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. 

A reminder that the deadline for the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle is Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 11:59 pm. 

Applications are accepted electronically through the Scholarship and Award Application portal. Click the link provided, or find the link listed on your MyUPEI account in the UPEI Forms section. Be sure to submit your application to be considered for over 100 scholarships and awards!

For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca. 

The Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, invites all to attend Sylvie Glisinski’s public dissertation defence presentation of her PsyD research titled "Examining the Associations Between ADHD, Callousness, Anxiety, and Antisociality in a Sample of Youth with History of Serious Antisocial Behaviour."

Please join us on Thursday, October 3, at 4 pm ADT through https://upei-ca-healthcare.zoom.us/j/64201681258?pwd=zmdZqMGSeat7ZoYJWATxffY2mOiQkJ.1

Meeting ID: 642 0168 1258

Passcode: 391696

Robertson Library and the UPEI International Student Office (ISO) present Postcards Home!

On Tuesday, October 1, celebrate World Postcard Day from noon to 3:00 pm at the Robertson Library by writing a postcard to your family and friends back home. We provide the postcards, and we will mail them for free anywhere in the world. Last semester, we sent 166 postcards!

Everyone is welcome!

Hey UPEI students!

Learn about the IT basics you should know as you begin the semester at UPEI with the Student IT Checklist! This is a starting guide to help you navigate the IT resources offered by IT Systems and Services at UPEI.  

From connecting to the campus Wi-fi to online safety, we want to help you learn more about the IT resources offered on campus. So, check out the Student IT Checklist at https://go.upei.ca/studentitchecklist to get started!   

To learn more about the IT services offered at UPEI, check out the ITSS site at https://go.upei.ca/ithelp. For IT-related assistance, please contact the ITSS Helpdesk at helpdesk@upei.ca. 

Flags at UPEI will be flown at half-mast on Sunday, September 29, to commemorate Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day. In 1998, the Government of Canada officially proclaimed the last Sunday of September as a national memorial day to give Canadians an opportunity to formally express appreciation for the dedication of police and peace officers, and to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in keeping communities safe. 

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to “honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.” (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada). The University will be closed on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to observe the provincial statutory holiday and flags will be lowered to half-mast. Read more about how UPEI will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Due to the rain expected tomorrow (September 27), the TRC Mawi’omi, scheduled for the afternoon, is postponed. The event will be rescheduled on a date in October. The new date will be communicated to the campus community when it has been determined.

One aspect of the Mawi’omi that will take place tomorrow afternoon is the tying of orange ribbons to the fence on the University Avenue side of the campus. Members of the campus community may pick up orange ribbons to tie on the fence, as well as smaller orange ribbons to wear, in MacMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, from noon to 1:30 pm.

Other related events on campus will continue as planned. The Department of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights’ compelling educational display, “Yes, Here Too: Prince Edward Island’s Indian Day Schools and Residential Schools in Canada’s Maritimes,” can be viewed in the Kelley Memorial Building, Rooms 115 to 118, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on September 27—the last day for the display.

As well, the Robertson Library is hosting an educational display that will focus on Truth and Reconciliation regarding residential schools, which will transition to a celebration of Mi'kmaq History Month in October, particularly the history and culture of Epekwitk.

We invite you to visit the Earl L. Wonnacott Observatory this fall and look through our telescope. We will be pointing our telescope at various objects of interest: the moon, planets, stars, nebula, and galaxies, depending on the date and sky conditions. We will once again schedule viewings every two weeks this semester, anticipating that at least half of the events will be cancelled by cloudy weather. The full list of dates is available at https://projects.upei.ca/astronomy/2024/09/17/fall-2024-public-viewings/

Our next scheduled viewing is Saturday, September 28, 8:00-10:00 pm, weather permitting. Please come to Memorial Hall, Room 417, to join the event.

If cloudy weather causes this event to be cancelled, we will post an update on our website by 10:00 am on Saturday.

On Saturday, September 28, ITSS will conduct routine maintenance on the Moodle application and related services from 8:00 to 9:00 am. During this time, there will be intermittent access to Moodle and performance issues. We encourage students, faculty, and staff who may need documents or links located in Moodle to plan ahead and bookmark or download the resources they may need during this period.

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

The UPEI Department of Music is hosting a performance by the Looking Glass Ensemble at 7:30 pm on Friday, September 27, in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall. 

The Looking Glass Ensemble is an interdisciplinary performance collective founded by clarinetist Christine Carter and dance artist Shannon Litzenberger. In collaboration with Canada’s trailblazing pianist Gregory Oh and award-winning cellist Vernon Regehr, the ensemble presents a program pairing newly imagined interdisciplinary creations, including Randall Woolf’s breathtaking “Everything is Green” and Arvo Pärt’s equally exquisite “Spiegel im Spiegel,” with whimsical repertoire for the clarinet, cello, and piano trio combination by Ludwig von Beethoven and Vivian Fung. 

Admission is $30 for adults and seniors and $10 for students payable by cash or cheque at the door. Accessible entry is available via elevator.

