The 2023 Atlantic Association of Universities Teaching Showcase will take place on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The keynote speaker will be David Newhouse, Professor of Indigenous Studies, Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. Professor Newhouse was the first principal of the new Peter Gzowski College at Trent University and has been Chair of the Department of Indigenous Studies, now the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, since 1993. For more details about the full day of session and to register, go to the AAU Teaching Showcase website.

Robertson Library and the International Student Office (ISO) present...Send a Postcard Home!

Write a postcard to your family and/or friends back home to let them know you're thinking of them while you're here at UPEI! Postcards are FREE - and we'll mail your postcard for you FREE!!

Place a dot on the world map to indicate the country where you are sending your postcard. We mailed postcards to over 34 countries when we held the event last semester! Can we surpass that number this time?

Enjoy some treats while you are writing your postcard!

Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 11 am–1 pm

Location: Robertson Library lobby

Everyone is welcome!

The Chemistry Department invites you to a retirement celebration of our colleague Dr. Russ Kerr on Friday, October 13, from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Fox & Crow. Light refreshments will be available. All are welcome!

This week, October 8–14, is Fire Prevention Week in Canada. The theme of Fire Prevention Week 2023 is “Cooking Safety Starts with You.”

Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity, and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips, you can prevent these fires:

• Be alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for a short time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire—oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains—away from your stovetop.

If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire...

• On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

When in doubt…

• Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• Call 9-1-1

For more fire safety tips and information, visit the PEI Department of Justice and Public Safety website at:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/justice-and-public-safety/fire-prevention-resources
 

With no winners in the last EIGHT draws, the total pot has grown to more than $26,300 and is the LARGEST Gold Rush pot to date, with half going to the winner of the draw!

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic and recreation programs. You can now select a specific team, club, or program to direct your proceeds from each of your tickets. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

Interested in learning about cloud computing, programming with R, using spreadsheets or SQL, or version control with Git? More training from ACENET for the fall is now open for registration. Sessions are online and free of charge.

If you have questions about upcoming training or ACENET services at UPEI, contact Kaitlin Newson.

Cloud from A to Z
17, 19, 24, 26 October, 1300-1600hrs Atlantic
Cloud computing provides great flexibility, allowing complete control of the computing environment. In addition, the environment can be copied, backed up, created, and recreated in an automated way. In these lessons, we will start you on the path toward making use of the great flexibility and power of cloud computing. We will be using the popular static website generator Jekyll. Prerequisite: Completion of Software Carpentry's Unix Shell, or similar experience. DETAILS & REGISTER

Introductory Programming with R
18, 25 October, 1300-1630hrs Atlantic
This is a beginner-level series that is hands-on, covering the fundamentals of R. This includes data types, functions, importing, manipulating and analyzing data, and data visualization, as well as program design, version control, data management, and task automation. The goal is to teach the practical knowledge needed to start programming, debugging, and using R in everyday tasks. You do not need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented or previous programming experience, but intermediate level experience with a computer is recommended. DETAILS & REGISTER

Using Spreadsheets for Humanities, Social Sciences, and Librarians
8 November, 1330-1630hrs Atlantic
This beginner-level workshop is the first session of our Humanities & Social Sciences Data Organization & Analysis Series. To use tools that make computation and analysis more efficient, such as programming languages like R or Python, we need to structure our data the way that computers need the data. In this workshop, you will learn good data entry practices, how to avoid common formatting mistakes, approaches for handling dates in spreadsheets, basic quality control and data manipulation, and exporting data from spreadsheets. We will focus on examples and challenges from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and library research fields, and use librarycarpentry.org materials. There are no prerequisites. DETAILS & REGISTER

SQL for Humanities, Social Sciences, and Librarians
15, 22 November, 1230-1530hrs Atlantic
This two-part session is the second of our beginner-level Humanities & Social Sciences Data Organization & Analysis Series. Many web applications, research project websites, and library and archival repositories store data in relational databases. A relational database can help you keep your data separate from your analysis, improve quality control of data entry, reduce duplication of data, and improve your ability to search across large and complex datasets. Structured Query Language, or SQL, is a powerful language used to search and manipulate relational databases. This workshop teaches participants about relational databases and SQL using SQLite. You will learn how to write queries in SQL and how to use aggregate functions to combine data. It uses examples and challenges from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and library research fields and uses librarycarpentry.org materials. There are no prerequisites. DETAILS & REGISTER

