What is Professional Development?
Traditional professional development opportunities take two forms: 1) enhancing the skills necessary to carry out one’s current responsibilities effectively; and 2) learning about new areas to support growth for future roles.
What makes Professional Development at PLU unique?
Our approach recognizes something fundamental: that effectiveness and satisfaction at work are deeply connected to overall well-being, sense of purpose, and personal growth. We’re taking an integrative and holistic approach that connects the dots between different aspects of your professional life. Some of the opportunities we offer may help you grow in your current role, others may support your thinking about new possibilities, and still others may simply ground your understanding of different aspects of the university by connecting you with others.
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Events for All PLU Employees (Faculty & Staff)
Teaching Resources
Leadership Resources
Affinity & Community Resources
Wellbeing Resources
Asynchronous Resources
PD Days
Fall Professional Development Days
Fall Professional Development Days | Tuesday, 10/20 through Thursday, 10/22 (with bonus event 10/19)
Registration is now LIVE (through 10/11/26). Please complete this short form to register today!
See below for additional information about the sessions offered each day (click on the day to expand to see session details).
We’ve designed PD Days with PLU’s Wellbeing Ecology in mind, curating sessions that explore and support multiple dimensions of wellbeing. The sessions below have icon indicators for which dimension(s) of wellbeing relate to session content; click on the icons to learn more about each wellbeing dimension!
Board (Games) at Work
Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Presenter(s): Magdalena Stickel, Assistant Director for Center for DJS & Confidential Advocate
Location: AUC 143
Description: A monthly staff/faculty board game meet-up. We will have games, but feel free to bring your own too! This is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues from across campus who you might not have met before, a perfect team-building space for future cross-campus partnerships!
Leadership Learning Happens Everywhere
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Presenter(s): Nicole Juliano, Director for the Center for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability
Location: AUC 203 (Regency)
Description: In classrooms, on shifts with colleagues, moments with our family and communities – leadership learning happens everywhere. In this session you will learn about PLUʻs leadership learning attributes, reflect on your recent leadership learning moments, and connect with colleagues across campus about cultivating a culture of leadership learning throughout campus.
Practical Strategies for Human-Centered Classrooms
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Presenter(s):
Dr. Hazel Zaman, Assistant Professor of Social Work & Interim Director of Gender, Sexuality, and Race Studies
Dr. Paul Sutton, Associate Professor of Education & First Year Experience Program (FYEP) Director
Location: AUC 201
Description: The research routinely shows that students engage more deeply with our courses when they feel seen, heard, and valued. Many of the most effective strategies and practices that help us do that work better are not groundbreaking, nor do they demand a total overhaul of our course design. In this session, we’ll be using a case study approach to discuss easy-to-implement practices and strategies we use that help all students feel a sense of agency and belonging in our classrooms.
Keynote: Budget Basics in Banner
Time: 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Presenter(s): Vince Young, Associate Vice President for Finance
Location: AUC CK (214) – East
Description: Tactical and Practical approach to budget management. Session will review how to look up your budget, how to plan your spending, the effect of POs, All kinds of accounting jargon and what it means (Expense, Budget, and Fund Transfers; FOAPs; prepaid expenses; capitalization; Other exciting topics…)
Foundations Yoga
Time: 12:15 PM – 12:45 PM
Presenter(s): Rachel Howard, Assistant to the Dean of Health
Location: AUC 133
Description: This yoga session will incorporate breathwork and meditation, alongside a gentle yoga sequence. Yoga is restorative for the mind, body, and soul – and all are welcome, whether you are new to yoga, or an experienced yogi. I am honored to be your guide for the 30 minutes we practice together. However, you are your greatest teacher. Trusting yourself to honor what feels safe as we move together, is key. You never need permission to come in and out of a pose, and a resting posture is always encouraged. While we practice in community, remember that your practice is individual and does not need to mirror your fellow yogis. I hope to see you on the mat!
Building a Better (Slide) Deck
Time: 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM
Presenter(s): Amy Young, Professor of Communication
Location: AUC 203 (Regency)
Description: In this workshop, we’ll cover both theoretical–how visual communication operates–and super practical–how to use presentation tools more effectively–so you can start creating more impactful slides for any kind of presentation. If time allows, we can also get into more about presenting effectively, but at least your visuals will rock.
