The UPEI community will be gathering at a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) event on Friday, September 29 at 12 noon in the Quad in front of SDU Main Building. Because NDTR falls on a Saturday, the event will allow students, staff, and faculty to reflect on and participate in this important commemoration together. On Saturday, the Native Council of PEI will host the very moving KAIROS Canada blanket exercise at the same location beginning at 1 pm—all are welcome! The University will be closed on Monday, October 3, to observe the statutory holiday. Therefore, all flags on campus will fly at half-mast from September 29–October 2 in commemoration of Truth and Reconciliation. 

The Healthy Campus Committee provides all initiatives through the UPEI Employee Wellness Strategy supported by the Joint Benefits Advisory Committee.

To register and for more information on all programs below, please sign in to recreation.upei.ca by clicking on the UPEI LOGIN button and entering your UPEI email address and password, and then click on the icons listed with each item below.

1.  UPEI Track (indoor and outdoor): FREE from October 3, 2023 to October 3, 2024. Participants must register to gain access. After logging into recreation.upei.ca, please click on the "Wellness" icon and then on UPEI Faculty/Staff Walking Track Access, and follow the prompts.
2. NEW! Rec Time: A fun, non-competitive, social opportunity to play different sports and recreational activities on Thursdays starting October 5, 11:45 am to 1:30 pm (but you can come or go any time during this time frame. FREE. After logging into recreation.upei.ca, click on the "Rec Time" icon, and then on Rec Time (UPEI Staff/Faculty ONLY), and follow the prompts.
3. Meditation and Gentle Yoga Class: All abilities welcome. A gentle class offered Wednesdays at 4:30 pm and Thursdays at 12:10 pm. FREE. After logging into recreation.upei.ca, click on the "Wellness" icon, and then on Meditation and Gentle Yoga - Thursdays and/or Wednesdays, and follow the prompts. This program is offered weekly from September to June!
4. Fitness Training Subsidies: Did you know that staff and faculty receive huge discounts via fitness training subsidies on small group training and specialty fitness classes at the Sports Centre? Specialty Fitness Classes: 12 classes cost $55 (regular rate $115) and 6 classes cost $28 (regular rate $58). Small Group training (10 sessions) costs $75 (regular cost $150). How do you receive this rate? Simply log into recreation.upei.ca, and the system will recognize your status as a UPEI staff/faculty member and provide you with your price when registering. After logging in, click on the "Fitness Programming" icon, and the Small Group Training and/or Specialty Fitness Class icons, and follow the prompts.

Additional events and programs will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

In Campus Life: In Search of Community, Ernest Boyer and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching proposed that every strong campus community should be open, just, purposeful, disciplined, caring, and celebrative. In this discussion, we'll look at those six principles, both separately and together, and imagine ways our own campus community might work towards those ideals. Join Dr. Shannon Murray on October 5 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm in the Teaching and Learning Centre (RL 230) for what promises to be a dynamic discussion.

Show Up and Write (SU&W) drop-in writing sessions will be held in the Teaching and Learning Centre on Tuesday and Friday mornings at 9:30 am, starting on October 3. Show up and write an article, chapter, grant application, thesis…. Really, any writing project will do. Bring your favorite morning beverage, your laptop, books, and earbuds if you want background music, and get started. Studies show that academics tend to write more and more easily when they write together. SU&W sessions help writers focus and work more efficiently because the sessions are designed to limit distractions and “contain” the very time, place, and duration of a writing stretch. Consider making a date with a colleague or fellow graduate student who can be your “accountabilibuddy”— and make showing up even easier. Drop in on Tuesday or Friday mornings at 9:30 at RL 230.

Webinar: Trademarks, Branding, and Protecting Your Business (virtual)

October 11, 1:00-2:00 pm Atlantic time

Description: Join SpringBoard Atlantic and special guest Erin Best, Partner and Trademark Agent at Stewart McKelvey Law, for an informative session on the proper use of trademarks as a brand protection strategy for your business. Learn why trademarks matter and how registering a trademark can give you a competitive advantage in the market!

