Are you thinking about preparing your file for tenure/permanency and/or promotion? Get started by learning about the basics of teaching philosophy statements and teaching dossiers by checking out the resources in the Professional Growth, Development and Identity Domain of the Academic Instructional Skills Program. Then bring your questions to our workshop, and learn what is needed to be included under our current collective agreement. Join us in the Teaching and Learning Centre, RL 230, on Monday, February 10, from 2:00 to 4:00. Virtual options to attend will be available by emailing TLC@upei.ca for the link.

This lunch and learn event is a 45-minute working session created in collaboration between the TLC, EDIHR, and Accessibility Services. Make an impact on student learning by rethinking your slides. 

What to bring: A set of slides and a device to work on

Schedule:  

• 10-minute presentation 
• 30 minutes to work individually on your own slides; the hosts are present for questions 
• 5 minutes to reflect on how it went and ask more questions 

Email Kristy at kmckinney@upei.ca to RSVP.

The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is hosting a workshop focused on teaching the basics about creating a business plan on Thursday, February 11, from 11:00 am-1:00 pm. Participants will learn about the major components of a business plan and what sort of information should be included in the document. Attendees participating in the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program will also receive suggestions, tips, and tricks for how to make the most of their business plan for their written award submissions.
The event is open to the public, but those in attendance who are participating in the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program will have the event count towards their attendance boost for the written awards.

Sign up to attend the workshop here!

The deadline for animal care protocol submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, March 7, for the March meeting. 

Please note that as of June 1, 2020, all animal user protocols must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

For new protocols, select "applications," and for renewal or amendment protocols, select "events."

UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx. 

Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The committee requires at least one month for processing applications.

As part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in November, the UPEI Student Union Mental Health team and the UPEI Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) invited students, staff, and faculty to create a community “quilt” for gender-based violence prevention. Each participant created a canvas square for the quilt. Thank you to all who contributed to this important art piece!

The art shares messages of hope for survivors as well as messages about gender-based violence prevention. For Love & Sex Week (February 10-14), we encourage everyone to visit the quilt on display at the Robertson Library. As you enjoy the art pieces, reflect on ways you can foster healthy relationships in your life and commit to consent in all interactions.

The quilt will be on display from 9 am on Monday, February 10 to Friday, February 14. 

The UPEI Department of Chemistry will host the 2025 IUPAC Global Women's (and Allies') Breakfast on Tuesday, February 11, from 7:00-9:00 am at the Fox & Crow, W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

The breakfast is an excellent opportunity to build stronger chemistry/science communities and networks, learn more about the exciting research taking place in the faculties of Science and Sustainable Design Engineering, and share stories of resilience. This year, participants can expect to engage with three to five female speakers on their science and experiences followed by a short panel discussion. We will also have a "tie-dye your (clean) lab coat" activity along with a hot breakfast. This event is free to attend.

Please register for the event by no later than 12:00 pm on February 9 at https://forms.gle/tmcWT5VvFjt2riav7

For more information about this global event, please go to https://iupac.org/gwb/2025/

UPEI faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend a thought-provoking presentation and discussion titled "The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada and Embedding a Culture of Hope at UPEI" by Dr. Jessica Riddell, celebrated professor and author of "Hope Circuits: Rewiring Universities and other Systems for Human Flourishing." This event will take place on February 10, at 10:30 am, in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

Through a campus-wide discussion, Dr. Riddell will share her insights on the state of post-secondary in Canada—and beyond—and how university communities can navigate to more sustainable and hopeful institutions. Following her presentation, she will lead an interactive discussion on strategies for embedding a culture of hope and belonging within UPEI.

Members of the campus community who are unable to attend in person are welcome to join virtually at this Teams Town Hall link.

Are you thinking about preparing your file for tenure/permanency and/or promotion? Get started by learning about the basics of teaching philosophy statements and teaching dossiers by checking out the resources in the Professional Growth, Development and Identity Domain of the Academic Instructional Skills Program. Then bring your questions to our workshop, and learn what is needed to be included under our current collective agreement. Join us in the Teaching and Learning Centre, RL 230, on Monday, February 10, from 2:00 to 4:00. Virtual options to attend will be available by emailing TLC@upei.ca for the link.

This lunch and learn event is a 45-minute working session created in collaboration between the TLC, EDIHR, and Accessibility Services. Make an impact on student learning by rethinking your slides. 

