The student-led 2017 UPEI Relay For Life, held at UPEI’s Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre on January 20, raised over $14,000, all of which will be used to help Prince Edward Islanders who are dealing with cancer.

Fourteen teams—82 participants in total—registered for this year’s relay, including the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre; UPEI Biology Society; UPEI Residences; Jack.org at UPEI; “Too Inspired to be Tired,” an Applied Human Sciences Society and Women’s Field Hockey team; and “IB Walkin’,” a group of Grade 11 International Baccalaureate students from Colonel Gray High School.

Teams raised money in the weeks leading up to the event, and then during the six-hour event, they took turns walking or running around the track, passing their batons to symbolize the ongoing fight against cancer. They celebrated with and honoured cancer survivors during the opening ceremony and the survivor victory lap.

“Together, participants and survivors remembered loved ones, while they walked the track lit by luminaries dedicated in honour or in memory of someone,” said Emma McDermott, a fourth-year biology student who sits on the organizing committee, “all renewing their commitment to fight back against cancer. It was an emotional evening.”

When the team members were not walking, they participated in other activities, including ballroom dancing, minute-to-win it, dodgeball, and games.

Dr. Christian Lacroix, a professor in the Department of Biology, is faculty advisory and liaison for the UPEI Relay For Life.

“The most gratifying thing from my perspective is that the Relay For Life was led and organized by students,” he said. “The success of this event speaks to the civic engagement of our students and is a sense of pride that our institution is recognized for its fundraising success in the community.”

Over 900 Islanders are diagnosed with cancer each year, and over 300 lose their lives. The Relay For Life is a national annual fundraising event for the Canadian Cancer Society, which has been taking place on Prince Edward Island for 16 years.
 

The UPEI and PWC community was saddened to hear that retired professor Dr. Harry Love passed away on January 28, 2017. Dr. Love had a constant and deep appreciation for UPEI.

He graduated from Prince of Wales College in 1956 and continued his studies at Dalhousie University, where he completed a Masters and a PhD in mathematics. Dr. Love returned to PEI to teach mathematics at Prince of Wales College and UPEI from 1960 to 1997. With a special interest in statistics, he was passionate about teaching and adored by students.

Honoured in 2007 as a UPEI Founder, Dr. Love played a key role, along with his wife Anne, in the development of the University. His presence continued at UPEI through volunteering at reunion events and with the UPEI Retirees Association, and as one of UPEI's most vocal fans. Long-time donors and UPEI Visionaries, the Loves created the Harry and Anne Love Scholarship which is awarded annually to a Mathematics major.

Dr. Love is survived by his wife Anne (née Michael) and brothers-in-law Leslie Hiscott, Roger (Margaret) Michael, and Gordon (Sandra) Michael. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to MacLean Funeral Home – Swan Chapel. Flags in front of Kelley Memorial Building will remain lowered to half-mast in honour of Dr. Love until Friday. Memorial donations to Trinity United Church, Charlottetown Rotary Club Foundation, or UPEI are being accepted.

At recent meetings, the UPEI Senate and Board of Governors approved a name change for the UPEI School of Business; effective immediately, the former “School” will now officially be called the UPEI Faculty of Business.

With Business student enrolment and course registrations on the rise, the success of students at national and international competitions, increasing demand for graduate level programs and courses, and the generation of new research programs and centres, faculty members in UPEI's School of Business unanimously felt it was time to be elevated to a “Faculty” status. 

“As currently the third largest academic area on campus with student numbers rivaling those in the Faculty of Arts, changing the School of Business to a Faculty of Business will bring parity among units,” said Dean of Business Juergen Krause. “Education, a much smaller faculty, already has this status, so we thought it reasonable to propose a change.”

When the University of Prince Edward Island was established in 1969, business programs were administered by a Department of Business Administration consisting of five faculty members and serving a total enrolment of 200 students. Driven by the desire to manage both the academic and administrative aspects of business programs, faculty members proposed the formation of the School of Business in 1982. Since its creation in 1983, the School has further evolved and expanded, now offering a breadth of undergraduate programs and the executive Master of Business Administration program to almost 800 students who are served by 15 full-time faculty and over 30 sessional instructors.

President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz met with the Hon. Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Cardigan's Member of Parliament and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, Hon. Lawrence MacAulay in Ottawa yesterday. Minister McKenna, who tweeted the photo from her Twitter account @cathmckenna, will be on the UPEI campus in June when she hosts a meeting of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, an intergovernmental organization that facilitates environmental cooperation between Canada, Mexico, and the US.

There will be lots of action on the court and in the rink this weekend for UPEI Panther fans.

