A message from the Student Veterans Association and Vet Corps Navigator: We will host a ceremony and luncheon honoring SPU veterans on Thursday, November 10, at 11:30 a.m. Faculty and staff are invited to the ceremony beginning at the flagpole in Tiffany Loop, where an honor guard will present the colors. After a brief prayer, a moment of silence, and short speeches, the event will move into the SUB Gazebo room for refreshments and snacks. We hope that you will join us and encourage your classes to attend the event as well. For more details, contact us at SVA@spu.edu. To learn more about the event and our group, visit our Facebook page. 

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Providing shelter for the homeless while fostering a place for healing is the topic of a panel discussion with community leaders and SPU faculty on Thursday, November 10, at 6:30 p.m. in Demaray Hall 150. SPU sociology professors Jennifer McKinney and Karen Snedker will join representatives from local outreach organizations New Horizons, Mary’s Place, and Neighborcare for the panel discussion. Jennifer and Karen will discuss some of their research on tent cities and homelessness. 

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A message from the Center for Applied Learning: Your students ideas could make money — and make a difference! The kickoff meeting for the 11th annual Social Venture Plan Competition is Wednesday, November 9, at 12:30 p.m. in the Library Seminar Room. (Food will be provided.) Please encourage your students to enter the competition, where teams from different majors plan sustainable businesses that meet real needs and make a profit. It’s all about competition, innovation, and changing the world. And don’t forget to remind them about the thousands of dollars in prize money. The competition will be held in April 2017. For more information, contact cal@spu.edu or visit the website.

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An SPU student team won the recent Social Venture Partners Seattle Fast Pitch College Track competition with their design for a date-rape drug detection device in a phone case. The team, comprised of sophomores Annie Roethe, Paige Shivel, Luke Postma, Lindsey Stover, and Garrhett Petrea, had previously earned an honorable mention at the SPU Social Venture Plan Competition.

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This month’s focus on the Wellness Initiative blog is on sleep. Sleep is an essential part of life, with many benefits that help you learn, stay healthy, and improves mood. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get enough sleep while also balancing responsibilities. Faculty, staff, and students can encounter serious side effects when not getting enough sleep. To read more, visit the Wellness blog.

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The Center for Career and Calling is hosting a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Mega Meet-Up on Wednesday, November 9, 2:30-5 p.m. in Otto Miller Hall lounge and Eaton Hall lounge. The meet-ups are targeted recruiting events where students can learn about relevant jobs and companies and connect with employers in a more casual environment. This meet-up will bring together more than 25 employers and alumni in the STEM industry to meet with students, share about their company, and recruit some great new hires from SPU. All students are invited. 

Students are encouraged to visit the “Resume Rescue” workshop on Tuesday, November 8, before the STEM Mega Meet-Up. Professional career counselors will be in the lobbies of Otto Miller Hall and Eaton Hall, as well as in the Center for Career and Calling to review resumes between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

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This week’s Creative Conversations features Margaret Brown, assistant provost of special projects and director of the Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development. In her talk titled “Rigorous Reflection,” she will discuss her research on how to create rigorous reflection assignments that assess learning more robustly, using the framework of standards and a graduated taxonomy of learning goals. The event takes place Thursday, November 10, in the Library Reading Room, 12-12:50 p.m. Light snacks will be provided.

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A message from Lori Honts Tongol in International Student Services: American traditions and celebrations like Thanksgiving are new to many international students. Faculty and staff have a wonderful opportunity to share a meal and your holiday traditions with our students. Hosts and students who have participated in the past have enjoyed their experience. If you’re interested in hosting an international student (or students) at your Thanksgiving gathering this year, contact me at tongol@spu.edu with the following information:

1)     How many students you would like to host.
2)     Your home address and contact information.
3)     Are you able to host students who may have specific food needs (Halal, vegetarian, etc.).
4)     Are you able to provide transportation for the student(s) you host – some have access to a car, but many do not.

Please note: Students generally feel more comfortable if they can attend with another student. Graduate students may have family members with them — some with children. Campus housing will remain open during the Thanksgiving weekend. I will connect students with you directly so together you can make arrangements for the holiday-hosting experience. Please contact me no later than Friday, November 18.

Winter/spring reservation requests are now being taken for the Faculty/Staff House at SPU’s Camp Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island. The available dates of stay are January 4 through June 12, 2017. Reservation requests are due by November 14, 2016, and can only be made by full-time faculty and staff. The academic year requests are selected by lottery and are not affected by summer stays at Casey. Visit the Camp Casey website to request a reservation. If you have questions, contact Camp Casey at 866-661-6604 or campcasey@spu.edu.

