The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last FIVE draws, the total pot has grown to more than $11,300, with half going to the winner of the draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic programs. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panthers app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

The UPEI Men’s Hockey team are getting ready to host the national championship, the U SPORTS Cavendish Farms University Cup, March 16–19. For U-Cup tickets, we are offering the special price of $75 for a staff-faculty tournament pass, which includes all eight games, representing a 50 per cent saving. To purchase a pass, faculty and staff must go to the Eastlink Centre box office in person and present their UPEI ID. UPEI will play its quarter-final game on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, at 7:00 pm! Don’t forget to wear your “green” and white! 

Due to inclement weather forecast over an extended period this week, and in the interest of safety for all concerned, the public presentations by candidates for the Dean of Education have been cancelled and will be rescheduled to a later date.

The first-ever UPEI Panther Pitch competition took place two years ago as part of the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program. This year, UPEI's Experiential Education Department is re-offering the program through March, culminating in a pitch competition in May. To be eligible for the Panther Pitch, students must register their teams by March 12, 2023. To read the full story and for details on how to apply, please CLICK HERE!

First- and fourth-year students in Arts, Business, Engineering, Nursing, and Science have been invited to fill out the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to help UPEI improve student experiences. Students who complete the survey are eligible to win prizes.  

Thank you to the students who have completed the survey. Three students have won a prize. The second draw of three early bird prizes will take place on Friday, March 31. If you have not responded or if you have started but not finished the survey yet, it is not too late to check your UPEI email for the invitation and complete the survey to be eligible for the prize draws. 

 If you have questions about the survey, please contact Dr. Yuqin Gong, Manager of Institutional Research, at the Office of VP Academic and Research, via 902-566-0361 or ygong@upei.ca. 

IT Systems and Services will be performing network maintenance on Sunday, March 12, from 8:00 to 10:00 am. During this time, there will be intermittent connectivity on the campus network. 

If you are off campus, many services such as Microsoft solutions (including email), Google, Zoom, upei.ca, Moodle, etc., that are in the cloud will not be impacted.  

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. 

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last FIVE draws, the total pot has grown to more than $11,300, with half going to the winner of the draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic programs. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panthers app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

UPEI faculty/staff receive massive discounts on small group training and specialty fitness classes at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.  

Small Group Training: Twelve classes with a personal trainer, in a group of six, in a private studio cost UPEI faculty/staff  $55+hst per person. Regular price is $140+hst per person. Also, we have an affiliated kinesiologist and CPT-CSEP trainer. Receipts can be used for benefit claims if applicable with your health insurance.

Specialty Fitness Class programs (12 classes) cost UPEI faculty/staff $30+hst per person. Regular price is $105+hst per person. The specialty classes have already started but at that price, it's still worth it.   

Fitness subsidies are applied on the back end, which gives UPEI faculty/staff the great prices listed above. To find out more about the above programs, dates, and times, please log into recreation.upei.ca. Click on the highlighted green UPEI LOGIN button and log in with your UPEI credentials. As you look through the programs, the system will automatically give you the cheaper price. Registration and payment can be made online.

Another small group training option: If you have six faculty/staff who would like to have a small group training opportunity but at a different time, please contact Angela Marchbank, Coordinator of Fitness & Wellness, at amarchbank@upei.ca with your request. We'll try and work out different group times with a trainer if possible.

The UPEI Health, Safety, and Environment department (HSE) is offering Standard First Aid/CPR training sessions:

Standard First Aid/CPR
March 23 and 24, 2023
8:30 am–4:00 pm
Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Room 142

This comprehensive two-day course offers first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for those who need enhanced training as a work requirement (high-risk areas such as labs).

The cost of registration will be covered by HSE for all UPEI faculty and staff, including students who require training for on-campus employment. Students who do not require training for on-campus employment are welcome to attend; however, the cost of registration will not be covered. Please note that lunch will not be provided.

As space is limited, please pre-register by contacting Jacky Buell by the end of the day Tuesday, March 14, 2023, via email (hse@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901).

IT Systems and Services will be performing network maintenance on Sunday, March 12, from 8:00 to 10:00 am. During this time, there will be intermittent connectivity on the campus network. 

If you are off campus, many services such as Microsoft solutions (including email), Google, Zoom, upei.ca, Moodle, etc., that are in the cloud will not be impacted.  

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. 

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last FIVE draws, the total pot has grown to more than $11,300, with half going to the winner of the draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic programs. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panthers app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, April 7, for the April meeting.    

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

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

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

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

The UPEI Men’s Hockey team are getting ready to host the national championship, the U SPORTS Cavendish Farms University Cup, March 16–19. For U-Cup tickets, we are offering the special price of $75 for a staff-faculty tournament pass, which includes all eight games, representing a 50 per cent saving. To purchase a pass, faculty and staff must go to the Eastlink Centre box office in person and present their UPEI ID. UPEI will play its quarter-final game on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, at 7:00 pm! Don’t forget to wear your “green” and white! 

