The International Trans Day of Visibility is an annual event occurring on March 31 dedicated to celebrating trans people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. The day was first supported in 2010, led by Rachel Crandall as a celebration of the vibrant Trans Community and their many accomplishments.  

For more information check out the Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) website:  http://ccgsd-ccgds.org.  On this site you can learn more about: National Forums • GSA Forum • Allyship in Action • Service Providers’ Summit, Conferences for Educators, 20+ Regional Conferences across Canada, in every geographic region Training for businesses, NGOs, and governments Free workshops in schools!

This Trans Day of Visibility, the CCGSD invites you to support safer spaces where trans and gender nonconforming youth can thrive by:

• Sharpening your skills on how to advocate for trans youth by attending our upcoming training session (in collaboration with the Society of Queer Momentum and LeBlanc (& co.) Communications):  "Together, We Will Win: A Workshop on Campaigning and Messaging in Support of Trans Youth" on April 8th from 3 - 4:30pm EST.

The McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill are beginning their recruitment cycle for the Atlantic region and are encouraging students in their third and fourth years to attend the upcoming information session. Students will learn what is involved in applying for this scholarship opportunity at the online session for Atlantic universities on April 4 at 12:30 pm ADT. The invitation and RSVP link are included below along with the scholarship criteria:

Invitation and RSVP link: https://bit.ly/ATLuniv-ap04

To be eligible for the 2025 cohort, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

• You are a current student on track to earn your first bachelor’s degree by August 2025.
• You earned your first bachelor’s degree in the last five years (January 2019 or later).
• You earned your first bachelor’s degree more than five years ago and are 30 years or younger in 2024.
• Note: two-thirds of scholarships are offered to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and refugees, and one-third are offered to international candidates.

Senator Kim Pate will give a presentation titled “Why We Need a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income” at two public events on PEI in April.

The first presentation will take place on April 3 at Westisle Composite High School, Elmsdale. The second presentation will be on April 4 in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242, University of Prince Edward Island. Both presentations begin at 7:00 pm.

The events are sponsored by the Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture at UPEI. Admission is free.

For information, contact Marion Clorey, Chair of SDU Out-Reach Committee at mgclorey@gmail.com  or (902) 675-2598.

The International Trans Day of Visibility is an annual event occurring on March 31 dedicated to celebrating trans people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. The day was first supported in 2010, led by Rachel Crandall as a celebration of the vibrant Trans Community and their many accomplishments.  

For more information check out the Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) website:  http://ccgsd-ccgds.org.  On this site you can learn more about: National Forums • GSA Forum • Allyship in Action • Service Providers’ Summit, Conferences for Educators, 20+ Regional Conferences across Canada, in every geographic region Training for businesses, NGOs, and governments Free workshops in schools!

This Trans Day of Visibility, the CCGSD invites you to support safer spaces where trans and gender nonconforming youth can thrive by:

• Sharpening your skills on how to advocate for trans youth by attending our upcoming training session (in collaboration with the Society of Queer Momentum and LeBlanc (& co.) Communications):  "Together, We Will Win: A Workshop on Campaigning and Messaging in Support of Trans Youth" on April 8th from 3 - 4:30pm EST.

Under the direction of Dr. Nicole Strum, the UPEI Wind Symphony will perform traditional and contemporary works for winds and percussion by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Ron Nelson, Ferdinand David, Joni Greene, and Joanne Harris. The concert features Jacob Reddin, a fourth-year trombone major, as soloist.

The concert takes place on April 4 at 7:30 pm in the UPEI Performing Arts Centre 121S. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, payable by cash at the door. Accessible parking is available, and the theatre has an accessible entrance via elevator.

All students are invited to attend an information session on the UPEI Faculty of Medicine. A presentation will be followed by a Q&A with Dr. Preston Smith, Dean of UPEI Faculty of Medicine, and representatives from admissions, clinical learning and simulation, and anatomy.

Welcome to spring! The UPEI Writing Centre will remain open for appointments until the final day of classes, Tuesday, April 9. See our tutors for support with any stage of your final writing or research assignment. We can also help you refine and practice presentations.

In-person appointments are held in Robertson Library 274; online appointments are also available. As always, make your appointment at https://upei.mywconline.com/

And we're looking for tutors to begin work in September! If you're a strong writer who enjoys helping others develop their skills, check out the posting at https://www.upei.ca/hr/employment-opportunities. Closing date: Friday, April 5.

Are you trying to find some dedicated time to finish a writing project that needs focused attention? Time to Write retreats offer concentrated time to support your writing efforts and can be instrumental in the initiation or completion of scholarly work such as an article, book or book chapter, grant proposal, curriculum or OER development, conference presentations, or other scholarly, creative projects.  

Time to work on writing projects away from home and campus for a few days can be incredibly productive. Participation in a writing retreat with colleagues at various stages of their career not only provides quiet, focused writing time away from teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities, but it also offers mentorship and networking opportunities with colleagues from a range of disciplines. The retreat provides an opportunity to develop a supportive writing group with colleagues from across campus and join group discussions on writing and publishing. 

