The deadline for Summer 2023 tuition waivers is Friday, April 21. We encourage you to have tuition waivers submitted as soon as possible to assist in the timely processing. Tuition waiver forms must be submitted electronically.   

Online employee and spouse/dependent tuition waiver fillable forms can be found on the main page of myUPEI under UPEI Forms. 

If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at: (902) 566-0514 or hrgeneral@upei.ca. 

The Scholarships and Awards Office has extended the deadline to apply for select Convocation, Senior Class, and year-end scholarships and awards! The new deadline is Monday, April 24, 2023.

Students can review the criteria and access the remaining award application forms by clicking the following links:  

• Arlie Parks Scholarship - In Memory of Dr. Kenneth MacIntyre (Science)
• Marylou Hughes Scholarship (Science)
• David Austin O'Malley-Keyes Memorial Award (Arts/Music)
• Matilda "Tildy" MacMillan Good Mentorship

Be sure to submit your application(s) and any supporting documents in time for the April 24th deadline electronically to scholarships@upei.ca or in-person to the Scholarships and Awards Office at 202 Dalton Hall.

The UPEI Department of Music’s faculty recitals featuring clarinetist Karem J. Simon will now take place on Saturday, April 22, at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Charlottetown and on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at Hillcrest United Church in Montague. Both performances will be at 7:30 pm.

Collaborating with Dr. Simon will be a string quartet consisting of Sean Kemp and Karen Graves, violinists; Jeffrey Bazett-Jones, violist; and Natalie Williams Calhoun, cellist. The performance will present two masterpieces for clarinet and string quartet by Mozart and Brahms. 

Admission to the performance at Hillcrest United Church in Montague is by a free-will offering. For the performance at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Charlottetown, admission is $30 for adults and $10 for students at the door.

The Faculty Development Summer Institute (FDSI) on Active Learning in Higher Education is a multi-day institute of talks, activities, and workshops focused on active learning. The goal of this institute is to bring together post-secondary instructors who are passionate about engaging their students through active learning. Our team of dynamic facilitators is planning a research-based program with learning activities that will allow participants to learn about active learning approaches that can enhance student learning and develop plans to incorporate active learning into their classes. Starting the evening of June 6 and running until June 8, 2023, the Institute will take place in the Performing Arts Centre and New Residence on campus.

To learn more about the FDSI or to register, please go to the Institute website. We will accept the first 24 participants, and we have a small number of discounted spaces available for UPEI colleagues. Please register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

The UPEI Annual Fund is an integral part of our fundraising needs every year, allowing us to provide students with an excellent postsecondary education through investments in technology, educational equipment, renewed study spaces, experiential learning opportunities like conferences around the world, and so much more. Thanks to the generous support of donors, students receive the resources that they need to reach their full potential. The 2022/23 Annual Fund is coming to a close, but there is still time to give!

Ways to Give

• Online by visiting upei.ca/donate
• Mail: UPEI Annual Fund, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3
• Telephone: (902) 894-2888 or toll free at 1-866-453-4119
• In person: Alumni Hall, 618 University Avenue, Charlottetown
• Gifts of Marketable Securities: Process description and form

The UPEI Writing Centre is available for appointments, both online and in person, between April 17 and April 28.  Our schedule will be reduced, but additional appointment slots will be added based on tutor availability. See our schedule at https://upei.mywconline.com/  Check back for adjustments and added hours.

Keep us in mind!  We can help with your end-of-term scramble.  Best wishes to all.

Colleagues from UPEI registering for the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Conference in Charlottetown from June 13 to 16 can receive a discounted rate by emailing TLC@upei.ca for the discount code.

If you have a student attending the STLHE conference, please make sure they are aware of the STLHE Conference Student Bursaries. The deadline for student bursaries is April 28.   

The presentation by marine ecologist Dr. Irené Novaczek about the ecosystem restoration project at Basin Head, previously scheduled for  April 18, will take place on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI. 

Basin Head was designated as a marine protected area under the federal Oceans Act in 2005 to conserve and protect a unique strain of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), which is thought to exist only within that area.

Part of the Institute of Island Studies’ 2023 Island Lecture Series, the presentation will focus on adaptive management of the marine protected area to ensure that the unique giant form of Irish moss at Basin Head is able to survive in the coastal lagoon environment, which is challenged by impacts of local agriculture, invasive European green crabs, and ongoing climate changes. 

Here's a newly published resource on oral assessments that arrived yesterday.  This podcast episode from Limed: Teaching with a Twist also focuses on oral assessments. Here's a link to the podcast: Demonstrating Knowledge Using Oral Assessments. 

When an email requires a follow-up, use the drag-and-drop method:

Simply click and drag the email, and drop it onto the bottom left “Contacts” symbol on the navigation bar.  Suddenly you’ve got a brand new contact with the email address and name automatically entered. Now, inside the Contact window, the Notes portion will have the person’s phone number and address (if included on their signature line).

• Use Copy (Ctrl C) and Paste (Ctrl V) to get the signature line items into the correct fields in the new contact window. Less typing, no typos--and your contact is created within seconds!
•  “Drag and Drop” the email again onto your “Calendar,” and an appointment will be made. Plus, it keeps all the detail from the email. So you won’t have to re-type into the appointment.
• “Drag and Drop” an email onto the Tasks or Notes symbols on the Navigation bar.