Responsive Mentoring for Professional Growth and Belonging
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Presenter(s): Dr. Wendy Gardiner, Professor of Education – Literacy & Jolita Hylland Benson Endowed Chair
Location: ADMN 215
Description: Effective mentoring requires a distinct, learnable repertoire. This interactive session explores responsive mentoring as collaborative work: building trust, recognizing expertise and agency, staying oriented to what matters to the person being mentored, and using inquiry, honest conversation, and shared problem-solving to support professional growth and belonging. We will also consider how identity, professional position, experience, and power can shape mentoring relationships– and what makes support meaningful, relevant, and actionable.
Soup’s On! Fast, Frugal Fall Comfort Food
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Presenter(s): Anthony McGinnis, Executive Chef
Location: AUC 214 (CK) – West
Description: Warm up your week night cooking with hearty fall soups and stews that deliver big flavor without a big grocery bill. Participants will explore time-saving techniques, smart make-ahead strategies, and affordable cuts of meat that become tender and delicious with simple cooking methods.
Co-Working Space for Mandatory Annual Compliance Training (Option 1 of 2)
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Presenter(s): Professional Development Days Committee
Location: AUC 201
Description: Required trainings are more fun when done together! Join us for co-working time for community support to complete Mandatory Annual Compliance Trainings! These trainings are essential for us to meet federal, state, and insurance regulations, as well as maintain our eligibility for funding and accreditation. By ensuring all personnel are up-to-date on these topics, we strengthen our community and uphold our commitments to safety and professionalism. The following mandatory training modules will be released on October 5th and due on November 2nd (these trainings take ~2 hours to complete). Modules need to be completed online by each individual, so please bring your own device (or let us know if you need a device provided) and earphones; the space will be set up so we can complete them on our own, together.
- Cybersecurity (via KnowBe4, ~19 minutes)
- Hazing (via Vector, ~53 minutes)
- Sexual Misconduct – Title IX (via Vector, ~28 minutes)
- Campus Security Authorities(Clery Act): Roles and Responsibilities (via Vector) – only required for Campus Security Authorities(CSAs)
- Protecting Minors on Campus (via Vector, ~9 minutes)
PD Days Social
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Presenter(s): Professional Development Days Committee
Location: AUC 100 (Scandinavian Cultural Center)
Description: Let’s connect! An fun social for employees attending Fall Professional Development Days (i.e., who register for at least one session) to gather in community with shared snacks and conversation!
Scones & the Spirit
Time: 8:40 AM – 9:00 AM
Presenter(s): Rev. Jen Rude, University Pastor
Location: AUC 133
Description: Every Wednesday morning, 8:40-9:00am. A brief mid-week sacred pause for spiritual conversation, prayer & PLU’s famous scones. Open to students, faculty, and staff.
Helping Students Translate Their PLU Experience into Career Skills
Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Presenter(s):
Katie Gutierrez-George, Career Coach and Internship & Employer Lead
Heather Ellis, Career Coach and Career Development Lead
Location: AUC 201
Description: Students are gaining valuable experience in your classrooms, campus jobs, and experiential learning, but can they articulate those skills to employers? Join Heather and Katie, two of our PLU career coaches, to discover low-lift, high-impact strategies that help students translate their experiences into career readiness without adding to your workload.
Telling the PLU Story: Why We’re Here, What We Do, and Why It Matters
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Presenter(s):
Melody Ferguson, Dean of Admission & Interim AVP of Marketing & Communications
Emily McCann, Director of Admission Marketing & Communication
Jessica Pagel, Executive Director of Alumni & Student Connections
Rev. Jen Rude, University Pastor
Location: AUC 133
Description: What makes PLU, PLU? Our answer to that question shapes how we welcome students, engage our communities, talk about our work, and understand our shared purpose. In this interactive conversation, colleagues from across PLU – including Admission, Marketing & Communications, Campus Ministry/Wild Hope and Alumni & Student Connections – will explore the different ways we experience and tell the PLU story. Together, we’ll consider PLU’s unique value proposition, university vocation, mission, and the experiences that make our community distinctive. We’ll also look at how each of us, regardless of our role, can help articulate that story authentically and connect the work we do every day to the larger PLU story. Come ready to listen, share, and consider: What is the story only PLU can tell and what part do you play in telling it?
