A message from Lori Honts Tongol in Student Academic Services: If you are interested in hosting an international student (or students) at your Thanksgiving gathering this year, please contact me at tongol@spu.edu and let me know how many students you would like to host, your home address, and contact information. Also, let me know whether you are 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 go with another student. Graduate students may have family members in the U.S. with them — some with children. Campus housing will remain open during the Thanksgiving weekend.) I will connect students with you to make arrangements for the holiday hosting experience. Please contact me no later than Friday, November 20.

Encourage your students to attend the kickoff meeting for the 10th annual Social Venture Plan Competition on Thursday, November 12, 11:05 a.m., McKenna Hall 111. Students will learn how to enter the yearly competition (planned for next April), in which interdisciplinary teams create plans for sustainable businesses that meet real needs — and make a profit. The event is sponsored by SPU’s Center for Applied Learning. Contact cal@spu.edu or visit the website. 

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At the Library’s next Creative Conversations event, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction Richard Scheuerman will discuss how SPU alumna Dr. Anita Deyneka of Wheaton-based Deyneka Ministries and other alumni worked to establish “A Family for Every Orphan” to promote indigenous adoption through churches in developing countries. 

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The SPU Theatre Department presents the true tale of the tragic collision of a struggling circus and a tiny town in Tennessee. Set in September 1916, the play combines historical fact and legend, exploring the deep-seated American craving for spectacle, violence, and revenge. Elephant’s Graveyard runs November 12–14 and 19–21, 2015.

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A message from Facility and Project Management: All offices and classroom buildings are furnished with recycle bins. Paper, plastic, metal, and glass items may be deposited in any recycling container on campus — no sorting necessary. Confidential recycle should be placed in boxes sealed with tape and clearly labeled “confidential recycle” on all sides. For more information about what can be recycled, visit the Facility and Project Management website.

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A message from Safety and Security: Bicycle parking on campus is somewhat crowded as more people take advantage of bicycles as a transportation method. In order to increase available bike parking, the Office of Safety and Security is in the process of removing abandoned bicycles from public bike racks, as well as other public areas on campus. We will also be tagging bikes with a date tag stating when the bike needs to be moved. This will usually be within seven days of receiving the tag. If the bike is not moved within seven days, it will be removed and held for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, any bike that is not claimed will be disposed of.

Safety and Security also recommends you register your bike with a national bike registry. Bike Index is a great resource to register and keep track of you bicycle. If you think your bike may have been removed or if you have any questions, contact Nathan Morehouse in Safety and Security at nsm@spu.edu.

The SPU Music Department will feature a series of concerts Autumn Quarter featuring choral and instrumental ensembles and faculty. A concert featuring the Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble is Tuesday, November 10, at 7:30 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church. The Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform Friday, November 13, at 7:30 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church.

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Faculty and staff are invited to attend this series featuring theologians discussing issues related to living in the digital age. The series continues Thursday, November 12, at 7 p.m. in the Ames Library Seminar Room. The series is funded with support from the Provost Innovation Fund, SERVE, and the SPU Library.

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Hundreds of prospective students and their families will be on campus November 8–9 for Urban Preview 2015, hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. This preview event is for seniors who are from diverse high schools, low-income, first-generation, or backgrounds that are underrepresented in higher education. The students will participate in a college essay workshop, take tours, stay in the residence halls, dine in Gwinn Commons, attend informational sessions, and visit classes. Look for these students and their families and make them feel welcome.

To faculty and staff: Hopefully you received an email invitation to participate in the annual Dining Services Fall Satisfaction Survey. You can also enter a drawing to win an iPad or Falcon Funds. The survey link will be open until November 11, and you can complete a survey for each of the dining locations listed. Thank you for your support and feedback.

Student Financial Services has changed the day of their annual all-day planning retreat and will be closed on Tuesday, November 10. Regular office hours will resume Thursday, November 12, after the Veterans Day holiday.

The men’s soccer team clinched their second straight outright Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer championship with a 3-0 triumph over Saint Martin's on November 7. The women’s soccer team finished the regular season with a 13-4-2 record and is hoping for an at-large berth in the playoffs. Playoff information for both teams will be announced Monday, November 9. Visit the Falcons online for the latest information 

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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 12. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, November 16.

Jordana Ross, risk management and insurance specialist, spoke at the annual conference of the University Risk Management and Insurance Association in October. Her session was titled “One Is the Loneliest Number: Risk Management at Small Institutions.”

Bruce Baker, assistant professor of business ethics, presented the 2015 Mellema Lecture at Calvin College in October. His topic was “Silicon Valley and the Spirit of Innovation: Theological Refractions on the History of California’s Culture of Technological Entrepreneurship.” Watch the lecture online. 

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A new book by Research Assistant Professor Amy Robertson titled Responsive Teaching in Science and Mathematics was just released.

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A two-part presentation by Janet Ward, associate vice president for information and data management, was named a “Research Track Winner” at the recent American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Strategic Enrollment Management conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her presentation was titled “Improve Analysis of Large Data Sets and Create Interactive, Flexible Reporting With Microsoft Excel 2013, Part 1 & 2.”

An article by Dana Kendall, assistant professor of industrial/organizational psychology, was published in the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching. The article was titled “The Influence of Protege Input to the Match on Mentoring Processes: An Experimental Investigation.” This piece provides empirically based, practical suggestions for structuring formal mentoring programs for success. Dana would like to acknowledge her co-author Kimberly Smith-Jentsch from the University of Central Florida. 

Director of Educational Technology and Media Rolin Moe gave six presentations in a span of seven days last month. He says, “October is the hottest month in the world for educational technology conferences.” At the Digital Learning Research Network, Rolin presented on research and was part of a panel discussion around philosophical issues within open education. At the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, he presented research on MOOCs and led a workshop on using WordPress for websites in teaching and learning. At the Northwest eLearn Conference, he shared research from an upcoming book chapter on technology in the classroom, and gave the final “ignite” talk of the conference, regarding how novices and experts can better work together inside and outside the classroom.

Rob McKenna, chair of the Department of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, spoke to faculty and students at California Baptist University on the topic of “Developing Whole Leaders for the Whole World.” Here is a synopsis of his talk: “What does leadership development on our campuses have to do with the most pressing moral imperatives we face today? Every complex challenge we face as Christians requires leaders who are willing to go first and enter into the difficult dialogues that are necessary to bring our testimony of hope to the world, and generate a better and more sustainable future for so many. The challenges are replete: poverty, famine, political corruption, sexism, radicalism, racism, classism, slavery, religious freedom, and certainly climate change would all make the list of polarizing topics that require Christian leaders who are willing to proceed with conviction while being willing to admit they don’t have all the answers. Whether we are talking about global issues or our local communities, developing leaders with the character and competence to lead in this complex world requires a radical rethinking of what it means to intentionally prepare this generation of leaders. Injecting intentionality around those who we prepare to lead, and in how we prepare them, could make all the difference in and for our world.”

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

Emily Birks, CPE operations and budget assistant, School of Education
Leah Johnson, work order logistics coordinator, Facilities and Project Management
Jeff Norton, engineering shop technician, College of Arts and Sciences