You can also reverse this:

• Drag any contact to Mail on the folder pane to create a new email to that contact.
• Drag any contact to Calendar to create a new appointment.
• Drag any contact to Tasks.

Wondering if an oral examination might be an option to consider as we head toward the end of the semester? This blog from Assessment in Higher Education outlines some considerations to help you decide. Check out Oral Examinations.

The UPEI Writing Centre is available for appointments, both online and in person, between April 17 and April 28.  Our schedule will be reduced, but additional appointment slots will be added based on tutor availability. See our schedule at https://upei.mywconline.com/  Check back for adjustments and added hours.

Keep us in mind!  We can help with your end-of-term scramble.  Best wishes to all.

I begin with gratitude. The UPEI Campus Food Bank continues to respond in our small way to student need. We do so through the generosity of many who donate time and finances. In the first months of 2023, we welcomed over 1400 student visits. Thank you!

We will continue in May and June to be open on Wednesdays from 2:00 to 6:00 pm, and we count on your support. Please click this link to sign up for one hour (or more) of service. Occasionally, we need to contact a volunteer so we ask that you include a phone number or email address with your name. 

Sister Sue

As we move into spring, individuals who enjoy working in the gardens or tackling renovations will get going on their projects. One of the issues that should be addressed is ensuring you are up to date with your tetanus boosters, which are due every 10 years. 

Tetanus is a serious and often deadly disease caused by bacteria that live in dirt, dust, and soil.  

What are the symptoms?

The toxin that is released into the body affects the nervous system, causing painful muscle spasms. The first symptom is usually a spasm of the jaw muscles ("lockjaw") followed by painful spasms of muscles in the face, neck, chest, abdomen, arms, and legs.

How is it spread?

Most people think they can get tetanus from stepping on a rusty nail. While this is true, you can get tetanus just as easily from a small scrape or a cut. You can get tetanus from any object that breaks open your skin while working in the garden or doing repairs to your home, or even from an animal bite.  

Who is at risk?

People of all ages can be affected by tetanus.

What vaccine is used to prevent it?

For adults: Tdap: Tetanus and diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine is most commonly used on PEI for adults, and it is recommended to receive a booster every 10 years for continued protection. If you have a PEI health card, you can access this vaccine at no cost at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre and Public Health Nursing. If you do not have a health card, you can purchase the vaccine at cost at pharmacies or travel clinics. 

Video: https://youtu.be/4EeVUHA4tmQ

Helpful sites: https://immunize.ca/diseases-vaccines

The Sports Centre/Fitness Centre will be CLOSED during Convocation from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, Tuesday, May 16 - Friday, May 19. We are open from 6:00 to 8:00 am and 1:00 to 9:00 pm on those days.

The presentation by marine ecologist Dr. Irené Novaczek about the ecosystem restoration project at Basin Head, previously scheduled for  April 18, will take place on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI. 

Basin Head was designated as a marine protected area under the federal Oceans Act in 2005 to conserve and protect a unique strain of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), which is thought to exist only within that area.

Part of the Institute of Island Studies’ 2023 Island Lecture Series, the presentation will focus on adaptive management of the marine protected area to ensure that the unique giant form of Irish moss at Basin Head is able to survive in the coastal lagoon environment, which is challenged by impacts of local agriculture, invasive European green crabs, and ongoing climate changes. 

I begin with gratitude. The UPEI Campus Food Bank continues to respond in our small way to student need. We do so through the generosity of many who donate time and finances. In the first months of 2023, we welcomed over 1400 student visits. Thank you!

We will continue in May and June to be open on Wednesdays from 2:00 to 6:00 pm, and we count on your support. Please click this link to sign up for one hour (or more) of service. Occasionally, we need to contact a volunteer so we ask that you include a phone number or email address with your name. 

Sister Sue

You must update your UPEI ID keycard once every 30 days at a wired access point, or your card access to buildings and doors will expire. This is a security feature of the system for lost cards not reported. Wired access points (AP) include parking gates, building entrance door readers, or any Salto reader/programmer mounted on the wall or door frame (not one on the door). If you have not updated in a while, or a change has been made to your profile, it can take up to 7 seconds during which the reader will flash, stop for a second,  and then if required, flash again as it programs the card memory. If your card expires, you must come to Security to have it manually re-activated on their programmer during normal business hours.  

Effective immediately, two contacts are required on every door hazard sign (lab spaces and chemical storage rooms with the hazard diamond) in order to ensure efficient communication for emergency situations or any reason that may require contacting authorized personnel.

The first contact should be the principal investigator (PI) with Their name, UPEI cell phone number, office room, and office phone number.

The second contact should be a lab user, e.g., area lead, lead hand, or other with their name, UPEI cell phone number, office room, and office phone number. 

For PIs or authorized personnel that do not have a UPEI cell phone, by default someone that has a UPEI cell phone (such as the dean) will be placed as the contact for the lab hazard signage. If there are PIs who would prefer to use their personal cell phone number, they have the option of choosing to list that.

If there is no other lab user besides the PI, the second contact should be the chair, dean, director, or other authorized person in charge of the space. The contact information would include their name, UPEI cell phone number, office room, and office phone number. This also applies if the first or second contact does not have a UPEI cell phone numbers.

Any changes to your door signage must be requested by placing an FM work order through SchoolDude and attaching the completed lab hazard signage form, located on the UPEI Facilities Management page here.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Health, Safety, and Environment department at hse@upei.ca.