Enrolment at the University of Prince Edward Island is reflecting an upward trend once again this year; in fact, UPEI tops the region.

The Atlantic Association of Universities (AAU) recently posted its annual survey of preliminary enrolments on its website, with data from universities around the region as of October 1, 2016.  UPEI has grown the most in terms of total full-time undergraduate and graduate enrolment with an increase over last year of 2.8 per cent. The regional average shows a decline of 0.5 per cent.

“We are working extremely hard in every way we can to highlight the excellent quality of our programs, our faculty, and our unique learning environment at UPEI,” said Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor.

“We take pride in our collective efforts to provide experiential learning opportunities to our students, to allow them to reach their full potential. This work is paying off in attracting new students, vitally important at a time when demographics are changing.”

One way that UPEI is overcoming declining high school numbers in the region is by being extremely successful in drawing students from around the world. This year UPEI saw a substantial increase of international applications, resulting in 894 international student enrolments, an increase of 19.5 per cent. Of UPEI’s total student body, 21 per cent is made up of international students.

“We warmly welcome this important diversity to our campus,” adds President Abd-El-Aziz.

As of October 1, a total of 4,433 students, both full-time and part-time, were enrolled at UPEI.

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students to reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Assocation of Atlantic Universities news release

The University of Prince Edward Island extends its condolences on the passing of Michael S. Schurman, LLD after learning of his sudden death over the weekend.

The 79-year-old retired business icon was a long-time friend of and donor to UPEI. He was past vice-chair of the UPEI Board of Governors, chair of the Building a Legacy capital campaign, and most recently served on the Advisory Council for the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering. He was recognized by UPEI for his contributions to and leadership in the construction, business, education, charitable, and non-profit sectors with an honorary doctor of laws degree in 2009.

“The University has lost a great friend and tremendous supporter in Michael Schurman. Mike was passionate and steadfast in his commitment to post-secondary education and, in particular, to UPEI,” said Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor. “On behalf of the entire UPEI community, I extend my most sincere sympathies to Mike’s wife, Pat and his daughters, Margo Thompson, Kim Horrelt, Pam Montgomery, and Jody Hollis, and their families.”

In 2008, Dr. Schurman and his family were recognized for their contribution to UPEI’s Building a Legacy campaign when the dramatic, two-level entrance and main feature in Don and Marion McDougall Hall was named “Schurman Market Square.” 

At that time Dr. Schurman said, “UPEI is such an important element of the cultural, economic, social, and educational life on Prince Edward Island. To support the University is the same as supporting the development and growth of the province. It is so easy to support UPEI because it benefits all Islanders.”

He also noted that UPEI's reputation for excellence in education and research had grown immensely, and would continue to grow. His prediction came true—he shared the vision of President Abd-El-Aziz for the new UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering.

“I’ve personally lost a great friend and mentor,” added President Abd-El-Aziz. “Mike provided wonderful guidance and support from the first day I arrived at UPEI. I can’t say enough about how much he helped UPEI achieve our dream of having the School of Sustainable Design Engineering and how he was continuing to contribute by serving on the engineering advisory council. I will greatly miss him.”

After completing his education at Acadia University (Commerce) and UNB (Civil Engineering), Dr. Schurman became involved in his family's construction, building supplies, and concrete business, M.F. Schurman Company, Limited, becoming president and general manager. His business acumen and ability for being at the forefront of technology was known across the country, and his wisdom was well sought. Dr. Schurman served on the boards of the Canadian Construction Association, Atlantic Business Development, Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, Atlantic Opportunities Agency, Island Telecom, and Slemon Park Corporation. He was inducted as a laureate of the Junior Achievement of PEI Business Hall of Fame in 2000. The family business, which had expanded under Dr. Schurman’s leadership to include a dozen companies under the M.F. Schurman name, was sold to J.D. Irving Ltd. in 2004.

Among his many volunteer pursuits, he was a long time board member for The Fathers of Confederation Building Trust, most recently serving as treasurer. He also had served as an executive member of the Board of Governors at Acadia University and as vice-chair of the Holland College Foundation. The Michael S. Schurman Family Foundation also funded the Heart and Stroke Foundation of PEI's Change of Heart program.

