(This is text from an email I sent to campus on November 16.) This past year has been sobering with numerous accounts in our society revealing the pervasiveness of sexual harassment, violence, misogyny, and assault. Words, attitudes, and policies must be continually evaluated so that these pervasive and abhorrent realities can be addressed. Part of the solution lies in giving voice to survivors and for this reason I was proud to stand with the #IBelieveSurvivors event held in Martin Square on Friday, September 28. Unfortunately, sexual assault and misconduct at colleges and universities is a reflection of this societal problem and sadly, it is a reality that some of our students, faculty and staff face. In 2015, the Association of American Universities issued a report of an extensive climate survey in hope of providing information to inform policies to prevent and respond to sexual assault and misconduct. The survey found that 23 percent of women and 5 percent of men experienced sexual assault involving physical force or incapacitation during their undergraduate years. A significant percentage of students said they did not report incidents because they were “embarrassed, ashamed, or that it would be too emotionally difficult,” or because they “did not think anything would be done about it.” I want to make it clear Seattle Pacific University is committed on multiple levels to promoting an environment where everyone can flourish. This includes continuing to invest in programs that address sexual assault and harassment, including intimate partner violence prevention, stalking awareness campaigns, and resources for survivors of sexual violence. If you have experienced sexual assault or misconduct, we encourage you to speak with one of SPU’s sexual misconduct report receivers — you will be heard and taken seriously.  Our Christian faith calls us to pray, listen, encourage, and challenge each other to care for those injured, to restore us individually and communally to God’s calling, and to seek mercy and justice. God spurs us on to work to change the pressing problems of our world including poverty, homelessness, and racial injustice. In the case of sexual violence and harassment, our deep commitment to Christian faith compels us to confront these acts and to stand against forces that contribute to this problem. You may have read that the U.S. Department of Education has published proposed new regulations under Title IX that address how schools should investigate and adjudicate allegations of campus sexual misconduct. In light of this, here are some important points I would like to emphasize: We have key leaders across campus who oversee our Title IX policies and who are closely monitoring these developments. The University remains committed to supporting survivors of sexual violence, opposing sexual misconduct within our community, and having fair and respectful processes to address reports of sexual misconduct. Numerous on-campus and off-campus resources are available to students. It is our individual and collective responsibility to treat others with respect and to act with moral courage when we see others violate this principle. As we continue in this school year, I ask for your continued prayers for our campus community as we seek to model God’s love and grace in all we do. Daniel J. Martin President

From University Advancement: You’ve heard of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday? Our favorite is Giving Tuesday, November 27! This year, for a Giving Tuesday twist, the Annual Giving team invites students, faculty, and staff to give gratitude to our SPU donor community for how they #GiveTueSPU through a fun "Thank You" activity in the SUB from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Snacks provided.) We are so grateful for our many faculty and staff donors. Come see how our students appreciate you or follow SPU on social media to keep up with day-of coverage. We would also appreciate any help you can give in getting as many "thank yous" as possible to our donor community. Please encourage your students to come, and drop by yourself to express your gratitude. Hope to see you on November 27.

The autumn issue of Exhibit features a Q&A with award-winning young adult novelist and Seattle Pacific MFA alumnus Bryan Bliss. Also, discover a new online platform that’s fostering conversations within the Seattle Pacific academic community about films and their impact.

From Robyn Myers, manager of conference services for Camp Casey: Remember celebrating with family or friends at Camp Casey? Have an image that might generate some nostalgia? Submit it to our photo contest and you could win a two-night stay at the Fort Casey Inn. Photos must be submitted by November 26 and voting will end on December 3. Photos receiving the most votes win, so be sure to help decide the winner and vote!

Bloodworks Northwest will host a blood drive on campus November 28–29, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. near the entrance of Tiffany Loop. Schedule an appointment online.

A message from Mark Reid, director of safety and security: As a reminder, fire code prohibits the placement of live Christmas trees in our campus buildings. If you do choose to display an artificial tree or wreath, be sure they are certified by the manufacturer as being fire retardant. Please limit strings of lights to those that are UL listed, and keep them unplugged during the hours the space is unoccupied.

From Robyn Myers, manager of conference services for Camp Casey: The Jingle Trail Run is Saturday, December 1, at 10 a.m. at Camp Casey. We are a co-sponsor, and it would be fun to have faculty and staff participate. Lodging is available in Fort Casey Inn for Friday or Saturday nights at $115 per night. Visit jingletrailrun.com for more information. Coupeville Town Greening and the Christmas parade also happen on December 1 in the afternoon. Come visit! To reserve a room at Fort Casey Inn, visit fortcaseyinn.com.

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.

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, December 4, to have stationery orders delivered Monday, December 17. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on December 4 will be delivered in January. 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 Wednesday, November 21. The next Bulletin will be published on Monday, November 26.

In recognition of his service to the SPU community, Garrett McGuire Tabb, budget and finance manager in the Office of Financial Affairs, was nominated by his peers and selected by Staff Council as the November Staff Member of the Month. Congratulations, and thank you, Garrett! Learn more about Garrett and nominate a colleague for recognition on the Staff Council website.

Katya Drozdova, associate professor of political science, presented a keynote address on “Cybersecurity and International Relations” at Virginia Tech as one of a "Destination Areas Global Speaker." Her talk led the all-university series of events co-organized by Pamplin College of Business and University Libraries. Open to the public, the keynote was held in a major theater-style auditorium on Virginia Tech campus as well as streamed online. During her October 22-23, visit to Virginia Tech, Katya also served as a panelist on Open Access scholarship and led a variety of speaking engagements — with faculty, staff, university and high school students, and community leaders. In these discussions, she shared her multifaceted expertise — ranging from cybersecurity, information science, and U.S.-Russian relations to innovations in open scholarship, research methods, and educational initiatives needed to address some of the world’s critical challenges, particularly where cyber and global strategy intersect.

The Music Department is pleased to announce a peer-reviewed article by Assistant Professor of Music Ryan Ellis was published by Routledge in Voice and Speech Review. "Shaping Words: From Speech to Song, Linguistic Principles and Rhythmic Expressivity in Choral Performance" explores the intersection of natural spoken rhythms within language and notated rhythmic values in music as a method toward effective ensemble expressivity and communication of text in performance.

Max Hunter, assistant professor of biology and director of pre-professional health sciences program, gave a presentation at the National Association of Advisers for the Professions and the Association of American Medical Colleges during the Morehouse Premedical Faculty Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, in early November. Max was part of the general session "Getting Beyond Metrics: A Collaborative, Holistic, and Reflective Approach to Advising." His individual session was "Personal Statements: Vignette Writing, Personal Biography, and Self-Reflection."

Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of Global Development Studies Brad Murg presented his paper, "Assuming Rapprochement: Economic Implications of Korean Reconciliation for Northeast and Southeast Asian Development," at the conference Inter-Korean Relations in 2018 and Beyond: New Realities, New Challenges. Brad co-organized the conference earlier this month in his capacity as visiting senior research fellow at the Cambodia Institute of Cooperation and Peace and distinguished fellow at the Royal University of Law and Economics, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the U.S. Department of State, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The Office of Human Resources would like to welcome Michael Crow, multi-skilled trades, in Facility and Project Management.

Kim Gilnett, admissions counselor and fine and performing arts marketing associate, was quoted in Christianity Today’s November 1, 2018, article "God Has a Plan for Your Life. But You Can’t Find It Alone. The author of the article talks about a memorable visit to C.S. Lewis'  home in England, where Kim has led tours and been involved with the home’s restoration since work began in the 1990s.