Coming off two big four-point wins over Acadia and Saint Mary’s this past weekend, the UPEI Women’s Basketball team hopes to keep the winning momentum going when it hosts the University of New Brunswick in a pair of games this Friday and Saturday at the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.  Tip-off is 6:00 pm for both nights.

“UNB is in third place and have already clinched a playoff spot,” says Greg Gould, head coach. “We will need to be at our very best to beat an experienced UNB team, but I believe out players are up to the challenge!”

After last weekend’s losses, the men’s basketball team is looking to get back in the win column in their games versus UNB on Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 pm.

“UNB is in for two big ones this weekend,” says UPEI Men’s Basketball Head Coach Tim Kendrick.  “We will have to be at our best to get two victories. We are fully aware of our situation, and know that these remaining three home games on our schedule are extremely important for us. We need to make a run, and every streak starts with one win!”

The Women’s Hockey program is also looking to looking to get back on track this weekend when they faceoff against St. Francis Xavier (Friday evening at 7:00 pm) and Saint Mary’s (Saturday evening at 7:00 pm). Both games are at MacLauchlan Arena. 

Panthers Head Coach Bruce Donaldson says, “This is a very tough weekend—both St. FX and SMU are playing very well. We are trying to secure third spot with three games to go and we cannot afford to give up any points.”

Donaldson concedes that the UPEI women’s squad did not play well last Sunday versus the X-Women and is expecting a much stronger effort for the rematch. He adds, “And SMU has been ranked in the top four in the conference all year, and if we want to secure third spot, we will need to match their intensity and physicality. Both teams create a big challenge for our team—we need a better effort throughout our line-up.” 

UPEI students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends are encouraged to cheer on your Panthers! Game tickets are now available for purchase online. Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.

On Monday, February 6, 2017, students, staff, and faculty will gain access to certain areas of myUPEI, the portal which will eventually replace and expand the current online platform, UPEI Campus Login. In order to ensure a smooth transition period, the University is granting access to myUPEI mid-semester so that the campus community has sufficient time to become familiar with it. Visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) web page.

The transition to myUPEI is vital to the University so that its students, faculty, and staff may access data and information to facilitate and manage day-to-day processes efficiently. This technological transformation for UPEI has been implemented with a phased-in approach. MyUPEI will be used to access services for the upcoming May 2017 (first summer session) semester while Campus Login will remain in place for the current January 2017 semester. Over time, more and more functions will transition from Campus Login to myUPEI, bringing improvements to online services such as:

• Course scheduling
• Registering for courses
• Student financial accounts
• Degree auditing
• Transcript requests
• Class petitions and waivers
• Scholarships and Awards
• Submission of grades
• Room bookings

More information will be made available in the coming days via self-service videos and instructor-led training opportunities. 

On Thursday, February 16, the campus community is invited to join the Project Beacon Team in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre from 12:00–1:00 pm to learn more about this exciting transition to myUPEI (and for free swag and refreshments)!

President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz is in Ottawa February 6–7 attending University Canada’s Converge 2017, joining future innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from universities across the country.

A highlight in Monday’s schedule included a question and answer session with the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, who explored what Canada can become in the next 50 years. Prime Minister Trudeau commented on how important it is to draw upon the experience of those very Canadians who already are comfortable with change, including youth and those engaged in the post-secondary landscape, during this dialogue on transformation. The Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to fundamental human rights and an inclusive society, mental health support, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report.

Roberta Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire, also addressed the attendees on Monday about “the path to Canada’s future—education and reconciliation.” She challenged university leaders to use the Converge event as the catalyst for their institutions to support and partner with First Nations as they reconstruct, renew, and recapture their indigenous languages, culture, values, and knowledge, to make “reconciliaction” happen.  Ms. Jamieson added that this rebuilding not only involves the education of indigenous peoples but the education of Canadians, and that as partners, we must “transform education into a culturally appropriate engine” where youth can excel and realize their potential.
 

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes two student-athletes for their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. Congratulations to Jenna Mae Ellsworth (Women’s Basketball) and Marcus Power (Men’s Hockey), the UPEI Panther Subway Athletes of the week for January 30-February 5!

Jenna Mae Ellsworth is a first-year Bachelor of Science student from Charlottetown and a member of the UPEI Women’s Basketball team. Ellsworth played two exceptional games against the University of New Brunswick over the weekend, scoring 33 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and making nine steals. “Jenna Mae helped her Panthers earn a split with UNB,” said coach Greg Gould. “She was our team leader all weekend.”

Marcus Power is a third-year Business student from St. John’s, Newfoundland and a member of the UPEI Men’s Hockey team. Power scored a pair of goals and an assist in a weekend game against Dalhousie University.

“Friday versus Dalhousie was as big a game for us as there can be,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “We needed our big players to rise to the occasion. Marcus stepped up and gave a huge effort for us.”

