As UPEI continues to think about the best first-year experience or our students, Shannon Murray and Philip Smith will introduce two successful programs from our past: the First-Year Advantage Program and the senior student-led First-Year Seminar. After a brief description of each program, we will open up the discussion to the larger question of what we hope for in the experience of our first-year undergraduate students.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, November 1, 2024, 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’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they 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.

All members of the UPEI research community are invited to attend a presentation about research security by Beth Canin, Regional Advisor (Atlantic), Research Security Centre. The presentation will cover information about the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships and the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC) and how these requirements relate to all tri-agency research grants and all CFI grants.

The information session will take place in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on October 24 from 12:00-1:00 pm. There will be an option to join virtually for those who are unable to attend in person. 

Bring your lunch; coffee and treats will be provided. Please RSVP here. 

Join us in the Department of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights, Kelley Memorial Building, Room 115, for an educational display on Islamophobia, where we will explore its origins, widespread effects, and the vital importance of addressing it within our university community.

Event highlights:

• In-depth presentations: Discover the historical roots of Islamophobia, orientalism, and anti-Arab racism, examining how it has evolved over time and how it manifests in our daily lives and institutions.
• Case studies: Delve into how the war on Palestine and the War on Terrorism exemplify Islamophobia in action, shaping public perception, policy decisions, and global narratives about Muslims and Arabs.
• Interactive discussions: Engage in meaningful conversations about the significance of recognizing and combating Islamophobia, and how it can foster a more inclusive campus environment.

Why understanding Islamophobia matters:

Understanding Islamophobia is crucial for several reasons:

1. Combatting stereotypes: By recognizing the origins and impacts of Islamophobia, we can challenge harmful stereotypes that perpetuate discrimination and division. This understanding helps us foster empathy and respect among diverse communities.
2. Promoting inclusivity: Universities are places for learning and growth. Addressing Islamophobia is essential for creating an inclusive environment where all students feel safe, valued, and able to express their identities.
3. Global perspectives: Islamophobia affects millions worldwide, particularly in conflict areas. By studying its manifestations, such as in the war on Palestine and the war on terrorism, we gain insights into broader issues of human rights, justice, and global solidarity.

The northeast entrance of the Kelley Memorial Building features an automatic door with a 36-inch clearance. The door swings outward and leads to a ramp that is 62 inches wide. Please note that the ramp makes a sharp right turn, after which the width reduces to 36 inches.

At the end of the ramp, you will find the exhibit entrance, which has a door clearance of 32 inches and a small bump at the threshold. We encourage all visitors to reach out if you require additional assistance or have any questions regarding accessibility.

The Comptroller's Office is excited to announce that our office has recently relocated to the Performing Arts Centre (PAC), Rooms 101 S-103 S.  

We invite folks to drop by our new spot and visit the team.

On Wednesday, October 9, ITSS will conduct routine maintenance on the myUPEI portal and related services from 8:00 pm to midnight. During this time, there may be intermittent access to and performance issues with myUPEI, Self-Service, and Colleague.

We encourage students, faculty, and staff who may need documents or links located on myUPEI to plan ahead and bookmark or download the resources they may need during this period.

As a reminder, you can access Moodle directly using https://moodle.upei.ca and Outlook email directly using https://outlook.office.com.

If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465.

The Board of Governors cordially invites all members of the UPEI community to the installation of Dr. Wendy Rodgers as the seventh President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Please join us Friday, October 11, 2024, at 1:30 pm in the amphitheatre of the Performing Arts Centre (enter upstairs via PAC 216-217S). Reception immediately following the ceremony in the Greg and Debbie Keefe Foyer. RSVP by Monday, October 7, 2024, to rsvp@upei.ca

Faculty members are also invited to be part of the Academic Procession and wear their academic regalia. The procession will assemble in Andrew Hall 142 at 12:45-1:00 pm. If you don't have your own academic regalia, there will be a limited supply of black gowns available. If you wish to participate, please email rsvp@upei.ca, and use the subject line: Academic Procession

All are welcome!

rsvp@upei.ca

Hosted by the UPEI Department of Music, the PEI Registered Music Teachers’ Association and the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association present trombonist Jo Dashney, winner of the 2024 Atlantic Young Artist Competition, with pianist Stella Hui. The program includes 20th- and 21st-century works by David Biedenbender, Kevin Day, Alexei Lebedev, Anthony Plog, and Barbara York.

Note special time: This recital will take place at 2:30 pm on October 8 on the SDU Stage in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall, Steel Building. Accessible parking is available, and the recital hall has an accessible entrance via elevator.

The Office of Commercialization, Industry, and Innovation (OCII) is hosting a Research Networking Day on October 17, 2024, from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm in the UPEI Performing Arts Centre, Room 110S. The theme is "Building Research Partnerships in Human Health." 

We are bringing together UPEI researchers, local companies, community organizations, and government to listen to short presentations about their interests, capabilities, and needs in human health research. Attendees will also have a chance to make new connections with others doing work in the human health research area during the coffee break and the networking lunch.

We are also creating a booklet to highlight the different UPEI researchers and their connections to human health research. We are asking each researcher to fill out the intake form by October 8. The booklet will include a brief description of their research and three keywords and will be used as a reference tool during the networking event.

Join us to meet others involved in human health research. 

For more information and to register for this free event, go to https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/upei-research-networking-day-human-health-tickets-1013717334837 

In consideration of the difficulties that exposure to scented products causes to scent-sensitive individuals, UPEI asks for your cooperation in making our campus a scent-free environment. We ask that all faculty, staff, students, and visitors refrain from wearing or using products with strong scents/fragrances while on campus. 