Funeral arrangements for Michael S. Schurman, LLD have been entrusted to Belvedere Funeral Home. The University will lower its flags to half-mast position in his memory.

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Corneila Geib (women’s hockey) and Mohammad Jaber (men’s soccer), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the Week for October 10-16! View the video.

Mohammad Jaber is a first-year Science student and a striker from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Jaber scored both goals on five shots during the Men’s Soccer Panthers’ 2-0 win over Université de Moncton on Saturday.  During Sunday's 1-0 loss to the University of New Brunswick, Jaber pushed hard offensively, recording three goal chances.

“Mohammed was our number one scoring threat in both games this weekend,” said head coach Lewis Page. “He created numerous opportunities for us and he scored on two of them.”

Corneila Geib is a fourth-year Business student and a forward from Calgary, Alberta.  Geib scored two goals in the Women’s Hockey Panthers’ 5-1 win over Mount Allison University on Friday, and then, on Saturday, scored the overtime winner in the team’s 3-2 win over Dalhousie.

“Corneila's work ethic was extremely strong on the weekend,” said head coach Bruce Donaldson. "She took advantage of her veteran experience in the league.”

Congratulations Corneila and Mohammad!

It’s not too late to purchase your Panther Package, the best sports deal on Prince Edward Island! Your $75 season ticket gets you into every Panthers home game, in every sport (except men’s hockey). Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany on Monday, October 17, 2016.

UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, accompanied by industry experts from the PEI Bioalliance, Vector Aerospace, BioFuelNet Canada, and BBSI Canada Ltd., met with TUM in Germany for three days of joint-research-cooperation meetings. These meetings have resulted in an MOU between UPEI and TUM, which will facilitate an exchange program for students from UPEI’s Department of Chemistry and TUM’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

President Abd-El-Aziz said he is encouraged by the signing of the MOU, that this was the priority of his visit and that the accompaniment of industry experts reinforced the importance of joint collaborations in the field of bioprocess engineering, aviation system engineering, and energy systems engineering.

“Our overall goal during these joint research cooperation meetings was to explore the possibility of a student exchange program,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “The Technical University of Munich is a formidable institution and this new relationship will foster joint-research opportunities for our students while simultaneously exposing them to new approaches, another culture, and global networking opportunities.” 

President Abd-El-Aziz added that this new partnership will have positive impacts for both universities as well as the province of Prince Edward Island and will strengthen UPEI’s efforts to be a leader in research and discovery.

About UPEI’s Partner

The Technical University of Munich is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Freising-Weihenstephan. It is a member of TU9, an incorporated society of the largest and most notable German institutes of technology. The university has roughly 39,000 students and 9,800 academic staff. TUM's alumni include 13 Nobel laureates, 18 Leibniz Prizewinners and 10 IEEE Fellow Members. 

By Thomas Becker

When head coach Bruce Donaldson assembled his team, he wanted a group of people who could work well together and play as one.

During the preseason, in which the Panthers went 2-4, Donaldson gave each player one role that he believed they could succeed in in hopes of piecing together the challenging puzzle of building a contender.

For players who grew up as key contributors – playing multiple roles on their respective teams – the transition hasn’t been easy, but Donaldson said in time, the players will get accustomed to playing alongside one another while knowing each other’s roles on the ice.

“If everyone knows how they fit on this team, we’ll be successful,” the coach said.

Last season ended in disappointment as UPEI failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign. As a result, Donaldson overhauled his roster during the offseason and recruited nine rookies, who have already made an impression on their tenth-year coach.

“We have a very nice compliment of new and veteran players and it’s given us an opportunity to move lines around and make things happen.”

Of the 16 preseason goals the Panthers have scored, 90 per cent of them came from first-year players, Donaldson said.

“What’s great is it’s been different rookies each night, which is nice to have as a coach.”

Local standouts Maria Clinton (Souris) and Alisha MacDonald (Summerside) are two forwards who joined the program by way of the P.E.I. Female Midget AAA Hockey League. While rookie defensemen and Nova Scotians Kristen MacIntyre (Nepean Junior Wildcats of Ontario's Provincial Women's Hockey League) and Breah MacEachern (Ontario Hockey Academy) decided to commit to UPEI following stints in Ontario.

