Please be advised that the last weekly Canadian cheque run for 2014 will be on Thursday, December 18, 2014. Completed paperwork for any payments required by December 31 to Canadian vendors, must be received in Accounts Payable by 12:00 pm on December 15, 2014. Please be advised the last bi-weekly US cheque run will be on Friday, December 19. Completed paperwork for any payments required prior to January 5, 2015 to US vendors, must be received in Accounts Payable no later than 12:00 December 12, 2014. Happy Holidays!

The last day for outgoing shipments (courier parcels and letters) before Christmas break will be Tuesday, December 23. All items need to be received by 2:00 pm on that day to ensure processing. Shipping & Receiving will be closing at noon on Wednesday, December 24, we will be receiving incoming shipments only on that day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anne Marie at (902) 566-0875 or amacorn@upei.ca. Thank you!

UPEI invites the nomination of candidates for honorary degrees to be conferred at Convocation in May 2015. Honorary degrees are conferred honoris causa, “for the sake of honour,” and are intended to recognize outstanding provincial, national, and international contributions in any field(s) of endeavour. Contributions should reflect extraordinary intellectual or artistic achievements or significant service to society at a standard of excellence that merits the University’s highest honour. Nominations can be made online or a form can be downloaded to mail at upei.ca/nominatehdr. For more information call (902) 566-6780 or email senateassistant@upei.ca. Deadline for nominations is January 2, 2015.

Together with the Island community, UPEI faculty and staff are invited to attend the University of Prince Edward Island and the UPEI Alumni Association's New Year’s Levee. Again this year, we will celebrate our growing multicultural campus. Join us to celebrate 2015 and wish our UPEI International students a Happy New Year on Thursday, January 1, 2015, 11:30 am-1:00 PM at Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall. Lunch and cash bar provided. For more information call Sarah MacInnis (902) 566-0687.

The Masters in Nursing Graduate Studies Committee will host a Master of Nursing Thesis Examination on Thursday, December 18 at 2:00 pm. Darlene Robison, BScN, will defend her Master of Nursing thesis entitled “The Lived Experience of Dignity in Older Adults Living with Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Study.” The presentation will be held in the Health Sciences Building, Room 105. Everyone is welcome.

The last day for outgoing shipments (courier parcels and letters) before Christmas break will be Tuesday, December 23. All items need to be received by 2:00 pm on that day to ensure processing. Shipping & Receiving will be closing at noon on Wednesday, December 24, we will be receiving incoming shipments only on that day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anne Marie at (902) 566-0875 or amacorn@upei.ca. Thank you!

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 the next school year. 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 is $10.35 an hour. For additional information and application information for this program please refer to: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/epb/yi/yep/programs/scpp.shtml The closing date for applications is January 30, 2015. For additional information please contact Debbie McKie, Human Resources, (902) 566-0515.

In the coming week the Robertson Library will be upgrading systems software to the latest versions, and one of the services impacted will be the online catalogue. During the upgrade you will still be able to search, but many other functions will not be available. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions, please contact Donald Moses (dmoses@upei.ca).

The next deadline for submitting Biosafety Protocols including new applications, renewals and/or amendments, is Friday January 2, 2015. These protocols will be reviewed at the January meeting. Please ensure that you download and use the current forms from http://www.upei.ca/research/forms. Use Adobe Reader to complete the forms. Submit one hard copy of the original protocol with signatures, and associated documents to 200 Kelley Memorial Building and send one e-copy of all documents to reb@upei.ca. Please note that protocols received after this deadline will be reviewed the following month. For more information, please contact Joy Knight at (902) 620-5104 or reb@upei.ca.

The next UPEI on-site training session in animal use and care will be held on Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 1:00-4:00 pm in the McCain Foundation Learning Commons Rm 286B/C, AVC. This will be a 3-hour training session with handout, based on CCAC Recommended Syllabus (exam included). The Canadian Council of Animal Care (CCAC) requires that all personnel involved with the use of animals in research, teaching, testing and service take this course. (A refresher course is required every 5 years.) Please notify me by e-mail animalcare@upei.ca by 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 if you or any of your staff will be attending this session.

