There will be a UPEI blood borne pathogen training session on Tuesday, December 16, 9:00—11:00 am in room 313, Kelley Memorial Building. This session is provided for those individuals whose work involves the manipulation of human blood or other body fluids or tissues in the course of their work. If you wish to attend, you must pre-register by contacting Rita Stanley, Research Services and Graduate Studies, before December 8, 2014 by email (rstanley@upei.ca) or by phone (ext.4308). Please include your name, department, email address, and phone number in your email or voice message. If you have any questions on this training session, please contact Dr. Rhoda Speare, UPEI Biosafety Officer, by phone (ext. 5071), or e mail (rspeare@upei.ca).

There will be a UPEI Basic Biosafety training session on Monday, December 15, from 1:00-4:00 pm in AVC, room 287N. Topics to be covered include: basic biosafety principles and how they are applied at the University of Prince Edward Island, as well as biosecurity training. Please note: only those who attended a training session after November 2012 are currently considered to be “up to date” in their training requirements. If you wish to attend, you must pre-register by contacting Rita Stanley, Research Services and Graduate Studies, before December 8, 2014 by email (rstanley@upei.ca) or by phone (ext. 4308). Please include your name, department, email address, and phone number in your email or voice message. If you have any questions on this training session, please contact Dr. Rhoda Speare, UPEI Biosafety Officer, by phone (ext. 5071), or e mail (rspeare@upei.ca).

All this week you can do your holiday shopping at the UPEI Bookstore and charge your purchase to your UPEI staff account. Your purchase will be paid through payroll deductions in the New Year starting on January 16. Minimum purchase is $100 to a maximum of $500. Contact Kevin or Bea at the Bookstore for more information.

All pay changes, PTF's, overtime submissions, paper timesheets, etc., must be received by Human Resources by noon on December 1, 2014 for the December 19, 2014 payroll; and December 8, 2014 for the January 2, 2015 payroll. Electronic timesheet deadline - December 15, 2014 for the January 2, 2015 pay. Any questions, please call the Payroll Office at (902) 566-0464.

The Ten Thousand Villages sale returns to UPEI for three days in the Murphy Student Centre. Since this is the last stop on the sale's tour, everything is 20% off. Find great fair trade gifts on Tuesday, December 2 and Wednesday, December 3 from 9:00 am-8:00 pm, and on Thursday December 4 from 9:00 am-2:00 pm. For more information, call Shannon at (902) 566-0404.

President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz cordially invites you to the Official Groundbreaking Ceremony for the School of Sustainable Design Engineering. Join the President; the Honourable Robert Ghiz, Premier; the Honourable Allen Roach, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning; UPEI Board of Governors Chair Tom Cullen; and UPEI Student Union President Lucas MacArthur as they mark the beginning of construction. Health Sciences Building Lobby Thursday, December 4, 2014 Time: 10:00 am Hot beverages will be served before proceeding to the construction site.

The UPEI community is invited to attend the 2014 President’s Holiday Social and Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 4, 3:30-5:00 pm. The reception will take place in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, where the new "UPEI Commits to Care" campaign will also be launched, followed by a tree lighting ceremony at 4:45 pm, between Kelley Memorial Building and the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. UPEI student Bridgette Blanchard will provide music during the social and appetizers and light refreshments will be served. UPEI food bank items and/or monetary donations are graciously accepted. The Office of the President will match all donations. Hope to see you there!

The MAIS program invites everyone to “Tasmania Dreaming,” highlighting the connections between two islands: Prince Edward Island and Tasmania. The panel discussion and readings feature two guests from Tasmania, poet Jane Williams and publisher Ralph Wessman, along with PEI Poet Laureate Dianne Hicks Morrow and UPEI's Deirdre Kessler, who participated in the PEI-Tasmania Writers' Exchange sponsored by the Department of English and the Institute of Island Studies. The evening will be hosted by Island Studies scholar and MAIS Interim Co-ordinator Laurie Brinklow. Join us on a journey of our two islands through poetry and photos, and talk about the attraction we have for one another: two islands that are poles apart. “Tasmania Dreaming” will be held at the Haviland Club, December 3, 7:00-9:00 pm. Admission is by donation. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Laurie Brinklow at brinklow@upei.ca, or (902) 894-2881.

Research on Tap returns for its sixth season of public discussion, debate, and ideas presented by researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island. Join our next conversation TONIGHT, Monday, December 1 at 7:00 pm at the Haviland Club in Charlottetown. Dr. Don Wagner, an associate professor at UPEI’s School of Business, will lead a discussion entitled: Microfinance in Africa. How it works. How it doesn’t. The 2014-15 season of Research on Tap is presented in cooperation with the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Atlantic Chapter. The RSC is Canada’s national academy and is the senior national body of distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists. Research on Tap meets the first Monday of every month from October to April. The full schedule of speakers can be found at upei.ca/research/research-on-tap

All pay changes, PTF's, overtime submissions, paper timesheets, etc., must be received by Human Resources by noon on December 1, 2014 for the December 19, 2014 payroll; and December 8, 2014 for the January 2, 2015 payroll. Electronic timesheet deadline - December 15, 2014 for the January 2, 2015 pay. Any questions, please call the Payroll Office at (902) 566-0464.