“To be able to attract Nova Scotia girls to this school is big for us,” Donaldson said. “Typically we would be vying with Saint Mary’s, Dalhousie and St FX for that level of talent.”

While the rookies bring a youthful energy to the team, the heart and soul of the Panthers still belongs to their seasoned veterans. Captain and last season’s leading scorer Kiana Strand (10 points in 24 games) and Atlantic University Sport (AUS) second team all-star Emma Martin have big upside and will be leaned on heavily to lead the young Panthers into battle.

Newcomer Sydnee Baker comes in with experience playing for the London Jr. Devilettes of the PWHL and provides Donaldson with a power forward who can help score for a team that ranked last with just 33 goals in 24 contests.

“I think as she gets accustomed to the league she’s going to have some big success,” Donaldson said of his young forward.

Offensively, Donaldson simplified his game plan to ensure more pucks find the back of the net.

“We’ve asked them to simplify the game and focus on getting pucks and bodies to the net,” he said. “If we continue to do that we’re going to have better success.”

Led by assistant captain Bria Harding and AUS second team all-star Marie-Soleil ‘Sunshine’ Deschenes in goal, the defence looks to take another step forward after allowing 61 goals (the third highest of the seven-team conference) a season ago.

With MacIntyre and MacEachern’s help behind the blue line, the defence figures to be much improved.

“We needed to get stronger in the back end, so we wanted to look for a couple defensemen that complimented our game.”

After a forgettable 2015-16, Donaldson is eager to show off his new team to the Panther faithful when they play their home opener on Oct. 21. Donaldson promises a more competitive team that can push top-tier teams like the defending champion Saint Mary’s Huskies and defensive powerhouse St. Thomas Tommies for playoff supremacy.

“They have a lot of maturity,” Donaldson said of his competition. “They both have good size and they’re well coached. We have to be able to match their physicality if we want to be there in the end.”

After taking their first two games on the road, the undefeated Panthers make their home debut on Oct. 21 against the St. Thomas Tommies at 7 pm.

The University of Prince Edward Island, along with the PEI Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture and the PEI Department of Health and Wellness, released today the results of the 2014-15 School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES-PEI) Provincial Student Health Profile. SHAPES-PEI gathers information from students in grades 5 through 12 about healthy eating, physical activity, mental fitness, bullying, and tobacco/substance use, in collaboration with the Canadian Student Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CSTADS), and the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact. This is the fourth release of data since SHAPES-PEI began in 2008.

“The findings from this fourth cycle of SHAPES-PEI tell us that researchers, schools, and communities must continue to fight for the health of our youth,” said Dr. Donna Murnaghan, co-principal investigator of SHAPES-PEI and adjunct professor of nursing at UPEI. “The flat or plateau results around physical activity levels point to no significant improvements in physical activity levels even though there have been concerted efforts to promote youth being physically active. The rising tobacco and alcohol use among PEI youth changes the conversation to we are not done yet with these risks. These are complex problems that require continued timely monitoring and surveillance to inform action for the future.”

“The information collected through SHAPES reflects students’ health and well-being not only at school, but within their homes and communities as well,” said Sterling Carruthers, School Health Specialist for the PEI Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture. “Although we are seeing some positive changes in both the mental fitness of students and a decreased consumption of ‘other foods,’ we need to continue our partnerships with student, teachers, parents, community, and government to support improved health and well-being for students in other areas identified in this report.”

Highlights from the 2014-15 SHAPES-PEI survey include:

• 71% of PEI students reported having high mental fitness, compared to 66% in 2008 (mental fitness describes a student’s sense of emotional and psychological well-being)
• 37% of PEI students (30% males, 42% females) reported being bullied in the past 30 days
• 45% of PEI students meet national physical activity guidelines (unchanged since 2010)
• 38% of PEI students reported eating fruit and vegetables more than six times the day before the survey (mostly unchanged since 2008)
• 15% of PEI students reported eating high fat/salty/sugary snacks or drinks seven or more times the day before the survey (down significantly from 2008)
• 58% of PEI students reported eating breakfast every day, while 12% of PEI students reported not eating breakfast at all in a usual school week (up from 8% from 2012)
• PEI has the second highest rate of current smokers (among 10-18 year olds) in the country at 6.6%, which is almost double the national average of 3.4%.
• In the last 12 months: 25% of PEI students reported using marijuana and—of the 43% of students who had a drink of alcohol—32% reported engaging in binge drinking, which are the highest rates in Canada.

