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.

Every post-secondary institution in the Atlantic region (also known as the Wabanaki Confederacy) with an Indigenous centre will screen the film, "Bones of Crows." At UPEI, the film screening will take place on September 27 at 6:00 pm in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242 and will conclude at 8:00 pm followed by some open audience reflection and refreshments. Viewers will have the opportunity to ask questions or reflect on the film collectively. All are welcome. 

The University is governed by a bi-cameral model, with a Board of Governors and a Senate. The UPEI Senate and UPEI Board of Governors have approved meeting dates for the upcoming academic year.

The Senate normally meets on Friday afternoons at 3:00 pm in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Room 128, and on Zoom, according to the dates on the Calendar of Senate Meetings web page. All meetings are open to members of the University community. Certain agenda items, including but not limited to the granting of degrees, academic dismissals, and human resources discussions, may require the Senate to go into a closed session.

Board meetings are held at 6:00 pm at Alumni Hall, 618 University Avenue, and on Zoom, according to the Calendar of Board Meetings on the UPEI website.

The next meeting of the UPEI Board of Governors is Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

Board meetings generally include sessions which are open to the public. Certain agenda items, including but not limited to human resources discussions, may require the Board to go into a closed session. For logistical purposes, members of the public who wish to attend the open session of a meeting are asked to contact board@upei.ca.

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 campus community to an information session on September 28 in Kelley Memorial Building 211 at noon 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!

UPEI Health, Safety, and Environment is pleased to host an on-campus presentation at which members of the PEI Emergency Measures Organization will deliver the most up-to-date information on personal emergency preparedness (PEP). Following the presentations, Bradley MacIsaac, UPEI’s Emergency Risk Manager, will share what the University is doing to prepare for different types of emergencies and moderate a question-and-answer feedback session.

This session will take place on September 27, from 1:00–3:00 pm at the Performing Arts Centre and Residence building (PAC 121 South).  This will be held for all members of the campus community including employees and students. All attendees will be entered into a draw for a 72-hour pre-made emergency preparedness kit.

We look forward to seeing you there for an informative and educational PEP talk!

For more information, email bnmacisaac@upei.ca 

The UPEI Health and Wellness Centre wishes to inform the campus community that Concussion Awareness Week is from September 24 to 30 this year. Concussion Awareness Week was established in January 2021 to increase concussion awareness by providing information and encouraging action across Canada. Concussion Awareness Week is for everyone with a role in healthy active living – sport and recreation participants, parents, coaches, organizers, educators and more!

Why Concussion Awareness Matters

Concussion is a serious public health issue affecting all Canadians. Early recognition of concussion, proper medical assessment, and appropriate management make a difference in recovery. But Canadians need simple, easy-to-follow steps on how to care for a concussion or where to find good information. Through efforts such as Concussion Awareness Week, we can provide this.  

For more information about concussions or if you have had a concussion, you may wish to consult the UPEI concussion study at concussionstudy@upei.ca, or the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre at healthcentre@upei.ca.

Rowan Stringer’s Story

Rowan’s Law was named for Rowan Stringer, a high school rugby player from Ottawa, who died in the spring of 2013 from a condition known as second impact syndrome (swelling of the brain caused by a subsequent injury that occurred before a previous injury healed). Rowan is believed to have experienced three concussions over six days while playing rugby. She had a concussion but didn’t know her brain needed time to heal. Neither did her parents, teachers, or coaches. Rowan’s Law and Rowan’s Law Day were established to honour her memory and bring awareness to concussions and concussion safety.

The Scholarships and Awards Office is reminding the campus community that the deadline for the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle is Sunday, October 1, 2023, at 11:59 pm.

You can access over 100 scholarships and awards on the Scholarship and Award Application portal by clicking the link provided here or in the UPEI Forms section of your MyUPEI account. Review the application instructions and submit your electronic application by October 1 to be considered. Be sure to submit any saved applications you may have started.

Dozens of awards are also available with a separate application process listed on the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle webpage. Be sure to click the links, review the award criteria, and submit in time for the deadline listed to be considered.

