Meet Your Colleague: A Q&A with Jonathan Moo, Assistant Professorof Biblical Studies

Name: Jonathan Moo

Job title: Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies

Department: Theology

How long have you worked at Whitworth? One year

What do you like best about your job? Getting to know students, sharing with them in the challenge and joy of learning, and so often finding ourselves, in the midst of the academic study of ancient texts, confronted by the beauty, power, majesty and terrifying love of the triune God

In what ways do your gifts and abilities help meet the needs of the campus community you serve? I hope that I can help all of my students, whatever their background or beliefs, come to know the Christian scriptures better and to be captivated by the God whom they reveal to us. I hope that I can encourage and teach theology majors to strive for academic excellence in their scholarship but also never fail to hear the living word of God. I also hope that I can serve the community more widely by building on my interests in the relationship between theology and science and cultivating scientifically-informed and biblically-rooted discussions on ecology and the environment.

Favorite book: A River Runs Through It, by Norman Maclean (assuming that ‘Desert Island Books’ rules apply, and the Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare are taken for granted)

Favorite movie: “Once Upon a Time in the West” (or really any film directed by Sergio Leone and scored by Ennio Morricone)

Favorite food: Truffle pasta (necessarily accompanied by good red wine, perhaps a Brunello)

Favorite music: Bach and Johnny Cash

Favorite animal: Moose – I nearly did a Ph.D. studying them, and we share similar habitat preferences

Guilty pleasure: Maps (the release of Google Earth in 2005 set back my Ph.D. by a week)

Hobbies: Travel, hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing and ski touring, fishing, canoeing, and reading. Now that I’m settling down here in Spokane, I hope to return to some long-neglected pursuits such as fly-tying, hunting and carpentry, as well as helping my wife grow our own fruit and vegetables.

Best vacation ever: Probably the last time my wife and I went to Tuscany, in October 2009, when we stayed in an agriturismo just outside Montepulciano. We usually seek out wilder places when we travel, but over the years we have fallen head-over-heels in love with Italy – the landscape, the people, the food, the wine, the beauty of the light . . . .

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois

We’d be surprised to know that…I’ve never owned a cell phone or a television (but I’m not really a Luddite! My wife and I watch films and television shows via the Internet).

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? It’s very hard to choose, because there are so many places I would love to go, but most recently I’ve been dreaming of a long wilderness expedition somewhere in eastern Siberia.

If you could try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? I’d make my living writing novels and essays on natural history, theology, and the environment, but really spend most of my time out of doors, live in a cabin in the mountains of northwest Montana, and travel the world (somehow, in my dream, without adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere). In all honesty, though, teaching theology at a place like Whitworth and living relatively near mountains already represents the fulfillment of a dream!

What is your favorite sound? I can’t choose between the call of a loon echoing across a northern lake on a misty morning; the early summer sound of running water and birdsong high in the Rockies; the ringing of church bells in a European village (especially on Christmas morning!); or an ancient cathedral choir singing Bach or Palestrina or Brahms or Verdi or Byrd or Handel.

If the whole world was listening, what would you say? If it were truly possible to communicate in a way that all the world could hear and understand, I would proclaim the good news of Christ.

Favorite childhood book: The earliest book I remember reading over and over again is “Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” In grade-school I loved Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Favorite childhood TV show: “The Dukes of Hazard”

If you could go on a road trip with anyone (from the past or present), who would you choose and where would you go? My wife, Stacey, to Alaska

Job Opening: Administrative Support Specialist, Information Systems Department (Internal Posting)

Reporting to the associate director of information systems, you would facilitate communication between information systems and other campus departments; provide operational support to the administrative staff; manage the student work schedule to cover main campus phone line coverage; memorialize colleagues in photo IDs; and be the first point of contact for SharePoint help desk related support tasks.

You must be a high school graduate (college study desirable) with excellent communication and computer skills, and have the ability to function effectively independently and as a member of a team. This position is a Grade 9 and will be opened to the public on Monday, June 27, 2011, if it has not been filled by an internal candidate. To view the full position description and apply for this position, please visit www.whitworth.edu/jobs and click on “Current Job Openings.” You will find the position under “Staff and Faculty Openings – Current Employees Only.”

Mary Alberts
Employment Manager
Human Resource Services
malberts@whitworth.edu

Meet Your Colleague: A Q&A with Laura Reber, Training Specialist, Human Resource Services and Information Systems

Name: Laura Reber   

Job title: Training Specialist

Department: Human Resource Services and Information Systems

How long have you worked at Whitworth? Three years

What do you like best about your job? I always say I have the best job on campus – it’s like being a cruise director: I get to meet all of the new people coming aboard and interface with them in their first year with our NEO programs (New Employee Orientation); I get to help people find their way around Microsoft applications with on-call help and training sessions; I get to find new ways to challenge our outstanding crew with personal and professional development; and I get to be involved in planning and organizing the fun community-building events that HR sponsors.

