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

• Open Textbook Grant: Two grants of up to $6000
  • the development of a new open textbook on a topic that is currently not covered by an existing open 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.

The deadline for applications is Friday, May 19, 2023, with work expected to begin during the spring or summer of 2023. 

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/.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, May 5, for the May 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 deadline for a few select Entrance scholarships is May 1, 2023. Click the application link below or visit the webpage to access the application forms for more information. Members of the campus community are encouraged to share this information with any eligible incoming students.

• E. Marion and Donald N. MacKenzie Entrance Scholarship in Nursing
• Friends of UPEI Calgary - Bill & Denise Andrew Scholarship in Nursing
• Friends of UPEI Calgary - Lou MacEachern Scholarship in Business
• Friends of UPEI Calgary Scholarships
• From VK to C in 50 Scholarship

Applications and any supporting documents should be sent electronically to scholarships@upei.ca or in-person to the Scholarships and Awards Office at 202 Dalton Hall.

The Scholarships and Awards Office has extended the deadline to apply for select Convocation, Senior Class, and year-end scholarships and awards! The new deadline is Monday, April 24, 2023.

Students can review the criteria and access the remaining award application forms by clicking the following links:  

• Arlie Parks Scholarship - In Memory of Dr. Kenneth MacIntyre (Science)
• Marylou Hughes Scholarship (Science)
• David Austin O'Malley-Keyes Memorial Award (Arts/Music)
• Matilda "Tildy" MacMillan Good Mentorship

Be sure to submit your application(s) and any supporting documents in time for the April 24th deadline electronically to scholarships@upei.ca or in-person to the Scholarships and Awards Office at 202 Dalton Hall.

The UPEI Department of Music’s faculty recitals featuring clarinetist Karem J. Simon will now take place on Saturday, April 22, at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Charlottetown and on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at Hillcrest United Church in Montague. Both performances will be at 7:30 pm.

Collaborating with Dr. Simon will be a string quartet consisting of Sean Kemp and Karen Graves, violinists; Jeffrey Bazett-Jones, violist; and Natalie Williams Calhoun, cellist. The performance will present two masterpieces for clarinet and string quartet by Mozart and Brahms. 

Admission to the performance at Hillcrest United Church in Montague is by a free-will offering. For the performance at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Charlottetown, admission is $30 for adults and $10 for students at the door.

The Faculty Development Summer Institute (FDSI) on Active Learning in Higher Education is a multi-day institute of talks, activities, and workshops focused on active learning. The goal of this institute is to bring together post-secondary instructors who are passionate about engaging their students through active learning. Our team of dynamic facilitators is planning a research-based program with learning activities that will allow participants to learn about active learning approaches that can enhance student learning and develop plans to incorporate active learning into their classes. Starting the evening of June 6 and running until June 8, 2023, the Institute will take place in the Performing Arts Centre and New Residence on campus.

To learn more about the FDSI or to register, please go to the Institute website. We will accept the first 24 participants, and we have a small number of discounted spaces available for UPEI colleagues. Please register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

The Rhodes Scholarships program offers fully funded scholarships each year for full-time postgraduate study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Rhodes Scholarships are for young leaders of outstanding intellect and character who are motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others, and show promise of becoming value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future.

Information sessions for students in Eastern Canada interested in applying for a Rhodes Scholarship are scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm ET.

Registration link: https://rhodeshouse-ox-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ll03iJOOT0iy7GAjfjxVDQ

There will be two national sessions, one in English and one in French, prior to the opening of applications:

English: May 24, 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET: https://rhodeshouse-ox-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nHRVoGmURCqG9F5PKds0Gw

French: May 24, 6:00 to 7:00 pm ET: https://rhodeshouse-ox-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xgGYnmM4RtOImr8cyY80Cw

Applicants might also find these additional resources helpful. The first is the Rhodes YouTube channel with lots of video resources including information on preparing the Academic Statement and the Personal Statement. Another resource is the Canada information page for Rhodes Scholarships –https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/applications/canada/

Note that applications for a Rhodes Scholarship require an endorsement from the university.  Please make sure to allow adequate time for this process in advance of the final application deadline.  

The deadline for Summer 2023 tuition waivers is Friday, April 21. We encourage you to have tuition waivers submitted as soon as possible to assist in the timely processing. Tuition waiver forms must be submitted electronically.   

Online employee and spouse/dependent tuition waiver fillable forms can be found on the main page of myUPEI under UPEI Forms. 

If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at: (902) 566-0514 or hrgeneral@upei.ca. 

The Scholarships and Awards Office has extended the deadline to apply for select Convocation, Senior Class, and year-end scholarships and awards! The new deadline is Monday, April 24, 2023.

Students can review the criteria and access the remaining award application forms by clicking the following links:  

• Arlie Parks Scholarship - In Memory of Dr. Kenneth MacIntyre (Science)
• Marylou Hughes Scholarship (Science)
• David Austin O'Malley-Keyes Memorial Award (Arts/Music)
• Matilda "Tildy" MacMillan Good Mentorship

Be sure to submit your application(s) and any supporting documents in time for the April 24th deadline electronically to scholarships@upei.ca or in-person to the Scholarships and Awards Office at 202 Dalton Hall.