Register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/trademarks-branding-and-protecting-your-business-tickets-709603181217?aff=oddtdtcreator 

The Native Council of PEI proudly presents the KAIROS Mass Blanket Exercise—the Indigenous Rights history we’ve never been taught—on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, 2023. The event will begin at 1:00 pm in the UPEI quadrangle (rain location: McMillan Hall at the W.A. Murphy Student Centre). 

After the Blanket Exercise, a feast will take place in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre concourse. Attendance is open to the public—attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets. 

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a program of KAIROS Canada, an ecumenical movement for ecological justice and human rights around the globe.

The UPEI Department of Music will present an alumni recital on Sunday, October 1, at 7:00 pm in the newly renovated Dr. Steel Recital Hall.

The recital features UPEI alumni Lindsay Gillis, soprano, and Hannah O’Donnell, mezzo soprano, who will perform various selections of vocal repertoire, accompanied on piano by Dr. Magdalena von Eccher.

Admission, payable by cash at the door, is $30 for adults and $10 for students.

Ryan Guild, PhD candidate in Environmental Sciences, will present "Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems” on Tuesday, October 3, at 12:00 pm in AVC 286B. Everyone is welcome.

The Search Committee for the Associate Vice-President (Students) and Registrar announces upcoming presentations by each of the finalist candidates. Since the search began in May, the committee has undertaken a comprehensive search and selected the following finalists for a series of stakeholder meetings on campus. Presentations are scheduled on the following dates and times.

Chris McGrath is the Principal and Founder of the Koru Coaching + Education Group, an organization dedicated to cultivating leadership capacity for social change, particularly for Indigenization and EDI within organizations. He held prior roles as Vice-President, Students (George Brown College), Dean of Students (Seneca College), Associate Vice-President, Student Experience and Registrar (Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College), and Assistant Dean, Student Affairs (University of Toronto, Mississauga). Chris holds an EdD (Western University), an MEd (University of Vermont), and a BA (University of Waterloo).

• Public Presentation: Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, AVC, Room 201A

Frances Billingsley is the Associate Registrar and Director, Student Records and Scheduling, at York University. Previously she held registrarial and student service roles at MacEwan University (Director, Student Financial Aid; Associate Registrar, Records and Registration; and Academic Advisor) and the University of Alberta (Director, Undergraduate Student Services; Recruitment Officer; Student Advisor). Frances received her EdD in Educational Leadership from Western University (2022), and an MEd (2008), a BEd (2000), and a BA (1997) from the University of Alberta.

• Public Presentation: Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Andrew Hall, 142

Shawna Garrett is the President and CEO of EduNova Cooperative Ltd, an association of education and training providers in Nova Scotia. She has held prior appointments as a Transformation and Change Leader (College of the North Atlantic, CNA), Registrar (Mount Allison University and CNA, Qatar), and Executive Director, Enrolment Services (Acadia University). From 1999 to 2001, Shawna was the International Student Recruitment and Marketing Officer at UPEI. She holds an MEd (2007) from Acadia University and a BA (1997) from the University of Prince Edward Island.

• Public Presentation: Friday, October 13, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Andrew Hall, 142

All are welcome to attend. For any who are unable to attend, the presentations will be recorded and available afterward for viewing from a secure site. Paper copies of each candidate’s CV will be available for viewing in the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research, Kelley 205. Following each presentation, you are invited to provide feedback on the candidate’s suitability for the role to vpar@upei.ca. All feedback will be considered by the committee in its deliberations.

UPEI is hosting a free Japanese Film Festival, presented by the Consulate General of Japan in Montreal and the Japan Foundation, in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242, on Friday, September 29, from 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

The two films that will be shown will be in the Japanese language with English subtitles. The first film, titled "Bento Harassment," is a comedy/drama starring Ryoko Shinohara as a single mother of a teenage daughter in the midst of a rebellious phase. In the hopes of improving their relationship, and maybe a little of getting revenge, she uses a most peculiar means of communication: the daily bento lunches she prepares for her daughter. The second film is a drama titled "Finding Calico." A former high school principal, who lives alone after his wife’s passing, barely tolerates the comings and goings of Mii, a stray cat that his wife used to feed. When Mii suddenly stops visiting the house one day, the old man finds himself searching high and low for the cat. His efforts bring him to connect with other townsfolk and realize that he is, in fact, not alone. 

