Student Affairs is beginning to organize UPEI’s Mental Health Week 2017 and is calling for interested students, staff and faculty to join the planning committee.

As in past years, we hope to have a variety of people on the committee in order to reach the many areas of the UPEI community. Committee work will entail meetings every three weeks with the main event scheduled for March (Dates still being set). The week with be shortened to three days this year, but then followed by a student led conference for students being organized by another committee.

The planning committee will be responsible for brainstorming ideas to showcase the theme of "Relationships Matter", setting the schedule and making the necessary contacts and bookings. If you are interested, please contact Anne Bartlett, ambartlett@upei.ca, or 902-894-2835, by Thursday, January 12, as we plan to have our first meeting the week of January 16th.

Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was the first public school teacher in New France and had an understanding of interculturality well before its time. She taught First Nations and European children together and she supported all young families. She died Jan 12, 1700 and was declared a saint by Pope John Paul II on Oct 31, 1982. Her spirit lives on in the community she founded, The Congregation of Notre Dame.

A Mass for her feast day will be held Thursday, January 12, 2017 at 12:05 in the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre.

The Department of Human Resources wishes to advise the campus community that the Holiday Notice for 2017 has been issued. The memo is posted on the HR Faculty and Staff Resources web page, please click here to view.

The 2017 Campus Directory can be ordered at CENTRAL PRINTING.

Please use UIS if available, if not, please contact Wendy at whenderson@upei.ca or call 902-566-0558.

Last semester we hosted our first Industry Engagement day and had the great privilege of welcoming well over 100 people to the School of Sustainable Design Engineering. Building on that success, we wish to start the New Year off with good momentum and hold our next Industry Engagement day on January 20, 2017. This day will have a specific focus on Bio-Resources and Precision Agriculture.

The goal is to gather Industry, Government, and Academia and look for collaboration to advance Bio-Resources and Precision Agriculture.

Key Note Speakers:
First speaker: Dr.John K. Schueller from the University of Florida
Second speaker: Dr.Animesh Dutta from the University of Guelph

Please RSVP with Lisa Sanderson at lmsanderson@upei.ca

Logan MacIntyre, Department of Biomedical Sciences will give a seminar entitled "Tools for the analysis of metabolomics data" on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at 3:00 pm in AVC Lecture Theatre "A".  All are welcome!

Call for applications from potential graduate students for the 2017 Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Graduate Scholarship. The scholarship will support the training of researchers at the masters or doctoral level to pursue animal welfare research at the UPEI. Both applied or more fundamental approaches to research pertaining to animal welfare are welcome. Students may take up their award at any time of the year but must do so within 12 months of the date of the letter of offer. Applications for 2017 will be accepted until 12 noon AST on Friday, February 17.

For more information please click here.

The UPEI Music Department Recital Series 2016-2017 is pleased to present The Ulysses Quartet. Featuring Christina Bouey and Rhiannon Banerdt on violin, Colin Brookes on viola, and Grace Ho on cello, with special guest appearance by soprano Sung Ha Shin-Bouey, performing works by Luzzi, Vavilov, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and Debussy. 

The concert will take place in Dr. Steel Recital Hall, UPEI Campus, at 7:30 PM on Saturday, January 7, 2017. Tickets available at the door, adults and seniors $20 // students $15.

Dr. Jane P. Preston and Anhui (Ann) Wang are conducting research about the academic and personal experiences of international Masters of Education graduate students studying in the Faculty of Education. If you are/were an MEd student in the Global Perspectives cohort from September 2014 to September 2016, and you are interested in participating in a one-hour individual interview.

Please contact Dr. Preston at jpreston@upei for more information.

Friday, January 6
7:00 pm (M) Hockey vs DAL

Saturday, January 7
3:00 pm (W) Hockey vs DAL
6:00 pm (W) Basketball vs DAL
7:00 pm (M) Hockey vs StfX (@ Eastlink Centre)
8:00 pm (M) Basketball vs DAL

Sunday, January 8
2:00 pm (W) Hockey vs StFX

* All Games webcast on AUStv
* Saturday's Basketball Games broadcast on Bell TV1

Dr. Jane P. Preston and Anhui (Ann) Wang are conducting research about the academic and personal experiences of international Masters of Education graduate students studying in the Faculty of Education. If you are/were an MEd student in the Global Perspectives cohort from September 2014 to September 2016, and you are interested in participating in a one-hour individual interview. 

Please contact Dr. Preston at jpreston@upei for more information.