The first UPEI Board of Governors meeting of the 2024-2025 Academic Year will take place on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. in Room 102, Alumni Hall.  All board meetings generally include sessions that are open to the public. Certain agenda items, including but not limited to human resources discussions, may require the board to go into a closed session. For logistical purposes, members of the public who wish to attend the open session of a meeting are asked to contact board@upei.ca one week prior to the meeting. Members of the public wishing to attend the public portion of a meeting must adhere to the UPEI Board of Governors' Meeting Observer Guidelines.

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 $16,000, with half going to the winner of the draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic and recreation programs. You can now select a specific team, club, or program to direct your proceeds from each of your tickets. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panther Recreation app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

The Scholarships and Awards Office is reminding the campus community that the deadline for the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle is Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 11:59 pm. 

You can access over 100 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 account. Review the application instructions and submit your electronic application by October 1 to be considered. Be sure to submit any saved applications you may have started.

Dozens of awards are also available with a separate application process listed on the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle webpage. Deadlines vary across the fall semester, and award links are listed beneath their deadline month. 

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!

Get your green and white gear at the Bookstore for this weekend's UPEI Homecoming! We have a special 30% discount on select UPEI Panthers items on September 26, and September 27. To see the items, go to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/UPEIBookstore) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/upei_bookstore/).

The Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, invites all to attend Sylvie Glisinski’s public dissertation defence presentation of her PsyD research titled "Examining the Associations Between ADHD, Callousness, Anxiety, and Antisociality in a Sample of Youth with History of Serious Antisocial Behaviour."

Please join us on Thursday, October 3, at 4 pm ADT through https://upei-ca-healthcare.zoom.us/j/64201681258?pwd=zmdZqMGSeat7ZoYJWATxffY2mOiQkJ.1

Meeting ID: 642 0168 1258

Passcode: 391696

UPEI will host Research on Tap with a presentation titled “Render unto Caesar: Catholics and the Alt-Right” on Wednesday, October 2, at 6 pm, at the Upstreet Brewery Taproom, 41 Allen St., Charlottetown, PEI.

Dr. Ariana Patey, assistant professor, Department of Religious Studies, is the guest speaker for the event.

“The Internet has facilitated the creation of an Alt-Right movement that includes Catholics,” she said. “This talk explores the ways in which such groups understand and use Catholicism (and the Internet) to attract followers to extremist and white supremacist movements.”

Dr. Patey’s presentation was originally scheduled for last March but had to be postponed at that time because of inclement weather.

Research on Tap is a discussion series featuring UPEI researchers and is open to students, faculty, staff, and the general public. There is no charge to attend. All are welcome to attend.
 

Robertson Library and the UPEI International Student Office (ISO) present Postcards Home!

On Tuesday, October 1, celebrate World Postcard Day from noon to 3:00 pm at the Robertson Library by writing a postcard to your family and friends back home. We provide the postcards, and we will mail them for free anywhere in the world. Last semester, we sent 166 postcards!

Everyone is welcome!

Don’t miss AVC’s Open House on Saturday, September 28, from 10 am to 2 pm. Everyone is invited to attend this free fun family event, featuring all kinds of demonstrations and exhibits. Learn about different dog breeds at the Dog Parade, check out farm animals, dress up like a surgeon, and much more.

Kids, bring your stuffed toys for a check-up and treatment at the Teddy Bear Clinic, get some temporary tattoos, and pick out your favourite balloon animal during the balloon animal adoption event.

Organized and run by AVC students, AVC Open House is one of the largest, most successful open houses in Atlantic Canada. The event is one of many activities taking place during Homecoming Weekend (upei.ca/alumni/homecoming).

For more information, call (902) 566-6786.

Bring your breakfast and come learn what coaches know that can enhance your teaching. The first session in this four-part workshop series is titled "Let’s Get Non-Linear: Teaching Without Boundaries and Still Keeping Your Job." During this session, you'll explore how viewing teaching through the lens of dynamic systems can revolutionize your classroom. By leveraging self-organization and practice variability, you’ll learn how to design learning environments that encourage students to adapt, explore, and discover solutions on their own

Date: Thursday, October 3 

Time: 8:00 to 9:00 am 

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre, Room 230, Robertson Library Annex

RSVP

The Association of Atlantic Universities is pleased to partner with Acadia University to host the 2024 Annual AAU Teaching Showcase in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mik’maq people and part of the beautiful Annapolis Valley in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. The 2024 AAU Teaching Showcase will take place in person on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Acadia University.

To view the schedule, go to https://www.canva.com/design/DAGPzLlrB0Q/3RPyUb_NIOvbXmHrzxgmkw/view

Keynote workshop: We are excited to announce this year’s AAU Teaching Showcase Keynote Workshop! Titled "Ay, Ay, AI!: Innovate or Die?", this interactive keynote workshop by Dr. Jodi L. Porter and Rev. John Campbell of Acadia Divinity College offers time and space for participants to consider the future of higher education given advances in artificial intelligence.

Registration is now open! For details, go to Acadia University - 2024 AAU Teaching Showcase.