Using Git Tools to Manage File Changes and Collaborate: Version Control
21 November, 1300-1630hrs Atlantic
Version control is the practice of managing and sharing changes to documents, programming code, websites, or any other files to keep track of what’s been changed, by whom, when, and why. All previous versions of files are saved, and you can even revert to a previous version. Git-portal sites, like GitHub or GitLab, offer many useful features to facilitate collaborative development. This is a two-part series. In this beginner-level first session, we will show you how to create a repository, record changes to files, explore and restore from the recorded history, and resolve conflicts (when one member overwrites another’s changes). DETAILS & REGISTER

Using Git Tools to Manage File Changes and Collaborate: Collaboration
28 November, 1300-1630hrs Atlantic
This is the second session of our two-part series. This workshop will focus on collaborative development workflows using Git-collaboration sites like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, and will demonstrate how to work with branches, issue tracking, contribute to projects using pull-/merge-requests, code-review, run CI/CD-pipelines, and use other common features of these platforms. Prerequisite: basic experience using Git version control, participation in the 21 November workshop, or attendance at the Git lecture of a software carpentry workshop. DETAILS & REGISTER

Visualization with R
29 November, 1300-1500hrs Atlantic
When working with large sets of numbers, it is often more useful to display the information graphically using histograms, scatter plots, bar charts, box plots, and other depictions. This workshop teaches participants how to gain insights into data through visualization using R as the programming language. Participants will learn how to create simple scatterplots, histograms, and box plots; compare the plotting features of base R and the ggplot2 package; plot with ggplot2; plot time series data; and arrange and export plots. Basic knowledge of R is recommended, although not mandatory. DETAILS & REGISTER

The UPEI Health and Wellness Centre is providing flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics for all students as well as faculty, staff, and their families in October. (Please note that children aged 12 and under have to go to Public Health for the COVID-19 booster, and children aged 2 and under have to get their flu shots at Public Health.) These are mass clinics (appointments are not required), and the vaccines are provided free. Please bring a provincial health card or student ID. You can receive both the flu shot and the COVID-19 booster at the same time, but it will require two injections.  

October 18: McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

October 19: McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm

October 25: The McCain Foundation Learning Commons Atrium, AVC, 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Search Committee for the Associate Vice-President (Students) and Registrar announces upcoming presentations by each of the finalist candidates. Since the search began in May, the committee has undertaken a comprehensive search and selected the following finalists for a series of stakeholder meetings on campus. Presentations are scheduled on the following dates and times.

Chris McGrath is the Principal and Founder of the Koru Coaching + Education Group, an organization dedicated to cultivating leadership capacity for social change, particularly for Indigenization and EDI within organizations. He held prior roles as Vice-President, Students (George Brown College), Dean of Students (Seneca College), Associate Vice-President, Student Experience and Registrar (Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College), and Assistant Dean, Student Affairs (University of Toronto, Mississauga). Chris holds an EdD (Western University), an MEd (University of Vermont), and a BA (University of Waterloo).

• Public Presentation: Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, AVC, Room 201A

Frances Billingsley is the Associate Registrar and Director, Student Records and Scheduling, at York University. Previously she held registrarial and student service roles at MacEwan University (Director, Student Financial Aid; Associate Registrar, Records and Registration; and Academic Advisor) and the University of Alberta (Director, Undergraduate Student Services; Recruitment Officer; Student Advisor). Frances received her EdD in Educational Leadership from Western University (2022), and an MEd (2008), a BEd (2000), and a BA (1997) from the University of Alberta.