A Time to Write retreat will be offered from Tuesday, June 4 to Friday, June 7, 2024, at the North Rustico Cottages in North Rustico.   

Participants must have a project (e.g., grant application, research publication) at a stage where sustained writing time makes sense with background research and/or data collection and analysis completed to the point that they are ready to write. Participants must be prepared to commit to the full program--a total of three days focused on writing--and contribute $300. The retreat is open to faculty (term and sessional faculty are encouraged to apply) and librarians in any academic unit at UPEI. Interested participants will email an expression of interest consisting of a summary of the project they plan to work on and their writing goals for the retreat to TLC@upei.ca by 12:00 noon, Monday, April 15, 2024. Six to eight participants will be accepted for this Time to Write retreat.

The Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Change course (ACC2030/IKE2030) will host an exhibition on April 3 at 3:30 in the Robertson Library lobby. The exhibition will showcase creative pieces by students based on their reflections of knowledge-keeper Elder Gary Joe Augustine's presentation. Elder Augustine is from Elsipogtog First Nation. 

For more information, please reach out to the instructor and coordinator Margaret Augustine at maugustine@upei.ca and Donald Moses at dmoses@upei.ca.

It is time again to reach out to our students during a stressful time--FINALS. The Chaplaincy Centre hosts a free meal for students, with the help of faculty and staff. Please use this link to sign up for a 30-minute (or more) shift to volunteer. Opportunities to set up, serve, and clean up are available as well a chance to mingle with students in an informal conversation with good food. 

On Friday April, 12, we will offer two serving times:11:30 am-1:00 pm and 4:30-6:00 pm. Please check back closer to the day as schedules change and time slots may open up. Contact Sister Sue at sukidd@upei.ca or Lauren at lvanvliet@upei.ca for further information.  

Sister Sue and Lauren

Interested in exploring collaboration opportunities with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC)? Meet Drs. James Johnston and Fabrice Berrué, Directors of Research and Development at the NRC’s Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre.

The NRC’s Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre provides scientific research, services, and technology development for the sustainable transformation of Canadian agricultural and marine bio-based resources into higher-value products. 

In collaboration with industry, academia, other government departments and stakeholders, the NRC helps address technology and commercialization challenges. Leveraging unique facilities, they offer expertise and R&D support in the following research areas:

1.           Atypical fermentation and bioprocessing

2.           Advancing Marine bioproducts towards commercialization

3.           Algal Bioproduction

4.           Zebrafish Research 

5.           Ocean Monitoring and conservation 

6.           Protein - Plant Processing Ingredients 

7.           Prediction Modelling and Analytics (Ag)

8.           Climate Resilience Agriculture 

9.           Other Technical Services and Facilities (e.g. NMR, Mass spec, etc.)

Following the NRC’s 20-minute presentation, time will be allocated for feedback and discussion with the UPEI research community regarding how these strategic research areas align with your research goals.

Contact: Sandra LeClair at sleeleclair@upei.ca for more information.

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 $17,300, 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 Panthers 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.

Students living in St. Peter's Bay for their studies are looking for faculty and staff who also live in the area to share rides to and from Charlottetown, especially on evenings and weekends. If anyone lives in the area and travels back and forth to town regularly or sporadically, and you'd like to offer the occasional drive to a UPEI student from the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation, this is the group for you. Please ask to join our Facebook group to make postings and connect with students at https://www.facebook.com/groups/699386872128927/

UPEI faculty and staff are invited to attend an informative presentation about health screenings, recommended screenings at different ages, where to go, what to ask, and information about the pharmacy plus program. The session will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 12:10-12:50 pm, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Room #142. It will be led by nursing students Juli MacMillan and Mohammadali Nouri. Registration is not required (although it would be nice to know numbers); to register, you can log into recreation.upei.ca or the UPEI Panther Recreation app and click on the wellness icon. This presentation is a UPEI Healthy Campus Committee initiative. If you have any questions, please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, at amarchbank@upei.ca.

The Chief Public Health Office is preparing for potential cases of measles on PEI in the next few weeks. As of March 13, 2024, there have been 29 confirmed measles cases in Canada across Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Some of these cases are related to travel outside of Canada, but others were acquired locally. Montreal is considered the country’s epicenter as there is community spread occurring locally in and around the city. Note: There are no confirmed cases in PEI at this time.

Measles is one of the most highly infectious vaccine-preventable diseases. It has been eliminated from circulation in Canada since 1998 due to highly effective vaccines and successful public health programs.

Measles is spread when you

• breathe air in a location where someone who is infected is or has recently been
• have direct contact with mucus from the nose or throat of someone who is infected
• touch a contaminated surface or object and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth

The symptoms include

• fever
• runny nose
• red watery eyes
• cough
• red blotchy rash that begins on the head and spreads down to the trunk, arms, and legs.