WCB will be combining these two presentations:

Workplace Safety for Supervisors
Supervisors play a critical role in ensuring health and safety in the workplace. Because they direct the work of others, supervisors are well-positioned to impact safety culture at work. This session will introduce participants to the concept of due diligence, and inform them of the legal responsibilities supervisors have for worker safety.

Young Worker Safety: Changing the Culture
Participants will learn what is now known about the significant influence supervisors can have on young worker safety, and how employers and supervisors might capitalize on this. Participants will hear what young PEI workers say about their hesitation to raise their workplace safety concerns, and what they can do to encourage young workers to speak up.

This session is for anyone on campus in a supervisory role.  To register, please contact Jacky Buell at hse@upei.ca or (902) 566-0901 by April 4, 2023.

Overview: The Certificate in Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being is designed for individuals who endeavour to keep a strong sense of well-being and good mental health among colleagues and themselves throughout these challenging times.

This certificate program will involve three one-day courses that will examine topics such as signs and symptoms of weakening mental health, strengthening mental health and well-being, supporting others struggling with mental health and well-being, building resilience, psychological health and safety in the workplace, preventing and managing burnout, and managing time and productivity in order to reduce stress.

At the end of the program, participants will be able to improve their mental health and well-being for themselves and others around them.

Please note that if a participant has already completed the “Managing Your Time and Productivity” course within the Executive Administration Certificate, they will be credited with the “Managing Stress, Time and Productivity” course within the Certificate in Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being due to the similarities between the two courses.

Designed for: People who are looking to monitor and/or improve mental health and well-being at home and at the workplace, among themselves and with co-workers and colleagues.

Duration: Three courses for a total of 18 hours; each course takes 1 day, with each day going 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon.

Facilitators: Jodi LeBlanc, Kailea Switzer

For more information: https://files.upei.ca/professionaldevelopment/upei_certificate_in_workplace_mental_health_and_well-being.pdf

Register: https://www.upei.ca/professional-development/certificates/certificate-in-mental-health-and-well-being

Are you a chief warden, floor warden, or guardian for your building? Do you know what to do if there is a building evacuation? Do you have questions about your role as a warden or guardian or the evacuation procedures for your building?

UPEI Health, Safety, and Environment will hold a building emergency plan session for chief wardens, floor wardens, and guardians on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at 10:15 am in Andrew Hall Room 142. The session should only take 30 minutes.

Please let hse@upei.ca know if you are interested in attending.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, April 7, for the April meeting.    

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

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

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

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

Workplace harassment can undermine a person's dignity and well-being. When not addressed, it can lead to negative outcomes for the workplace, including absenteeism, stress, and decreased morale. This session will introduce participants to the new Workplace Harassment Regulations and outline the employer and worker responsibilities in establishing a harassment-free workplace.

To register, please email Jacky Buell at hse@upei.ca or (902) 566-0901 by Friday, March 31, 2023.

Join us on March 21 at 7:00 pm for an Island Lecture Series presentation by marine ecologist Dr. Irené Novaczek on the ecosystem restoration project at Basin Head. Basin Head was designated as a "Marine Protected Area" under the Oceans Act in 2005, to conserve and protect a unique strain of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) which is thought to exist only within the confines of Basin Head.

The talk will focus on adaptive management of the marine protected area to ensure that the unique giant form of Irish moss at Basin Head is able to survive in the coastal lagoon environment, which is challenged by the impact of local agriculture, invasive European green crabs, and ongoing climate changes.
 

The Campus Peer Support Program, a pilot project funded by Health Canada, is now open to serve students. Operating out of the Mawi'omi Indigenous Student Centre on the fifth floor of Dalton Hall, the service employs six students with lived experience in mental health and/or addictions who have been trained in peer support to talk to and support students who have their own concerns with these issues.

Peer support is the process of disclosing of one's personal experience with mental health problems and/or addictions. Peer support is an emerging area in the development of tools and resources to help people who are struggling with their mental health. In Prince Edward Island, the Canadian Mental Health Association – PEI division holds a contract with the provincial government to offer clinical peer support services as a part of the province’s mental health strategy. UPEI, in partnership with CMHA-PEI and with generous funding from Health Canada, is one fo five 5 pilot sites across the country to establish a campus peer support program.

Peer support is open on Monday, Friday, and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm as well as Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00 to 9:00 pm

Please direct inquiries to:

Campus Peer Support lead Kate Jeffery: k.jeffery@cmha.pe.ca

UPEI Student Affairs' senior counsellor James Reddin: jareddin@upei.ca