• Public Presentation: Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Andrew Hall, 142

Shawna Garrett is the President and CEO of EduNova Cooperative Ltd, an association of education and training providers in Nova Scotia. She has held prior appointments as a Transformation and Change Leader (College of the North Atlantic, CNA), Registrar (Mount Allison University and CNA, Qatar), and Executive Director, Enrolment Services (Acadia University). From 1999 to 2001, Shawna was the International Student Recruitment and Marketing Officer at UPEI. She holds an MEd (2007) from Acadia University and a BA (1997) from the University of Prince Edward Island.

• Public Presentation: Friday, October 13, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Andrew Hall, 142

All are welcome to attend. For any who are unable to attend, the presentations will be recorded and available afterward for viewing from a secure site. Paper copies of each candidate’s CV will be available for viewing in the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research, Kelley 205. Following each presentation, you are invited to provide feedback on the candidate’s suitability for the role to vpar@upei.ca. All feedback will be considered by the committee in its deliberations.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, November 3, for the November meeting.

Please note that as of June 1, 2020, all animal user protocols must be submitted through UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

For new protocols, select "applications," and for renewal or amendment protocols, select "events."

 UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx. 

Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The committee requires at least one month for processing applications.

The University of Prince Edward Island received the sad news yesterday that Dr. Carlo Lavoie, chair of the Department of Modern Languages and long-time associate professor in the Faculty of Arts, and the Honourable James Lee, former PEI premier, Saint Dunstan’s University alumnus, recipient of the Hon. Eugene F. Whelan Green Hat Award, and UPEI honorary degree recipient, have passed away.

The flags on campus have been lowered to half-mast in memory of Dr. Lavoie and Dr. Lee.

The Chemistry Department invites you to a retirement celebration of our colleague Dr. Russ Kerr on Friday, October 13, from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Fox & Crow. Light refreshments will be available. All are welcome!

This week, October 8–14, is Fire Prevention Week in Canada. The theme of Fire Prevention Week 2023 is “Cooking Safety Starts with You.”

Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity, and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips, you can prevent these fires:

• Be alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for a short time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire—oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains—away from your stovetop.

If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire...

• On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

When in doubt…

• Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• Call 9-1-1

For more fire safety tips and information, visit the PEI Department of Justice and Public Safety website at:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/justice-and-public-safety/fire-prevention-resources
 

Please join the Office of Commercialization, Industry, and Innovation (OCII) on October 25, between 2:00 and 4:00 pm, at the Research Services Office in Room 112 of Kelley Memorial Building.

OCII offers knowledge and expertise on research collaborations to UPEI faculty, students, and staff.

We provide support in many areas such as developing research partnerships, safeguarding intellectual property (IP), and guidance through the process of commercializing products, ideas, and inventions that have the potential to generate tangible social and economic benefits.

This will be an excellent opportunity to meet with our OCII team and engage in conversations about how we can support and enhance the success of your research programs.

**Light refreshments will be provided.**

The Chaplaincy Centre is spreading gratitude this October with our Gratitude Graffiti Wall. We'll start things off on Tuesday, October 17, at 12:00 pm with a short multi-faith reflection on gratitude, and then add our graffiti to the wall. Feel free to drop by anytime before the end of October to add your gratitude to the wall.

The OER Development Program through the the Robertson Library and the Teaching and Learning Centre is accepting grant applications for the creation or adaptation of open educational resources (OERs). The grant types include:

Open Educational Resource or Textbook Grant: Two grants of up to $6000

•  the development of a new open educational resource or textbook on a topic that is currently not covered by an existing open resource or textbook 

 Open Textbook Adaptation Grant: up to $4,000

•  the adaptation of one or more open textbooks to create a new version or edition of an open textbook (i.e. a Canadian edition of an existing open textbook)

 Supplementary Resources Grant: up to $2,000

• the creation of ancillary materials for existing open textbooks, including, but not limited to test banks, slide decks, or interactive media, etc.

Applications that support first-year courses will be given priority as they reach the largest number of students, but all applications will be reviewed and considered. The deadline for applications is Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, with work expected to begin during Spring or Summer 2024. 

More information is available at https://library.upei.ca/OERProgram/grants.

Questions about your grant idea? Contact TLC@upei.ca. 

Questions about OERs? Read more at http://opencontent.org/definition/.