“One of our three key education priorities is to support the social and emotional well-being of students, and this data is very useful in informing this work,” said Education, Early Learning and Culture Minister Doug Currie. “We continue to use the SHAPES data to develop priorities and policy, and to inform our collaborative work with parents and school communities on improving student well-being and achievement.”

“Instilling the values of wellness, such as healthy eating, avoiding tobacco use, regular exercise and activity at a young age is probably one of the greatest investments we could make for our young people, as they will lead to lifelong healthy choices,” said Minister of Health and Wellness Robert Henderson. “SHAPES-PEI provides valuable information which helps direct our decision making and long-term planning for health promotion in this province.”

Full copies of the 2014-15 SHAPES-PEI Provincial Student Health Profile are available by request, or by visiting:

discoveryspace.upei.ca/cshr/SHAPES

https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/education-early-learning-and-culture/school-health-action-planning-and-evaluation-system

https://www.uwaterloo.ca/propel/

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

The University of Prince Edward Island wishes all YDAY participants well in their discussions as they gather in Charlottetown today. YDAY is bringing together more than 120 young people, including several UPEI students, who wish to make PEI an attractive place to work, grow and thrive. The discussions and brainstorms shared by this diverse representation of island youth will help to catalyse new initiatives, programs, and policies that will help shape and direct the island’s cultural and economic future.

YDAY is part of a longer-term strategy that will help to change the narrative for island youth and their futures on Prince Edward Island. The Department of Workforce and Advanced Learning has placed a strategic emphasis on youth and their needs.

“As a province, we will continue to work with young Islanders to assist them in making a successful transition to the workforce and to launch new careers here on Prince Edward Island,” said Minister Richard Brown. “YDAY is a wonderful opportunity for our Island youth to be heard and engaged on matters that affect their lives now and into the future.”

UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz said he is grateful for the opportunity to support YDAY and its mission to help transform the narrative for youth and shape the island’s future. “Young minds gather on our campus every day where they are encouraged to work together and produce new ideas and solutions to today’s problems,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “ UPEI is excited for this historic event to take place and we look forward to hearing the recommendations and advice put forth at YDAY PEI.” 

The University of Prince Edward Island is celebrating Open Access Week with a series of informative events.

On Monday, October 24 at 1:30 pm in Robertson Library 312 (or from the comfort of your own office), we are hosting a webinar by Robin DeRosa (Plymouth State University): Open Education: Reducing Costs, Transforming Pedagogy.

On Thursday, October 27 at 10:00 am, Robertson Library 312, Robert Gilmour will introduce and re-launch the new IslandScholar and data.upei.ca. Dawn Hooper and Donald Moses from the Robertson Library will demonstrate the services and answer questions.

Also on Thursday, October 27 at 7:00 pm, the Robertson Library will partner with the Open Data Book Club to host a special event in Robertson Library 312. First, the Open Data Book Club will introduce its activities related to Open Data. Following that we will have two speakers: Dr. Adam Fenech, Director of UPEI Climate Lab, will speak on “The Value of Open Data in Research” and Mary-Ann MacSwain, Data Analyst at the UPEI Centre for Health and Community Research, will speak on “Health Data in an Open Data World.” 

The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

October was Cyber Security Awareness Month in Canada, but UPEI encourages students, faculty and staff to “protect while you connect” year-round.  There are several simple ways to stay safe online, says Dana Sanderson, UPEI’s Chief Information Officer.

“Whether you're sending emails, downloading files at work or school, banking online, connecting with friends, the Internet has become an essential part of everyday life,” explains Sanderson. “It’s also a breeding ground for criminal activity and where your information can be compromised. If you take the time to learn about the common threats and risks, online security and protecting yourself can be easy.”

