This session will help you learn not only how your computer works, but how to use it faster, smarter, and more effectively.

About this event

Most of us have experience using a computer, whether for school, work, or entertainment, but how many of us have actually had an expert teach us how to use it? This talk won't teach you how to troubleshoot everything, but will give you insight to how media, programs and data are encoded and used by computers, so you can make more sense of why computers behave the ways they do, and solve some of your problems with greater efficiency and less frustration. We will provide an approachable overview of how a computer works, by both looking at their history and breaking one down to explain individual components, before highlighting some of the trade-offs to consider when buying a computer. We will provide practical, simple, and actionable advice on digital security and show you a few "pro tips" on how to make the most of your workstation, phone, or whatever device you happen to use. Whether you have a lot or a little experience using your digital technology, if you want to learn how to use your devices more effectively, this workshop is for you!

This session will be delivered online.

Participants must register using their institutional / organizational email address (not a personal email, ie. gmail).

Connections details for the session will be sent out prior to the session.

To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/acenet-basics-of-computers-tickets-170718863717

This core session is designed to help new users at ACENET and Compute Canada get up and running.

About this event

Linux is the terminal interface used to enable you to use the ACENET and Compute Canada HPC clusters from your desktop. It's the tool you need to get your data on the clusters, run your programs, and get your data back. In this session, learn how to get started with Linux, how to create and navigate directories for your data, load files, manage your storage, run programs on the computing clusters, and set file permissions. This workshop is designed for those with no prior experience in working with a terminal interface.

This session will be delivered online.

To get the most from ACENET basics, please register for a Compute Canada Account. To register contact your supervising professor, ask for their CCRI, then visit https://ccdb.computecanada.ca/account_application. If your professor is not registered with Compute Canada, please have them register, then follow up with you. In addition to a Compute Canada account, you will want a computer with Windows, MacOS X, or a Unix-based operating system (not a ChromeBook), and a stable internet connection. A registered account is not mandatory, just recommended to get the most out of our lessons. You can attend the first session to see how ACENET can assist in accelerating your computational research before you decide to obtain an account, if you wish.

Participants must register using their institutional / organizational email address (not a personal email, ie. gmail).

Connections details for the session as well as further preparation information will be sent out prior to the session.

To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/acenet-basics-introduction-to-linux-tickets-170714109497

This core session is designed to help new users at ACENET and Compute Canada get up and running.

About this event

What is high performance computing (HPC) and what can it do for me? How can ACENET help? Used by researchers across many disciplines to tackle analyses too large or complex for a desktop, or to achieve improved efficiency over a desktop, this session takes participants through the preliminary stages of learning about high performance computing (HPC) and computing clusters, and how to get started with this type of computing. It then reviews software packages available for applications, data analysis, software development and compiling code. Finally, participants will be introduced to the concept of parallel computing to achieve much faster results in analysis. This session is designed for those with no prior experience in HPC, and are looking for an introduction and overview.

This session will be delivered online.

To get the most from ACENET basics, please register for a Compute Canada Account. To register contact your supervising professor, ask for their CCRI, then visit https://ccdb.computecanada.ca/account_application. If your professor is not registered with Compute Canada, please have them register, then follow up with you. In addition to a Compute Canada account, you will want a computer with Windows, MacOS X, or a Unix-based operating system (not a ChromeBook), and a stable internet connection. A registered account is not mandatory, just recommended to get the most out of our lessons. You can attend the first session to see how ACENET can assist in accelerating your computational research before you decide to obtain an account, if you wish.

Participants must register using their institutional / organizational email address (not a personal email, ie. gmail). 

To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/acenet-basics-introduction-to-hpc-with-acenet-and-compute-canada-tickets-170713698267

Connections details for the session as well as further preparation information will be sent out prior to the session.

The Teaching and Learning Centre invites you to Weekly Coffee Chats, informal get-togethers over coffee (or tea) to chat with peers and colleagues. Meet new friends or connect with old ones across departments and disciplines. These are not technical help-sessions, but we welcome all faculty, librarians and instructional staff (CNIs, lab instructors, etc.) with questions, comments, or concerns in addition to a warm, friendly conversation. No RSVP needed, just drop in anytime.

