The second in this series of President's town halls will be held on Thursday, February 6, 2025. For this event, which falls during a month sometimes known for “hearts and flowers” as well as the short days of midwinter, there will be opportunities to share examples of success, what we are proud of at UPEI—and to shine some light! Everyone is invited to give a shoutout to campus community members and to celebrate our Panther Pride. There also will be a surprise guest appearance!

Let’s Celebrate our Panther Pride 

• Thursday, February 6, 2025 
• 1:30–2:30 pm 
• Amphitheatre, Performing Arts Centre and Residence building (PAC121S)  

If you are unable to attend in person, you are welcome to join us virtually at this Teams Town Hall link.

Read the full invitation from President Rodgers.

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 Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is pleased to present the Food Ecosystem Tour, in partnership with BioFoodTech, Food Island Partnership, and Canada's Smartest Kitchen. Twenty UPEI students will get the chance to attend a full day where they will tour the facilities of BioFoodTech and Canada's Smartest Kitchen and learn about the resources and support available to entrepreneurs in the food product development sector. 

The tour will take place on Thursday, February 20, from 8:45 am to 3:15 pm. Students will start with a tour of BioFoodTech, followed by a presentation from Food Island Partnership, before moving over to The Culinary Institute of Canada to have lunch at The Marché. Students will then hear from and tour the facilities of Canada's Smartest Kitchen, and end the day with a panel discussion and Q&A opportunity with food entrepreneurs who are current and past clients of the organizations that opened their doors to the group. 

Applications to attend the Food Ecosystem Tour will open on Friday, February 7, at 12:00 pm. Participation is only available to current full-time UPEI students, and invites will be given on a first-applied, first-offered basis. Students are required to be in attendance for the full itinerary.

The application form can be found here, but will only go live on February 7 at 12:00 pm.

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.

UPEI's Human Resources team has grown and services have expanded. Check out our informational document outlining our services and respective team members! 

This guide can be found by visiting myUPEI>Menu>Administrative Services>Human Resources. The PDF link will be found at the top of the Human Resources page, under our contact information. You can also visit our Teams site to access the informational document.

This is a living document, so please check back from time to time to ensure you are referencing the most up-to-date information.

On Monday, February 10, please join us at 12:00 pm (Atlantic time) in the UPEI Performing Arts Centre Amphitheatre (121S) for a conversation with a McCall MacBain Scholarships representative visiting from Montreal, along with UPEI applicants Brian MacDonald and Carter Wynne! You’ll learn about the scholarship program and have the opportunity to ask questions. Register now to reserve your spot: https://apply.mccallmacbainscholars.org/register/upei

The McCall MacBain Scholarships applications will open in June 2025 for Summer/Fall 2026 admission. Up to 30 full scholarships and 100 one-time awards, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 each, will be offered for admission in 2026. Two-thirds of the scholarships are available for Canadian students, and one-third are for international students in Canada and abroad. To be eligible for our 2026 cohort, you will need to meet at least ONE of the following criteria:

• You are a current student on track to earn your first bachelor’s degree by August 2026.
• You earned your first bachelor’s degree in the last five years (January 2020 or later).
• You earned your first bachelor’s degree more than five years ago and were 30 years or younger on January 1st, 2025.

Don’t miss this chance to connect and explore your future possibilities. 

In accordance with the UPEI Action Plan: Building A Culture of Trust, Safety and Inclusion, the University of Prince Edward Island has committed to developing a new Harassment and Discrimination Policy and a revised Sexual Violence Policy. In an email message issued on January 21 to students, staff, and faculty, co-chairs Wendy Rodgers and Lucky Fusca announced that a Review Committee has been struck, and work is now underway to develop a recommendation for the two policies, following a university-wide consultative process. 

The Review Committee was selected by the University among individuals who responded to a call for expressions of interest to participate, with a view to ensure a broad representation across constituency groups in the UPEI community (with diverse experiences and backgrounds). The Committee held its initial meeting on December 18, 2024, and will continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis for the next three months, with a target completion date of March 31, 2025. 