Know the threats.
Online threats include email scams, phishing attacks, botnets, viruses, and trojans. Knowing where they come from and what they look like is the first step to keeping them at bay.

Watch out for fake software.
Cyber criminals develop schemes to trick you into downloading and installing malware on computers, mobile devices and networks. Learning to spot the tricks can keep your precious customer and financial information under locks.

Protect your social networks.
By sharing personal information on social media sites that can be used to build a profile of your responsibilities and activities, it can then be used to develop a convincing scam, tailored to you specifically.

Watch out for phishers.
Cyber criminals use fake emails, text messages and websites to trick you into giving up important info. It's called phishing. Passwords, usernames, credit card numbers can be are taken, sold, and used. Criminals may even impersonate organizations and businesses like UPEI to try to scam clients.

Never respond to emails requesting private information, or click on links from unknown sources. Be on the lookout for email scams where the message is alarmist, has spelling mistakes, offers a deal that's too good to be true, or requests sensitive information.

Know how to spot risky URLs.
By taking the URLs of recognized sites and tweaking them slightly, cyber criminals can catch unsuspecting people in a scam. Signs that a URL is untrustworthy include hyphens, numbers, spelling mistakes and @ symbols in place of regular characters. Manually type URLs in the address bar, rather than clicking on email links. This can help ensure you are going to a legitimate site and not a malicious or spoofed site.

Don't write down passwords. Choose strong ones and change them frequently.
Avoid writing down your passwords on scraps of paper by your work areas. They can be nabbed by people passing by and used to access your accounts. Also, choose strong passwords that aren’t easily guessed and change them on a regular basis to keep your accounts secure.

Lock computer screens.
Lock your screens when you are away from your desks, to help ensure your work areas are secure.

Protect laptops in public.
If cyber criminals get a hold of your computer or mobile device, they can mine it for the important information you've worked so hard to keep secure. Be mindful of where and how you keep your devices.

Don’t connect to unknown Wi-Fi networks.
Choose your network wisely. "Evil twin" Wi-Fi hotspots are sometimes created in the same location to lure and attack unsuspecting mobile users. Turn off settings that automatically search for Wi-Fi networks to prevent your phone, tablet, or laptop from connecting to unsecure and unknown networks. When on public Wi-Fi, look for secure connections that require a password.

Maintain anti-virus software and firewalls.
While most personal computers come with trial versions of anti-virus software, a firewall, and anti-spy software, after a certain length of time you will need to purchase them or replace them with an alternate software in order to stay protected. Don't ignore updates when prompted on your computer, but make sure they come from your anti-virus software or operating system. If you're not sure, take your computer to an expert. If you are using a UPEI computer, ITSS has installed/subscribed to these protections.

Contact ITSS in an emergency.
In the case of a potential breech or theft, employees should contact UPEI Security Services or the ITSS Help Desk at 902-566-0465 or helpdesk@upei.ca immediately to limit the damage.

Get more tips at the Government of Canada's Get Cyber Safe website. 

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Alysha Corrigan (Women’s Rugby) and Mark Smith (Men’s Soccer), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the week for October 17-23!

Alysha Corrigan is a third-year Business student from Charlottetown and plays centre on the UPEI Women’s Rugby team. The Panthers lost a very close 22-17 game to Acadia in the AUS semi-final Saturday evening. “Alysha was a major force in both the Panthers attack and defense,” said Coach John LaBoyne. “In attack she lead the backs with play decisions and outstanding running plays. In defence, she covered the field, stopping many of the opposition breaks with difficult open field tackles. Alysha also contributed to the scoring line with a convert.”

Mark Smith is a second-year fullback on the UPEI Men’s Soccer team, and a second-year Business student from Charlottetown. The Panthers defeated Memorial University (2-0) and the Université de Moncton (3-1) in games over the weekend. “Mark provided outstanding leadership at the back during both games on the weekend, and scored the pivotal first goal versus MUN," commented Coach Lewis Page.

It’s not too late to purchase your Panther Package, the best sports deal on Prince Edward Island! Your $75 season ticket gets you into every home Panther home game, in every sport (except Men’s Hockey). Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.