 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.

Alberto Ferreiro, professor of history, had the invited article, “Plagues and their Function in Select Writers of Visigothic Hispania and Gregory of Tours,.” accepted for publication in VOX PATRUM (Voice of the Fathers), the flagship journal of the Patristics Institute at the John Paul II Catholic University in Lublin, Poland. He also delivered the first of five lectures on the topic, “Believing in God,” for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Bothell on Oct. 25.

Emily Holt, administrator of the Office of Sponsored Programs in the Office of Faculty Life, co-authored the article, “Rupture and Call: Famine Encounters from Contemporary Irish and Ukrainian Women in the Arts, ” with Grace Mahoney of the University of Michigan. The article appeared in East/West: Journal of Ukrainian Studies, Vol 7, no 2 (2020), in a special thematic section, titled “Trauma in Social and Cultural Contexts.”

J.J. Johnson Leese, assistant professor of Christian Scripture, contributed the chapter, “Spirit and Ecology” to The T & T Clark Companion to Pneumatology. Daniel Castelo, ed, NY: T&T Clark, 2020.

Bill Woodward, professor emeritus of history, organized and moderated a session for the (virtual) Pacific Northwest History Conference titled, “Unintended Preparations for Unanticipated War.” Although World War II is seen as the most transformative episode in Northwest history, developments in the 1930s laid the groundwork. Bill introduced the session with an overview of national isolationism during the Depression, then analyzed transformations in the Washington National Guard (e.g., aviation and motorized vehicles). Curators from the Museum of Flight and Puget Sound Naval Museum discussed, respectively, Boeing’s design and launch of the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard’s New Deal funded construction boom. These activities in land, sea, and air services positioned the region for its leadership in aircraft construction, shipbuilding, and processing servicemen and women for overseas deployment after Pearl Harbor.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming Hannah Hinsch, access services specialist, SPU Library.

Peg Achterman, assistant professor of communication and journalism, was interviewed by KGW-TV (Portland) for a segment titled "Do Endorsements Matter" on Oct. 29.