The UPEI Department of Music’s faculty recitals featuring clarinetist Karem J. Simon will now take place on Saturday, April 22, at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Charlottetown and on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at Hillcrest United Church in Montague. Both performances will be at 7:30 pm.

Collaborating with Dr. Simon will be a string quartet consisting of Sean Kemp and Karen Graves, violinists; Jeffrey Bazett-Jones, violist; and Natalie Williams Calhoun, cellist. The performance will present two masterpieces for clarinet and string quartet by Mozart and Brahms. 

Admission to the performance at Hillcrest United Church in Montague is by a free-will offering. For the performance at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Charlottetown, admission is $30 for adults and $10 for students at the door.

The Faculty Development Summer Institute (FDSI) on Active Learning in Higher Education is a multi-day institute of talks, activities, and workshops focused on active learning. The goal of this institute is to bring together post-secondary instructors who are passionate about engaging their students through active learning. Our team of dynamic facilitators is planning a research-based program with learning activities that will allow participants to learn about active learning approaches that can enhance student learning and develop plans to incorporate active learning into their classes. Starting the evening of June 6 and running until June 8, 2023, the Institute will take place in the Performing Arts Centre and New Residence on campus.

To learn more about the FDSI or to register, please go to the Institute website. We will accept the first 24 participants, and we have a small number of discounted spaces available for UPEI colleagues. Please register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

The UPEI Annual Fund is an integral part of our fundraising needs every year, allowing us to provide students with an excellent postsecondary education through investments in technology, educational equipment, renewed study spaces, experiential learning opportunities like conferences around the world, and so much more. Thanks to the generous support of donors, students receive the resources that they need to reach their full potential. The 2022/23 Annual Fund is coming to a close, but there is still time to give!

Ways to Give

• Online by visiting upei.ca/donate
• Mail: UPEI Annual Fund, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3
• Telephone: (902) 894-2888 or toll free at 1-866-453-4119
• In person: Alumni Hall, 618 University Avenue, Charlottetown
• Gifts of Marketable Securities: Process description and form

The UPEI Writing Centre is available for appointments, both online and in person, between April 17 and April 28.  Our schedule will be reduced, but additional appointment slots will be added based on tutor availability. See our schedule at https://upei.mywconline.com/  Check back for adjustments and added hours.

Keep us in mind!  We can help with your end-of-term scramble.  Best wishes to all.

Colleagues from UPEI registering for the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Conference in Charlottetown from June 13 to 16 can receive a discounted rate by emailing TLC@upei.ca for the discount code.

If you have a student attending the STLHE conference, please make sure they are aware of the STLHE Conference Student Bursaries. The deadline for student bursaries is April 28.   

The presentation by marine ecologist Dr. Irené Novaczek about the ecosystem restoration project at Basin Head, previously scheduled for  April 18, will take place on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI. 

Basin Head was designated as a marine protected area under the federal Oceans Act in 2005 to conserve and protect a unique strain of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), which is thought to exist only within that area.

Part of the Institute of Island Studies’ 2023 Island Lecture Series, the presentation 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 impacts of local agriculture, invasive European green crabs, and ongoing climate changes. 

Here's a newly published resource on oral assessments that arrived yesterday.  This podcast episode from Limed: Teaching with a Twist also focuses on oral assessments. Here's a link to the podcast: Demonstrating Knowledge Using Oral Assessments. 

When an email requires a follow-up, use the drag-and-drop method:

Simply click and drag the email, and drop it onto the bottom left “Contacts” symbol on the navigation bar.  Suddenly you’ve got a brand new contact with the email address and name automatically entered. Now, inside the Contact window, the Notes portion will have the person’s phone number and address (if included on their signature line).

• Use Copy (Ctrl C) and Paste (Ctrl V) to get the signature line items into the correct fields in the new contact window. Less typing, no typos--and your contact is created within seconds!
•  “Drag and Drop” the email again onto your “Calendar,” and an appointment will be made. Plus, it keeps all the detail from the email. So you won’t have to re-type into the appointment.
• “Drag and Drop” an email onto the Tasks or Notes symbols on the Navigation bar.

You can also reverse this:

• Drag any contact to Mail on the folder pane to create a new email to that contact.
• Drag any contact to Calendar to create a new appointment.
• Drag any contact to Tasks.

Wondering if an oral examination might be an option to consider as we head toward the end of the semester? This blog from Assessment in Higher Education outlines some considerations to help you decide. Check out Oral Examinations.

The UPEI Writing Centre is available for appointments, both online and in person, between April 17 and April 28.  Our schedule will be reduced, but additional appointment slots will be added based on tutor availability. See our schedule at https://upei.mywconline.com/  Check back for adjustments and added hours.

Keep us in mind!  We can help with your end-of-term scramble.  Best wishes to all.