The Panthers have a busy weekend at home coming up. The Subway AUS Swimming Championship is at the Bell Aliant Centre Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Men’s Hockey plays the Université de Moncton Friday night at 7:00 pm in the MacLauchlan Arena. Women’s Hockey hosts St. Thomas University Saturday evening at 7:00 pm. Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.

Guided by the University Closure Policy, UPEI's senior administration takes the decision to delay, close, or remain open very seriously. In weather situations where the potential risk to UPEI’s students and employees, as well as property, is high, the University may “close*,” meaning classes and exams are cancelled and services are reduced. UPEI reminds students, faculty, and staff that there are several ways to keep informed about whether they need to come to campus or not during storms, inclement weather, or other adverse conditions.

How will I know if UPEI is operating on a delayed opening or is going to close?

UPEI has a number of different channels to communicate University delays and closures. These include:

• A message on the home page of upei.ca
• An email to all students, faculty, and staff to their upei.ca email account
• Updates from the University’s Twitter account, @UPEI
• Media outlets (radio, TV, news websites) are informed and encouraged to share our status
• A message is placed on the UPEI Campus Closure and Alert Phone Line (902-894-2882)
• A message is placed on the UPEI Campus Screen network (there are screens in several buildings across campus).

For more information, email communications@upei.ca.

Winter Parking Restrictions

Also note that from November 1 to April 30, winter restrictions on overnight campus parking will be enforced. Parking Lot "A" is the only lot where overnight parking is permitted for the winter season. Residents of Andrew Hall and Bernardine Hall may park overnight in the Andrew Hall lot provided that their vehicles are moved to Lot "A" during storm conditions and until the lots have been plowed after a storm.

If vehicles are left in any parking lot other than Lot "A" during snow storms or before snow removal is complete, the vehicle will be towed at the owner's expense. Facilities Management appreciates your co-operation to ensure parking lots are cleared safely. If you have any questions or concerns regarding winter parking please contact Mark Pharand, Manager, Security Services, at mpharand@upei.ca.

*Technically, UPEI is only truly closed in extreme circumstances, as there are essential personnel that need to work on campus and we have students living in residence. However, the University will use the word “closed” to communicate to the campus community that classes and most services are suspended. For more information, refer to the University Closure Policy.
 

UPEI is sending two of its strongest ever teams to compete at the 2017 Subway AUS Curling Championships this week in Truro, Nova Scotia. The championships begin Thursday, February 9 and run through February 12.

Both teams are filled with experienced players. The women’s team includes skip Sabrina Smith, who represented Prince Edward Island at the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 Canadian Juniors, as well as the 2017 Canadian Mixed Championships and the 2016 Mixed Doubles. Mate Meghan Ching was a member of the second-place squad at the 2015 U18 provincials. Second Breanne Burgoyne represented PEI at the 2017 Canadian Juniors and won the 2016 Atlantic U18. Annika Kelly throws lead for the Panthers.

Chris Gallant skips the men’s team. He was a member of Team Canada at the 2015 World Universiade in Granada, Spain. He was a member of the 2011 Atlantic U18 championship team and the 2014 CIS championship team. He is a two-time PEI junior champion and competed twice at the Canadian Juniors. Kyle Holland also competed twice at the Canadian Juniors. He won the PEI Juniors in 2012 and 2014 and the 2011 Atlantic U18 championship. Alex MacFadyen curled on the gold medal-winning 2015 Atlantic U18 team and the bronze team at the 2014 championship. Brooks Roche is a 2015 and 2017 provincial junior champion, competed twice at the Canadian Juniors, and took bronze at the 2013 Atlantic U18 championships.

Peter Gallant coaches the men’s team. Paul Smith coaches the women. Best of luck in Truro!

Bell Aliant will be webcasting some of the draws. The UPEI schedule is as follows:

Thursday

Draw #1, 11:30 am: UPEI Men vs. St. Francis Xavier; UPEI Women vs. University of New Brunswick

Draw #2, 3:30 pm: UPEI Women vs. Saint Mary’s University

Friday

Draw #3, 9:00 am: UPEI Men vs. Memorial University

Draw #4, 12:30 pm: UPEI Women vs. Dalhousie University

Draw #5, 4:00 pm: UPEI Men vs. Dalhousie University

Draw #6, 7:30 pm: UPEI Women vs. St. Francis University

Saturday

Draw #7, 9:00 am: UPEI Women vs. Mount Allison University

Draw #8, 12:30 pm: UPEI Men vs. University of New Brunswick

Draw #9, 4:00 pm: UPEI Men vs. Acadia University; UPEI Women vs. Memorial University

Draw #10, 7:30 pm: UPEI Men vs. Saint Mary’s University

The full schedule can be found here.

 Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.