Student Counseling, Health, & Wellness is offering free hot tea in the foyer of Watson Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., as a way to encourage our campus community members to decompress after the general election. Stop by to take a pause, sip some tea, and catch your breath. Counselors will also be available for undergraduate students who need urgent same-day support.

Did you know that the ballot box located on campus next to Falcon's Post has historically been one of the county's busiest? Please plan for additional traffic impacts around 3rd and Nickerson on Election Day. King County Elections will also have some additional traffic control measures in place, such as signage and flaggers.

A message from Computer & Information Systems: The Falcon Flame team is hard at work testing SPU's business processes within the Workday environment. Thanks again for your patience with us on normal campus operations requests while we do this implementation work to update our business processes! Many operational changes are taking place to streamline those processes within the best practice models provided by Workday. Most of those are in the backend, but some will be visible to campus users. One notable change that will be coming in parallel with the Workday project, and in support of it, is transitioning all campus employees to a new semi-monthly payroll schedule. We are still ironing out the details on timing for the transition for each portion of campus, but look for information from Human Resources on this topic in the coming weeks.

Want to know more about the Workday Project or the Falcon Flame team? See the Project Overview page in our Workday wiki space.

Do you have time for a 4-question survey to help us keep campus informed about the project?

A message from the Office of Intercultural Programs: International Education Week is November 18–22 and the Office of Intercultural Programs (OIP) will host a series of events throughout the week. International Education Week is celebrated and hosted by university campuses across the nation and the goal is to highlight the global initiatives present in day-to-day campus life. It includes international students, study abroad participants, and faculty and staff from around the world. Here is a snapshot preview of what we have planned:

Prior to the Week: Global Photo Contest — We want to see how you have engaged globally! Submit your favorite photo showing us how you have participated in global education this past year. We will select one photo from each of the following categories: People, Places, Culture. Submissions can be made here and are due by 11:59 p.m. on  Friday, Nov. 15.
Monday (11/18): SPU International Staff and Faculty Poster Fair.
Tuesday (11/19): Featuring the Intercultural Club Council — Engage with some of our student intercultural clubs and organizations such as Vietnamese Student Association and African Student Association.
Wednesday (11/20): Exploring the World — Come learn about some of our cross-cultural study away opportunities.
Thursday (11/21): Culture Share — Students from the GS 1007: Cultural Adjustment class will share their final projects with our community.
Friday (11/22): Global Photo Contest winners announced via email.

Follow OIP’s Instagram for detailed information of each event throughout the week. Email oip@spu.edu if you have questions. We are excited to celebrate International Education Week with you all this year!

The Camp Casey Store is running an exclusive sale with a main campus pickup option for a limited time only! Use the code FALCONFOREVER at checkout for an extra 10% off and be sure to select SPU Falcon’s Post as your pickup location. New and retro hoodies, T-shirts, hats, mugs, and stickers! Checkout the online store

As Camp Casey and the Fort Casey Inn transition to new owners, we are asking the SPU community to share their favorite "porch pics" from a recent stay at one of the beautiful turn-of-the-century homes. Just fill out this short form to upload your photo and include a brief description. Then revisit the webpage as more photos are added.

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, Nov. 7. Due to the Veterans Day holiday, the next issue will be published Tuesday, Nov. 12. 

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.

Family and Consumer Science professors Jaeil Lee and Gwia Kim gave a presentation on Oct. 28 at the Washington 2024 Family and Consumer Sciences conference in Wenatchee, Washington. Their presentation was titled, "Current trends in the fashion industry and job market: How to prepare students for career success." 

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming Austin Cavell, visits and events coordinator, in Undergraduate Admissions.

Vernon Wicker, professor emeritus of music, died on Oct. 21, 2024, at the age of 87. He retired in 2002 after serving more than 25 years in the Music Department. During a 1999 President’s Chapel recognizing faculty and staff, Vernon was honored for 20 years of service with this short tribute.

“Vernon is a consummate scholar with a rich baritone voice that he can — and does — take anywhere. He has performed concerts in Europe and Dartmouth College, Notre Dame University, and St. Paul’s Cathedral in Pittsburgh. The contemporary Czech composer, Petr Eben, composed for Vernon and German organist Peter Stradmuller the music of Thomas a Kempis which was sung at the 750th anniversary of the city of Kempen, Germany. Editor-in-chief of Hymnology Annual: An International Forum on the Hymn and Worship, Vernon can sing in nine languages and has done English translations of Baroque contatas and Bach arias. He is known for a warm and personal faith, and for his support and affirmation of colleagues and students alike.”

Vernon served on numerous faculty committees and was part of the Casey Planning Committee that worked on a Camp Casey master plan in 2002. Upon his retirement, student Paul Kawabori wrote this tribute. “Through his extensive knowledge, experience, and passion, Dr. Wicker has profoundly impacted my life. He was a professor who brought to the table a wealth of musical achievement and academic prowess, as well as a deep and reverent faith. A fellow student told me that in two years of voice lessons, Dr. Wicker was never late to a single one. I personally experienced how wholeheartedly he gave of his time, how he encouraged and uplifted me with so much grace and understanding. He taught me to sing and always knew, almost instinctively, how my voice was doing before I even opened my mouth. Dr. Wicker treated me with the skill of a physician and the heart of a proud father. His mentorship will now serve to help me navigate my way through a music career.”

A memorial service for Vernon will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 18341 State Route 525 #B, in Freeland, Washington. The service will be livestreamed.