Dr. Greg Keefe, UPEI’s interim President and Vice-Chancellor, delivered a presentation on January 13, 2023, updating faculty, staff, and students on the progress of the development of the UPEI Faculty of Medicine, the joint doctor of medicine degree with Memorial University, and the new building being built at the north end of campus that will house the new faculty, the expanded UPEI Health and Wellness Centre and Doctor of Psychology clinics, simulation and clinical skills labs, as well other allied health spaces.

If you weren't able to attend, you can view a recording of the presentation here. For periodic updates, you can also subscribe to the UPEI Faculty of Medicine E-News

The Faculty of Arts is pleased to present the next event of this year's ConneXion Series. Join Dr. Lisa Chilton (Department of History and Classics), Dr. Yuliya Rashchupkina (Department of Political Science), and Dr. Jason Stevens (Department of Economics) for a lively panel discussion entitled "Ukraine Invaded: A View from Canada."

This event will be held on Friday, January 27, 2023, at 2:30 pm, in SDU Main Building, Room 320. 

The Connexions Series aims to foster understanding of the role that the liberal arts play in the construction of knowledge and ways of knowing, and in making sense of the complexities of the world around us.

For more information, contact Andrew Zinck, ConneXions Coordinator, at azinck@upei.ca.

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 $9,500, 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 pm every Saturday.

UPEI annually acknowledges individuals for their outstanding contributions to the success of the University. The awards are valued at $1,000 each and given in recognition of excellence of faculty, librarians, clinical veterinary professionals, clinical nursing instructors, sessional instructors, and staff.

These awards will be presented during a Celebration of Colleagues to be held on Thursday, May 25, 2023, from 1:00–2:30 pm in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre. 

Nominations are open and must be submitted to universityawards@upei.ca by the last Friday in February each year.  This year, nominations close on Friday, February 24. 

For further details on the awards and the nomination process, please visit http://www.upei.ca/president/presidential-recognition-awards-merit

The Faculty of Arts is pleased to present the next event of this year's ConneXion Series. Join Dr. Lisa Chilton (Department of History and Classics), Dr. Yuliya Rashchupkina (Department of Political Science), and Dr. Jason Stevens (Department of Economics) for a lively panel discussion entitled "Ukraine Invaded: A View from Canada."

This event will be held on Friday, January 27, 2023, at 2:30 pm, in SDU Main Building, Room 320. 

The Connexions Series aims to foster understanding of the role that the liberal arts play in the construction of knowledge and ways of knowing, and in making sense of the complexities of the world around us.

For more information, contact Andrew Zinck, ConneXions Coordinator, at azinck@upei.ca.

The Scholarships and Awards Office is reminding the campus community that the deadline for the 2nd Semester (Winter) Award Cycle is Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 11:59 pm.

You can access numerous scholarships and awards on the Scholarship and Award Application portal by clicking the link provided here or in the UPEI Forms section of your MyUPEI. Review the application instructions and submit your electronic application by February 1 to be considered. Be sure to submit any saved applications you may have started.

Additional awards are also available with a separate application process listed on the 2nd Semester (Winter) Award Cycle webpage. Be sure to click the links, review the award criteria, and submit in time for the deadline listed to be considered.

If you have questions about the application processes, award criteria, or deadlines, please contact scholarships@upei.ca or visit us in Dalton Hall, Room 202. Best of luck to all who apply!

The UPEI Healthy Campus Committee and Athletics and Recreation are hosting a wellness check and coffee break on Friday, January 27, at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre from 10:00 am to noon. Drop by anytime. Registration is not required.

Have your blood pressure and/or blood glucose tested, and learn about online fitness and other fitness programming opportunities and memberships. Take your sneakers and enjoy walking/running on the indoor track. Meet with our personal trainer, and tour the private personal training studio. Find out more about the 2023 Cavendish Farms University Cup Men's Hockey Championships and discount packages for UPEI employees.

There will be coffee, snacks, and draws for prizes including six-month memberships to the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre and small group training. People must come to the event to be eligible for a prize.

Those in attendance will receive a free UPEI men's hockey game ticket for January 27 (UPEI vs Saint Mary's).

Join Maria Campbell as she leads two different classes as part of Mental Health Week. Both classes are free and for UPEI students, staff, and faculty only. Registration is required.

Virtual mindful movement class: This is a gentle movement class focusing on sensations in the body and feelings evoked through various forms of movement. The class will take place on Thursday, January 26, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

Virtual stress management techniques class: Participants explore four different tools to soothe the nervous system in moments of stress including tea meditation, breathing exercises, journaling, and self-massage. This class will take place on Monday, January 23, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm. 

To register:

* Go to recreation.upei.ca

* UPEI students/faculty/staff – click on Green ‘UPEI LOGIN’ button. Sign in with your UPEI email address and password.

* Click on mental health Icon and follow the prompts

Both opportunities are provided by the UPEI Healthy Campus Committee as part of Mental Health Week.

If you are going up for tenure or promotion soon and are thinking about the details of your teaching dossier, then this session is for you. Dr. Kathy Gottschall-Pass will talk about some of the things faculty members should focus on for tenure and promotion purposes on Friday, January 27, from 2:30 to 4:00 pm (snow date: February 16). Colleagues are strongly encouraged to review the Teaching Philosophy and Teaching Dossier course materials that are part of the Academic Instructional Skills Program (AISP) first and then come to the in-person workshop where you can focus on T & P specifics. You can self-enroll in both of these self-paced courses here. You'll find them in the Professional Growth, Development, and Identity Domain.  

