President Martin announces his resignation
Seattle Pacific University President Daniel J. Martin resigned effective April 5, 2021. He served as president for nine years, and was only the 10th president in SPU’s 130-year history.
Watch his personal farewell to the SPU community on this brief video.
Joining the Seattle Pacific University beginning in July 2012, Martin had previously been the president of Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio. Once at Seattle Pacific, he oversaw multiple strategic planning efforts, renovation of the historic Alexander and Adelaide Hall, and the addition of a state-of-the-art nursing-training facility and state-of-the-art music facility in Nickerson Studios.
He also guided the University through the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which initially required SPU to make a rapid transition to remote learning, enabling SPU to serve students safely and continuously using a hybrid-learning model. During his tenure, Seattle Pacific University was named a Best National University by US News and World Report, beginning in 2017. In the coming weeks, an interim president will be named; until then, Provost Laura Hartley serves as executive-in-charge. Read the press release.
“SPU Living Experience” debuts
Seattle Pacific University is well known as a thriving community and for its strong student-support services. And now, beginning Autumn Quarter 2021, through the combined efforts of SPU’s offices of Student Life, Residence Life, University Ministries, Center for Learning, and Center for Career and Calling, the new “SPU Living Experience” initiative takes student support to the next level by integrating these support services with students’ residence hall life.
First-year students will connect from day one, living together in one of three residence halls — Arnett, Ashton, or Moyer — where together they will focus on transitioning to college life, building academic skills to help them get the most out of college, and growing together through spiritual and prayer support.
Residential students returning for their second year will live in Emerson and Hill halls, going deeper still in their college journey as they explore vocation and calling, connect with internships, and develop leadership skills.
As students enter their third and fourth years, often transitioning to campus apartments or houses, or even living off campus, the SPU Living Experience continues by supporting students as they continue to develop leadership skills and prepare for life after college. Find out more about the SPU Living Experience.
Video: Front-line Falcons
For more than 60 years, Seattle Pacific University has celebrated outstanding SPU graduates through our Alumni of the Year and Medallion awards. This year, SPU collectively honors the many SPU alumni who serve on the front lines of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This short film focuses on three — two nurses and a physician — working hard to save lives at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center.
Winter Quarter 2021 Dean’s List now available
The Dean’s List quarterly honors were recently awarded to undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students who completed at least 12 credit hours at Seattle Pacific University and attained a 3.5 or higher quarterly grade-point average. Check out the Dean’s List here.
Mentor Program gives students important connections
SPU students have ready access to an extensive alumni network and mentorship programs that nurture connections to their future careers.
Facilitated by the Center for Applied Learning, the Mentor Program offers students from any major an opportunity to connect with a mentor who can give them real-world insight and a chance to see a vocation from the inside.
Whether a student is set on a future career or still exploring vocations, the Mentor Program can help. Students choose from three tracks — Mentor, Job Shadow, or Career 360. In the Mentor Track, a student may meet with a mentor three to five times during a year. Students still exploring careers may choose the Job Shadow Track, following a professional for a half-day as they seek insight into a career path. Still other students are drawn to a specific company, but aren’t sure where they’d fit. The Career 360 Track allows them to have one-on-one meetings with individuals in a company to give them a sense of how an organization operates.
Mentors represent a wide variety of vocations — including news organizations, nonprofits such as World Concern, financial institutions, law firms, hotels, law enforcement agencies, and many more. Said Kate Barker, associate director of the Center for Applied Learning, “We are happy to engage with most individuals as a potential mentor; we never know who we will need to call on because we search for a mentor based on a student’s particular criteria.” Find out more and read about students’ and mentors’ experiences.
Student-loan exit interviews for graduates
Graduating seniors who are also student-loan borrowers will soon have access to Student Financial Services’ student-loan exit counseling sessions via Zoom. During these sessions, students will receive information about their rights and responsibilities, the terms and conditions of various types of loans, the repayment terms of loans, and the repayment benefits that various loans can offer.
Students who will graduate in June 2021, or by the end of the coming summer, will receive specific information about the dates and times of these sessions. If your student will graduate soon, has student loans, but will be unavailable for the student-loan exit interview, Student Financial Services will send a recording of the session to your student.
SPU Voices Podcast
The SPU Voices Podcast is a bimonthly interview show dedicated to telling inspiring and compelling stories about the greater SPU community. Recent episodes include:
- “Emergency Response,” with Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director of Harborview Medical Center's emergency department.
- “No One’s Listening and It’s Your Fault,” with Pam Marmon MBA ’12, a change-management expert and owner of two consulting businesses.
Visit the SPU Voices Podcast website to listen to the episodes, view transcripts, and explore past shows. Subscribe on all streaming platforms.
Upcoming events
Book Celebration 2021
Thursday, April 22
3–4:30 p.m.
Virtual
Join Seattle Pacific University’s Center for Biblical and Theological Education, School of Theology, and Seattle Pacific Seminary for a special event highlighting our faculty authors. Faculty authors include Daniel Castelo, Katie Douglass, Brenda Salter McNeil, Rob Wall, and more. For more information and a link to the event, visit the website.
Women’s Volleyball vs. Western Washington
Friday, April 23, and Saturday, April 24
5 p.m. and 12 p.m.
SPU Sports YouTube channel
The SPU Falcon women’s volleyball team takes on the Western Washington Vikings in Royal Brougham Pavilion. Due to COVID-19, no fans are permitted in the stands, but you can watch the game live on the SPU Sports YouTube channel.
15th Annual Perkins Lecture
Tuesday, April 27
10:30 a.m.
Virtual
Brenda Salter McNeil, associate professor of reconciliation studies and author of the recent book Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage to Pursue Racial Justice Now, gives the 15th annual Perkins Lecture, focusing on the work of women in reconciliation through the biblical story of Esther as a launch for our also “Becoming Brave.” Visit the website for the link to the lecture.
Men’s Soccer vs. Western Washington
Saturday, May 1
1 p.m.
SPU Sports YouTube channel
The SPU Falcon men’s soccer team takes on the Western Washington Vikings at Interbay Stadium. Due to COVID-19, no fans are permitted in the stands, but you can watch the game live on the SPU Sports YouTube channel.
Women’s Soccer vs. Central Washington
Saturday, May 1
3 p.m.
SPU Sports YouTube channel
The SPU Falcon men’s soccer team takes on the Central Washington Wildcats at Interbay Stadium. Due to COVID-19, no fans are permitted in the stands, but you can watch the game live on the SPU Sports YouTube channel.
Memorial Day
Monday, May 30
No classes. Offices closed.
2021 Commencement
Sunday, June 13
Visit the Commencement website for the most up-to-date information on this year’s Commencement events.
IMMERSE Youth Discipleship Academy
Sunday, July 11–Saturday, July 17
SPU campus and Whidbey Island’s Camp Casey
$850 per student
A seven-day youth discipleship academy for high school-aged Christian leaders, IMMERSE is hosted on campus at SPU and at our beautiful Camp Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island. Visit the IMMERSE website for complete information.
Academic calendars
SPU academic calendars, including important deadlines, final exam schedules, holidays, and academic highlights for 2020–21.