Annual diversity lecture launched
SPU’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion launched its inaugural diversity lecture in January with Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, to a standing room-only crowd. His lecture, open to the community, explored the connection between the church and racism throughout American history and offered practical steps for Christians to understand and fight against their complicity in institutional racism, both individually and corporately. The annual lecture is designed to provoke thought, extend conversations, and inform current practices related to Universitywide diversity efforts.
Christmas concert thrills
Student vocalists and instrumentalists delighted a sold-out Benaroya Hall crowd last November with sacred Advent music and Christmas carols from around the world at the annual Sacred Sounds of Christmas concert. For two decades, the concert — SPU’s gift to Seattle — has grown in both acclaim and popularity. In the coming months, look for details about the event in a new format: Behold: A Sacred Sounds of Christmas Virtual Celebration on Saturday, December 12, at 7 p.m.
Faith & Co. expands reach
A second season of the Faith & Co. documentary film series is now available, along with a free online course exploring how faith shapes the way organizations engage with employees. The eight-week study for Faith & Co: Serving Employees may also be taken for credit (for a nominal fee) and applied toward an SPU graduate business degree. For-credit participants can then earn a certificate by taking at least three of the four planned seasons’ courses. The newest films follow the first season, Business on Purpose.
New students serve Seattle
CityQuest, an annual Orientation event that enlists incoming students in a day of service with local nonprofits, was held last September with 500 students helping at 22 partner sites around Seattle. Sites included Seattle Goodwill, Rainier Valley Food Bank, El Centro de la Raza, King County Parks, St. Therese Catholic Academy, CRISTA Senior Living, Operation Nightwatch, and more. SPU faculty, staff, student leaders, and alumni served as hosts, providing contextual and relational support for participating students.
Nursing project helps nonprofit
SPU senior nursing students worked with staff at the Seattle nonprofit REST (Real Escape from the Sex Trade) to create resources for survivors of sexual exploitation and the health care providers who serve them. With REST as a clinical site for their service learning project, the student team expanded a health care provider toolkit (created by previous SPU student nurses) and created content for a poster for health care settings to educate and remind providers how to provide trauma-informed care to survivors of sexual exploitation.
Students serve in Philippines
SPU nursing and health and human performance students traveled to the Philippines last December for a two-week study abroad community health course experience. Students worked directly with local ministry leaders and citizens to determine community needs and to develop and implement health promotion projects focused on women’s health and first aid.
Downtown Business Breakfast sponsors redirect support
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Peggy Noonan was set to be the featured speaker at this year’s Downtown Business Breakfast, SPU’s largest spring community event. When statewide quarantines forced the cancellation of the breakfast, corporate partners stood with the University and immediately redirected their sponsorships to help offset COVID-19 response expenses and to sustain student programs. The University gratefully acknowledges their support: US Bank, Zevenbergen Capital Investments, Ellis, Li & McKinstry PLLC, Clark Nuber PS, Fischer Plumbing, Amicus Law Group, PC Hollander Hospitality, and Stokes Lawrence.
Teacher workshops held in Asia
School of Education faculty created and facilitated teacher development workshops for more than 300 teachers in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Jakarta last summer. Led by associate professors Munyi Shea and David Wicks, the workshops focused on student-centered learning, digital education, action research, work-life balance, and subjective well-being. SPU is establishing research and program partnerships with Jakarta’s Krida Wacana Christian University.
SPU supports community Big Read
This year, students across SPU’s campus read Julie Otsuka’s debut novel, When the Emperor Was Divine. The National Endowment for the Arts named the book this year’s Big Read, which enables communities to come together to read a book and host a series of events around the book’s topics.