Join the Institute of Island Studies in person or online on December 3, 1-2 pm, for “Yarns and Yarns,” an hour of knitting and storytelling on northern islands, when we will discuss and demonstrate island knitting traditions that focus on mittens. Local knitter Cheryl Wartman will talk about the tradition of making fishing mittens felted in salt water, as told to her by her grandmother Yoston from Launching Place, PEI. Kim Doherty Smith from Fleece and Harmony, a locally sourced wool mill in Belfast, PEI, will answer questions about how they mini mill their yarn from PEI sheep. Lynda Harling Stalker, from a long line of Prince Edward Islanders, will join us online from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, to discuss handknit mitts and islandness.

Knitters: bring your knitting and share your current projects and mitten stories! We’ll be gathering at The Gallery Coffee House and Bistro, 82 Great George Street, Charlottetown, PEI, or you can join us online. Please click here to register: it’s free and everyone is welcome.

This is the fourth “Yarns and Yarns” event organized by the Northern and Arctic Island Studies Research (NAISR) Thematic Network of the University of the Arctic. Previous in-person and online events were hosted by knitting groups in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador; Uist, Scotland; and Iceland, with over 100 knitters from all over the North Atlantic Zooming in. The Charlottetown event is hosted by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI in collaboration with the Institute for Northern Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Shetland, Scotland, and other members of the NAISR.

 As we navigate changes in the age of generative AI, aligning our assessment strategies with the distinctly human skills and AI literacies we aim to foster is important. In this workshop, instructors will work collaboratively in small groups to revise and develop assessments that reflect their course learning outcomes. Join us to explore innovative approaches to assessment that not only acknowledge the presence of AI tools but may also leverage them to support student learning. Please bring an assessment you’d like to revise and a digital device of your preference to work with to the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on December 12 at 10:00 am. Kindly RSVP here. 

Depending upon the work requirements of University Departments, the holiday schedule will be in effect from December 24, 2024, through January 1, 2025, inclusive. Office and regular business hours will resume on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

PAY DATE DEADLINES:

For the December 6 pay: The deadline for submitting timesheets and overtime pay is November 25 at 10 am. The deadline to submit PTFs, pay changes, etc. (November 15) has passed.

For the December 20 pay: The deadline for submitting timesheets and overtime pay is December 9 at 10 am. The deadline to submit PTFs, pay changes, etc. (November 21) has passed.

For the January 3, 2025, pay: The deadline to submit PTFs, pay changes, etc. is December 5 by noon. The deadline to submit timesheets and overtime is December 16 at 10 am.

For the January 17, 2025, pay: The deadline to submit PTFs, pay changes, etc. is December 17 by noon. The deadline to submit timesheets and overtime is January 6 at 10 am.

GIFT DAYS:

The following days will be given to permanent and term staff as paid time off: December 24, 27, 30, and 31, 2024 (4 gift days). For those employees who must work on any of these days, time off will be given at a later date. 

Please note: Students and casual employees are not eligible for the “gift” days of December 24, 27, 30, and 31. 

SCHEDULE FOR SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS:

The holiday schedule for specific departments is as follows:

Security Services will continue over this period, 24 hours a day. 

Shipping/Receiving and Mail Services will resume regular hours on January 2, 2025.

Development and Alumni Engagement will be open December 30 and 31, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Veterinary Teaching Hospital will be available for emergency service only throughout the holiday period; it will resume regular hours on January 2, 2025.

Chi‐Wan Young Sports Centre will be open on December 15, 9 am to 8 pm; December 16 to 20, 6 am to 8 pm; December 21 and 22, 9 am to 8 pm; December 23, 8 am to 8 pm; December 26, 9 am to 5 pm; December 27, 8 am to 8 pm; December 28 and 29, 9 am to 8 pm; December 30, 8 am to 8 pm; January 2 and 3, 6 am to 8 pm; and January 4 and 5, 9 am to 8 pm. It will be closed on December 24, 25, and 31, and January 1. Regular operating hours will resume on January 6, 2025. Hours are also posted at https://www.upei.ca/ar/athletic-facilities/chi-wan-young-sports-centre/hours

Diagnostic Services will be closed on December 25, 26, and 29, and January 1. It will be open on December 24, 28, and 31 from 8 am to 12 pm, and on December 27 and 30 from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Regular operating hours will resume on January 2, 2025.

SUPPORT STAFF DURING THE HOLIDAY:

Departmental authorities who require support staff over the holiday period should make their requirements known to the Human Resources Department no later than two weeks prior to the holiday. 

December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, which marks the day in 1989 when 14 young women at Polytechnique Montreal (12 of whom were engineering students) were murdered in a violent act of misogyny that shook our country. 

