This year's theme for Chapel is "Into the Deep." The first Chapel of Autumn Quater is Tuesday, Sept. 30, 11:10 a.m. in First Free Methodist Church, and the speaker is Pastor Fred TenEyck, director of Student Ministries and campus pastor. The complete Chapel schdedule is available online. 

A message from Kati Barr, assistant director of Learning Support Services. President Porterfield is hosting a special reception to welcome our newest first-generation Falcons and their families on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2–3 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.) in Upper Gwinn. The event will feature:

• A welcome message from President Porterfield
• A panel of first-gen students sharing their stories
• An opportunity for students and families to mix and mingle with our first-gen faculty and staff

We are inviting first-generation faculty and staff to volunteer to attend the event and help us extend a warm welcome. Your presence and representation can help create a sense of belonging and encouragement for these students as they begin their journey at SPU. To show our appreciation for your attendance, the first 25 volunteers will receive a complimentary “First Gen and Proud” T-shirt, which we ask that you wear proudly at the event.

If you’re able to attend, please let us know by submitting the quick President's Reception Volunteer Form. If possible, please RSVP by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26. Once we've reached 25 volunteers, I’ll follow up to notify our T-shirt winners and provide instructions on how to receive your shirt.

Thank you for helping us build a strong and supportive community for our first-gen students at SPU! I look forward to seeing many of you there.

The Center for Career and Calling is excited to bring a Nintendo Internship Info Session to campus on Thursday, Oct. 9, 3:30–4:30 p.m.! Students will learn about Nintendo’s summer internships, including the application process and timeline. Please help spread the word to students — registration is required through Handshake and spots are limited.

A message from Information Technology. As a reminder, all university devices must be updated to Windows 11 by Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. We began communicating this requirement last academic year and now we are approaching the final deadline. If you have not yet scheduled a time with IT to perform the upgrade, please be aware that there is a hard cut-off date.

• Microsoft will officially end service for Windows 10 on Oct. 14.
• To prevent service disruptions, IT requires that all devices be upgraded by Oct.10.
• Users who have not updated may lose access to critical university resources.

For those pressed for time, IT can provide a like-for-like device swap (same make and model). If you choose this option, please ensure all of your files are backed up beforehand.

If you are unsure whether your device has already been upgraded, or if you still need to schedule an appointment, please contact IT Support as soon as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our technology secure and supported.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every Monday during the academic year. The next deadline is Thursday, Sept. 25, and the next issue will be published Monday, Sept. 29.

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 and will be published for two consecutive issues; they then can be resubmitted for an additional two weeks.

It is with heartfelt thanks that we say goodbye to Becky Mouw Johnson at the end of September. To honor Becky and her service in both the Provost's Office (now VPAA) and the School of Business, Government, and Economics/College of Business and Technology, there will be an opportunity for you to say goodbye at a casual, drop-in event on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 9–10:30 a.m. in McKenna 117. There will be notecards to write memories, wishes, and blessings for Becky to take with her on her next adventure. Please stop by to wish her well.

Jennifer Maier, professor of English and SPU poet in residence, will read from The Occupant, her new collection of poems, at Third Place Books in Ravenna on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m. RSVP online.

A co-authored article by Geri Mason, associate professor of economics, and Kenman Wong, professor of business ethics, titled, “Truth in Lending in Microfinance: Antecedents for Price Transparency,” was published in the summer issue of The Journal of Alternative Finance. The authors use data on 517 organizations to investigate the relationship between microfinance institution (MFI) characteristics (i.e., profit status, religious affiliation, social vs. commercial orientation), as well as macro context factors (i.e., country level financial market structures, financial literacy), and pricing transparency.