Date and Time: 

Weekly Wednesdays at 10:30 am beginning on Wednesday, September 22, 2021

How to Attend the Coffee Chats: 

Zoom Link on the Teaching & Learning Centre Events webpage: https://upei.zoom.us/j/61404770972?pwd=TlRZd2ppWURPMUNMS2w4cHJBcUQ4Zz09

Brenda Dowel, yoga teacher E-RYT-1000 and Licensed Holistic Practitioner will lead the four-part series of 90-minute classes with a focused approach. The six week series will feature a different area each week:   Hips & Glutes, Back & Core, Shoulders & Upper Bod and Legs & Lower Body.

Session 1:  Wednesdays 10:00 am - 11:30 am   September 22 - October 27

Session 2:  Wednesdays 2:30 pm  - 4:00 pm November 3 - December 8

The class is FREE and for current UPEI employees only, provided by the Healthy Campus Committee and supported by the UPEI Employee Wellness Strategy. You do not need to have a sports centre membership in order to take this class.

Participants can only register for one session per semester.

UPEI FACULTY/STAFF: Please sign in using your UPEI email address and password at our new portal: recreation.upei.ca. Then click on the Fitness Programs Icon. In the drop-down menu on the left, click on Campus Staff/Faculty Wellness programs. Sign up information is at that site.

All members of the University community (faculty, staff, and students) who are going to be on campus from September to December are required to fill out the Attestation and Exemption Form at go.upei.ca/vaccine, regardless of their vaccination status. If you have already filled out the form, thank you, but if you haven’t, please do so as soon as possible.

In the form, you are asked to declare that you are either:  

1. fully vaccinated with a Health Canada-approved vaccine, and then you can upload an image or file (up to 20 MB) of your proof of vaccination.
    
2. partially vaccinated with a Health Canada-approved vaccine, and then you will be asked to indicate when you expect to receive your second dose.
    
3. not vaccinated with a Health Canada-approved vaccine, and then you can indicate when you expect to receive your vaccine, or that you require an exemption for medical, religious, or cultural reasons.

Here again is the link to the online Attestation and Exemption form that everyone must fill out: go.upei.ca/vaccine

Read the full reminder message that was issued on September 14.

Applications and nominations are being accepted for the 2021 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing!

Returning undergraduate students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply for a MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing by October 6, 2021. The learning community is encouraged to review the criteria of the four prize categories through the links below, noting that there are numerous awards available, valued at $500 each. Applications should be sent electronically to scholarships@upei.ca.

MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Community)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Course Work)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Faculty and Staff)
MacLauchlan Prize for Effective Writing (Webster Centre)

In July 2011, the family of Harry and Marjorie MacLauchlan of Stanhope, PEI made another leadership gift to UPEI to create a substantial program of awards to encourage and recognize student writing achievement. The gift is to honour H. Wade MacLauchlan’s twelve years of service as UPEI president and vice-chancellor, and to recognize the importance of effective writing as a foundational skill for academic success and lifelong learning. The MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing is the largest such student-oriented program in Canada.

The deadlines for the following scholarships have been extended. Please follow the link for the application form and note the extension date provided below:

• Scotiabank Scholarship Series – Friday, September 24th, 2021
• Dr. Arnold A. Hiltz Memorial Scholarship – Friday, October 1st, 2021
• Janet Lovering Graduate Scholarship for Science – Friday, October 1st, 2021

Applicants who have already submitted applications do not need to reapply and will be included in the applicant pool.

Students are encouraged to review the other separate application Fall awards with similar deadlines on our 1st Semester Award Cycle webpage. Separate applications and any required supporting documents should be sent electronically to scholarships@upei.ca.

The George Coles Bursary for the 2021/22 academic year will be awarded to eligible students in the 2022 Winter term. Information about this bursary and a list of the eligibility criteria can be found here . 