The Department of Physics invites the campus community and members of the public to its first astronomy workshop on Thursday, January 19, from 7:00-9:00 pm. If you have a telescope that you're not quite sure how to use or if you're just interested in learning about the basics of telescope use — then this workshop is for you!

For more information and to register, click here.

Join the UPEI School of Nursing and Graduate Studies Coordinator, Dr. Janet Bryanton, for a Master of Nursing Open House on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 from 6:30-8:00 pm, Rm. 106, Health Sciences Building, UPEI.

Talk with current Master of Nursing students to hear about their journey in the program, tour the building and have your admissions questions answered! Refreshments will be served. All current Nurses in PEI are welcomed to attend.
 

There are a number of ways for UPEI students, staff and faculty to have a healthy and active 2017:

1. UPEI Employees Personal Training Subsidy Program - Current UPEI Faculty and Staff only.

A $75 grant can be used towards any of our small group training programs or for three specialty fitness programs. Limited number of grants on a first-come-first-serve basis, please click here for the form.

2. UPEI Healthy Activity Challenge - Current UPEI students, staff and faculty only.

The Healthy Activity Challenge at UPEI is an opportunity for you and a group of coworkers to participate in a fun eight week physical activity challenge. The challenge involves a team of 6 individuals. Benefits include free access to the indoor track at Sports Centre and to the membership fitness classes from January 23 – March 19, 2017, a blood pressure clinic, lunch n' learn sessions and prizes. Registration deadline January 19, 2017, please click here for more details.

3. Fitness Classes - NEW schedules are posted for Sports Centre members classes, specialty fitness classes and cycle fitness classes. For more details, schedules and fees, please click here.

4. Small Group Training - Small group training offers training sessions with a focus on individual progression and skill development.

Sessions are two times per week, and will include a small group of six to seven clients who will work together with a certified personal trainer. Join a group or create your own! Our personal trainers can train at all levels and will guide/push you to achieve positive results! For more details please click here.

5. Noontime Yoga - Tuesdays weekly, Beginning January 10
Yoga class will continue to be held every Tuesday from 12:10 pm – 12:55 pm at the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre. Please bring your own mat and/or towel and water. Fee: Fee for each class is a donation to the UPEI food bank - $5 or food donation.

6. Intramural programming - Programs begin the week of January 8 in basketball, badminton, dodgeball, indoor field hockey, squash, volleyball, soccer and ultimate frisbee. Intramurals are FREE for full time UPEI students and Sports Centre members. For non-members the cost is $25/person/sport/semester. Please click here for more details.

For more information or questions about fitness, wellness and recreation programming, please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness & Wellness Coordinator at amarchbank@upei.ca or 902-566-0606.

The December edition of the International Relations Office Newsletter is now available. Thank-you to everyone on campus for your contributions. Our next edition will be spring 2017. Please click here to view newsletter.

Please be advised that the Government of Canada is once again sponsoring the Canada Summer Jobs program designed to help employers create summer job opportunities for students. Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses to create summer job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in Fall 2017. 

Public and private-sector employers are eligible for a wage subsidy of up to 50% of the provincial/territorial adult minimum hourly wage – in PEI the minimum wage will be $11. For additional information and application information for this program please click here.

To apply for this Program you will need to contact Monique Geurts, Human Resources, 566-0515. The closing date for applications is January 20, 2017.

Laura Taylor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, will deliver a seminar entitled "Natural and Anthropogenic Stressors on the Survival and Development of the American Lobster (Homarus americanus)" on Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at 3:00 pm in AVC Lecture Theatre A.  All are welcome!

Flooring Canada will be on site beginning Tuesday, December 27 to begin the main lobby flooring replacement of Atlantic Veterinary College. The removal of the old tile and floor preparation for the new tile is scheduled for December 27-30. During this time there will be noise and possibly some vibrations. The area will be considered a construction zone, if you require access to the Atlantic Veterinary College during this time, please plan to use another entrance/exit and not the main entrance, along with access to other floors please choose an alternate route other than the central elevator and stairwell.

The installation of the new tile is scheduled for January 2-5, during this time the contractor will have paths available for foot traffic through this area.

While the contractors have been instructed that the work be executed with the least possible interference or disturbance to the campus community, a certain amount of disruption is inevitable. Your patience and understanding is appreciated as we proceed with this renovation project that will enhance the facility.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at 566-6034, jmacphail@upei.ca or Troy Gallant at 566-6033, trogallant@upei.ca

UPEI's International Relations Office sends holiday greetings, please click here to view video message.