Study & Stay PEI: We're excited to launch another program called Student to Professional for 75 international students from University of Prince Edward Island, Holland College, and Collège de l'Île. The application is now open! Please click on the link here: https://lnkd.in/giXvQAut to find out more and apply today!

The Student to Professional program (January - May 2023) is a scaled-down version of our comprehensive Study & Stay PEI program. There will be several skill development workshops, networking opportunities, and social events. This program combines in-person and online sessions. The deadline to submit the application is January 6, at 4:00 pm, or when we receive 75 qualified applications (whichever comes first)! 

The Scholarships and Awards Office is accepting applications for the 2nd Semester (Winter) Award Cycle!

Students can now apply for numerous awards with a deadline of February 1, 2023, through the Scholarship and Award Application portal. Students are encouraged to review the webpage, click the link provided, or find it listed on their MyUPEI account in the UPEI Forms section. Additional awards with a separate application process are conveniently listed on the 2nd Semester (Winter) Award Cycle webpage. Deadlines for the separate application awards vary across January and February. Be sure to click the links, review the criteria, and submit in time for the deadline!

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!

Student Affairs will be closed Thursday, December 22, for a staff development event. If you have an on-campus emergency, contact Security Services at 902-566-0384.

The University of Prince Edward Island and the UPEI Alumni Association are hosting their annual New Year's Levee, and all are welcome to attend.

The levee will be held on Sunday, January 1, 2023, from 11:30 am–1:00 pm in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown.

For more information, call 902-566-0687 or email alumni@upei.ca.

The University’s holiday schedule is in effect from December 24, 2022 to January 2, 2023. Regular operations and office hours will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, with most classes beginning on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

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

Emergency First Aid/CPR
January 11, 2023
8:30 am–4:00 pm
AH 142

This basic one-day course offers lifesaving first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. 

Standard First Aid/CPR
January 12 and 13, 2023
8:30 am–4:00 pm
AH 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 Wednesday, January 4, 2023, via email (hse@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901).

All exams that were administered in Accessibility Services must be picked up by instructors before 4 pm on December 21. Exams can be collected in Room 111 in Dalton Hall. Our regular office hours are 8 am to 4 pm. If you'd like to pick up outside of these hours, please contact us by calling 566-0668 or emailing astesting@upei.ca. 

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Greg Keefe, president and vice-chancellor (interim), invites UPEI faculty and staff to attend the 2022 President’s Holiday Social on Monday, December 19, from 3 to 4:30 pm, in The McCain Foundation Learning Commons, Atlantic Veterinary College. Faculty and staff are encouraged to bring food and monetary donations for the UPEI Campus Food Bank. The Office of the President will match the value of your support up to $10,000. Celebrate with your colleagues while enjoying complimentary refreshments and listening to festive songs performed by UPEI music students! 

On Thursday, December 29, over 60 former members of the UPEI Wind Symphony, representing graduating classes from 1972–2022, will give two public performances--at dress rehearsal at 9:30 am and a formal performance at 7:30 pm. Tickets for the performances are $20 (cash only) and can be purchased at the door.

Under the direction of Dr. Karem Simon, the Wind Symphony alumni will prepare an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary wind band music featuring some of the treasured pieces from its repertoire. Included will be movements from “The Lord of the Rings Symphony” by Dutch composer Johan de Meij and “Medieval Suite” by American Ron Nelson. Classics, including Gustav Holst’s “First Suite in E-flat” and Percy Grainger’s “Shepherd’s Hey,” will be juxtaposed with “Skyline” by Charlottetown’s own Evan Hammell, and emerging composer who is a former UPEI music student and a graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music Composition program. 

For more information, contact Dr. Simon at 902-566-0702.

Dr. Greg Keefe, president and vice-chancellor (interim), invites, faculty staff, and students to the University’s 2022 Recognition of Founders ceremony on Monday, December 19, at 1:30 pm. During the ceremony, Dr. Douglas Dahn, Cathy Gillan, and Dr. Timothy Ogilvie will be honoured as Founders for their contributions to UPEI. The ceremony and reception will take place in The McCain Foundation Learning Commons, Atlantic Veterinary College. All are welcome to attend.

Employees who are using payroll deduction for parking are reminded to notify parking@upei.ca if they move to the Bell Aliant lot or no longer drive a vehicle to the campus so we can stop their parking deduction. 

Employees who take a leave of absence from UPEI (i.e., maternity leave, sabbatical, etc.) and park in one of the designated lots--B Gated, C Gated, Lot F, or Lot G--are asked to email parking@upei.ca with their employee ID number, departure date, and expected return date in order to maintain their access to the lot when they return. 