What to bring: A set of slides and a device to work on

Schedule:  

• 10-minute presentation 
• 30 minutes to work individually on your own slides; the hosts are present for questions 
• 5 minutes to reflect on how it went and ask more questions 

Email Kristy at kmckinney@upei.ca to RSVP.

UPEI annually acknowledges individuals for their outstanding contributions to the success of the University. The awards are valued at $1,000 each and given in recognition of excellence to faculty, librarians, clinical veterinary professionals, clinical nursing instructors, sessional instructors, and staff.

Nominations are open and must be submitted to universityawards@upei.ca by the last Friday in February each year. This year, nominations close on Friday, February 28, 2025.

For further details about the awards and the nomination process, please visit https://www.upei.ca/president/university-awards-of-excellence

On January 27, Health PEI implemented a universal masking policy across its facilities to protect patients, staff, and the public from the spread of illness.

UPEI recommends steps to help protect yourself during the winter months. These include staying up to date on vaccinations; staying home if symptomatic; practicing good hand hygiene; and wearing a mask to protect yourself and help prevent spread if you are feeling ill or have been exposed. Please visit the UPEI Guidance For Respiratory Illness for more information.

While the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre (HWC) is not implementing mandatory masking at this time, patients and staff are strongly encouraged to wear masks in the clinic. Masks are readily available at the HWC for anyone who needs one. Please note that care will not be denied to individuals who choose not to wear a mask.

COVID-19 test kits continue to be available at the HWC and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE).

Feel free to reach out to HSE at HSE@upei.ca or call 902-566-0901.

The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is hosting a workshop focused on teaching the basics about creating a business plan on Thursday, February 11, from 11:00 am-1:00 pm. Participants will learn about the major components of a business plan and what sort of information should be included in the document. Attendees participating in the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program will also receive suggestions, tips, and tricks for how to make the most of their business plan for their written award submissions.
The event is open to the public, but those in attendance who are participating in the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program will have the event count towards their attendance boost for the written awards.

Sign up to attend the workshop here!

UPEI piano professor Magdalena von Eccher will present a solo piano recital on February 7, at 7:30 pm, featuring Robert Schumann's colourful Faschingschwank aus Wien, Op 26 (Viennese Carnival) alongside Bach's marvelous Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911, interwoven with other selections including Schoenberg's Op. 19 and Ravel's Sonatine. Magdalena will be joined by pianist Glen Montgomery for Debussy's charming piano duet, Petite Suite.

The recital will take place on the SDU Stage, Dr. Steel Recital Hall (SB 224). Admission is $30 for adults and $10 for students, payable by cash at the door.

Are you committed to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, indigenization, and decolonization (EDIID) at post-secondary institutions and excited to help shape something new? We’re in the early stages of organizing an EDIID conference (name to be determined) at UPEI, dedicated to sharing, learning, discussing, and navigating EDIID in post-secondary spaces. While the date is yet to be determined, forming a planning committee is a key step in bringing this vision to life—and we need your help!

What’s Involved?

Committee members will

• Collaborate to determine the conference theme, sessions, and potential activities.
• Plan a budget and logistics (e.g., space, catering, information package for attendees, organizing volunteers, honourariums).
• Assist with fundraising.
• Develop and maintain conference website.
• Review and evaluate abstract submissions from potential conference applicants, and contact successful applicants.
• Identify and reach out to potential keynote speakers and sponsors.
• Determine accommodation needs of attendees.
• Prepare for a potential launch on a date TBD by the committee

The committee will begin by meeting monthly once we have our committee, with specific roles assigned based on interests and availability. The remaining meeting schedule will be determined by the committee.

Who should apply?

We welcome applications from anyone at UPEI committed to EDI, indigenization, and decolonization and who is excited to contribute.

How to get involved:

To apply, please submit a short expression of interest by February 14 to equity@upei.ca. Let us know:

1. Your name and contact information
2. A little about yourself (e.g., background, interests)
3. Why you’re interested in helping plan this potential conference

Questions? Contact EDI and Human Rights at equity@upei.ca.

The sixth meeting of the UPEI Senate will take place on Friday, February 14, 2025, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in Room 102 at Alumni Hall (618 University Avenue). To view the 2024-2025 calendar of Senate meetings or documents for the upcoming meeting, click here.

All meetings are open to members of the University community, although certain in-camera items (e.g., granting of degrees) may require the Senate to go into a closed session. Only members of Senate are permitted to address the Senate unless otherwise recognized by the chair. 

