The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is the weekly, internal e-newsletter for SPU faculty and staff. Only faculty, adjunct faculty, staff, and emerit faculty receive the Bulletin, and most items are submitted by its readers. Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit information to fsb-editor@spu.edu or by selecting “Submit News” at the bottom of the Bulletin.

The Bulletin is published on Mondays (or Tuesdays if Monday is a holiday), and every other Monday during the summer. The deadline to submit information is the preceding Thursday. Submissions may be edited for clarity. The Bulletin is edited by Tracy Norlen, director of public information. The Bulletin is divided into several sections.

Campus News & Events highlights the major news and events on campus. Only events related to SPU will be accepted. All faculty and staff are encouraged to submit information, including department news, campus events, or guest speakers. Digital photos or graphics are required for each entry. Event information is published for two weeks if applicable and needs to be resubmitted to run longer. Remember to plan ahead when submitting information.

Faculty & Staff News is for professional information related to your position at SPU or in higher education. Items of interest are conferences attended, books or articles written or published, presentations made, awards received, or research completed. Professional news from staff is highly encouraged.

SPU in the News lists most of the print or broadcast media appearances by faculty and staff. If you've been used as a resource for a reporter, let us know by submitting the information to the Bulletin.

Milestones is for personal news of interest to the SPU community, including births, adoptions, marriages, anniversaries, church service, mission trips, awards, and athletic accomplishments. Digital photos are always welcome. This section is also used for memorial service information.

Drawn Out Puns is a monthly cartoon by Nate Hoover, Master of Fine Arts assistant director. The cartoons capture both the literal meaning (drawn content being puns) and the figurative/social stigma of puns being "drawn out" to excess. This feature will appear the first week of every month.

If you have any questions, contact fsb-editor@spu.edu.

The History Department is hosting a series of campus events to mark the one-year anniversary of the Gaza War on October 7. Faculty, staff, and students are invited.

Monday, Oct. 7: Alissa Walter (History), "The Gaza War: How did we get here, and what happens next?" Demaray 150, 4–5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 8: Bo Lim and Sara Koenig (School of Theology), "Biblical and Theological Reflections on the Gaza War," immediately after chapel in Cremona 102, 12:15–1:30 p.m. Pizza will be served.

Wednesday, Oct. 9: Sara Shaban (Journalism and Communications), "Media, Misinformation, and the Gaza War," Demaray 150, 3–4 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 10: Ruth Ediger (Political Science), "International Law and the Gaza War: Help or Hindrance?" Demaray 150, 3–4 p.m.

A message from Human Resources: This year's Open Enrollment is Monday, Oct. 21, through Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. This is the one time each year to make changes to your SPU benefits. The Benefits Fair will be held over two days; Tuesday, Oct. 22, and Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. in Upper Gwinn Commons. Hear from your benefits providers and enter to win multiple table prize give-a-ways and cash door prizes!

A message from SPU Dining Services: Pop in. Pop Out. Get on with your day. Falcon Express Market, a cashless store powered by Amazon's Just Walk Out (JWO) technology located on the first floor of Weter Hall, is opening in October! SPU will be one of the first universities to launch an automated C-Store concept. During the transition period beginning in September, the C-Store will continue to operate from its original location until the opening of Falcon Express Market. SPU Dining apologizes for any inconvenience caused due to the change.

Please join the Seattle Pacific Seminary for its first public lecture of the year on Tuesday Oct. 29, 7 p.m., in the First Free Methodist Church sanctuary. The speaker is Dr. Richard Middleton who will presenting the lecture, “You Can’t Put God in a Box: The Challenge of Ark Narrative for Our Times. (1 Samuel 4-6)." This lecture will explore how the holiness of God calls our polarizing ideologies into question. The respondent for this lecture will be Sara Koenig, SPU professor of biblical studies.

A message from Health Services: Our local Safeway pharmacy team will be coming to campus Oct. 22-23 from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. in lower Watson Hall (beneath Health Services) to provide a wide variety of vaccines to faculty, staff, and students. Please sign up for an appointment spot using the specific date links below. Bring your insurance card as most vaccines are covered by insurance. This is a great time to get updated on your flu vaccine, COVID-19 booster, tetanus booster, shingles, or any other routine vaccine you may need. Sign up today!

Tuesday, Oct. 22. Sign up online.

Wednesday, Oct. 23. Sign up online.

A message from University Communications: If you have a few updates to your office or department webpage, submit them to the online Web Update Request Form. If you need an updated directory photo, contact Design Manager Lynn Anselmi at lynnanselmi@spu.edu.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every Monday during the academic year or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday. The next deadline is Thursday, Oct. 3 . The next issue will be published Monday, Oct. 7. 

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.

Tracie Delgado, professor of biology, was added to The Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists. Faculty names are added to the atlas after nomination. The atlas, hosted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, showcases the expertise, talents, and diversity of Hispanic and Latinx scientific faculty across the USA. Congratulations!

Sara Shaban, assistant professor of journalism, contributed to a women's devotional titled, The Women We've Been Waiting For: A 40-Day Devotional for Self-Care, Resilience, and Communal Flourishing, by Tiffany Bluhm.

Alissa Walter, associate professor of history, recently gave written testimony as an expert witness on Iraq country conditions for an Iraqi asylum case.

The Pacific Northwest Historians Guild conferred its lifetime achievement award on Professor Emeritus of Education Richard Scheuerman at a ceremony on September 27. A prolific author as well as educator, Dick was recognized for “his lifetime efforts chronicling the cultural, agrarian, and economic history of Eastern Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest, including scholarly works on Native American history and culture, notably of the Palouse people and Chief Kamiakin and his people; German pioneers in the region; agrarian themes in art and literature; and heirloom grains.” Congratulations!