Gemini 101: A Beginner’s Guide (and Quick Refresher) for Faculty and Staff
Time: 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
Presenter(s):
Kevin Berg, Chief Information Officer
Dr. Bridget Yaden, Vice Provost for Student Success & Academics
Location: AUC 201
Description: Join Kevin from I&TS and Bridget from ASE for Gemini 101, an interactive, one-hour hands-on workshop designed primarily for beginners, though anyone looking for a friendly refresher on campus AI tools and best practices is warmly welcome to attend!
Lunch with Wellbeing Committee & Blue Zones
Time: 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM
Presenter(s): PLU Wellbeing Committee & Blue Zones
Location: AUC CK (214)
Description: Join members of the Wellbeing Committee and our local Blue Zones partners during the conference lunch to learn more (passively) about PLU’s Wellbeing Ecology and opportunities for wellbeing support, at PLU and beyond! Information about PLU’s Wellbeing Ecology programs and table prompts to support connection will complement the open lunch socializing time!
Walking Moai
Time: 12:15 PM – 12:45 PM
Presenter(s):
Dr. Bridget Yaden, Vice Provost for Student Success & Academics
Location: Meet at Martin Luther Statue in Red Square
Description: What is a moai? Pronounced “mo-eye”, it is a social support group that originated in Okinawa, Japan and it translates to “meeting for a common purpose.” Meet at the Martin Luther Statue in Red Square join PLU colleagues in a 30-minute stroll around campus.
Co-Working Space for Mandatory Annual Compliance Training (Option 2 of 2)
Time: 1:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Presenter(s): Professional Development Days Committee
Location: AUC 201
Description: Required trainings are more fun when done together! Join us for co-working time for community support to complete Mandatory Annual Compliance Trainings! These trainings are essential for us to meet federal, state, and insurance regulations, as well as maintain our eligibility for funding and accreditation. By ensuring all personnel are up-to-date on these topics, we strengthen our community and uphold our commitments to safety and professionalism. The following mandatory training modules will be released on October 5th and due on November 2nd (these trainings take ~2 hours to complete). Modules need to be completed online by each individual, so please bring your own device (or let us know if you need a device provided) and earphones; the space will be set up so we can complete them on our own, together.
- Cybersecurity (via KnowBe4, ~19 minutes)
- Hazing (via Vector, ~53 minutes)
- Sexual Misconduct – Title IX (via Vector, ~28 minutes)
- Campus Security Authorities(Clery Act): Roles and Responsibilities (via Vector) – only required for Campus Security Authorities(CSAs)
- Protecting Minors on Campus (via Vector, ~9 minutes)
Creative Collective
Time: 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Presenter(s):
Magdalena Stickel, Assistant Director for Center for DJS & Confidential Advocate
Dr. Jes Takla, Assistant Provost for Strategic Initiatives
Location: Red Square (rain: AUC Grey Area)
Description: We’re sketchy people doing sketchy things. Which includes drawing and moves beyond “I can’t draw (& other lies I’ve [been] told about creativity).” We embrace a more expansive understanding of creativity and explore how, through be(com)ing critical creatives, we can use everyday creativity in our daily lives for joyful connection and purposeful support of diversity, justice, and sustainability. Open to all PLU staff and faculty. A casual moment to take a mid-week pause and stretch our sketching muscles in company every 2 weeks. No drawing experience necessary! Hosted by Magdalena & Jes. This is a great opportunity to explore creative ideas for work projects and lean into be(com)ing critical creatives! Supplies provided but feel free to bring your own.
Silent Book Club
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Presenter(s):
Samantha Graham, Conferences & Events Manager
Magdalena Stickel, Assistant Director for Center for DJS & Confidential Advocate
Location: AUC 135
Description: Silent Book Club is a global community of readers with 2,200+ chapters in 70 countries. There’s no assigned reading — it’s bring your own book. More than a million members gather in person, online, and in destinations around the world to read together and swap stories. Open to students, staff, and faculty — All readers are welcome!