In what ways do your gifts and abilities help meet the needs of the campus community you serve? My Strengths Finder* list is Connectedness, Learner, Intellection, Relator and Empathy, and I use all of these on the job at one point or another. It’s my intention that I provide training and support in a manner that allows individuals to be confident about who they are, what they know, and what they are learning, and to plant the seeds of transformation that enhance personal and professional excellence, which in turn supports of our mind-and-heart mission. (*Ask me about the Strengths Finder assessment!)

Favorite book: Sacred Roads: Adventures from the Pilgrimage Trail, by Nicholas Shrady

Favorite movie: I don’t watch a lot of movies, but I enjoy a light-hearted comedy, action-adventure or “chick-flick” involving travel or exotic places.

Favorite food: Italian, Thai, Mexican… what’s cooking?!

Favorite quote: “No matter where you go, there you are.”

Favorite music: I’ll listen to just about anything...my Pandora list includes genres such as jazz, crooners, New Age, movie soundtracks, world music, “oldies,” club/dance, and pop.

Favorite animal: Dog – especially my two basset hounds, Owen and Watson!

Guilty pleasure: Tiramisu gelato

Hobbies: Writing, painting, cooking/entertaining, gardening, travel and photography… to name a few.

Best vacation ever: All of my travels are meaningful in their own way, but those that immediately come to mind are a Baltic Heritage Cruise, which included a day trip into Moscow (standing in Red Square was pretty trippy); my solo trip to Norway and Italy for 40 days; and the last trip I took to the Oregon Coast with my dad before he passed. Say “Road trip!” and I’m there.

Birthplace: Spokane – in fact I was raised, educated, and have lived and worked all within a five-mile radius of the Whitworth campus my entire life. I suspect that’s why travel is so appealing to me. ;-)

We’d be surprised to know that…I can say the alphabet backwards.

I collect…memories.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Hmmmm…where wouldn’t I go?

What fictional character best describes you? Yoda

If you could try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? I would open a series of wilderness retreat centers focused on alternative healing, spiritual support, and artistic endeavors; in the desert, at the ocean, in the mountains, and with options for group travel-retreats.

What is your favorite sound? Water! Ocean waves, raging rivers, babbling brooks, raindrops on a tin roof, and backyard fountains.

What is your life motto? “Sure, why not?!”

If the whole world was listening, what would you say? “Can you hear me now?” because I like to start on a lighter note, then I’d whisper, “Be still…” and suggest a few deep cleansing breaths.

Favorite childhood book: Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

Favorite childhood TV show: “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” (Did I just carbon date myself

Least favorite word: Should

If you could go on a road trip with anyone (from the past or present), who would you choose and where would you go? In 2006 I visited Tromsø, Norway, 350k north of the Arctic Circle. This time I would take my Dad and go back in the 1870s to meet my great grandfather and see how he lived prior to immigrating to the U.S.

Best high school class subject: Honors English

Review of End-of-Year Fiscal Deadlines

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the end of another fiscal year, please see below for a review of our end-of-year deadlines. By meeting these deadlines you will help us better prepare for our audit and successfully close fiscal year (FY) 2011.

REVENUE PROCESSING

1. Deposit/Notification of Gifts (in cash, checks, credit cards and in-kind). All funds and/or notification of in-kind gifts are expected to be submitted to the Whitworth Institutional Advancement Office (June Hansen) as soon as they are received (please deliver cash and checks by hand). In order for these funds to be posted to FY 2011, please submit your deposit/notification into June’s office by 12 p.m. on June 30, 2011.

2. Deposits of Miscellaneous Revenues. As normal, all deposits are expected to be submitted to the cashier daily (please remember to deliver cash and checks by hand). In order for the deposits to be posted in FY 2011, please submit all cash and checks to the cashier’s window by 12 p.m. on June 30, 2011.

EXPENSE PROCESSSING

1. Purchase Orders (P.O.s): We anticipate that if the P.O.s were in place by May 31, all items will most likely be received by June 30. For the exceptional cases where this does not happen, departments will need to contact us and submit documentation (i.e. e-mails, correspondence, etc.) evidencing that all possible efforts were made with the vendors to receive the items by June 30. Unless we hear from the departments before July 15 reporting that there have been unforeseen issues delaying deliveries, we will assume that all items received after June 30 are to be charged to the 2012 budget.

