On November 29 at 2:00 pm, the campus community is invited to MacLauchlan Arena (Rink A) at the Bell Aliant Centre to watch the UPEI Women's Hockey team take on a team of UPEI faculty and staff. Come cheer on your fellow student-athletes and/or colleagues in what is sure to be an entertaining game. Admission is free. However, "admission by donation" is encouraged to support the Panther Women's Hockey program. Last year's game was a nail-biter, with the staff clinching the win in overtime. Both teams are excited for another thrilling matchup this year. We look forward to seeing you there!  

IT Systems and Services, in collaboration with the Robertson Library, now offers extended hours of technical support to cover evening classes. Extended support hours will run from 4:30 to 8:00 pm Mondays through Thursdays, and 4:00 to 8:00 pm on Fridays.   

This service will be delivered by the Robertson Library Service Desk (reference@upei.ca, 902-566-0583). 

Support areas include password resets, account locks, wifi, and basic computer/podium troubleshooting. 

Hey Arts students! The Dean of Arts warmly invites you to our monthly Fall Fika in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, Room 201. Fika is a Swedish tradition that encourages taking a break to enjoy coffee and snacks while catching up with friends. There will be hot drinks, yummy treats, and engaging conversations with your classmates and faculty. We hope to see you there!

Dates:

• Tuesday, October 22, 10:00—11:00 am
•  Tuesday, November 12, 10:00—11:00 am
•  Monday, December 2, 11:00 am—12:00 pm

Join your UPEI Student Union on Thursday, November 28, for our Holiday Market from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in McMillan Hall, W.A Murphy Student Centre!

The first 250 students will each receive a $5 voucher to spend at their favourite vendor.

Students, club executives, and alumni will sell unique, handmade products!

Click on this link for more information: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCrYs-TMaSt/

Hey, Panther fans,

This holiday season,  your UPEI Panthers are excited to launch the "Panthers Pack the Truck with Love: A Teddy and Toy Drive" to spread joy and comfort to children in need. We are collecting new teddies and toys, which will be donated to the pediatric department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Ocean 100's Toys for Tots program.

Donations can be dropped off during the UPEI Panther Men’s hockey game on November 29 vs StFX at 7:00 pm at the MacLauchlan Arena, where a truck will be stationed in the lobby to accept donations. We’d love to see you there and fill the truck with love for kids in our community!

Kristina Kupferschmidt, who has recently joined the UPEI School of Mathematics and Computational Sciences, will give a talk entitled "Using Machine Learning to Forecast Changes in Canada’s Food Prices: Canada’s Food Price Report 2025" on Friday, November 29, at noon as part of the Atlantic Canada Data Science Tour. Anyone interested in meeting our new faculty member or in learning more about applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence is invited to join remotely or in person in AVC 286A.   

More information can be found here: https://canssi.ca/events/atlantic-tour-using-machine-learning/

The Department of Psychology is pleased to present three candidates for two tenure-track assistant professor positions. 

Please join us for the following presentations:

• On Thursday, December 5, at 11:30 am, Dr. Margaret Manges will present her research talk titled “A Minority Stress Approach for Advancing Clinical Interventions: Addressing Suicide Risk in LGBTQ+ People and Individuals with Psychosis.” The presentation will take place in SDU Main Building, Room 211. 
•  On Monday, December 9, at 12:00 pm, Dr. Brent Macdonald will present his research talk titled “Mental toughness and executive functioning development in adults with ADHD: A collaborative proposal for the PEI community." The presentation will take place in Memorial Hall, Room 308. 
• On Thursday, December 12, at 10:15 am, Dr. Elena Kosterina will present her research talk titled “Understanding Community Psychology Topics Through Qualitative Interdisciplinary Research.”  The presentation will take place in SDU Main Building, Room 420. 

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that runs from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day). In Canada, December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, honoring the 14 women murdered in the 1989 Polytechnique Montréal mass shooting.