PD Days Coffee Gathering
Time: 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Presenter(s):
Dr. Joanna Gregson, Executive Vice President of University Strategy and Effectiveness
Shalita Myrick, President and Chief Operating Officer for University Finance & Operations
Dr. Joanna Royce-Davis, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics and Student Experience
Location: AUC Grey Area (2nd/Main Floor)
Description: Let’s connect! Warm up with coffee and breakfast snacks! A space to gather and socialize for employees attending Fall Professional Development Days (i.e., who register for at least one session)!
Pay Attention! Getting Curious about Attention & Learning
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Presenter(s): Dr. Missy Widmann, Visiting Assistant Professor of Kinesiology & Co-founder of Neural Education
Location: AUC 201
Description: How does the brain actually pay attention, and what gets in its way? This interactive session breaks down the core mental processes of attention and how common disruptions like switch-tasking and rumination create “attention residue.” You will leave this session with practical insights and strategies to optimize learning and focus.
Fuel Your Well-being: Getting to Know Your Gut Microbiome
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Presenter(s): Dr. Karen McConnell, Professor of Kinesiology
Location: AUC 133
Description: Inside your digestive system there’s a living community of 40 trillion micro-workers that power your mood, focus, and immunity. Join us as we explore the gut microbiome and consider how adding plant diversity to your weekly routine can transform the health of your gut and impact your overall well-being. Leave ready to embrace the 30 plants a week challenge!
Keynote: The Power of PLU’s New Design
Time: 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Presenter(s):
Dr. Joanna Gregson, Executive Vice President of University Strategy and Effectiveness
Shalita Myrick, President and Chief Operating Officer for University Finance & Operations
Dr. Joanna Royce-Davis, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics and Student Experience
Location: AUC CK (214)
Description: Join Joanna Gregson, Executive Vice President for University Strategy and Effectiveness, Shalita Myrick, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Finance & Operations, and Joanna Royce-Davis, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics and Student Experience, for an inspiring fireside chat-style conversation on where PLU is headed next. We’ll walk through our updated organizational structure and share how this renewed design unlocks exciting new opportunities for our campus, accelerates our strategic goals, and sets the stage for what’s ahead.
Enneagram Lunch & Learn
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Presenter(s): Laree Winer, Director for the Wild Hope Center for Vocation
Location: AUC 135
Description: Enneagram Lunch & Learn is a weekly, casual lunch conversation group that explores the Enneagram as a tool for personal and professional growth and interpersonal relationship building. The Enneagram is a powerful tool that helps us understand our motivations, core beliefs, and unconscious patterns that drive our behavior. There are 9 core Types; one of the Enneagram Types is dominant for each of us. Topics in this lunch series have included identifying your Type, team dynamics and Types, and other creative explorations of this model. Please bring your own lunch (lunch not provided).
Introduction to Adobe Express
Time: 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM
Presenter(s): Janelle (JB) Brockman, Instructional and Multimedia Technologist
Location: AUC 133
Description: Learn about Adobe Express: an accessible, all-in-one, cloud-based design and content creation tool. Adobe Express provides creative assets, pre-made templates, and a host of tools to help you create eye-catching designs without needing advanced design skills. PLU provides licenses for faculty, staff and students, and we now offer built-in PLU Brand assets upon request.
The Stick is Broken: Rethinking Grading as Motivation
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Presenter(s): Dr. Jennifer Smith, Associate Provost for Core Curriculum & Faculty Development
Location: AUC 201
Description: Traditional grading practices are at a crossroads. If grades are meant to motivate students, why do they so often lead to anxiety, disengagement, and even academic dishonesty? This session unpacks the myth of grading-as-motivation and considers various alternative grading practices that can lower student stress, increase intrinsic drive, and help instructors find more joy in teaching.