The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee will host a Master of Science Defence on Thursday, December 18 at 10:00 am. Brendan McKeown, BSc. will defend his Master of Science thesis entitled: “Magnolol affects cellular growth and proliferation in human prostate cancer cells in vitro.” The seminar will be held in the Duffy Science Centre, Room 204. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The University of Prince Edward Island is pleased to inform you that Mr. Henry Tam, proud alumnus (BBA’73), scholarship donor, and chair of UPEI’s Alumni and Friends Toronto Chapter, will visit campus on Monday December 15 to deliver a presentation about his life-altering experience as a student at UPEI. In 1969 Mr. Tam travelled from Hong Kong to study at St. Dunstan’s University and UPEI. While here, Mr. Tam adjusted to a new culture and language, and excelled as a student. He was the first graduate of UPEI’s Bachelor of Business Administration program to win the prestigious Governor General’s silver medal, and has gone on to a successful career as a respected accountant, financial advisor, and tax consultant. He is founder and senior partner of H. Tam and Partner LLP, Chartered Accountants, in Toronto. Please join Mr. Tam in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Room 242, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, 4:00 pm, Monday, December 15.

The Masters in Nursing Graduate Studies Committee will host a Master of Nursing Thesis Examination on Thursday, December 18 at 2:00 pm. Darlene Robison, BScN, will defend her Master of Nursing thesis entitled “The Lived Experience of Dignity in Older Adults Living with Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Study.” The presentation will be held in the Health Sciences Building, Room 105. Everyone is welcome.

The last day for outgoing shipments (courier parcels and letters) before Christmas break will be Tuesday, December 23. All items need to be received by 2:00 pm on that day to ensure processing. Shipping & Receiving will be closing at noon on Wednesday, December 24, we will be receiving incoming shipments only on that day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anne Marie at (902) 566-0875 or amacorn@upei.ca. Thank you!

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 the next school year. 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 is $10.35 an hour. For additional information and application information for this program please refer to: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/epb/yi/yep/programs/scpp.shtml The closing date for applications is January 30, 2015. For additional information please contact Debbie McKie, Human Resources, (902) 566-0515.

In the coming week the Robertson Library will be upgrading systems software to the latest versions, and one of the services impacted will be the online catalogue. During the upgrade you will still be able to search, but many other functions will not be available. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions, please contact Donald Moses (dmoses@upei.ca).

The next deadline for submitting Biosafety Protocols including new applications, renewals and/or amendments, is Friday January 2, 2015. These protocols will be reviewed at the January meeting. Please ensure that you download and use the current forms from http://www.upei.ca/research/forms. Use Adobe Reader to complete the forms. Submit one hard copy of the original protocol with signatures, and associated documents to 200 Kelley Memorial Building and send one e-copy of all documents to reb@upei.ca. Please note that protocols received after this deadline will be reviewed the following month. For more information, please contact Joy Knight at (902) 620-5104 or reb@upei.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island is pleased to inform you that Mr. Henry Tam, proud alumnus (BBA’73), scholarship donor, and chair of UPEI’s Alumni and Friends Toronto Chapter, will visit campus on Monday December 15 to deliver a presentation about his life-altering experience as a student at UPEI. In 1969 Mr. Tam travelled from Hong Kong to study at St. Dunstan’s University and UPEI. While here, Mr. Tam adjusted to a new culture and language, and excelled as a student. He was the first graduate of UPEI’s Bachelor of Business Administration program to win the prestigious Governor General’s silver medal, and has gone on to a successful career as a respected accountant, financial advisor, and tax consultant. He is founder and senior partner of H. Tam and Partner LLP, Chartered Accountants, in Toronto. Please join Mr. Tam in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Room 242, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, 4:00 pm, Monday, December 15.

The next UPEI on-site training session in animal use and care will be held on Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 1:00-4:00 pm in the McCain Foundation Learning Commons Rm 286B/C, AVC. This will be a 3-hour training session with handout, based on CCAC Recommended Syllabus (exam included). The Canadian Council of Animal Care (CCAC) requires that all personnel involved with the use of animals in research, teaching, testing and service take this course. (A refresher course is required every 5 years.) Please notify me by e-mail animalcare@upei.ca by 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 if you or any of your staff will be attending this session.

The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee will host a Master of Science Defence on Thursday, December 18 at 10:00 am. Brendan McKeown, BSc. will defend his Master of Science thesis entitled: “Magnolol affects cellular growth and proliferation in human prostate cancer cells in vitro.” The seminar will be held in the Duffy Science Centre, Room 204. Everyone is welcome to attend.