A few examples of products to refrain from wearing or using are strongly scented lotions, hair care products, shaving lotion/aftershave, air fresheners, aromatic or essential oils, and cologne/perfume/body sprays.

If you have any questions about UPEI’s Scent-Free Initiative, please contact the Health, Safety, and Environment department at 902-566-0901 or HSE@upei.ca.

UPEI’s Scent-Free Initiative Policy can be viewed here.

The Office of Research Services (ORS) would like the campus community to know that the Contracts Research Policy has been replaced with a new Sponsored Research and Research Contracts Policy, now available on UPEI’s Policy website. This new policy, along with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), comes into effect now so all new sponsored research will be governed by this policy and its procedures. ORS encourages researchers to review the policy and SOPs. 

Summary of main changes: The indirect cost rate for research projects (“overhead”) has been revised to adopt a fixed rate of 25% on all direct costs, with half of this going to the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Research and half to the PI’s Faculty, with some exceptions, as outlined in the SOPs. Additionally, there is a portion of indirect costs (generally 30% of the Faculty’s share) that will be distributed from the Faculty to the PI to support research-related activities. The AVC Distribution of Overheads from Research Contracts Policy is unchanged and applies to all AVC research projects. The AVC Policy can be found on myupei.ca.   

The following changes have been applied to UPEI Researcher Portal application forms:

• Research CONTRACTS Approvals Form (rev. Sept 2022): An updated budget spreadsheet incorporating the new indirect cost calculations is available in this form. All new contracts submitted must use the new budget spreadsheet. There are separate tabs for MAIN campus and AVC that automate the indirect cost rate calculations.
• Research GRANTS Approvals Form (rev. Sept 2022): The budget spreadsheet is removed from this form and is no longer required.

The following change has been applied to UPEI Researcher Portal event forms:

• Account Modification Form (Rev July 2024): modified to permit the option for the PI to request their portion of the Faculty’s indirect costs (generally 30%). These requests for PI share of indirect costs must occur after the funds have been transferred to the faculty, which is based on the contract terms and conditions. Normally, project claims occur at the end of the project. 

If there are any questions about the changes and updates, please contact Maria Steele, Manager of Research Administration, Partnerships, and Innovation, at 902-566-6479, mlsteele@upei.ca. 

As UPEI continues to think about the best first-year experience or our students, Shannon Murray and Philip Smith will introduce two successful programs from our past: the First-Year Advantage Program and the senior student-led First-Year Seminar. After a brief description of each program, we will open up the discussion to the larger question of what we hope for in the experience of our first-year undergraduate students.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, November 1, 2024, 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’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they 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 Board of Governors cordially invites all members of the UPEI community to the installation of Dr. Wendy Rodgers as the seventh President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Please join us Friday, October 11, 2024, at 1:30 pm in the amphitheatre of the Performing Arts Centre (enter upstairs via PAC 216-217S). Reception immediately following the ceremony in the Greg and Debbie Keefe Foyer. RSVP by Monday, October 7, 2024, to rsvp@upei.ca

Faculty members are also invited to be part of the Academic Procession and wear their academic regalia. The procession will assemble in Andrew Hall 142 at 12:45-1:00 pm. If you don't have your own academic regalia, there will be a limited supply of black gowns available. If you wish to participate, please email rsvp@upei.ca, and use the subject line: Academic Procession

All are welcome!

rsvp@upei.ca

Hosted by the UPEI Department of Music, the PEI Registered Music Teachers’ Association and the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association present trombonist Jo Dashney, winner of the 2024 Atlantic Young Artist Competition, with pianist Stella Hui. The program includes 20th- and 21st-century works by David Biedenbender, Kevin Day, Alexei Lebedev, Anthony Plog, and Barbara York.

Note special time: This recital will take place at 2:30 pm on October 8 on the SDU Stage in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall, Steel Building. Accessible parking is available, and the recital hall has an accessible entrance via elevator.

The Office of Commercialization, Industry, and Innovation (OCII) is hosting a Research Networking Day on October 17, 2024, from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm in the UPEI Performing Arts Centre, Room 110S. The theme is "Building Research Partnerships in Human Health." 

We are bringing together UPEI researchers, local companies, community organizations, and government to listen to short presentations about their interests, capabilities, and needs in human health research. Attendees will also have a chance to make new connections with others doing work in the human health research area during the coffee break and the networking lunch.

We are also creating a booklet to highlight the different UPEI researchers and their connections to human health research. We are asking each researcher to fill out the intake form by October 8. The booklet will include a brief description of their research and three keywords and will be used as a reference tool during the networking event.

Join us to meet others involved in human health research. 

For more information and to register for this free event, go to https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/upei-research-networking-day-human-health-tickets-1013717334837 

The UPEI Department of Music will host an unforgettable evening of brass and percussion music as the Canadian Staff Band takes the stage at UPEI’s Performing Arts Centre theatre. Experience the exhilarating power and serene beauty of one of Canada's premier brass ensembles under the direction of bandmaster John Lam. This rare opportunity to hear the artistry of the Canadian Staff Band promises to uplift and inspire.

The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee invites the campus community to the next presentation of the 2024-25 Environmental Sciences & Human Biology seminar series on Friday, October 4, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. in Duffy Science Centre, Room 204.

Jiacheng (Eric) Chuan, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, will give a presentation titled "Application tour of bioinformatics in plant pathogenicity and early detection.” All are welcome.