From the Office of Interim President Menjares: I am pleased to announce the distinguished speakers for our 2023 year-end high ceremonies on Friday and Saturday, June 9 and 10:

• The Undergraduate Commencement speaker is Phyllis Sorter, Director, Schools for Africa, and SPU’s 2023 Alumna of the Year.
• The Graduate Commencement speaker is Romanita Hairston, Chief Executive Officer of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
• The Ivy Cutting speaker is Dr. Richard Steele, SPU Professor of Moral and Historical Theology.

For more information about these events, visit the Commencement website.

A message from the Faculty Life Office: As you know, we have amazing faculty at SPU! Join the FLO in celebrating the scholarship of almost 30 faculty members at the 2023 Faculty Scholarship Fair on Thursday, April 13, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. in the Ames Library Reading Room. Check out the latest books, articles, and other scholarly work of our faculty.

University Communications needs help identifying outstanding students from this year’s graduating class. This request is for undergraduate and graduate students. These students and their achievements will be pitched to media outlets prior to Commencement, as well as used for promotional purposes. Please send the name(s) of the students and a short description about why you are recommending them. Examples would be students who overcame obstacles to graduate, were involved in community service projects, participated in innovative research, started a new venture, took a class that changed their career direction, or did something really interesting. Basically, anything that would make a good story! We will follow up with the student and get permission to use their profile. Send information by email to Director of Public Information Tracy Norlen at tcnorlen@spu.edu.

A message from the Office of Student Employment: Show your appreciation this week to your student employees and encourage them to attend the Student Employee Appreciation event hosted by OSE on Thursday, April 13, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in Weter Lounge. Student employees can enjoy fresh popcorn and enter a raffle to win one of many gift cards/tickets to local area businesses such as Macrina Bakery, The Museum of Flight, Ivars, Dick's Drive-In, Byen Bakeri, and more. Here are some other ideas for ways to show appreciation to your student employees during National Student Employment Week:

• Take them out to lunch
• Have everyone in your office write a letter thanking them for their contributions to your team
• Decorate their workspace
• Have your office contribute to goodie bags to gift to them
• Host an office party to celebrate them

A few Christians in the 19th century — particularly those connected with Oberlin College — acted boldly and courageously to end slavery and promote racial equality. Those who did so grounded their activism on Holiness Theology and devotional practices derived from the Wesleyan tradition. The Walls Lecture this year will be a panel presentation given by four professors who have been engaged in a scholarly project known as the "Dialogue on Race and Faith." The goal of the project has been to study this historical movement and to draw out implications for the Christian church today.

WALLS LECTURE 2023
“Holiness Abolitionism: Christians Modeling Racial Justice:" A Dialogue on Race and Faith
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
7–9 p.m.
Upper Gwinn (Third Floor)

The Faculty Life Office and Human Resources are pleased to provide a free webinar on Tuesday, April 11, for faculty and staff on microaggressions. You have two options: You can register online and watch independently or you can bring your lunch and join a group in the FLO Third Space, Marston 326-328.

“Microaggressions:" What Are They? How do They Connect to Student Belonging?
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
11 a.m.–12 p.m. PST

Nansi Carroll, composer, vocalist, and pianist, recently visited SPU as a guest lecturer and brought a new original piece for the SPU choirs. She is a composer who has written over 300 vocal, choral, and piano works in her positions as music director of St. Augustine Church in Gainesville, Florida. She is also the artistic co-director of “A Musical Offering,” and is a faculty member at the University of Florida, Stetson University, and The Walden School. Carroll’s music focuses on settings of African American spirituals. In the lastest SPU Voices podcast, she talks about faith and music. Listen to the podcast or read the interview online.

A message from the Office of Safety and Security: Each year, Seattle Pacific participates in Sexual Assault Awareness Month to raise awareness about gender-based violence on campus. Denim Day is Wednesday, April 26, and we hope to have campuswide participation by students, staff, and faculty to "wear jeans with a purpose" to dispel myths about sexual violence. This event was started in the 1990s following an Italian Supreme Court ruling that overturned a rape conviction after the judge ruled that the victim must have consented because she was wearing tight-fitting jeans. If you’re department would like to participate, OSS is distributing pins that say, "Ask me why I’m wearing denim."

Additionally, to commemorate Denim Day, OSS is sponsoring a “Denim, Cookies, and Consent” event, which will take place on Wednesday, April 26, in Cremona 102, 6:30–8:30 p.m. We will play games, eat Girl Scout cookies, and talk about consent. This event is open to everyone. If you would like more information or awareness pins for your department, contact Christina Traverso, Title IX/special investigations officer, at traversoc@spu.edu.

The annual “Elephant in the Room” campaign features a life-size elephant in the middle of Martin Square to raise awareness of the problem of sexual assault on campus. Our community is welcome to write words of support and encouragement on the elephant throughout the scheduled times. Resources will also be available for students who want to know more about consent and support resources.

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!

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

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.

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

This 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.

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 13, and the next issue will be published Monday, April 17.

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.

An essay by Bo Lim, professor of Old Testament, titled “The Task of Reading the Bible for a Culturally Diverse North American Church” (pages 157–171), was published in The Scripture and Hermeneutics Seminar: Retrospect and Prospect (edited by Craig Bartholomew, Amber Bowen, William Olhausen, and David Beldman). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2022. In this essay, he addressed whether the hermeneutical task as conceived by the contributors to Scripture and Hermeneutics series is adequate to address the needs of a culturally diverse North American church in the 21st century. Bo argued that due to current challenges and opportunities facing the North American church, the theological task of reading Scripture ought to be expanded.

Alissa Walter, assistant professor of history, presented a research paper at a conference in Hamburg, Germany, on the theme of the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War. Her paper was, “Neighborhood Problem Solving in Baghdad: Changes in Local Governance Practices and Perceptions.” The conference was “Iraq 20 Years After the Invasion: Memory Politics, Governance, and Protests," and was sponsored by the German Institute of Global and Area Studies.

A book review in Spanish by Alberto Ferreiro, professor emeritus of European history, titled, "The Sermons and Liturgy of Saint James. Book One of the Liber Sancti Jacobi," was published in Italica Press. The Compostela Project, New York-Bristol: Italica Press, 2021. 566 p. Ills. Anuario de Historia de la Iglesia 32 (2023) 581-582.

This volume is the last of a series of scholarly books for the Compostela Project. It forms the most complete compilation with critical commentary and translation into English of all texts related to the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Any serious study of the topic must consult this and all volumes in the series.