An initial list of potential student recipients will be sent to PEI Student Financial services in early November, for review of eligibility. To be included in this initial review, eligible students must ensure that: 

• their Social Insurance Number is on file at UPEI
• they are enrolled in full time studies in both the 2021 Fall and 2022 Winter terms (unless graduating in the 2021/22 academic year)
• if graduating in the 2021/22 academic year, they have applied to graduate prior to generation of this list in early November

Any questions relating to this message, or the George Coles Bursary can be directed to scholarships@upei.ca

The Robertson Library is interviewing two candidates for a two-year position as Metadata Librarian. Both candidates will present on the following topic for 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes for questions: “Metadata, old and new, schemas and contexts.”

Our first candidate, Mackenzie Johnson, earned his Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Western Ontario. He is currently an Assistant Community Librarian at the Okanagan Regional Library and a Digital Asset Specialist for Canadian Tire. 

• Date: Monday, September 20, 2021, 11:30 am
• Join the Zoom Meeting: https://upei.zoom.us/j/65513273069?pwd=Tk54YmMxVjdrb0pLVU9STkxMMmhMUT09
• Meeting ID: 655 1327 3069
• Passcode: 167683

Our second candidate, Emily Cooke, earned their Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Western Ontario. They are currently a Collection Assessment and Development Librarian at the Atlantic School of Theology.  

• Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 10:45 am
• Join the Zoom Meeting: https://upei.zoom.us/j/69370738288?pwd=OW9leHhwUy9xYlZoMkwxSGVTSWg5UT09 
• Meeting ID: 693 7073 8288
• Passcode: 881015

The Teaching and Learning Centre and the E-Learning Office will be launching the new Academic Instructional Skills Program (AISP) on Thursday September. 16 at 2:30 in HSB 104.  Come and join us for a discussion with a diverse panel of accomplished post-secondary educators from UPEI on the topic of “What makes an effective teacher”.  

The AISP is for faculty, graduate students and postdocs who are currently teaching at UPEI or who are interested in teaching at a post-secondary level in the future. The program provides you an opportunity to develop evidence-based teaching expertise and skills that are relevant across disciplines in postsecondary education. Participants build their competencies by engaging in learning opportunities in four domains: Professional Growth, Development and Identity; Learning Spaces and Digital Technologies; Learner-Centredness; and Instructional Practice. The program offers a choice of different modules delivered as self-directed, blended , and/or in-person workshops and activities.  Participants that complete designated required workshops and a capstone project within each domain are awarded a badge and upon completion of the program will receive a Certificate in Academic Instructional Skills from UPEI’s Teaching and Learning Centre.  

Visit the Academic Instructional Skills Program page to learn more about the program’s structure, to view a list of workshop descriptions, and a calendar of workshops you can register for this fall.  To RSVP, email the Teaching and Learning Centre, TLC@upei.ca   

WELCOME TO THE FALL TERM, EVERYONE!

A limited number of Writing Centre appointments will become available on Monday, September 20. Our full schedule will go into effect on Monday, October 4.

You can see our schedule and book your appointment now at upei.mywconline.com.

Both online and in-person appointments are available, as well as evening and weekend appointments. In-person appointments will take place in the Writing Centre (Robertson Library) following all UPEI COVID-19 protocols.

Don't succumb to confusion or frustration! Visit us early with your questions about any writing assignment in any discipline. Our friendly, knowledgeable tutors will help you find answers and produce your best work.

Stay safe and sane!  Have a terrific semester!

(Questions?  Email Jarmo at jjpuiras@upei.ca.)

The goal of Study and Stay PEI Program is to support a group of select final-year international students to live, work, and stay in Prince Edward Island post-graduation. Program participants receive free exclusive access to networking, career supports, immigration resources and more.

Applicants from one of the following PEI post-secondary institutions are welcome to apply:

• University of Prince Edward Island

• Holland College

• Collège de I’île 

Please click here to view more details and how to apply: http://studypei.ca/  

For questions about the program, please email us at studyandstaypei@upei.ca. 

If you have received a COVID-19 vaccine on PEI and require a copy, go to the CANImmunize portal:  https://pei.flow.canimmunize.ca/en/portal.

