Step on a rusty nail? Scratch yourself in the garden? Better look at your tetanus status! 

As we move into spring, people who enjoy working in the gardens or tackling renovations will get going on their projects. One of the issues that should be addressed is ensuring you are up to date with your tetanus boosters, which are due every 10 years. 

Tetanus is a serious and often deadly disease caused by bacteria that live in dirt, dust, and soil.  

What are the symptoms?

The toxin that is released into the body affects the nervous system, causing painful muscle spasms. The first symptom is usually a spasm of the jaw muscles ("lockjaw") followed by painful spasms of muscles in the face, neck, chest, abdomen, arms, and legs.

How is it spread?

Most people think they can get tetanus from stepping on a rusty nail. While this is true, you can get tetanus just as easily from a small scrape or a cut. You can get tetanus from any object that breaks open your skin while working in the garden or doing repairs to your home, or even from an animal bite.  

Who is at risk?

People of all ages can be affected by tetanus.

What vaccine is used to prevent it?

For adults: Tdap: Tetanus and diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine is most commonly used on PEI for adults, and it is recommended to receive a booster every 10 years for continued protection. If you have a PEI health card, you can access this vaccine at no cost at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre and Public Health Nursing. If you do not have a health card, you can purchase the vaccine at cost at pharmacies or travel clinics. 

Video: https://youtu.be/4EeVUHA4tmQ

Helpful sites: https://immunize.ca/diseases-vaccines

As part of the UPEI Hearing Conservation Program, audiometric testing will take place on June 9 and 16, 2023 in Kelley Memorial Building, Room 313. These tests take approximately ten minutes to complete. 

It is important, especially in high-volume workplaces, to have your hearing tested annually. All are welcome to attend.

Please pre-register for audiometric testing by contacting Jacky Buell at HSE@upei.ca  or 902-566-0901 by June 1, 2023.

Come and hear our story of the 34 UPEI people who participated in the May 2023 Medical Global Brigade in Guatemala. We will share the work it took to get there, what we did as volunteers in mobile medical clinics, and the learning and results we achieved.

All are welcome to join us on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, from 6:00 - 6:45 pm (PEI time):

• In person in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Room 128A. Free parking is available in Lot C.

• Online through Class Collaborate at https://ca.bbcollab.com/guest/31b51b2477434927a2f5f15f78b46ff4

The search committee for the Dean of Medicine has arranged the video presentations for finalists Dr. Preston Smith and Dr. Kent Stobart. 

Dr. Smith’s presentation can be viewed at the following link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/150drPU1weQrzRTbfNfu9QXYkKgQND6XI/view?usp=sharing  

Dr. Stobart’s presentation can be viewed at the following link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jxniHDKx5hr57I_gPD54IqxHkD9JY9BL/view?usp=sharing 

The committee welcomes your feedback on the candidates. Please send feedback by email to vpar@upei.ca by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Thank you for your valued input into this search process. All feedback remains confidential. 

With tools like ChatGPT now a part of life, work, and civic engagement, should capability with these tools be considered a learning outcome in and of itself? Consider this question with Professor Phillip (Phill) Dawson, co-director of the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE) at Deakin University, and Sarah Elaine Eaton, associate professor at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, two scholars whose work continues to be at the forefront of issues arising from the emergence of Chat GPT and other generative artificial intelligence. Learn more about generative artificial intelligence in the context of future-authentic assessment, a way of assessing that considers both current and future realities of a discipline during their virtual presentation on June 8, 2023. Use this link to get more details on this presentation and to register.  Note the time zone for this hybrid presentation is Calgary time! 

There will be a UPEI blood-borne pathogen training session on Thursday, June 1, from 10:30 am to noon in Kelley Memorial Building, Room 210.

This session is for those individuals whose research involves human blood, tissue, and other bodily fluids. If you wish to attend, you must pre-register by contacting Jacky Buell by the end of the day on May 29 by email (hse@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901). Please provide your name, department, email address, and phone number in your email or voice message. 