During the 16 Days of Activism, there will be a “red and green flag” activity displayed around campus with red flags including examples of unhealthy relationship habits and green flags displaying examples of healthy relationship habits. This activity was created by fourth-year nursing students with the purpose of encouraging individuals to view them and reflect on their personal relationships, how you are treated, and how you treat others.

Want to get involved in this campaign? You can do so by wearing a purple ribbon on December 6 to honour the lives lost during the Polytechnique Montréal shooting.

Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, November 29, 2024, for review at the December meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for the REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, November 29, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the December 19 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI researcher portal. Information about the researcher portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the researcher portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

Nicholas Busch and Megaria Halim will perform on the SDU Stage in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall on November 29, 2024, at 7:30 pm.

Visions de l'amen is a suite of seven pieces for two pianos by Olivier Messiaen. Come and experience the richness of harmony, colour, and intensity in this performance!

“By joining the life of the creatures who say "amen" by the fact that they exist, I have tried to express the varied riches of the Amen in seven musical visions.” - O. Messiaen

Nicholas Busch is a pianist, organist, composer, and instructor based in Ottawa. He holds a Masters degree specializing in Collaborative Piano at Western University, studying with Dr. John Hess and Professor Mariana Chibotar-Rutkevich.

Megaria Halim is a pianist and teacher currently based in London, Ontario. She graduated with her DMA under Dr. Angela Park and MMus in Literature and Performance from Western University under Dr. John Hess.

Admission is free. Accessible parking is available, and the theatre has an accessible entrance via elevator.

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last SEVEN draws, the total pot has grown to more than $28,000, 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.

Join the Institute of Island Studies in person or online on December 3, 1-2 pm, for “Yarns and Yarns,” an hour of knitting and storytelling on northern islands, when we will discuss and demonstrate island knitting traditions that focus on mittens. Local knitter Cheryl Wartman will talk about the tradition of making fishing mittens felted in salt water, as told to her by her grandmother Yoston from Launching Place, PEI. Kim Doherty Smith from Fleece and Harmony, a locally sourced wool mill in Belfast, PEI, will answer questions about how they mini mill their yarn from PEI sheep. Lynda Harling Stalker, from a long line of Prince Edward Islanders, will join us online from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, to discuss handknit mitts and islandness.

Knitters: bring your knitting and share your current projects and mitten stories! We’ll be gathering at The Gallery Coffee House and Bistro, 82 Great George Street, Charlottetown, PEI, or you can join us online. Please click here to register: it’s free and everyone is welcome.

This is the fourth “Yarns and Yarns” event organized by the Northern and Arctic Island Studies Research (NAISR) Thematic Network of the University of the Arctic. Previous in-person and online events were hosted by knitting groups in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador; Uist, Scotland; and Iceland, with over 100 knitters from all over the North Atlantic Zooming in. The Charlottetown event is hosted by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI in collaboration with the Institute for Northern Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Shetland, Scotland, and other members of the NAISR.

The MacLauchlan Panther Pitch is returning this winter semester! To celebrate the return of this storied competition, the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is kicking off the program with an official launch event on Thursday, November 28, from 5:00-7:00 pm, in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall. 

Join us in celebrating the return of Panther Pitch, get the earliest scoop about what’s in store for this round of the competition, listen to past winners and their experiences in the program, and network with like-minded students about entering the competition! Light refreshments will be provided.

 As we navigate changes in the age of generative AI, aligning our assessment strategies with the distinctly human skills and AI literacies we aim to foster is important. In this workshop, instructors will work collaboratively in small groups to revise and develop assessments that reflect their course learning outcomes. Join us to explore innovative approaches to assessment that not only acknowledge the presence of AI tools but may also leverage them to support student learning. Please bring an assessment you’d like to revise and a digital device of your preference to work with to the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on December 12 at 10:00 am. Kindly RSVP here. 

The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is interviewing two candidates for a tenure-track position. Each candidate is invited to give a public research presentation, which everyone is welcome to attend.