Emotional Intelligence & Mental Resilience
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Presenter(s):
Jenifer Nazarawski, Counseling Supervisor for Wellbeing Services & Resources
Dr. David Ward, Dean of College of Health Professions and Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy
Location: AUC 133
Description: This session delivers a practical guide to developing emotional intelligence and mental resilience, at PLU and beyond. Learn to address stress, cultivate empathy, and thrive through mindset amidst organizational change.
Yarn Group
Time: 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM
Presenter(s): Rev. Jen Rude, University Pastor
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church
Description: A weekly gathering of knitting, crocheting, crafts and community! Drop by any week, stay as long as you can. All supplies provided. No experience necessary – there’s always someone who can teach you the basics. A partnership between PLU Campus Ministry and Trinity Lutheran Church Parkland. Hosted at Trinity Lutheran – enter through glass doors on Wheeler St (across from PLU library)
Topics on Tap - Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature
Time: 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Presenter(s): Magdalena Stickel, Assistant Director for Center for DJS & Confidential Advocate
Location: 208 Garfield
Description: What can nature teach us about thinking differently and dreaming beyond our current labels, systems, and status quo? No need to have read the book, no need to be queer, this meet-up will be a conversational reflection prompted by tidbits from Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian’s Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature.
Community Building Through Community Giving: Trivia for PLU Pantry
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM & Beyond
Presenter(s):
Dr. Paul Sutton, Associate Professor of Education
Dr. Amy Young, Professor of Communication
Location: KHP 201 (Ness Lobby, 2nd floor of Eastvold)
Description:
Spring Professional Development Days (Save the Dates)
- Tuesday, 3/2
- Wednesday, 3/3
- Thursday, 3/4
We are currently beginning to plan for specific sessions! Please let us know if there are topics you’d love to see and/or if you or someone you’d nominate would be a great presenter by completing this brief form.
More information, including the full schedule and registration link, will be available in the coming weeks.
Coming soon! We are in the process of creating a digital hub for PD Days sessions materials and recordings of selected sessions.
PLU Events
PLU All-Campus Events
There are several events throughout the year that are “all-call” opportunities, meaning all hands are welcome and encouraged to engage, promote, and/or implement these events! Throughout the year, you will receive emails with more information about how you can volunteer, attend, or otherwise support these events!
Although these may not seem like traditional “PD”, through these volunteer and engagement opportunities, employees can gain new and deepened University connections, sometimes with colleagues they don’t get to interact with all the time, and new skills by trying on different roles to support these events.
Fall Preview Day
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 | 10:00am – 3:30pm
LUTE Welcome: New Student Orientation
Dates: Friday, September 4 – Tuesday, September 8, 2026
We welcome new Lutes to campus during LUTE Welcome! Please keep a look out for new Lutes and their supporters and help welcome them to campus! If you have questions about NSO, please email engage@plu.edu.
Convocation
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
The ceremony takes on special meaning as students convene together in Olson Auditorium to participate in the first commemoration of their academic experience at PLU. All employees are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Convocation schedule for Tuesday, September 8, 2026:
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9:30 a.m. — Faculty begin to line up at Mortvedt Library for processional down the hill
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9:45 a.m. — University offices close to allow all employees to attend Convocation
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10:00 a.m. — Convocation ceremony
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11:15 a.m. — University offices reopen
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12:15 p.m. — Classes begin
Homecoming & Family Week
Dates: Friday, October 9 – Sunday, October 11, 2026
Bjug Day of Giving
Dates: Tuesday, October 13 – Wednesday, 14, 2026
Spring Commencement
Dates: Thursday, May 27 & Friday, May 28, 2027
Dialogue Groups
Seminar & Reading Groups
Seminar and reading groups are professional development cohorts that meet ~monthly for a semester or full academic year for discussion about a topic or theme.
“Well That Wasn’t So Bad After All”: Becoming More Conflict-Forward
Lead by Dream Gonzales, Community Director, Academic & Student ExperienceThrough a series of readings and discussions, we will explore what it means to become a more conflict-forward professional, moving forward in conflict with openness, confidence, and goals of restoration. We will:
- Reflect on our personal understanding of conflict and approach to conflict navigation/resolution
- Explore the role of check-ins and feedback as a tool for relationship building before, during, and after conflict
- Engage concepts of restorative communication and practices
This group will meet once a month for the fall semester. Each meeting will be 1.15 hours with nibbles and sips provided.
Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell
In a world without white people, what does it mean to be Black?
One day, a cataclysmic event occurs: all of the white people in America walk into the nearest body of water. A year later, Charlie Brunton is a Black man living in an entirely new world. Having served time in prison for a wrongful conviction, he’s now a professor of electric and solar power systems at Howard University when he receives a call from someone he wasn’t even sure existed: his daughter Sidney, a nineteen-year-old left behind by her white mother and step-family.
Together we will:
- Reflect on our social identities and how we show up in spaces
- Examine the characters, and then ourselves, through the lens of Racial Identity Development
- Analyze how white supremacy culture shows up in this book as well as at PLU.
- Reimagine PLU as a university
Topics on Tap
Topics on Tap
Topics on Tap are monthly, casual conversation with PLU staff, while you enjoy a beverage of your choice! Join us for community engagement and learning together. All Topics on Tap will be at 4:00p at 208 Garfield. Nibbles provided; drinks on your own. Register HERE
Interactive Book Report: Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature (with Magdalena Stickel, Assistant Director of DJS)
Thursday, October 22
What can nature teach us about thinking differently and dreaming beyond our current labels, systems, and status quo? No need to have read the book, no need to be queer, this meet-up will be a conversational reflection prompted by tidbits from Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian’s Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature.
Are We Cooked Chat? (with Dream Gonzales, Community Director)
Tuesday, November 3
Do you advise/supervise students? Join us for a conversation on the laughs (and sometimes tears) that comes with working with students in this capacity. We’ll chat through challenges, points of pride, and strategies on finding authentic connection with students while working in an advisory/supervisory role.
Becoming CRITICAL CREATIVES: Scholar Outside the Lines (with Dr. Jes Takla, Assistant Provost for Strategic Initiatives)
Wednesday, December 2
Everyday creativity, or small “little-c” creative acts and daily problem solving, is a skill that anyone can cultivate! When applied with a critical (i.e., DJS-oriented) intention, everyday creativity can steward positive change for ecological and social justice and support mutual flourishing. Join us as we “scholar outside the lines” in this fun, interactive, and creative Topics on Tap session!
Enneagram
Enneagram Lunch & Learn
Enneagram Lunch & Learn is a weekly, casual lunch conversation group that explores the Enneagram as a tool for personal and professional growth and interpersonal relationship building. The Enneagram is a powerful tool that helps us understand our motivations, core beliefs, and unconscious patterns that drive our behavior. There are 9 core Types; one of the Enneagram Types is dominant for each of us. Topics in this lunch series have included identifying your Type, team dynamics and Types, and other creative explorations of this model.
Email Jes Takla (jes.takla@plu.edu) to be added to the weekly Google Calendar invitation.
Queer Affinity
Queer Affinity Programs
Affinity spaces are for folks who share a particular social identity. In this case, these programs are for Lutes who identify as LGBTQIA2S+. There are biweekly opportunities to engage. Queer Coffee/Walks, for faculty and staff only, once per month. And Queer Connections, for students, faculty, and staff once per month.
Queer Coffee has been an employee affinity space where faculty and staff can meet monthly! Sometimes gathering at various locations across campus for a warm beverage and sometimes taking it to the campus via a Queer Walk, these opportunities provide space to gather, connect, and celebrate all that is queer! Email Magdalena Stickel (mks@plu.edu) for more information and to be added to the Google Calendar invitation.
First Queer Connections: Friday, September 11, 2026 from 11am-12:30pm.
Come join us for a queer meet and greet, enjoy some treats, and find out how you can get involved with PLU’s queer community. This is the first queer program of the year and an awesome way to wrap up the first week of school! We welcome our new and returning 2SLGBTQIA+ students, staff, and faculty to join us. Accessibility: We will be in the Center for DJS, where there is a variety of seating and bathrooms across the hall. Low level music may be played. The space is accessible by ramp, stairs, and elevator. For questions please email djs@plu.edu
Save the Dates for Upcoming Queer Connections:
- October 11 (topic & location coming soon!)