UPEI Panthers Men’s Hockey holiday gift packs are now available for purchase at the Eastlink Centre Box Office. The gift pack offers a great deal to watch one of the country's best hockey teams compete for an AUS title and a national championship.

Packages are $70 plus HST and include five individual tickets for the remaining 2022–23 regular season home games; $25 savings on a 2023 Cavendish Farms University Cup tournament pass; open ticket redemption; and the ability to hold a seat for the playoffs.

Consider purchasing a hockey holiday gift pack for the hockey lover on your list!

Thinking about health and wellness?  We can help!

The UPEI Department of Athletics and Recreation is offering a Sports Centre membership special, which extends beyond the campus to the greater Island community as well!

Purchase a one-year Sports Centre Fitness membership, including the walking track and squash courts, between December 1 and 23, 2022, and receive one month free....Your membership won't expire until January 31, 2024!

Visit Panther Central Desk at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre to purchase your membership. For more information, please visit recreation.upei.ca

Entries are now being accepted for the Science Exposed 2023 photo competition. Eye-catching images coming from research projects in the natural sciences, engineering, humanities, or health sciences can now be submitted. The individuals or groups that have the most successfully combined creativity and science will be awarded one of many cash prizes. The contest is organized by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Acfas. The deadline to submit is January 30 at 11:59 pm (ET).
 
The goal of Science Exposed is to help foster a science culture in Canada by capturing vibrant research images that showcase the work of our talented research community. These images will help the Canadian population better understand and see, through the same lens as our scientists and engineers, the work that is being done behind the scenes.

Click here for more information. 

During final exams, access to the track will be allowed only on the following dates and times. Please note that no one is permitted on the track during exams.

Sunday, December 11: noon –2:00 pm and 5:00 –7:00 pm
Monday, December 12 to Friday, December 16: 6:00–9:00 am, noon –2:00 pm, and 5:00–7:00 pm
Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18: noon –2:00 pm and 5:00–7:00 pm
Monday, December 19 to Wednesday, December 21: 6:00–9:00 am, noon–2:00 pm, and 5:00–7:00 pm

Note: Dates are subject to change due to any weather conditions.

PhD Thesis Defence

Presenter: Holly Wilts

Title of the Thesis: "Cultivating Shrub Willow Downslope of Potato Cropping Systems on Prince Edward Island to Mitigate Indirect Agricultural N2O Emissions, Enhance Stream Protection from Diffuse Pollutants, and Produce Renewable Biomass"

Date: Monday, December 19, 2022, 10:00 am

Via web conference. If you wish to attend the public presentation, please contact the Graduate Studies Coordinator at gsc@upei.ca to receive the link. 

Everyone is welcome!

Dr. Greg Keefe, president and vice-chancellor (interim), invites UPEI faculty and staff to attend the 2022 President’s Holiday Social on Monday, December 19, from 3 to 4:30 pm, in The McCain Foundation Learning Commons, Atlantic Veterinary College. Faculty and staff are encouraged to bring food and monetary donations for the UPEI Campus Food Bank. The Office of the President will match the value of your support up to $10,000. Celebrate with your colleagues while enjoying complimentary refreshments and listening to festive songs performed by UPEI music students! 

Text or computer code generated by artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT is going to have a profound impact on student learning and assessment, bringing up many questions around academic integrity. If you missed Dr. Sarah Eaton's keynote when she visited UPEI at the beginning of the fall 2022 semester where she discussed the impact of these technologies, we have a recording. Click this link to watch Academic Integrity: Evidence-Based Insights and Key Issues. 

You might also be interested in attending the Teaching and Learning with Artificial Intelligence Online Symposium on February 8--9, 2023. For more details about the symposium or to read the call for proposals that was generated using ChatGPT, check out this link 

Dr. Greg Keefe, president and vice-chancellor (interim), invites, faculty staff, and students to the University’s 2022 Recognition of Founders ceremony on Monday, December 19, at 1:30 pm. During the ceremony, Dr. Douglas Dahn, Cathy Gillan, and Dr. Timothy Ogilvie will be honoured as Founders for their contributions to UPEI. The ceremony and reception will take place in The McCain Foundation Learning Commons, Atlantic Veterinary College. All are welcome to attend.

The excitement for the UPEI Panthers Gold Rush draw continues to grow! With no winners in the last NINE draws, the total pot has grown to more than $15,800—the highest it's ever been—with half going to the winner of Saturday night's 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.

On Friday, December 16, 2022, ITSS will conduct required maintenance on the myUPEI portal and related services from 9 pm to 12 am (midnight). During this time, there may be intermittent access to and performance issues with myUPEI, Self-Service, Colleague, and Grade Submission.

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.