The Ten Thousand Villages sale returns to UPEI for three days in the Murphy Student Centre. Since this is the last stop on the sale's tour, everything is 20% off. Find great fair trade gifts on Tuesday, December 2 and Wednesday, December 3 from 9:00 am-8:00 pm, and on Thursday December 4 from 9:00 am-2:00 pm. For more information, call Shannon at (902) 566-0404.

All this week you can do your holiday shopping at the UPEI Bookstore and charge your purchase to your UPEI staff account. Your purchase will be paid through payroll deductions in the New Year starting on January 16. Minimum purchase is $100 to a maximum of $500. Contact Kevin or Bea at the Bookstore for more information.

President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz cordially invites you to the Official Groundbreaking Ceremony for the School of Sustainable Design Engineering. Join the President; the Honourable Robert Ghiz, Premier; the Honourable Allen Roach, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning; UPEI Board of Governors Chair Tom Cullen; and UPEI Student Union President Lucas MacArthur as they mark the beginning of construction. Health Sciences Building Lobby Thursday, December 4, 2014 Time: 10:00 am Hot beverages will be served before proceeding to the construction site.

The UPEI community is invited to attend the 2014 President’s Holiday Social and Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 4, 3:30-5:00 pm. The reception will take place in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, where the new "UPEI Commits to Care" campaign will also be launched, followed by a tree lighting ceremony at 4:45 pm, between Kelley Memorial Building and the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. UPEI student Bridgette Blanchard will provide music during the social and appetizers and light refreshments will be served. UPEI food bank items and/or monetary donations are graciously accepted. The Office of the President will match all donations. Hope to see you there!

The MAIS program invites everyone to “Tasmania Dreaming,” highlighting the connections between two islands: Prince Edward Island and Tasmania. The panel discussion and readings feature two guests from Tasmania, poet Jane Williams and publisher Ralph Wessman, along with PEI Poet Laureate Dianne Hicks Morrow and UPEI's Deirdre Kessler, who participated in the PEI-Tasmania Writers' Exchange sponsored by the Department of English and the Institute of Island Studies. The evening will be hosted by Island Studies scholar and MAIS Interim Co-ordinator Laurie Brinklow. Join us on a journey of our two islands through poetry and photos, and talk about the attraction we have for one another: two islands that are poles apart. “Tasmania Dreaming” will be held at the Haviland Club, December 3, 7:00-9:00 pm. Admission is by donation. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Laurie Brinklow at brinklow@upei.ca, or (902) 894-2881.

Research on Tap returns for its sixth season of public discussion, debate, and ideas presented by researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island. Join our next conversation TONIGHT, Monday, December 1 at 7:00 pm at the Haviland Club in Charlottetown. Dr. Don Wagner, an associate professor at UPEI’s School of Business, will lead a discussion entitled: Microfinance in Africa. How it works. How it doesn’t. The 2014-15 season of Research on Tap is presented in cooperation with the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Atlantic Chapter. The RSC is Canada’s national academy and is the senior national body of distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists. Research on Tap meets the first Monday of every month from October to April. The full schedule of speakers can be found at upei.ca/research/research-on-tap

All pay changes, PTF’S, overtime submissions, paper timesheets, etc., must be received by Human Resources by noon on December 1, 2014 for the December 19, 2014 payroll; and December 8, 2014 for the January 2, 2015 payroll. Electronic timesheet deadline – December 15, 2014 for January 2, 2015 pay. Any questions, please call the Payroll Office at (902) 566-0464.

Please note the following changes to the hours of operation for The Wave and Mickey's Place Coffee Kiosk: December: On Friday, December 5 at 2:00 pm, Mickey's Place Coffee Kiosk will close for the Holidays. The Wave will close for the holiday break on Friday, December 5 at 11:00 pm. January: On Monday, January 5, Mickey's Place Coffee Kiosk will resume regular hours of operation beginning at 8:00 am. The Wave will also resume regular hours of operation opening at 11:00 am. The staff of Mickey 's Place Coffee Kiosk and The Wave would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

The Student Union office will be closed from 11:45 am until 2:30 pm on Monday, December 1. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The UPEI community is invited to attend the 2014 President’s Holiday Social and Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 4, 3:30-5:00 pm. The reception will take place in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, where the new "UPEI Commits to Care" campaign will also be launched, followed by a tree lighting ceremony at 4:45 pm, between Kelley Memorial Building and the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. UPEI student Bridgette Blanchard will provide music during the social and appetizers and light refreshments will be served. UPEI food bank items and/or monetary donations are graciously accepted. The Office of the President will match all donations. Hope to see you there!