If you have questions about the application processes, award criteria, or deadlines, please contact scholarships@upei.ca or visit us in Dalton Hall, room 202. Best of luck to all who apply!

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, September 29, 2023. These applications will be reviewed at the October 19 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI  Researcher Portal. Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, September 29, 2023, for review at the October 30 meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.

A Time to Write retreat will be offered from Tuesday, October 10, to Friday, October 13, 2023, 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 on Monday, September 25, 2023. Six to eight participants will be accepted for this Time to Write fall retreat.

On Saturday, Sept 23, ITSS will be working in SDU Main Building, which will cause an interruption of internet service to both the wireless and wired connections. We expect the work to last all day. The second, third, fourth, and fifth floors will be affected. This work will allow us to finish migrating all devices to our new network.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing helpdesk@upei.ca.

Join the Teaching and Learning Centre’s Multimedia Specialist and others from UPEI’s teaching community on September 22 at 12:30 pm in the Teaching and Learning Centre to talk about ideas, obstacles, and successes in creating multimedia for your courses. This is a low-key event to gather and talk about what you are working on, what you have created, and what you might be thinking about making. Topics will generally be about video, podcasting, visual graphics, etc. that you are using as course resources. The drop-in is open to faculty and staff in an effort to provide support, create connections, and build community around these topics. This will be hosted monthly throughout the fall semester.

Reach out to Kristy McKinney at kmckinney@upei.ca if you have any questions.

Show your Panther Pride and your support of our UPEI Panther athletes by wearing your green and white today! Take a photo and post it to social media with the hashtag #UPEIHOCO for a chance to win some awesome UPEI swag! We will also be on campus watching for green and white to hand out fun prizes!

Go Panthers Go!

upei.ca/homecoming

From Consent Awareness Week events with the UPEI Student Union to trivia at The Fox & Crow, the 2023 Distinguished and Inspiring Young Alumni Awards, the grand opening of the New Performing Arts Centre and revitalized Dr. Steel Recital Hall, a Pep Rally with the UPEI Sports Industry Society, Panther sporting events, and the AVC open house, there is something for everyone!

For the full schedule of events, please visit upei.ca/homecoming

On Wednesday, September 27, ITSS will conduct routine maintenance on the myUPEI portal and related services from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. During this time, there may be intermittent access to and performance issues with MyUPEI, Self-Service, and Colleague.

We encourage students, faculty, and staff who may need documents or links located on myUPEI to plan ahead and bookmark or download the resources they may need during this period.

As a reminder, you can access Moodle directly using https://moodle.upei.ca and Outlook email directly using https://outlook.office.com.

If you have any questions, please contact the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465.

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 $13,900, 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.

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.

Every post-secondary institution in the Atlantic region (also known as the Wabanaki Confederacy) with an Indigenous centre will screen the film, "Bones of Crows." At UPEI, the film screening will take place on September 27 at 6:00 pm in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242 and will conclude at 8:00 pm followed by some open audience reflection and refreshments. Viewers will have the opportunity to ask questions or reflect on the film collectively. All are welcome. 

Are you a chief warden, floor warden, or guardian for your building? Do you know what to do if there is a building evacuation? Do you have questions about your role as a warden or guardian or the evacuation procedures for your building?

UPEI Health, Safety, and Environment will hold a building emergency plan session for chief wardens, floor wardens, and guardians on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 1:30 pm in Duffy Science Centre (DSC) Room 135.

Please let hse@upei.ca know if you are interested in attending.

The Scholarships and Awards Office is reminding the campus community that the deadline for the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle is Sunday, October 1, 2023, at 11:59 pm.

You can access over 100 scholarships and awards on the Scholarship and Award Application portal by clicking the link provided here or in the UPEI Forms section of your MyUPEI account. Review the application instructions and submit your electronic application by October 1 to be considered. Be sure to submit any saved applications you may have started.

Dozens of awards are also available with a separate application process listed on the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle webpage. Be sure to click the links, review the award criteria, and submit in time for the deadline listed to be considered.

If you have questions about the application processes, award criteria, or deadlines, please contact scholarships@upei.ca or visit us in Dalton Hall, room 202. Best of luck to all who apply!