On Monday, November 25, 2024, at 9:00 am, Dr. Bingxian Mu, Lead Technical Specialist of the Smart Products Department at Zhejiang Yate Electric Co., Ltd.,  will give a presentation titled "Advances in Optimal Control and Planning for Autonomous Vehicles" in FSDE 205.

On Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at 9:00 am, Dr. Mohammed Abouheaf, Associate Professor of Intelligent Systems and a co-founder of the Robotics Engineering program at Bowling Green State University, will give a presentation titled "Emerging Machine Learning Technologies for Intelligent Systems" in FSDE 205.

This 45-minute session has been created in collaboration between the TLC, EDIHR, and Accessibility Services. It will take place on November 28, starting at noon, in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex 230.

Make an impact on student learning by rethinking your slides. We will touch on simple suggestions that can build a connection with your students and enhance learning. If you haven’t reviewed your slides recently or if you feel like you need some support in this process, this is a great space to ask questions and be among others who feel the same way. We will look at some basic principles, and then you will spend time redesigning one of your own slide decks. 

What to bring: A set of slides and a device to work on 

Schedule:   

• 15-minute presentation by Jaclyn Borden, Jasmine Pauze, and Kristy McKinney 

• 25 minutes to work individually or in groups on your own slides; the hosts are present for questions  

• 5 minutes to reflect and ask more questions 

Contact Kristy at kmckinney@upei.ca if you are planning to attend. 

This is a reminder that the UPEI Biosafety Program requires that all principal investigators confirm the security and complete inventory of all biohazardous materials being used or stored. This confirmation is due in November of each year.  

Inventory records must be kept up to date throughout the year. Any inventory discrepancies noted during an annual lab inspection may lead to an in-depth inventory audit by the Biosafety Committee. Please ensure your inventory is up to date throughout the year, including prior to completing the steps listed below.

To confirm your inventory is up to date, take the following steps:

1. Access your inventory at http://biosafety.vre3.upei.ca.  Remember to ignore the prominent "Access Denied" that appears on your screen. Just click on "Log in" at the top of the screen, in the grey bar.
2. Log in 
3. Click Edit 
4. Scroll down this page until you see the November 2024 box and enter the date.
5. Hit Save! Task completed. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Please contact Rhoda Speare (rspeare@upei.ca or ext. 5071) if you have any questions.

As part of the UPEI Hearing Conservation Program, audiometric testing will take place on November 27 and December 3, 2024. These tests take approximately ten minutes to complete. 

It is important to have your hearing tested annually, especially in workplaces with high noise levels. All UPEI employees are welcome to participate.

Please pre-register for audiometric testing by contacting Jacky Buell at HSE@upei.ca or 902-566-0901 by November 26, 2024.

This year, Giving Tuesday at UPEI is all about showing our love for the Robertson Library! 

The Robertson Library has been at the heart of our campus for nearly 50 years, supporting student success. Founded with a vision for change, the library has continued to evolve with the times, providing outstanding resources, innovative digital spaces, and welcoming environments for all students, faculty, staff, and community users.

On Giving Tuesday, your support will help us elevate the Roberston Library to new heights, empowering every student to reach their full potential! Our library is more essential than ever, and we have a shared vision for its future to better serve our users. UPEI’s growth demands a world-class library, and to bring this idea to life, we have embarked on a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $15 million to support the revitalization of the library and continue to serve generations of students to come.

Every donation designated for the "Robertson Library Revitalization Campaign" made on or before Giving Tuesday will be MATCHED by an extremely generous anonymous donor--up to a total of $20,000!  

Get ready to make your mark on Giving Tuesday and be part of something truly extraordinary! Let's come together, donate, and support the Robertson Library Revitalization Campaign!   

Donate on Giving Tuesday! Together we can create a vibrant future for the Robertson Library! 

Visit the Love our Library website and support the revitalization project or call 902-894-2888.

Giving Tuesday is a global movement for giving and volunteering that takes place each year after Black Friday. As the “opening day of the giving season,” it is a time when charities, companies, and individuals join together and rally for favourite causes. To learn more about Giving Tuesday, visit givingtuesday.ca.