If you have any questions about this training session, please contact Dr. Rhoda Speare at rspeare@upei.ca or 902-566-5071.

In June 2021, eye and face protection became mandatory in all UPEI laboratory settings. Eyewear must be donned upon entry to the lab and worn for the duration of time in the lab. Should the activity be commonly occurring, and more specific eye protection is required, standard operating procedures must incorporate the specific eye protection. The type of protection used must be appropriate to the hazard and meets the standards and specifications of CSA Standard Z94.3-20, Eye and Face Protectors, or a standard offering equivalent protection. In many UPEI work processes, the potential for flying particles, dust, vapours, chemicals, or harmful rays to contact a person’s eyes or face causing injury exists. Appropriate protective eyewear and face protection is outlined in the sections below to protect against the specific hazard present, provide a comfortable and secure fit, and comply with CSA Standard Z94.3-20, Eye and Face Protectors.

 UPEI will provide safety eyewear as per Appendix Y or similar CSA-approved eyewear. If prescription eyewear is preferred, it will be at the individual’s own cost.

for more detailed information, please review the UPEI Lab Safety Manual and reach out to HSE@upei.ca if you have any questions.

H5P is a free and open-source content collaboration framework that lets you create richer instructional content with interactive elements to presentations, videos, and more. Come for an introduction or refresh your knowledge to create, share or reuse content that you can use in your class or on your Moodle page. This workshop will take place on Tuesday, May 30, at 10:00 am in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230. For more info or to RSVP, email TLC@upei.ca. 

The PEI Firefighters Association will be on campus on Thursday, June 16, at 1:00 pm to provide fire extinguisher training to any interested staff members of the campus community. If you have never used a fire extinguisher, this is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience without any danger during fully simulated training.

This event will be held in the outdoor area in front of the Central Utility Building. There will be a 15-20 minute discussion followed by a hands-on simulation!

Please register as spaces are limited due to the hands-on nature of the training. To register, contact Jacky Buell at HSE@upei.ca or 902-566-0901. The registration deadline is June 5, 2023.

ITSS will be migrating Don and Marion McDougall Hall to our new network on Saturday, May 27. We expect minimal disruption to staff and faculty during this time.

Once the migration is complete, please contact our helpdesk at helpdesk@upei.ca or call 902 566 0465 if you experience any network issues.

Please note this migration will not affect Wi-Fi.

Thank you,

ITSS Team

The search committee for the Dean of Medicine has arranged the video presentations for finalists Dr. Preston Smith and Dr. Kent Stobart. 

Dr. Smith’s presentation can be viewed at the following link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/150drPU1weQrzRTbfNfu9QXYkKgQND6XI/view?usp=sharing  

Dr. Stobart’s presentation can be viewed at the following link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jxniHDKx5hr57I_gPD54IqxHkD9JY9BL/view?usp=sharing 

The committee welcomes your feedback on the candidates. Please send feedback by email to vpar@upei.ca by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Thank you for your valued input into this search process. All feedback remains confidential. 

There will be a UPEI blood-borne pathogen training session on Thursday, June 1, from 10:30 am to noon in Kelley Memorial Building, Room 210.

This session is for those individuals whose research involves human blood, tissue, and other bodily fluids. If you wish to attend, you must pre-register by contacting Jacky Buell by the end of the day on May 29 by email (hse@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901). Please provide your name, department, email address, and phone number in your email or voice message. 

If you have any questions about this training session, please contact Dr. Rhoda Speare at rspeare@upei.ca or 902-566-5071.

H5P is a free and open-source content collaboration framework that lets you create richer instructional content with interactive elements to presentations, videos, and more. Come for an introduction or refresh your knowledge to create, share or reuse content that you can use in your class or on your Moodle page. This workshop will take place on Tuesday, May 30, at 10:00 am in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230. For more info or to RSVP, email TLC@upei.ca. 

The search committee for the Dean of Medicine has arranged the video presentations for finalists Dr. Preston Smith and Dr. Kent Stobart. 

