A message from the Tent City 3 Host Committee: Thank you to local hairstylists Aurelio and Aang from Rituel in the U-District who provided free cuts and colors to 18 Tent City 3 residents. 

Tent City 3 is so appreciative of the microwaves donated by Randy Beavers and Susan VanZanten. We are now on the lookout for a large coffee urn. If you have one to donate, email tentcity3@spu.edu.

Thanks to the departments and families who are providing meals for TC3. This week’s cooks include Student Financial Services; deans and provost; and University Communications. We still have meal openings for December 30, 31, and January 1. Email tc3meals@spu.edu if you are interested. For other available dates, check out the Tent City 3 Meal Calendar. We have prepared a how-to guide for those preparing meals for residents. Also, kitchen access is available on most Wednesdays for faculty and staff to reheat food prepared at home.

Faculty: Working on your syllabi for Winter Quarter? Don’t forget to build in the chance to have your class engage with Tent City 3.  Move-Out Day is scheduled for February 10, 2018. Would you be open to have a member of Tent City 3 sit in on your class? Are there particular classes that you think they would enjoy? Please let us know so we can offer them that opportunity.

For the latest information on Falcon sports, visit the Falcons online.

Thursday, December 28
Women's basketball vs Montana State Billings, Brougham Pavilion, 5:15 p.m.
Men's basketball vs Western Washington, Brougham Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 30
Men's basketball vs Simon Fraser, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

Mailing Services will be open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. through Friday, December 22. There will only be afternoon campus mail delivery and pickup. They will be closed December 25 and January 1. They will be open December 26–29, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Over-the-counter sales will not be available, and there will be no outgoing mail, but mail and packages can be picked up during that time. Mailing Services will resume normal hours on Tuesday, January 2, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

The December issue of Camp Casey’s enewsletter includes a story on a multidisciplinary earth system science workshop. You can sign up to receive the newsletter online. If you have story ideas for the newsletter, email Robyn Myers, Camp Casey manager of conference services, at robyn@spu.edu.

From the Wellness Initiative: With the end of Autumn Quarter and the beginning of winter break, students may experience a change in mood and behavior. Seattle’s late sunrises and early sunsets may be a contributing factor. To learn more about seasonal affective disorder and how it may affect students, visit the Wellness blog.

A message from the Athletics Department: Children ages 5–12 are welcome to come and learn the essential skills needed to lead crowds and support home teams during the Little Falcons Cheer Camp, Saturday, January 13, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion. Each participant will learn proper hand and arm motions, basic stunt techniques, and one cheer and dance, and then be invited to perform at an upcoming Falcon basketball game. The cost is $50 per participant, and includes a T-shirt provided by SPU cheerleaders, and a chance to perform alongside the cheerleaders at a halftime show. Register online. If you have questions, contact Shaina Kubissa at kubissas@spu.edu. The deadline is December 21

A message from the Finance Office: The University reimburses employees for official travel by private automobile using the standard mileage allowance. The new standard mileage rate effective for travel beginning January 1, 2018, is 54.5 cents per mile, up from 53.5 cents per mile in 2017. Please update the Request for Reimbursement form templates you are using, or visit the Finance Office website to download an updated template reflecting this rate change.

Enjoy highlights from the recent Sacred Sounds of Christmas concert in Benaroya Hall. The sold-out crowd of 2,500 people experienced the musical talent of Seattle Pacific’s dedicated student and faculty musicians. It's SPU's annual musical gift to Seattle and a fitting celebration of the newborn King. 

A message from Campus Ministries: December 3 marked the beginning of Advent season. Over the next four weeks, Christians take up the discipline of waiting, cultivating a posture of prayer and expectancy as we look toward Christmas and a celebration of the incarnation. The vocabulary of Advent is made up of words like longing, preparation, darkness, waiting, and promise — rich theological themes that are fundamental to our understanding of what it means to live in the now and the not-yet of our faith. Perhaps even more poignantly, the language of Advent speaks a word of both lament and hope that might resonate amid the injustices experienced personally and globally every day.

In observance of Advent, Campus Ministries (CM) invites you to the discipline of daily Scripture readings and a short challenge for each day, written by the CM staff. Our hope and prayer are that these practices will invite a season of restoration for our souls as we prepare to receive the light of Christ. Follow along on our Instagram or Facebook pages (@spucampusministries), or check out the full text version, available on the CM website. If you have questions, email Kelsey Rorem, associate director of campus ministries, at krorem@spu.edu.

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, January 9, to have stationery orders delivered on January 19. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on January 9 will be delivered February 16. To see deadlines and delivery dates for the remainder of the fiscal year, visit the “Create an Order” stationery page in Banner. For more information, contact Hope McPherson in University Communications at hmcpherson@spu.edu.

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 leadership gifts. However, many students do not apply without the encouragement of faculty, staff, and peers. As we seek an applicant pool that reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of our community, and as we strive to increase the number of male students who engage in the selection process, we hope you will partner with us by emailing BeAnRa@spu.edu with student recommendations by January 8. Thank you in advance for your support!

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, December 21. Due to Christmas break, the next Bulletin will be published Tuesday, January 2. 

In recognition of her service to the SPU community, Lindsey Peterson, business systems analyst in Computer and Information Services, was nominated and selected as the December Staff Member of the Month. Her colleagues noted that she is "persistently positive, dedicated to problem solving, and creative in her collaboration. Her work and faith intertwine and nourish each other." Congratulations and thank you, Lindsey! Learn more about Lindsey and nominate a colleague for recognition on the Staff Council website.

A review co-written by Peter Rivera, assistant professor of marriage and family therapy, was published in Child Maltreatment. This review offers a critique of extant research, notes recent methodological developments, and makes numerous recommendations for future research using person-centered approaches to understanding maltreatment. The article is titled “Latent Classes of Maltreatment: A Systematic Review and Critique,” Rivera, P. M., Fincham, F. D., & Bray, B. C. (In Press). Child Maltreatment is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of psychology, family studies and social work.

A new book by Professor of New Testament Studies Dave Nienhuis, titled A Concise Guide to Reading the New Testament: A Canonical Introduction, has been published by Baker Academic and will be released after the first of the year. Baker Academic describes the book as "a concise, theological introduction to the New Testament (which) sheds light on the interpretive significance of the canon's structure and sequence and articulates how the final shape of the canon is formative for Christian discipleship."

The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to welcome Isabelle Woodward, data analytics project manager and gifts coordinator in University Advancement.

Director of Academic Innovation Rolin Moe was interviewed by Inside Higher Ed on December 13 about “academic innovation” and some of the things that Seattle Pacific is doing to support student learning by making it more inclusive.

Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of Global Development Studies Brad Murg was interviewed by the Phnom Penh Post on December 18 about the future trajectory of Sino-Cambodian military relations. He was also interviewed by Voice of America on potential Cambodian government responses to the enacting of sanctions by the European Union in response to the government's banning of the main opposition party.