2. Purchasing Card (P.C.) Transactions: As long as the purchased items and services are received by June 30 and the funding to pay for those items is still available in the department’s budget at the end of the year, we will process this procurement against the FY 2011 budget. As in prior years, in order to avoid posting delays in P.C. transactions, we have requested PNC Bank to temporarily freeze our purchasing cards from June 20-30, 2011. This means that all purchases and travel charges to be paid with the purchasing card must be done by June 17, 2011. If you anticipate any problems with this temporary freeze, (i.e. traveling during the freezing period) please contact us immediately so we can address your specific situation with the bank.

Please keep in mind that we will keep the accounts payable (A/P) purchasing card open for any emergencies and we will be happy to assist your department with any last-minute needs during the freezing period.

Also please remember the following:

- If you will be gone before the end of June and have June charges on your P.C., please contact Cynthia before you leave so you can get your log sheet early, complete it and turn it into A/P before you leave for the summer.

- If you will be here but your supervisor will be gone at the time June log sheets are due, please contact Cynthia to obtain an early log.

- If you will be gone all summer and will not need your P.C., we suggest you leave it in a locked desk at Whitworth or send it to A/P for safekeeping to prevent using it by mistake. It causes a great difficulty when charges are made against P.C.s, log sheets are generated, but the employee and/or supervisor is off campus for the summer.

- If you are a P.C. holder and will be off campus during the summer, please check your e-mail periodically around the end of the month to see if there are questions regarding your PC log.

3. Other Procurement Less Than $5,000. This includes honorariums, pending invoices, mileage reimbursements, petty cash expenses, and expense reimbursements. Any goods and/or services rendered/received prior to or on June 30, 2011, need to follow the same requirements as Purchase Orders and Purchasing Card transactions, i.e. all documentation and check requests need to be submitted for reimbursement as close as possible to June 30 and no later than July 15, 2011. Unless we are notified before or on that date that a specific good or service was received before June 30 and that there are delays in receiving billing documents, we will post all documents received after July 15 against next year's budget. July 15 is the date we start closing our books in preparation for the auditors’ visit.

Please remember that, just as it has been done in the past, items or services (other than travel and memberships) with a value greater than $200 purchased this year but to be used/distributed next fiscal year (i.e. airline tickets, publications, memberships, etc.) will be considered as "pre-paid expenses" and will be charged to next year's budget.

4. Departments That Have Been Notified about Overspent Budgets. Please remember that unless timely funding transfers are processed, we will be unable to process further expenses (i.e. Purchasing Cards charges, invoices, reimbursement etc.). This includes operating lines as well as all student employment lines.

Budget officers, please note that incurring additional expenses once the department’s budget is exhausted is in direct violation of the university’s policy and qualifies as a work-performance issue.

5. Payroll: deadlines for web timecards in June are the same as other months. For the June 1-15 pay period to be paid on June 27 for students and June 30 for staff, all web time must be entered by June 18 for students; by June 20 for semi-monthly; and by June 24 for monthly staff.

Regarding the June 16-30 pay period, the student pay date is July 12, with timecards closing on July 3. The staff pay date is July 15, with timecards closing on July 5. All web-time must be entered by July 5. As always, any changes to the W-4 form or direct deposit information need to be submitted to the Whitworth Payroll Office two weeks prior to pay day.

We really appreciate your help with the compliance of these deadlines and all our policies. Please feel free to call us with your questions, comments or concerns regarding these deadlines or any other issues.

Thanks much in advance for your help.

Blessings,

Luz Merkel

Associate Vice President
Finance and Administration
509.777.4225
lmerkel@whitworth.edu

Meet Your Colleague: A Q&A with Bonnie Wakefield, Assistant Director of Graduate Studies in Business

Name: Bonnie Wakefield

Job title: Assistant Director

Department: Graduate Studies in Business

How long have you worked at Whitworth? 14 years

What do you like best about your job? Working with students and seeing the changes in their lives after obtaining their master’s degree

In what ways do your gifts and abilities help meet the needs of the campus community you serve? We are very student service-oriented in our department and I hope my ability to serve and truly care about students is reflected in my work.

Favorite book: Usually the one I’m reading if it’s a good one. Currently, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Favorite movie: “The Princess Bride,” because our family knows lots of the funny lines

Favorite food: Italian and Middle Eastern

Favorite quote: “Keep looking up,” my dad

Favorite music: 70s oldies and Christian artists like Fernando Ortega

Favorite animal: Golden retrievers, especially puppies

Guilty pleasure: Baskin-Robbins peanut butter and chocolate ice cream

Hobbies: Playing with my grandchildren

Best vacation ever: Yellowstone Park when our kids were young

Birth place: Seattle

We’d be surprised to know that…I won $10,000 during a Seattle Storm halftime basketball shooting contest with my husband and daughter (a former Whitworth women’s basketball player).