Prior to the showing of the films, Jessica Gagnon, JET Programme Coordinator/Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Japan in Montreal, and UPEI alumni Diana Tutty and Rachel Lewis will be on campus to promote the Japanese Exchange and Teaching program (JET). They will be at the W.A. Murphy Student Centre from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm and then in Don and Marion McDougall Hall from 4:00 to 5:30 pm to provide information to those who may be interested in the JET program.

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last SIX draws, the total pot has grown to more than $17,500, 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.

A reminder that the deadline for the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle is Sunday, October 1, 2023, at 11:59 pm.

Applications are accepted electronically through the Scholarship and Award Application portal. Click the link provided or find the link listed on your MyUPEI account in the UPEI Forms section.

Be sure to submit your application to be considered for over 100 scholarships and awards!

For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca. Best of luck to all who apply!

All members of the UPEI community are invited to gather at 12 noon in front of SDU Main Building—rain or shine—to reflect, offer prayer, and listen about the importance of Truth and Reconciliation and watch a brief drum and dance presentation by Big Drum (NCPEI Language and Drumming Group) and dancers Sophia and Ellie Bourge-Youth. Elder Dr. Judy Clark, UPEI's Elder in Residence, will say a prayer and speak about Truth and Reconciliation. Native Council of PEI President and Chief Lisa Cooper will also speak. People will be encouraged to tie orange fabric strips to the fence near the University Avenue entrance. The event will conclude at 1:00 pm.

The Mawi’omi Indigenous Student Centre at UPEI welcomes anyone to ask questions, drop in, or participate.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, originally and still colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day, is a Canadian statutory holiday to recognize the legacy of the Canadian Indian residential school system.

Show Up and Write (SU&W) drop-in writing sessions will be held in the Teaching and Learning Centre on Tuesday and Friday mornings at 9:30 am, starting on October 3. Show up and write an article, chapter, grant application, thesis…. Really, any writing project will do. Bring your favorite morning beverage, your laptop, books, and earbuds if you want background music, and get started. Studies show that academics tend to write more and more easily when they write together. SU&W sessions help writers focus and work more efficiently because the sessions are designed to limit distractions and “contain” the very time, place, and duration of a writing stretch. Consider making a date with a colleague or fellow graduate student who can be your “accountabilibuddy”— and make showing up even easier. Drop in on Tuesday or Friday mornings at 9:30 at RL 230.

The Native Council of PEI proudly presents the KAIROS Mass Blanket Exercise—the Indigenous Rights history we’ve never been taught—on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, 2023. The event will begin at 1:00 pm in the UPEI quadrangle (rain location: McMillan Hall at the W.A. Murphy Student Centre). 

After the Blanket Exercise, a feast will take place in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre concourse. Attendance is open to the public—attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets. 

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a program of KAIROS Canada, an ecumenical movement for ecological justice and human rights around the globe.

The UPEI Department of Music will present an alumni recital on Sunday, October 1, at 7:00 pm in the newly renovated Dr. Steel Recital Hall.

The recital features UPEI alumni Lindsay Gillis, soprano, and Hannah O’Donnell, mezzo soprano, who will perform various selections of vocal repertoire, accompanied on piano by Dr. Magdalena von Eccher.

Admission, payable by cash at the door, is $30 for adults and $10 for students.

The Search Committee for the Associate Vice-President (Students) and Registrar announces upcoming presentations by each of the finalist candidates. Since the search began in May, the committee has undertaken a comprehensive search and selected the following finalists for a series of stakeholder meetings on campus. Presentations are scheduled on the following dates and times.