Dr. Smith’s presentation can be viewed at the following link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/150drPU1weQrzRTbfNfu9QXYkKgQND6XI/view?usp=sharing  

Dr. Stobart’s presentation can be viewed at the following link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jxniHDKx5hr57I_gPD54IqxHkD9JY9BL/view?usp=sharing 

The committee welcomes your feedback on the candidates. Please send feedback by email to vpar@upei.ca by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Thank you for your valued input into this search process. All feedback remains confidential. 

The UPEI Board of Governors passed a balanced operating budget for the 2023–24 fiscal year at its meeting on May 23.

Dr. Greg Keefe, UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor (interim), invites all members of the University community to learn more about the budget at the

2023–2024 Operating Budget Presentation
Thursday, May 25, 3:00 pm
Lecture Theatre B, Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC 205N)

For those who unable to attend in person, here is the Zoom webinar link: https://upei.zoom.us/j/66173250277?pwd=bThxeklmdlJMNnBodk1jUFlsdFd6Zz09

With tools like ChatGPT now a part of life, work, and civic engagement, should capability with these tools be considered a learning outcome in and of itself? Consider this question with Professor Phillip (Phill) Dawson, co-director of the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE) at Deakin University, and Sarah Elaine Eaton, associate professor at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, two scholars whose work continues to be at the forefront of issues arising from the emergence of Chat GPT and other generative artificial intelligence. Learn more about generative artificial intelligence in the context of future-authentic assessment, a way of assessing that considers both current and future realities of a discipline during their virtual presentation on June 8, 2023. Use this link to get more details on this presentation and to register.  Note the time zone for this hybrid presentation is Calgary time! 

There will be a UPEI blood-borne pathogen training session on Thursday, June 1, from 10:30 am to noon in Kelley Memorial Building, Room 210.

This session is for those individuals whose research involves human blood, tissue, and other bodily fluids. If you wish to attend, you must pre-register by contacting Jacky Buell by the end of the day on May 29 by email (hse@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901). Please provide your name, department, email address, and phone number in your email or voice message. 

If you have any questions about this training session, please contact Dr. Rhoda Speare at rspeare@upei.ca or 902-566-5071.

H5P is a free and open-source content collaboration framework that lets you create richer instructional content with interactive elements to presentations, videos, and more. Come for an introduction or refresh your knowledge to create, share or reuse content that you can use in your class or on your Moodle page. This workshop will take place on Tuesday, May 30, at 10:00 am in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230. For more info or to RSVP, email TLC@upei.ca. 

The search committee for the Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, announces upcoming public presentations by each of the finalist candidates. Since the search process began last summer, 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/times: 

Dr. Andrew Mackin, Professor of Small Animal Medicine, and Department Head, Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University

• Public Presentation: Wednesday, May 24, 2023, 9:00 to 10:00 am, AVC, Room 201N 

Dr. Chris Clark, Associate Professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Science, and Associate Dean, Academic, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

• Public Presentation: Thursday, May 25, 2023, 9:00 to 10:00 am, AVC, Room 201N

Dr. Dominique Griffon, Professor of Small Animal Surgery, and Associate Dean, Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, California

• Public Presentation: Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, AVC, Room 201N

 All are welcome to attend. For any who are unable to attend, the presentation 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. Following each presentation, you are invited to provide feedback on the candidate’s suitability for the role to vpar@upei.ca.

UPEI faculty and staff are invited to attend a Wellness Check and Coffee Break on Friday, May 26, anytime between 10:00 am and noon. The event will be held at The McCain Foundation Learning Commons, AVC. Coffee, tea, and light refreshments will be provided. There will be a draw for two wellness baskets ($125 value each). 

 There will be a variety of booths, including

• glucose and blood pressure checks 
• mindfulness and meditation
• a salt and sugar in food display
• health screening information with the opportunity to discuss your health screening needs privately with a nurse practitioner 
• chiropractic care
• physical fitness test
• health and safety (summer safety, hand hygiene and your health, tick safety, and food safety). Health and Safety will also draw for a $25 Bookstore and a $25 Fox & Crow gift card. 

The event is being coordinated by the UPEI Healthy Campus Committee.