I collect…pictures of my grandchildren.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Greece

If you could try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? I would start a business training golden retrievers to be seeing eye/helper dogs

What is your favorite sound? A baby’s giggle

What is your life motto? To love God and love people

If the whole world was listening, what would you say? “Love one another”

Favorite childhood book: Lassie Come-Home

Favorite childhood TV shows: “JP Patches” and “Captain Kangaroo”

Least favorite word: Sucks

If you could go on a road trip with anyone (from the past or present), who would you choose and where would you go? I would go with my husband and visit all the national parks in the U.S. (and visit our grandchildren along the way).

Best high school class subject: I went to an experimental high school and we didn’t have traditional classes, so I would say hanging out with my friends...by the way, the experiment failed and regular classes were instituted two years after I graduated.

Whitworth Welcomes Six New Employees

Name: Mark Krahn
Job title: HVAC Specialist
Department: Facilities Services – Maintenance

Name: Aaron (AJ) Nelson
Job title: General Trades
Department: Facilities Services – Maintenance

Name: Sharon Larsen
Job title: Custodian
Department: Facilities Services – Custodial

Name: Tara Rhodes-Elken
Job title: Security Officer
Department: Facilities Services – Security

Name: Scott Brooks
Job Title: Purchasing & Warehouse Manager
Department: Facilities Services

Name: Jake Landsiedel
Job Title: Resource Conservation Manager
Department: Facilities Services

Welcome to Whitworth!

Human Resource Services: Employee Wellness Newsletter

Human Resource Services regularly shares information provided to us by recognized organizations that promote health and wellness. Below is the Employee Wellness Newsletter from Spokane Regional Health District for the month of June.

Employee Wellness Newsletter June 2011

Correction in Dental Insurance Rates for Whitworth Employees Covering Dependents

Whitworth’s dental insurance premiums should have reflected a rate decrease of 3%, as of June 1, 2011. Because we collect premiums in advance, hourly employees who are covering dependents will see the new rates in their June 15 paycheck, along with an adjustment for June premiums paid in May. Exempt employees will see the new rates in their June 30 paycheck, along with the rate adjustment for June premiums paid in May.

New dental rates as of June 1, 2011, are:

	Total Premiums	Whitworth Contribution	Employee Out-of-Pocket Contributions
Employee Only	$               41.15	$           41.15	$                   0
Employee & spouse	$               85.68	$           41.15	$             44.53
Employee & child(ren)	$               85.46	$           41.15	$             44.31
Employee & Family	$             129.99	$           41.15	$             88.84

We’re sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

Human Resource Services

Fire Alarm Testing to Take Place on Campus

SimplexGrinnell will be on campus this week and next (June 13-17 and June 20-24) to perform fire alarm tests across campus. There isn’t a set schedule, although they will start with unoccupied residence halls. If you have a particular event scheduled in your building in the next two weeks, please let us know and we will do our best to work around your schedule. We apologize for the inconvenience.

To contact Facilities Services, please call x3254 or e-mail fsadmin@whitworth.edu.

Meet Your Colleague: A Q&A with Professor of Sociology Raja Tanas

Name: Raja S. Tanas

Job title: Professor and Chair

Department: Sociology

How long have you worked at Whitworth? 28 years

What do you like best about your job? Learning never ceases; it is new every morning.

In what ways do your gifts and abilities help meet the needs of the campus community you serve? I serve as builder of bridges for understanding between the American and Middle Eastern societies.

  

Favorite book: The Crescent through the Eyes of the Cross: Insights from an Arab Christian (NavPress, 2008)

Favorite movie: “Grease”

Favorite food: Fish prepared any way, anywhere, and by anyone

Favorite quote: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts. (From "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare)

Favorite music: Listening to the lute

Favorite animal: Lemur

Guilty pleasure: I scream for ice cream

Hobbies: Carpentry, gardening and playing chess

Best vacation ever: Climbing the Rock of Gibraltar, on the Mediterranean Sea, with my wife, Amal

Birthplace: Jaffa (the biblical city of Joppa), Palestine

We’d be surprised to know that…I play the diatonic button accordion.

I collect… stamps.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Easter Island

What puppet character best describes you? Cookie Monster

If you could try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? Establish a Middle East Studies Center at Whitworth University

That is your favorite sound? The sound of the ocean

What is your life motto? Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.

If the whole world was listening, what would you say? “Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.”

Favorite childhood book: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs  

Favorite childhood TV show: Did not have TV during childhood

Least favorite word: Absolutely

If you could go on a road trip with anyone (from the past or present), who would you choose and where would you go? I would go on a road trip with Amal to Alaska.

Best high school class subject: Math