All members of the UPEI community are, and will be, encouraged to provide feedback regarding their experiences with the current suite of policies and to offer other comments or suggestions they want to bring forward for the Committee's attention. If you wish to provide feedback, you may do so either through the online feedback form, found here, or by submitting comments by email to Bobby Cameron, Chief of Staff, Office of the President, at trcameron@upei.ca. Individuals are encouraged to provide feedback on or before February 7, 2025.

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.

Date: Thursday, February 13
Time: 12:00-1:00 pm Atlantic
Location: Virtual. Register for the link at https://forms.gle/Lh3SAjFguChUnk4K7
Audience: UPEI master's and doctoral Students

Virtual Workshop: Gen AI use as a grad student
As students, the draw of a time-saving tool is always of interest. When are the current Generative AI tools available truly useful, and when might they be distractions or time wasters? Join us for a review of relevant types of Gen AI tools, and discussion about potential uses and relevant concerns.

Facilitator: Keri McCaffrey, One Health & Scholarly Communications Librarian

Options: Attend the virtual workshop delivered live and/or receive access to the recording.

View the full schedule of upcoming monthly Lunch & Learns for Graduate Students in the self-enrolled UPEI Graduate Student Professional & Academic Development Resources Moodle: https://moodle31.upei.ca/course/view.php?id=19273

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 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." 

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 second in this series of President's town halls will be held on Thursday, February 6, 2025. For this event, which falls during a month sometimes known for “hearts and flowers” as well as the short days of midwinter, there will be opportunities to share examples of success, what we are proud of at UPEI—and to shine some light! Everyone is invited to give a shoutout to campus community members and to celebrate our Panther Pride. There also will be a surprise guest appearance!

Let’s Celebrate our Panther Pride 

• Thursday, February 6, 2025 
• 1:30–2:30 pm 
• Amphitheatre, Performing Arts Centre and Residence building (PAC121S)  

If you are unable to attend in person, you are welcome to join us virtually at this Teams Town Hall link.

Read the full invitation from President Rodgers.

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 Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is pleased to present the Food Ecosystem Tour, in partnership with BioFoodTech, Food Island Partnership, and Canada's Smartest Kitchen. Twenty UPEI students will get the chance to attend a full day where they will tour the facilities of BioFoodTech and Canada's Smartest Kitchen and learn about the resources and support available to entrepreneurs in the food product development sector. 

The tour will take place on Thursday, February 20, from 8:45 am to 3:15 pm. Students will start with a tour of BioFoodTech, followed by a presentation from Food Island Partnership, before moving over to The Culinary Institute of Canada to have lunch at The Marché. Students will then hear from and tour the facilities of Canada's Smartest Kitchen, and end the day with a panel discussion and Q&A opportunity with food entrepreneurs who are current and past clients of the organizations that opened their doors to the group. 

Applications to attend the Food Ecosystem Tour will open on Friday, February 7, at 12:00 pm. Participation is only available to current full-time UPEI students, and invites will be given on a first-applied, first-offered basis. Students are required to be in attendance for the full itinerary.

The application form can be found here, but will only go live on February 7 at 12:00 pm.

In honour of Apukna'jit and Indigenous Story Telling Month, we are hosting a "Sharing Our Stories and Apukna'jit Spirit Ceremony" event with local knowledge keepers, community members, and UPEI staff and students on Wednesday, February 5, from 1:00-3:00 pm in Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Room 142. Four local knowledge keepers will share stories in a sharing circle.

Apukna'jit is the spirit of the winter. In some ways, the tradition involves making offerings to Apukna'jit with the hope of a light winter and an early spring. We do so by making tobacco offerings and a plate of food to feed Apukna'jit.

We have 30 seats available;  others may stand outside the circle.

Wela'lin, hope to see you there.

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.