Chris McGrath is the Principal and Founder of the Koru Coaching + Education Group, an organization dedicated to cultivating leadership capacity for social change, particularly for Indigenization and EDI within organizations. He held prior roles as Vice-President, Students (George Brown College), Dean of Students (Seneca College), Associate Vice-President, Student Experience and Registrar (Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College), and Assistant Dean, Student Affairs (University of Toronto, Mississauga). Chris holds an EdD (Western University), an MEd (University of Vermont), and a BA (University of Waterloo).

• Public Presentation: Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, AVC, Room 201A

Frances Billingsley is the Associate Registrar and Director, Student Records and Scheduling, at York University. Previously she held registrarial and student service roles at MacEwan University (Director, Student Financial Aid; Associate Registrar, Records and Registration; and Academic Advisor) and the University of Alberta (Director, Undergraduate Student Services; Recruitment Officer; Student Advisor). Frances received her EdD in Educational Leadership from Western University (2022), and an MEd (2008), a BEd (2000), and a BA (1997) from the University of Alberta.

• Public Presentation: Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Andrew Hall, 142

Shawna Garrett is the President and CEO of EduNova Cooperative Ltd, an association of education and training providers in Nova Scotia. She has held prior appointments as a Transformation and Change Leader (College of the North Atlantic, CNA), Registrar (Mount Allison University and CNA, Qatar), and Executive Director, Enrolment Services (Acadia University). From 1999 to 2001, Shawna was the International Student Recruitment and Marketing Officer at UPEI. She holds an MEd (2007) from Acadia University and a BA (1997) from the University of Prince Edward Island.

• Public Presentation: Friday, October 13, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Andrew Hall, 142

All are welcome to attend. For any who are unable to attend, the presentations will be recorded and available afterward for viewing from a secure site. Paper copies of each candidate’s CV will be available for viewing in the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research, Kelley 205. Following each presentation, you are invited to provide feedback on the candidate’s suitability for the role to vpar@upei.ca. All feedback will be considered by the committee in its deliberations.

UPEI is hosting a free Japanese Film Festival, presented by the Consulate General of Japan in Montreal and the Japan Foundation, in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242, on Friday, September 29, from 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

The two films that will be shown will be in the Japanese language with English subtitles. The first film, titled "Bento Harassment," is a comedy/drama starring Ryoko Shinohara as a single mother of a teenage daughter in the midst of a rebellious phase. In the hopes of improving their relationship, and maybe a little of getting revenge, she uses a most peculiar means of communication: the daily bento lunches she prepares for her daughter. The second film is a drama titled "Finding Calico." A former high school principal, who lives alone after his wife’s passing, barely tolerates the comings and goings of Mii, a stray cat that his wife used to feed. When Mii suddenly stops visiting the house one day, the old man finds himself searching high and low for the cat. His efforts bring him to connect with other townsfolk and realize that he is, in fact, not alone. 

Prior to the showing of the films, Jessica Gagnon, JET Programme Coordinator/Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Japan in Montreal, and UPEI alumni Diana Tutty and Rachel Lewis will be on campus to promote the Japanese Exchange and Teaching program (JET). They will be at the W.A. Murphy Student Centre from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm and then in Don and Marion McDougall Hall from 4:00 to 5:30 pm to provide information to those who may be interested in the JET program.

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last SIX draws, the total pot has grown to more than $17,500, 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.

There are some exciting developments at UPEI as PEI aims to become net zero by 2040. Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon, Associate Vice-President of Research and Dean of Graduate Studies, invites the UPEI community to an information session to find out more about the province of PEI's net-zero framework, the Cleantech Academy, UPEI's proposed role, and our next steps. Representatives from the province and the Cleantech Academy will be presenting. You will also have an opportunity to ask any questions and give feedback and suggestions for the new interdisciplinary graduate program in cleantech leadership.

Registration is not required. Coffee, tea, and cookies will be provided. For questions, contact Susie Zavala at szavala@upei.ca. See you there!