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 On Tuesday, November 8, the Jazz and Percussion Ensembles will perform a joint concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church. These events are free and wheelchair accessible.

The SPU Theatre Department presents Eurydice, November 10-12 and 17-19, at 7:30 p.m. in E.E. Bach Theatre in McKinley Hall. The production is a modern retelling of the famous Greek love story of Orpheus from the point of view of his wife, who is living in the underworld with her father. A new twist to the story is revealed as Orpheus makes his way to bring Eurydice back to the world of the living. Visit the McKinley Theater Box Office for more information and to order tickets.

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The weight room and fitness center in Brougham Pavilion are available to faculty and staff. If you are interested in using these facilities and need locker room access in Brougham, contact Madi Velling, office manager in Athletics, at 206-281-2085 or vellingm@spu.edu. The cost for locker room access is $6 per month, paid through payroll deduction.

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 you wish to make to your 403(b) account contributions must be made by the 10th of the month. 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 Mardeth Hughes in HR at 206-281-2816.

For the latest information on Falcon sports, visit the website.

November 11-12
Sodexo Tip-Off Classic in Brougham Pavilion. For the complete schedule of games, visit the Falcons online.

Friday, November 11
Women's basketball vs. Fresno Pacific, 5 p.m.
Men's basketball vs. Humboldt State, 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 12
Women's basketball vs. Humboldt State, 5 p.m.
Men's basketball vs. Hawaii Hilo, 7 p.m.

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The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly 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 10. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, November 14, 2016.

An article by Professor of Accounting Kimberly Sawers, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction David Wicks, Professor of Education Nyaradzo Mvududu, Professor of Physics Lane Seeley, and Assistant Professor of Family and Consumer Science Raedene Copeland titled “What Drives Student Engagement: Is it Learning Space, Instructor Behavior or Teaching Philosophy?” was published in the Journal of Learning Spaces. Vol 5, No 2 (2016).

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During the regional conference of Association of Christian Schools International, Director of Undergraduate Teacher Education Dan Bishop presented three invited sessions focused on professional learning within community. The sessions were:

"Called to Community: A Spiritual Imperative" — providing an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of community and learning centered collaboration to inform effective professional practice.

"Living in Community: Essential Characteristics" — providing participants with insight into the seven essential characteristics of professional learning communities. The presentation linked reflective thinking and collaborative process to deepen understanding of the organizational structures critical to authentic community.

"Upheld by Community: Practical Implications" — where participants learned the "Three Big Ideas" of learning centered collaboration and the practical application of these ideas within the context of their classroom and school.

A chapter written by Professor of Dogmatic and Constructive Theology Daniel Castelo titled “Creation and Eucharist” was published in A Wesleyan Theology of the Eucharist: The Presence of God for Christian Life and Ministry (Nashville: GBHEM of the United Methodist Church, 2016), 21-33. The chapter attends to the doctrine of creation within Wesleyan theology as a means of understanding better the role the Eucharist plays in Wesleyan-Methodist traditions. Implicit in this family of traditions is the understanding that commitments regarding the "old creation" are at work in what one goes on to say about "new creation." The chapter makes explicit those commitments and goes on to make a number of connections for both theology and practical ministry.

On October 28 at St. Leo University in Tampa, Florida, Adjunct Writing Instructor Jeffrey Overstreet gave a lecture called “Written in Light: How Faith ‘Ties the Room Together’ in the Cinema of the Coen Brothers.” He then participated in a panel discussion with Erica Rowell, author of The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen; and Mark T. Conard, editor of The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers. On October 29, he was a guest lecturer in two St. Leo classes on writing and criticism. Jeff is also contributing essays to a new film-studies web series — “100 Films | 100 Scenes” — published at Medium and edited by David Kern.

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The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to welcome the following new employees. Contact information can be found in the online SPU White Page.

Brenda Baker, office manager/assistant to the dean, School of Psychology, Family, and Community
Andy Derrick, head coach – women’s rowing, Athletics
Andrew Romanick, staff accompanist, Music

Everything old is new again! The SPU Library’s collection of vinyl records has been brought back into the light of day after many years in storage. You will find the records on the Main Level toward the south end of the building. For your convenience, a USB-equipped turntable and headphones are located nearby. Of course, the records are also available for checkout so you can turn up the volume on your home stereo system. Highlights of the collection include many important field recordings from other countries, classic opera and jazz performances, and early electronic music. Many of these recordings have not been digitized and are not available online or in CD format. If you have questions, contact Liz Gruchala-Gilbert, librarian for music, at lgg@spu.edu.