For logistical purposes, members of the UPEI community who wish to attend the open session of a UPEI Senate meeting are asked to contact senate@upei.ca one week prior to the meeting. While Senate is an in-person meeting, members of the University community may request a virtual connection when they are unable to attend in person. 

The UPEI Department of Chemistry will host the 2025 IUPAC Global Women's (and Allies') Breakfast on Tuesday, February 11, from 7:00-9:00 am at the Fox & Crow, W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

The breakfast is an excellent opportunity to build stronger chemistry/science communities and networks, learn more about the exciting research taking place in the faculties of Science and Sustainable Design Engineering, and share stories of resilience. This year, participants can expect to engage with three to five female speakers on their science and experiences followed by a short panel discussion. We will also have a "tie-dye your (clean) lab coat" activity along with a hot breakfast. This event is free to attend.

Please register for the event by no later than 12:00 pm on February 9 at https://forms.gle/tmcWT5VvFjt2riav7

For more information about this global event, please go to https://iupac.org/gwb/2025/

IT Systems and Services (ITSS) will perform upgrades to the border firewalls between 7:30 and 9:30 am on Saturday, February 15, 2025. During this period, users on campus will have no access to internet resources on wired or wireless systems. There will be no impact on printing, security systems, department shares, facilities management systems, and local system use.

ITSS apologizes for the inconvenience.

UPEI faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend a thought-provoking presentation and discussion titled "The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada and Embedding a Culture of Hope at UPEI" by Dr. Jessica Riddell, celebrated professor and author of "Hope Circuits: Rewiring Universities and other Systems for Human Flourishing." This event will take place on February 10, at 10:30 am, in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

Through a campus-wide discussion, Dr. Riddell will share her insights on the state of post-secondary in Canada—and beyond—and how university communities can navigate to more sustainable and hopeful institutions. Following her presentation, she will lead an interactive discussion on strategies for embedding a culture of hope and belonging within UPEI.

Members of the campus community who are unable to attend in person are welcome to join virtually at this Teams Town Hall link.

Are you thinking about preparing your file for tenure/permanency and/or promotion? Get started by learning about the basics of teaching philosophy statements and teaching dossiers by checking out the resources in the Professional Growth, Development and Identity Domain of the Academic Instructional Skills Program. Then bring your questions to our workshop, and learn what is needed to be included under our current collective agreement. Join us in the Teaching and Learning Centre, RL 230, on Monday, February 10, from 2:00 to 4:00. Virtual options to attend will be available by emailing TLC@upei.ca for the link.

The UPEI Faculty of Arts ConneXions series presents the first two speakers for this semester: Drs Renée Valiquette (DSJS) and Nick Mercer (Environmental Studies and MAIS), who will explore the broad topic of  "Environmental Justice - but for whom? And how?"

i) Dr. Renée Valiquette, DSJS

Title: “Beyond purity and refusal: rethinking environmentalisms

I would say a knotty area of interest that motivates me these days is the expectation that "good" environmental ethics are defined by a commitment to austerity and lack. I am more compelled by thinkers/activists who offer something darker and messier than enduring environmentalisms of purity and refusal. How can we cultivate eco-ethics that resist naive hope without falling into melancholia? Are there ways of dwelling in/responding to our wild futures that don't evade the brutalities ahead but also feel full of potential and possibility?

ii) Dr. Nick Mercer, Environmental Studies and MAIS

Title: “Is eliminating fossil-fuel consumption ‘just’?: Lessons learned from the diesel-powered North” 

Guided by near scientific consensus, most nation-states globally have pledged ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, with the goal of maintaining planetary heating of less than 1.5 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial period. Central to this mission is the rapid electrification of societies and economies and a massive expansion of low-carbon generation sources. For instance, the influential Canadian Energy Regulator (2023) has suggested that national power output may double by mid-century, fuelled by new wind farms, hydroelectric facilities, and other sources of renewable energies. One critical question that must be considered in this seemingly benign pursuit: "Are renewable energy transitions ‘just’?" Reflecting on a deep and ongoing research relationship with nine Indigenous diesel-dependent communities in southern Labrador, our research program has long sought to answer: "Who wins and who loses as a result of energy transitions? Who has power and influence in decision-making? And whether the worldviews and priorities of diverse peoples are honoured, centered, and upheld in ‘renewable’ energy development."