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 you’s” 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.

A lot has been going on in the School of Education, according to the school’s new dean, Nyaradzo Mvududu. Read about changes to the SOE team, faculty and alumni highlights, workshops, and more in the latest issue of On Point, the SOE e-newsletter.

A message from Residence Life: The resident advisor selection process begins Winter Quarter, and we need your help to recruit qualified candidates. Our campus is blessed with students who have academic, spiritual, and servant-leadership gifts. However, many students do not apply without the encouragement of faculty, staff, and peers. We are seeking an applicant pool that reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of our community, with increased numbers of male students who engage in the selection process. We hope you will partner with us by emailing student recommendations to BeAnRa@spu.edu by January 7. Thank you in advance for your support!

Did you miss all the wonderful home décor, hostess gifts, accessories, gift certificates, and more at last month’s Mistletoe Market? You’ll have one more chance for some great Christmas shopping at a Mistletoe Market Pop-up on Wednesday, November 28, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., in the SUB. This event is hosted by Sigma Rho, a philanthropic organization of Family and Consumer Sciences, and all proceeds support student scholarships. Cash, checks, and credit cards will be accepted.

There are several ways faculty, staff, and students will be notified or can find out whether SPU will close or delay opening due to inclement weather.  The most current and complete information will be provided on the Emergency Closure Hotline at 206-281-2800. SPU will also send emails and text messages announcing the closure or delay to email addresses and cell phone numbers posted in SPU-Alert, which is SPU's mass-notification system for sending emergency messages. The changing weather in Seattle can make decisions to close or delay opening difficult, but we try to have notification on the Emergency Closure Hotline and issue texts and emails via SPU-Alert prior to 6 a.m.

To confirm or update your SPU-Alert cell phone numbers or email addresses, access the Banner Information System and select Personal Menu and then Emergency Alert System. For additional information, visit the Inclement Weather webpage on the Emergency Preparedness website.

From Robyn Myers, manager of conference services for Camp Casey: Voting will end December 3 in our Camp Casey Photo Contest. Please 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 Thursday, November 29. The next Bulletin will be published on Monday, December 3.

At the National Gathering for the Middle East Studies Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, held November 15–18, SPU faculty members Kimberly Segall, professor of English and co-director of social justice and cultural studies, and Alissa Walter, assistant professor of history, each presented papers. Kim presented hers on a panel called "Narrating Trans-National Arab and Muslim Womanhood." Her paper was titled, "Destabilizing Narratives of Arab Women: Generational Gaps and Hybrid Agency in Rajia Hassib’s 'Language of Miracles.'" Alissa presented a paper titled "Slums and Sub-Divisions: Politics and Baghdad’s Housing Crisis, 1950–1979." The MESA Conference theme was "Without Boundaries: The Global Middle East, Then and Now."

Shannon Smythe, assistant professor of theological studies, presented her paper, "A Hermeneutical Approach Against Whiteness: Karl Barth’s Dialectical Interpretation of Romans 2" for the "Christian Theology and Bible" section of the 2018 Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting.

Jennie Warmouth, adjunct professor in the School of Education, received the Patsy Collins Excellence in Education, Environment and Community Award, presented by Islandwood and The Seattle Foundation. Jennie is one of three public school teachers selected in Washington state for innovative approaches to connect learning with students’ lives and communities to foster environmental awareness and stewardship behaviors. In honor of their commitment to creating innovative learning experiences, the three educators will each receive a $10,000 cash prize. Since 2004, Jennie has been teaching her first, second, and third grade students to write online adoption advertisements for homeless dogs and cats awaiting adoption at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Lynnwood, Washington. Her students have helped over 500 "difficult to place" dogs and cats find forever homes.

The Office of Human Resources would like to welcome Marcet Crockett, interim program assistant, Master of Fine Arts program.

The Office of Human Resources would like to congratulate Dena Jones, assistant director, Master of Fine Arts program, on her new appointment.

Ken Tollefson, a longtime faculty member and advocate for several Pacific Northwest Native American tribes in their quest for autonomy, passed away on November 20. Ken, an emeritus professor of anthropology, retired in 1996 after 31 years of teaching at Seattle Pacific. He worked very closely with Tlingit, Snoqualmie, and Duwamish tribes over many years, and wrote about this work in his book Tribal Trio of the Northwest Coast. In October 2016 as part of SPU’s 125th anniversary, Ken participated in the rededication of the story pole originally commissioned in 1971 to reflect the history of Seattle Pacific. (Ken is in the red jacket in the photo taken at the rededication.) Part of a resolution on his emeritus status stated his "unparalleled contributions to the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Service in the areas of North American Indian Culture, cultural change, and the integration of faith and reason, opening up to colleagues and students the richness of other cultures and the intellectual significance of the Christian worldview." Ken is the father to staff members Kenda Gatlin, registrar, and Susan Siverson, budget manager in the School of Education. Details for a memorial service are still being finalized.