SPU is honored to be the host of the 2022 NCAA DII Fall Festival — one of the flagship events on the NCAA DII calendar — Tuesday, Nov. 29–Dec. 3. About 1,500 student-athletes and coaches will come to Seattle to compete in six separate national championship events, and hundreds of volunteers will be needed for the festival.

In coordination with SPU’s Senior Leadership Team, faculty and staff can volunteer for this event during their normal work schedules without needing to take vacation or leave time, although volunteering during work hours must first be approved by your supervisor prior to registering as a volunteer. Family members, friends, youth sports clubs, etc., can also volunteer, so feel free to pass along the links. Volunteers do not need to be associated with SPU. Visit the Fall Festival Fan Information website to see events and campus and Seattle locations. Volunteers will receive NCAA Championships apparel and credentials along with snacks and meals if the volunteer shift is during a meal window. Email Hannah Murphy in Athletics at murphyh3@spu.edu with questions, and sign up to volunteer here.

UMin invites you to drop in to Upper SUB and practice the discipline and spiritual rhythm of gratitude we kicked off in our All-University Chapel on Nov. 1. Come grab a cup of tea and check out our gratitude journal station, add to our gratitude garland, and take a moment to remember the saints, the mentors, the friends and family who are in our lives today by writing them a gratitude or encouragement card. Let's grow in gratitude together. God working in it may have the capacity to change something in us even when it feels impossible ... come drop in!

Please join us in honoring Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Admissions Ineliz Soto-Fuller, for her 16 years of dedicated service to SPU, at a Disney-themed reception on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2–4 p.m. (program at 2:30 p.m.), in the Emerson Lobby. You can honor Ineliz in one of two ways (or both ways!): Attend her reception in your Disney gear (if you have it), and/or submit a short video to honor Ineliz (follow these Video Submission Instructions) by Dec. 7. We cannot wait to celebrate Ineliz and her amazing dedication to this place. We hope you can join in doing so! Please help us pass this along to others outside of the SPU community (alumni, friends of SPU, past colleagues, etc.).

All 2022 benefit-eligible employees and enrolled spouses can still complete their Biometric Screening for the 2022 Benefit Plan Year and earn $25 toward their Wellness Incentive.

Just go to: My.QuestForHealth.com to set up a username and password.

Enter your unique ID: Aetna WID# (from your Aetna ID card)*

Registration Key: SPU2022

From here, you will be given the option to register for a biometric screening at a local Quest Diagnostics Patient Service Center OR download a physician form to complete along with fax or upload instructions. Acceptable physician screening dates range from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022. All screening results must be uploaded or faxed to Quest Diagnostics by Dec. 31, 2022.

*Note: If you have old Quest Diagnostics credentials once used with Cigna, you will need to set up a new username and password.

The autumn 2022 issue of Shareholders is here and focused on our call for creation care: Learn more about the theology of environmental stewardship, our new sustainable management minor, and recent SBGE events you may have missed.

In the fall issue of the School of Education’s newsletter, On Point, read about Dean Nyaradzo Mvududu’s thoughts on weathering tough times, how alumni are transforming K–12 education throughout the state, and 10 things you should know about special education.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly on Mondays during the academic year (or Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday). The next deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 23, due to Thanksgiving, and the next issue will be published Monday, Nov. 28.

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.

Julie Antilla, associate professor of educational leadership, co-authored a chapter that was recently published in the Handbook of Research on the Educator Continuum and Development of Teachers. The chapter is titled “Developing and using STEM pedagogical content knowledge across career stages.”

Kristine Gritter, professor of curriculum and instruction, and a team of researchers recently published the book, Young Adult Literature and Spirituality, in which they offer approaches to in-class discussions about young-adult literature that allow broader thinking beyond theme. Drawing from a variety of contemplative traditions, Gritter and her colleagues show teachers how themes might operate as prayers of lament, yearning, anger, confession, thankfulness, reconciliation, joy, obedience, pilgrimage, contemplation, and equanimity.

Debra Sequeira, professor emerita of communication, and former communication colleague Douglas Kelley recently had their chapter, “Communicating Challenging Topics,” in the book Casing Interpersonal Communication: Case Studies in Personal and Social Relationships (Kendall Hunt, 2023).

Jordan Shannon, assistant professor of counselor education, along with Derek Seward and Melissa Luke, had their article “Dynamics of Co-Leadership Development in a Training Group” published in The Journal for Specialists in Group Work.

Joshua Tom, assistant professor of sociology, presented a paper at the Nov. 10–13, 2022, annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in Baltimore, Maryland. The paper was titled “Student Retention, Belonging and Marginalized Groups in Christian Higher Education,” and he presented with Dr. Aida Isela Ramos, dean of the College of Education and Social and Behavioral Sciences at John Brown University.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming the following new staff members.

Alex Frazer, interim operations and testing coordinator, Academic Support Center
Megan Korsak, office and events coordinator, Center for Career and Calling
Rafael Lopez, security officer, Office of Safety and Security
Mintay Misgano, employer relations, Center for Career and Calling