Human Resources will host a series of upcoming events designed to get you ready for retirement. Whether retirement is a distant dream or just around the corner, these events are designed for you. More information will be coming soon.

Retirement Ready Seminar
Tuesday, May 9, 4 p.m. 
Hendricks Falcon Club, Royal Brougham Pavilion
Seasoned professionals in the retirement industry will discuss investment strategies, estate planning, and more.

Social Security 101 Virtual Workshop
Wednesday, May 17, 1 p.m. 
Speaker: Kirk Larson, Washington State Public Affairs Representative, Social Security Administration

Get Ready to Retire Webinar
Tuesday, May 23, 1 p.m.
Speaker: Ronee Dakin, Transamerica

Transamerica Individual Appointments
Tuesday, May 23–Thursday, May 25, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Human Resources Conference Room

The Faculty Life Office invites you to the 2023 Winifred E. Weter Lecture on April 11, 7–8:30 p.m., in Upper Gwinn Commons (the lecture will also be livestreamed). In this year's lecture, Alissa Walter, assistant professor of history, will speak on “20 Years After the Iraq War: Stories and Perspectives.” The lecture will be followed by a Q&A facilitated by College of Arts and Sciences Dean Margaret Watkins. Admission is free and refreshments will be provided after the lecture. We hope you join us.

Through Wednesday, April 12, faculty and staff who purchase a Faculty/Staff Block 10 Meal Plan will get two bonus meals. That’s 12 meals for $91 (or $7.58 per meal)! (Limit one per person.) You can use the plan in Gwinn any time during their service hours. If you need a quick meal, these plans have two convenient to-go options:

• Simply to Go: This option allows you to purchase a Simply to Go meal (an entrée, a side dish or dessert, and a beverage) from the dedicated case at the Corner Place Market, Academic Perks (SUB), or Common Grounds (Weter).

• Waste Watch Reuse (WWR): This option, formerly Choose To Reuse, allows you to purchase a reusable to-go container for a one-time $5 fee and fill it up with items from Gwinn to take with you.

Meal plans can be purchased through Banner (Employee Menu > Meal Plan Order Form). Your plan will be available at 9 a.m. the next business day. Meals can be used for guests and will roll from quarter to quarter as long as you are employed at the University. 

If you have any questions, please contact Housing & Meal Plan Services at 206-281-2188 or mealplan@spu.edu. We hope the start of the quarter is going well for you!

A message from the Center for Career and Calling: The Spring Career Fair is Wednesday, April 12, 1:30–4:30 p.m. in Upper Gwinn and we encourage you to send your students! They can connect with employers from over 50 different companies who are interested in meeting SPU students. They can learn more by registering on Handshake.

It’s almost here! Giving Day is this Wednesday, April 5, and we hope you’ll join us online to support student groups and programs that make SPU so great. Areas you can support include student scholarships, Athletics, Christian faith formation, and so much more. Giving Day shows the impact our global community can have when we join together. One Day. One Purpose. One Incredible Impact.

The Wesleyan Holiness Connection is a relational network of churches, schools, and organizations committed to bringing God’s holiness into full and transforming engagement with today’s culture. Rarely has there been a more dynamic time for God’s holiness to make a difference in our communities and world. SPU is partnering with WHC to host a gathering of pastors, leaders, and students for prayer, training, fellowship, and encouragement in our common Wesleyan holiness tradition.

Pastors and Church Leaders' Day: A Conversation about Reconciliation
Wednesday, May 17, 8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Upper Gwinn Commons

Event is FREE - Register via EventBrite by May 1

The next School of Education monthly EdTalk is Wednesday, April 12, 4–5:30 p.m. The title is "Young Adult Literature and Spirituality: How to Unlock Deeper Understanding with Class Discussion." Kristine Gritter, professor or curriculum and instruction, and Xu Bian, assistant professor of Chinese, teamed up with two colleagues to write a book about how middle school and high school students can look at young adult literature as examples of types of prayer — prayers of anger, thanksgiving, lament, confession, reconciliation, joy, and more.

Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell from Trinity Christian College will elaborate on the book’s description of a series of approaches pioneered by ancient, medieval, and modern biblical scholars that allow for discussion to be centered on the text more than usual in classroom discussions. This Zoom event is free, but you must register here to receive the link.

Summer reservation requests are now being taken for the Faculty/Staff House at SPU's Camp Casey on Whidbey Island. Full-time faculty and staff can make a reservation request for periods of stay between June 12–Sept. 11, 2023.  Reservation requests are due by April 7, 2023.

Summer requests are based on years of service to SPU and past summer stays at Casey. Employees are ranked by their years of service as verified by Human Resources. Once the ranking is developed, the past summer stay history is cross checked. If you have stayed at Casey during the summer, your ranking is replaced with the years it has been since your stay at Casey. Request a reservation here. Curious about how the lottery works, or how to stay at Camp Casey with discounted faculty and staff rates? Check out the HR wiki. Questions? Contact Camp Casey at campcasey@spu.edu.

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 to your 403b account may take up to seven days to be provided to SPU for processing, so please contact Transamerica by the first of the month prior to your requested change. 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 Cherylin Shdo in HR at 206-281-2816.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly on Mondays during the academic year (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday). The next deadline is Thursday, April 6, and the next issue will be published Monday, April 10.

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.

Tucker Goodman, assistant professor of theatre, designed the set for Welcome to Arroyo's, currently running through April 9 at Cape Fear Regional Theatre in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

An article by Raphael Mondesir, assistant professor of sociology, titled, "A civic bridge or a silo? Islam, religious affiliation, and civic engagement in rural Indonesia," was recently published in Social Science Research. This article tests the hypothesis that membership in faith-based civic associations leads to more secular forms of civic engagement in a Muslim-majority nation. Drawing from Social Capital Theory and using survey data from rural Indonesia, this study examines whether religion, especially Islam, works as a silo that houses most civic life or as a bridge to greater and more diversified civic engagement.

Three poems by Jason Thornberry, receptionist in the School of Education and adjunct writing instructor, were recently published or republished. He's also seeking a home for his first novel.

OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters published his poem, "Surrender."

Apricity magazine is republishing his poem, "Abraded Wings," in Volume 7 of their print edition. It was previously published online last year.

Helix Literary magazine is republishing his poem, "Monument," in its 2022 anthology. It was previously published online last year.

The last of five entries for the Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity titled, "Potamius of Lisbon," by Professor Emeritus of European History Alberto Ferreiro was recently published. The entries provide the latest interpretations of the subject in question: the essential bibliography and a historiographical section. Potamius flourished in the fourth century and he is considered one of the earliest writers from Hispania. Of his personal life we know nothing; he never spoke of himself in his writings. A contemporary, however, refers to him as a bishop of Lisbon. He became embroiled in the controversies of the Arians and Catholics over the Trinity. For a time he was an Arian but he later became a proponent and defender of Nicaean orthodoxy. We are fortunate to have several of his writings.

Nate Hoover, program coordinator in the MFA-Creative Writing Program, explains his monthly cartoon: Sometimes taking a phrase too literally can make for interesting results, as today’s cartoon illustrates. To see more of my cartoons, follow me on Instagram: @hoovernathaniel.

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