Measles usually starts with illness for 3-4 days before the rash appears. The fever tends to be high (at least 104 degrees F/40℃). The fever and rash usually disappear in 3-5 days. Complications of measles include ear infection, viral meningitis (inflammation of the brain), or pneumonia. On rare occasions, measles can result in death. If you have recently returned from travel and are experiencing symptoms of measles, you should seek health care, consider calling ahead to let them know of your history of travel, and wear a mask to your appointment.

Who is recommended to get a dose of the measles vaccine? Some individuals will have protection based on their age. The current recommendations for vaccination are as follows:

• Adults born before 1970 are considered to have acquired natural immunity and do not require the vaccine. Exception: individuals traveling outside of Canada should receive one dose of measles vaccine.
• Those born in or after 1970 who have not had measles disease or have not received two doses of measles vaccine should receive two doses of vaccine.
• Regardless of age, students entering post-secondary education, health-care workers, and military personnel should receive two doses if they have no evidence of having had the disease or do not have documentation of two doses of a measles vaccine.
• Any person living in PEI who is eligible may receive the vaccine free of charge at Public Health Nursing.

Public Health Nursing is holding clinics to immunize for measles. In Charlottetown, they are located at 161 St. Peters Road, telephone 902-368-4530. If you are unable to attend these clinics, make an appointment at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre to get vaccinated. You can also make an appointment to discuss this and other vaccines with the registered nurse at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre.

To learn more about measles, check out https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-and-wellness/measles-mumps-and-rubella-german-measles-vaccine-mmr

To see if you are due or overdue for other vaccines, visit www.canimmunize.ca/en/pei-assessment-tool 

For more information on MMR, view https://youtu.be/jL9QfTubi7I

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, and every three days, someone on PEI is diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer.

Current colorectal cancer screening guidelines on PEI recommend a FIT test (fecal immunochemical test) every two years for Islanders aged 50-74 years of age for average-risk individuals.  If you are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer (positive family history, blood in the stool, history of colorectal cancer, change in bowel movements, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, long-standing diarrhea or constipation), then you should have a colonoscopy. This can be arranged through the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre, which is located on the second floor north of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre (above the bookstore).

The FIT test is available for anyone who is average risk and aged 50-74 at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. If you identify as being higher risk, make an appointment to see a nurse practitioner at the health centre. They can review the screening that is best for you and make a referral for a gastroenterology consult if necessary.

Detecting colorectal cancer at an earlier stage improves your chances of survival and avoidance of treatment. For more information, check out Health PEI’s provincial colorectal cancer screening program at https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/colorectal-screening-program-fit. For additional information on colorectal cancer screening, visit the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer for information on screening projects across Canada at https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/news-events/news/article/pan-canadian-success-colorectal-cancer/

The Scholarships and Awards Office is encouraging application submissions for convocation, senior class, and year-end scholarships and awards! The application deadline for the following awards is Monday, April 1, 2024. Click the links provided below to access the application and/or recommendation forms for more information. Please submit your application(s) and any supporting documents electronically to scholarships@upei.ca or in person to Dalton Hall 202.

• Arlie Parks Scholarship - In Memory of Dr. Kenneth MacIntyre (Science)
• Marylou Hughes Scholarship (Science)
• Gerald M. Gerry Birt Memorial Award (Science/Nursing/Arts)
• David Austin O'Malley-Keyes Memorial Award (Arts/Music)
• Frank J. Costello Scholarship (Arts/Education)
• Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Scholarship (Law)
• PEI's Famous Five Graduating Student Award (Arts/Campus Community)
• Dr. Graeme and Alberta Bryant Boswall Award (Campus Community)
• Dr. Regis Duffy Academic Achievement Award (Campus Community)
• UPEI Class of 1989 Award (Campus Community)

A friendly reminder from the Accessibility Services Team that our deadline for final exam booking is March 29 at 4:00 pm to provide our team with Accessibility Services enough time to coordinate rooms and accommodations. Please note that the seven-day booking minimum does not apply in this case.

If you have any technical issues, an email must be sent to astesting@upei.ca by March 29 at 4:00 pm at the latest.

It is the student’s responsibility to book all exams by the deadline. Late bookings will not be accepted. Please double check in Accommodate that you have all your exams booked.

It is time again to reach out to our students during a stressful time--FINALS. The Chaplaincy Centre hosts a free meal for students, with the help of faculty and staff. Please use this link to sign up for a 30-minute (or more) shift to volunteer. Opportunities to set up, serve, and clean up are available as well a chance to mingle with students in an informal conversation with good food. 

On Friday April, 12, we will offer two serving times:11:30 am-1:00 pm and 4:30-6:00 pm. Please check back closer to the day as schedules change and time slots may open up. Contact Sister Sue at sukidd@upei.ca or Lauren at lvanvliet@upei.ca for further information.  

Sister Sue and Lauren

April 4 will be the last day to attend the English Corner this term. We'll see you there!