All members of the University community (faculty, staff, and students) who are going to be on campus from September to December are required to fill out the Attestation and Exemption Form at go.upei.ca/vaccine, regardless of their vaccination status. If you have already filled out the form, thank you, but if you haven’t, please do so as soon as possible.

In the form, you are asked to declare that you are either:  

1. fully vaccinated with a Health Canada-approved vaccine, and then you can upload an image or file (up to 20 MB) of your proof of vaccination.
    
2. partially vaccinated with a Health Canada-approved vaccine, and then you will be asked to indicate when you expect to receive your second dose.
    
3. not vaccinated with a Health Canada-approved vaccine, and then you can indicate when you expect to receive your vaccine, or that you require an exemption for medical, religious, or cultural reasons.

Here again is the link to the online Attestation and Exemption form that everyone must fill out: go.upei.ca/vaccine

Read the full reminder message that was issued on September 14.

The Teaching and Learning Centre and the E-Learning Office will be launching the new Academic Instructional Skills Program (AISP) on Thursday September. 16 at 2:30 in HSB 104.  Come and join us for a discussion with a diverse panel of accomplished post-secondary educators from UPEI on the topic of “What makes an effective teacher”.  

The AISP is for faculty, graduate students and postdocs who are currently teaching at UPEI or who are interested in teaching at a post-secondary level in the future. The program provides you an opportunity to develop evidence-based teaching expertise and skills that are relevant across disciplines in postsecondary education. Participants build their competencies by engaging in learning opportunities in four domains: Professional Growth, Development and Identity; Learning Spaces and Digital Technologies; Learner-Centredness; and Instructional Practice. The program offers a choice of different modules delivered as self-directed, blended , and/or in-person workshops and activities.  Participants that complete designated required workshops and a capstone project within each domain are awarded a badge and upon completion of the program will receive a Certificate in Academic Instructional Skills from UPEI’s Teaching and Learning Centre.  

Visit the Academic Instructional Skills Program page to learn more about the program’s structure, to view a list of workshop descriptions, and a calendar of workshops you can register for this fall.  To RSVP, email the Teaching and Learning Centre, TLC@upei.ca   

Thirty $1500 bursaries are available for students from targeted underrepresented groups who are taking part in work-integrated learning as part of their UPEI coursework during the 2021 fall semester. Students can apply for these bursaries until September 27th at 4:00 pm.

For more information about this bursary and to access the application form, please visit the Experiential Education Website.

This project is funded by CEWIL Canada and The Government of Canada's Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (I-WIL) and administered by UPEI's Experiential Education department.

The UPEI Digital Badge Programs offer students and alumni free, virtual workshops on the following themes:

• Communication Skills
• Labour Market Literacies
• Leadership Skills
• Personal Growth

The goal of the programs is to give students an opportunity to make connections between their academic, extra-curricular, work and volunteer learning, and employability skills employers are seeking. 

Upcoming September workshops include:

• Resumes and Cover Letters
• Interview Skills
• Interpersonal Communication
• Teamwork
• Conflict Resolution
• Digital Presence

If you know any students or alumni seeking support in these areas, please encourage them to register for the workshops online. 

Questions? Please email experientialed@upei.ca

With the support of the campus community, the Food Bank fed over 300 students this summer. Thank you for your donations of food, and time!

With the beginning of the fall semester right around the corner, we are getting ready to keep up the pace, and we count on your continued support. 

Consider giving an hour on a Wednesday to respond to the student need for food.  Please sign up here.  

For more information contact Sr. Sue (sukidd@upei.ca) or Lauren (lvanvliet@upei.ca)

All UPEI staff and faculty can access Specialty Fitness Class and Small Group training discounts.   Classes include Barre, Kettlebell, Pilates and Yoga classes.   Descriptions and how to register can be found here:  https://www.upei.ca/ar/fitness-class

• Fees:
  • current full-time UPEI students: $10 + HST for 1 session (12 classes)
  • UPEI staff and faculty: $25 + HST for 1 session (12 classes)
  • all other participants: $100 + HST for 1 session (12 classes)