You may have heard a few things about Chat GPT in recent weeks that have piqued your curiosity about artificial intelligence. Join panelists Chris Power, Inge Dorsey, Wendy Shilton, Richard Raiswell, and Andrew Godbout in a discussion of artificial intelligence in university learning on Friday, January 27, at 12:00 pm in the Teaching and Learning Centre, RL 230. This will be a hybrid Lunch and Learn session. Please register here to attend online.  

Happy New Year!

The UPEI Health Centered Research Clinic is looking for full/part-time undergraduate students for the Connections program starting at the end of January 2023!

Would you like to meet new friends and be involved in an inclusive and non-judgmental environment to learn about food, health, stress, coping, and physical activity? 

The staff at the Health Centered Research Clinic at UPEI is offering a free eight-session program to help connect undergraduate students to provide an environment for learning on a variety of topics around health and well-being and connecting to the student community. Snacks will be provided at each session!

This free program will include a total of eight weekly group education sessions with a registered dietitian and health promoter and exercise sessions with a kinesiologist (plus open gym times) located in the lower level of the Steel Building.

If you are interested in registering, please email Anja and Laurie at connections@upei.ca for more information or to register. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Dr. Greg Keefe, UPEI’s interim President and Vice-Chancellor, delivered a presentation on January 13, 2023, updating faculty, staff, and students on the progress of the development of the UPEI Faculty of Medicine, the joint doctor of medicine degree with Memorial University, and the new building being built at the north end of campus that will house the new faculty, the expanded UPEI Health and Wellness Centre and Doctor of Psychology clinics, simulation and clinical skills labs, as well other allied health spaces.

If you weren't able to attend, you can view a recording of the presentation here. For periodic updates, you can also subscribe to the UPEI Faculty of Medicine E-News

UPEI would like to remind you of the coming changes related to multi-factor authentication (MFA). Today (January 25), MFA will be applied to all student accounts, and the approval approach for the Microsoft authenticator app will change, requiring you to enter a code provided when you log into UPEI services such as email.

Do I have to do anything to prepare for this change? 
In preparation for these changes, please ensure that you have at least one MFA method registered for your UPEI account. 

For those who are using the Microsoft authenticator app, make sure you have the latest version of the app installed on your mobile device.

Where can I get help to set up MFA? 
ITSS is offering various pop-up support opportunities to help you with MFA. Drop by and see us at the following locations:

•    Tuesday, January 24: 4:30 to 8:00 pm, Robertson Library

•    Wednesday, January 25: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, and 4:30 to 8:00 pm, Robertson Library

•    Thursday, January 26: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, and 4:30 to 8:00 pm, Robertson Library

•    Friday, January 27: 4:30 to 8:00 pm, Robertson Library

•    Saturday, January 28: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Robertson Library

Unable to make one of the pop-up locations? Use our helpful three-step process: ITSS M365 Info and check out our training video and text-based guide here. 

Need further assistance? Contact the ITSS Help Desk at helpdesk@upei.ca or (902) 566-0465.
 

The Faculty of Arts is pleased to present the next event of this year's ConneXion Series. Join Dr. Lisa Chilton (Department of History and Classics), Dr. Yuliya Rashchupkina (Department of Political Science), and Dr. Jason Stevens (Department of Economics) for a lively panel discussion entitled "Ukraine Invaded: A View from Canada."

This event will be held on Friday, January 27, 2023, at 2:30 pm, in SDU Main Building, Room 320. 

The Connexions Series aims to foster understanding of the role that the liberal arts play in the construction of knowledge and ways of knowing, and in making sense of the complexities of the world around us.

For more information, contact Andrew Zinck, ConneXions Coordinator, at azinck@upei.ca.

On January 26, 2023, from 1:00–1:30 pm, please join the Chartwells team at the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre to celebrate the success of their recent food drive and fundraiser in partnership with UPEI Athletics and Recreation to support the Campus Food Bank. We will serve coffee, cranberry punch, and some scrumptious treats—cookies, cupcakes, and brownies. Swing by and say hello!

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 $9,500, 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 pm every Saturday.

Are you looking for ideas that offer students choice (a key principle for UDL and trauma-informed educational approaches) that don't require you to curate a whole range of materials? A student-led choice board might be an option to try. Read more about setting up a choice board and how they can be used for different purposes in this blog, Strategies to Make Choice Boards More Efficient.

The supervisor training session scheduled for January 25, 2023, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, in the Joan and Regis Duffy Research Centre (DRC) has been moved to Bill and Denise Andrew Hall (AH), Room 142.

This session is still open to anyone in a supervisory role on campus who is available to attend. Please RSVP to Jacky Buell at hse@upei.ca.

The session will include information and training specifically for anyone in a supervisory position. This session will introduce participants to the concept of due diligence and inform them of the legal responsibilities supervisors have for worker safety.

You may have heard a few things about Chat GPT in recent weeks that have piqued your curiosity about artificial intelligence. Join panelists Chris Power, Inge Dorsey, Wendy Shilton, Richard Raiswell, and Andrew Godbout in a discussion of artificial intelligence in university learning on Friday, January 27, at 12:00 pm in the Teaching and Learning Centre, RL 230. This will be a hybrid Lunch and Learn session. Please register here to attend online.  

Do you struggle to deal with a deluge of student emails? Dr. Elizabeth Wells will join us for a virtual Lunch and Learn session on Thursday, January 26, at 12:00 noon, with strategies to manage student emails and navigate boundaries. To register, click here.