You are invited to join the SPU community this February for Homecoming and Parents Weekend. Participate in all the favorite Homecoming traditions, plus gather for a special 125th anniversary Homecoming celebration of Falcon sports at the Falcon Hall of Fame Induction Brunch and the All-Athletics Reunion. Find out more details and register online.

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Undergraduate Admissions is hard at work recruiting next year’s class of Falcons. If you know someone who was born to be a Falcon, invite that student to apply – and you could receive a gift.

• Have the student complete the Common Application to SPU now through January 1. In the SPU member section under “Contacts,” have the student list that he or she heard about SPU from you.
• Then, go to spu.edu/referafalcon and fill out the form.

Once we verify that the student you referred has submitted a completed application to SPU, you’ll get $25 in Falcon Funds. As a bonus, the student you refer can apply to SPU for FREE during the month of December. On the Common Application, he or she just needs to select “Institutional Fee Waiver” and use the promo code SPUGift. Invite prospective students you know to apply to SPU today!

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The library is currently hosting a special collections exhibit in honor of SPU’s Quasquicentennial (125th anniversary). The exhibit is located on the south exterior wall just outside of the Seminar Room on the second level. The exhibit was curated by Steve Perisho, theology and philosophy librarian. Steve explains more about the exhibit:

It begins in 1865 with a few items highlighting the commitment of the new Free Methodist Church to education (e.g. the foundation of what eventually became Roberts Wesleyan in New York, and proceeds through the “war department” address delivered in the “College Church” in 1918.) It does not, like the new SPU history book Rooted in Mission, tell a single coherent story, but is much more artifact-prompted and therefore episodic. I pulled published materials that I could link in some way with the early history of SPU (“Ross” or “Seattle Seminary”). Because some of the connections won’t be obvious, it will be important to view it along with the online annotations.

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As part of its 125th anniversary celebration, SPU has set a goal of 125,000 hours of community service. We will track individual or group volunteer efforts by faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents in their churches or communities, as well as include SPU events and organizations such as SPRINT, CityQuest, the Perkins Center, and Latreia. Track your hours and send them to us through the “Submit Volunteer Hours” webpage. Send along a photo as well and it will be included alongside the other SPU community members who are doing their part to give back to the community and reach the goal.

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The University reimburses employees for official travel by private automobile using the standard mileage allowance. The new standard mileage rate for 2017 is 53.5 cents per mile, down from 54 cents per mile in 2016.  The new rate is effective beginning January 1, 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.

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A Wesley Heritage Tour led by Mark Abbott, SPU campus pastor emeritus and former senior pastor of First Free Methodist Church, is currently accepting reservations for a trip from September 25 through October 3, 2017. An optional Ireland post-tour is also available, October 3-7. The tour will include visits to Epworth, where Samuel and Susanna Wesley raised their children; to Oxford, where John and Charles were educated; and to London, where John Wesley’s heart was “strangely warmed” on Aldersgate Street. Plus, many other cities and sites associated with John Wesley’s ministry will also be included. The tour is open to members of the SPU community. For more information, including pricing and a detailed itinerary, visit the website.

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You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, January 3, to have stationery order(s) delivered on January 13. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on January 3 will be delivered February 17. 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.

For the latest information on Falcon sports, visit the website.

Thursday, December 29
Women's basketball vs Central Washington, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 31
Women's basketball vs Northwest Nazarene, Brougham Pavilion, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, January 3
Women's basketball vs Saint Martin's , Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

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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, December 22. Due to the Christmas break, the Bulletin will resume publication on Tuesday, January 3.

In recognition of his service to the SPU community, Gus Carbajal, security operations supervisor in the Office of Safety and Security, was nominated and selected as the December Staff Member of the Month. Gus says he enjoys his work and the opportunity to “get to know students and staff under a normal setting and not during an emergency.” Visit the Staff Council website to read more about Gus. You can also submit a nomination for someone you think should be recognized as a future Staff Member of the Month. 

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Mark Oppenlander, director of the Center for Applied Learning, was recently invited to discuss the state of entrepreneurship programming and curriculum in Christian higher education and share best practices at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. He was part of a working group of 15 participants, and SPU was one of just 12 universities invited to attend. 

The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to welcome the following new employees. Contact information can be found on the SPU online White Pages:

Justeene Campo, undergraduate admissions counselor – multi-cultural outreach, Undergraduate Admissions
Kim Cavanaugh, communications specialist, University Communications
Hillary Holman, administrative assistant for graduate and teacher education programs, School of Education
Jordy McNab, microsystems analyst, Computer & Information Systems

Director of Human Resources Gary Womelsduff completed the New York City Marathon on November 6. The marathon is one of the world's biggest and most popular races. Gary reports: “The race began on Staten Island with 50,000 runners streaming up and over the Verrazano Narrows bridge with the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan off in the distance to our left. The spectators were amazing and energizing all the way up through Brooklyn, then over to midtown Manhattan with even bigger crowds all the way to the finish line in Central Park. This was on my bucket list and was probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I am very thankful to be able to run at all, much less in such an amazing race.” Select the link to a photo of Gary and his finisher's medal. Congratulations, Gary!

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