A message from University Ministries: Join us for the next All University chapel on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 11:10 a.m. in First Free Methodist Church. The special guest is artist, author, and spiritual director Scott Erickson who will speak on "The Art of Lent."

The SPU Library has created three exhibits in honor of President Porterfield’s inauguration. Items in the exhibit have been selected from the University Archives and Special Collections.

1. History of Presidential Inaugurations at SPU: (Library Reading Room, main floor near entrance.) This exhibit includes photographs and memorabilia of all 12 SPU presidents and their inaugurations.
2. Women of Impact at SPU/Constancy of Mission at SPU: (Library Administrative Suite, second floor north alcove). This exhibit curated by students includes photographs and artifacts honoring several impactful women over SPU’s long history. 
3. Items Associated with Early Histories of Wesleyanism, Free Methodism, and Seattle Pacific, 1746-1975: (Library, second floor south alcove). This exhibit includes selected rare items and books on Wesleyanism, Free Methodism, and SPU.

From Alumni, Parent, and Family Relations: Show your Falcon spirit with virtual backgrounds and wallpapers on the new Digital Swag webpage. Bring SPU’s beautiful campus to life on your preferred platform or device. Check out the campus shots and download your favorites to use as your laptop's or desktop's wallpaper or feature one as the background of your next virtual meeting.

A message from Computer and Information Systems: The CIS HelpDesk will begin deploying Windows 11 device upgrades at the end of February and throughout March. We will be reaching out with additional details through email over the coming weeks.

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness has launched a new PowerBI Dashboard to report student enrollment information and trends over the years. This dashboard marks the beginning of our ongoing project to redesign our reports and more PowerBI dashboards will be launched in this year. The newly launched Student Enrollment Dashboard can be found on our wiki page. For more information, please contact OIEF at IEFContactUs@spu.edu.

A message from the Casey Conference Center: Do you know high school students interested in history, science, and the great outdoors? The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is hosting their FREE Youth Heritage Project at Camp Casey Conference Center, July 16–19, to explore Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Applications are due May 17. Learn more & apply.

The SPU Percussion Ensemble presents its Winter Concert on Thursday, Mar. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in E.E. Bach Theater in McKinley Hall. The repertoire includes works by Joel Smales, Mark Ford, Kyle H. Peters, Earl Hatch, Mitchel Peters, and Jim Casella and features solo performances by students Spencer Long, James Loffink, and Olivia Callen. Admission is free.

SPU’s annual biometric screenings returns to campus this week, Feb. 27–28. Human Resources, Aetna, and Quest Diagnostics have partnered together to offer free confidential health and wellness screenings available to SPU employees and spouses who are enrolled in SPU’s Health Plan. Do something important for your health while also earning $50 toward your Aetna Wellness Incentive!

On-campus sessions are available Tuesday, Feb. 27, and Wednesday, Feb. 28, 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., in Upper Gwinn, Cascade Room.

• 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
• Takes less than 20 minutes.
• Conducted by certified health professionals.
• Consists of a brief health assessment, blood pressure screening, and comprehensive blood test.
• Fasting and non-fasting options are available.
• Fasting participants should fast 9-12 hours before the event.
• Drink plenty of water the day before and the morning of the event.
• Bring your Aetna medical ID card.
• Location: Upper Gwinn, Cascade Room

To schedule an appointment, go to My.QuestForHealth.com to set up a username and password. Enter your unique ID: Aetna WID# from your Aetna ID Card (add S for Spouse). Registration Key: SPU2024

For more information, contact Cherylin Shdo in Human Resources at shdoc@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 every Monday during the academic year, or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday. The next deadline is Thursday, Feb. 29. The next issue will be published Monday, Mar. 4.

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.

Connor Desai, doctoral student, and Nalline Baliram, associate professor of teacher education, were awarded the Mathematics Education Trust (MET) Classroom Research Grants PreK-6 through the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics. This award grant came with a $6,000 budget. The funds will be used for Connor's dissertation research and beyond. Part of the grant requirement is to publish the work in one of the NCTM journals.

JoAnn Flett, executive director of the Center for Faithful Business, received a Fulbright Specialist Program Award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. She will complete a project at The Entrepreneurship Hub in Trinidad and Tobago that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities both in the U.S. and overseas through a variety of educational and training activities within business administration.

JoAnn is one of over 400 U.S. citizens who share expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program each year. Recipients of Fulbright Specialist awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad. She previously received a Fulbright Scholars Award. Congratulations, JoAnn!

School of Education professors Robin Henrikson and Nalline Baliram recently gave presentations at two conferences. 

National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), "Interrogating Practices of Inequity by Analyzing Video Cases and Protocols for Professional Learning." This workshop provided participants with a two-part experience. First, participants learned the benefits of using instructional video exemplars as part of professional learning to create a more culturally responsive math classroom. Then, participants were led through observing an instructional math video exemplar using student work samples to interrogate current practices.

Northwest Council for Computer Education (NCCE): "Post Pandemic Student Perceptions of Importance of Engagement Strategies in Online Learning." In this presentation, the researchers presented results of a study that examined graduate students’ perceptions of the importance of engagement in online classes through three strategies: learner-learner, learner-instructor, and learner-content. Presenters shared the results that address a variety of strategies students identified as most valuable and least valuable related to engaging with the content in an online learning environment.

Mike Potratz, senior financial analyst with the Seattle Pacific Foundation, is retiring after 39 years of service at SPU. We will miss his sense humor, detailed accounting expertise, and most importantly, the example he set by living his faith out in the workplace. You are invited to a reception for Mike on Friday, March 1, 10–11:30 a.m. in Falcon's Lounge in Royal Brougham Pavilion.