- Week of November 9th (for Gender & Sexuality Week — date, topic, and location coming soon!)
Fun Groups
Employee Social Groups
Employee social groups span a range of fun topics that bridge building community for social wellbeing with other topics of interest, such as: creativity, physical movement, board games, and more! Email Magdalena Stickel (mks@plu.edu) for more information about these opportunities!
We’re sketchy people doing sketchy things. Which includes drawing and moves beyond “I can’t draw (& other lies I’ve [been] told about creativity).” We embrace a more expansive understanding of creativity and explore how, through be(com)ing critical creatives, we can use everyday creativity in our daily lives for joyful connection and purposeful support of diversity, justice, and sustainability.
Open to all PLU staff and faculty. A casual moment to take a mid-week pause and stretch our sketching muscles in company every 2 weeks. No drawing experience necessary! Hosted by Magdalena & Jes. This is a great opportunity to explore creative ideas for work projects and lean into be(com)ing critical creatives! Supplies provided but feel free to bring your own. If it’s too cold or rainy for Red Square we will meet in the AUC grey area. Email mks@plu.edu to join the gcal invite or with any questions
A monthly staff/faculty board game meet-up. We will have games, but feel free to bring your own too! This is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues from across campus who you might not have met before, a perfect team-building space for future cross-campus partnerships! Email mks@plu.edu with any questions or to join the gcal invite
Silent Book Club is a global community of readers with 2,200+ chapters in 70 countries. There’s no assigned reading — it’s bring your own book. More than a million members gather in person, online, and in destinations around the world to read together and swap stories. All readers are welcome! The PLU chapter will meet twice each month, with one on the first Tuesday morning of the month and the other on the 3rd Wednesday evening of the month. Email mks@plu.edu with any questions or to join the gcal invite.
Blue Zones
Blue Zones Programs
Blue Zones programs are sponsored by the PLU Wellbeing Committee. These weekly events or on-your-own opportunities support PLU’s designation as a Blue Zones Workplace, part of the Blue Zones Project Parkland-Spanaway. Blue Zones Project is a community-wide, evidence-based approach to improving health and well-being that makes healthier choices easier for everyone living in Parkland-Spanaway.
Join us for weekly yoga and/or walking moai programs or engage in our parking challenge to get more steps on your own!
Foundations Yoga for PLU students, faculty, & staff. Free class. Beginners welcome.
Tuesdays 12:15 to 12:45 pm
We are thrilled that one of PLU’s own, Rachel Howard with the COHP, will be partnering with Blue Zones in leading the 30 min Yoga Series being offered every ‘Tuesday’ at 12:15-12:45 pm.
The upcoming yoga series will incorporate breathwork and meditation, alongside a gentle yoga sequence. A survey will be provided to attendees, pertaining to yoga styles and offerings. Remember, the practice of yoga is the practice of grace and openness. Therefore, there are no wrong answers. Merely curiosity on how we can meet the interests, grow excitement, and have some fun.
Yoga is for the mind, body, and soul – and all are welcome, whether you are new to yoga, or an experienced yogi. The hardest part is to make it to the mat (or chair), but we are stronger together and your presence is magical. Rest assured that this 30 minutes of wellness is restorative, not high endurance. No need for athletic gear, as you can return to your regular schedule without fearing the effects of an intensive (and smelly) workout.
Learn more on the PLU Calendar.
Wednesday Walking Moai: meet at the Martin Luther Statue in Red Square at a new time at 12:15 pm every Wednesday and join PLU colleagues in a 30-minute stroll around campus. What is a moai? Pronounced “mo-eye”, it is a social support group that originated in Okinawa, Japan and it translates to “meeting for a common purpose.”
Learn more on the PLU Calendar.
Join PLU staff and faculty in a friendly Blue Zones Parking Challenge! Park in one of our two designated parking spots to get in a few extra steps on the way to your office. Fill out this form when you use one of the spots. Each month, Blue Zones will select a recipient of a prize. You can enter more than once – one entry per day that you park in a Blue Zones parking spot. There are two designated spots: One in Morken and one in Mordtvet lots (pictured in form linked here –>). Use this form to submit your entries!