With no winners in the last EIGHT draws, the total pot has grown to more than $26,300 and is the LARGEST Gold Rush pot to date, with half going to the winner of the draw!

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic and recreation programs. You can now select a specific team, club, or program to direct your proceeds from each of your tickets. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

The Search Committee for the Associate Vice-President (Students) and Registrar announces upcoming presentations by each of the finalist candidates. Since the search began in May, the committee has undertaken a comprehensive search and selected the following finalists for a series of stakeholder meetings on campus. Presentations are scheduled on the following dates and times.

Chris McGrath is the Principal and Founder of the Koru Coaching + Education Group, an organization dedicated to cultivating leadership capacity for social change, particularly for Indigenization and EDI within organizations. He held prior roles as Vice-President, Students (George Brown College), Dean of Students (Seneca College), Associate Vice-President, Student Experience and Registrar (Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College), and Assistant Dean, Student Affairs (University of Toronto, Mississauga). Chris holds an EdD (Western University), an MEd (University of Vermont), and a BA (University of Waterloo).

• Public Presentation: Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, AVC, Room 201A

Frances Billingsley is the Associate Registrar and Director, Student Records and Scheduling, at York University. Previously she held registrarial and student service roles at MacEwan University (Director, Student Financial Aid; Associate Registrar, Records and Registration; and Academic Advisor) and the University of Alberta (Director, Undergraduate Student Services; Recruitment Officer; Student Advisor). Frances received her EdD in Educational Leadership from Western University (2022), and an MEd (2008), a BEd (2000), and a BA (1997) from the University of Alberta.

• Public Presentation: Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Andrew Hall, 142

Shawna Garrett is the President and CEO of EduNova Cooperative Ltd, an association of education and training providers in Nova Scotia. She has held prior appointments as a Transformation and Change Leader (College of the North Atlantic, CNA), Registrar (Mount Allison University and CNA, Qatar), and Executive Director, Enrolment Services (Acadia University). From 1999 to 2001, Shawna was the International Student Recruitment and Marketing Officer at UPEI. She holds an MEd (2007) from Acadia University and a BA (1997) from the University of Prince Edward Island.

• Public Presentation: Friday, October 13, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Andrew Hall, 142

All are welcome to attend. For any who are unable to attend, the presentations will be recorded and available afterward for viewing from a secure site. Paper copies of each candidate’s CV will be available for viewing in the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research, Kelley 205. Following each presentation, you are invited to provide feedback on the candidate’s suitability for the role to vpar@upei.ca. All feedback will be considered by the committee in its deliberations.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, November 3, for the November meeting.

Please note that as of June 1, 2020, all animal user protocols must be submitted through UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

For new protocols, select "applications," and for renewal or amendment protocols, select "events."

 UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx. 

Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The committee requires at least one month for processing applications.

The Chaplaincy Centre is spreading gratitude this October with our Gratitude Graffiti Wall. We'll start things off on Tuesday, October 17, at 12:00 pm with a short multi-faith reflection on gratitude, and then add our graffiti to the wall. Feel free to drop by anytime before the end of October to add your gratitude to the wall.

The OER Development Program through the the Robertson Library and the Teaching and Learning Centre is accepting grant applications for the creation or adaptation of open educational resources (OERs). The grant types include:

Open Educational Resource or Textbook Grant: Two grants of up to $6000

•  the development of a new open educational resource or textbook on a topic that is currently not covered by an existing open resource or textbook 

 Open Textbook Adaptation Grant: up to $4,000

•  the adaptation of one or more open textbooks to create a new version or edition of an open textbook (i.e. a Canadian edition of an existing open textbook)

 Supplementary Resources Grant: up to $2,000

• the creation of ancillary materials for existing open textbooks, including, but not limited to test banks, slide decks, or interactive media, etc.

Applications that support first-year courses will be given priority as they reach the largest number of students, but all applications will be reviewed and considered. The deadline for applications is Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, with work expected to begin during Spring or Summer 2024. 

More information is available at https://library.upei.ca/OERProgram/grants.

Questions about your grant idea? Contact TLC@upei.ca. 

Questions about OERs? Read more at http://opencontent.org/definition/.