A candlelight vigil is being hosted in the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering building on Friday, December 6, at 10:00 am, at the Academic Staircase, to honour those who lost their lives in this tragedy. A commemorative display will also be set up near the entrance all day for those who wish to write messages of reflection and hope. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided following the ceremony. All are welcome.

The Robertson Library’s OER Development Program is accepting grant applications for the creation or adaptation of open educational resources (OERs). The grant types include 

• Open Educational Resource or Textbook Grant: up to $7,000 for the development of a new open textbook on a topic that is currently not covered by an existing open textbook, or major adaptations of existing textbooks; 
• Open Textbook Adaptation Grant: up to $4,500 for the adaptation of one or more open educational resources or open textbooks to create a new version or edition of a resource (i.e. a Canadian edition of an existing open textbook); 
• Supplementary Resources Grant: up to $2,500 for the creation of ancillary materials for existing open textbooks, including, but not limited to test banks, slide decks, recordings, or interactive media, etc. 

Applications that support first-year courses will be given priority as they reach the greatest number of students, but all applications will be reviewed and considered. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2025. For more information, or to apply, visit https://library.upei.ca/OERProgram/grants. 

Questions about your grant idea? Don’t need a grant, but you’d like to make an OER? Contact Keri McCaffrey, One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian, at knmccaffrey@upei.ca or Charlene VanLeeuwen, Manager, Teaching and Learning Centre, at cvanleeuwen@upei.ca. 

The University informed faculty and staff last week of the sad news that UPEI employee Angela MacKenzie had passed away on November 27, 2024. Angela was a Banking-Data Control Clerk with the Financial Services Office. She first came to UPEI in 2018, and held positions in Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable before moving into her data control role.

Angela was an extremely caring and supportive co-worker, and was always willing to lend a hand to her colleagues across campus. Known for her quick-wittedness, she often provided moments of lightness and laughter during the day-to-day demands of a busy office. She will be greatly missed by all those at UPEI who knew her.

The flags in front of Kelley Memorial Building will fly at half-mast in Angela’s memory. UPEI extends its deepest condolences to Angela's husband and three children, and family, friends, and colleagues. Read the obituary

Everyone (students, faculty and staff, general public) is invited to the following events to view and celebrate the work of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts. Feel free to ccome to any or all of the following events on Friday, December 6:

Curiosity Fair, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, 9:00-11:00 am:

• "Authenticity in the Age of AI" hosted by students in UPEI 1020 Inquiry Studies. This is an interdisciplinary showcase of curiosity-led research, where part of the design is unbuilding, innovation, experimentation, and making something different than what’s on the cover of the box.

Faculty of Arts Student Showcase

Individual and group projects and presentations, creative performances, and displays recommended by individual course instructors will be presented at the Showcase to highlight the “best of the best” of undergraduate student work. The agenda for each session and room will be posted on the doors of SDU Main Building rooms 211 and 213 on December 6.

10:00-10:50 am: Faculty of Arts Student Showcase Session 1, SDU Main 213

10:50-11:10 am: Refreshment break (outside SDU Main 211 and 213)

11:10 am-12:15 pm:

• Faculty of Arts Student Showcase Session 2, SDU Main 211
• Faculty of Arts Student Showcase Session 2, SDU Main 213

12:40-1:30 pm: Bachelor of Music Students' Recital, Steel Recital Hall. Like all of the weekly Friday afternoon student recitals in this series, this final recital of the term will feature a variety of instrumentalists and singers performing classical music spanning 300 years.

We hope that you can join us!

It is time to support our students during a stressful time. The Chaplaincy Centre will host a free meal for students on December 10, with the help of faculty and staff. Please use this link to sign up for a 30-minute (or more) shift to volunteer. Opportunities to set up, serve, and clean up are available as well a chance to mingle with students in an informal conversation with good food. 

On Monday, December 9, from 9:00-9:30 am, we will set tables and chairs for the next day.  

On Tuesday, December 10, we will offer two serving times:11:30 am-1:00 pm and 4:30-6:00 pm. Please check back closer to the day as schedules change and time slots may open up. Contact Sister Sue at sukidd@upei.ca or Lauren at lvanvliet@upei.ca for further information.  

Sister Sue and Lauren

The Faculty of Education invites members of the campus community–-students, faculty, and staff-–to attend public presentations on “What is the most critical issue in science education?” by candidates for a tenure-track position in science education. Presentations are in a hybrid format in Memorial 308 and via Zoom as follows:

December 3, 9:00–10:00 am: Dr. Sarah Slauenwhite

Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/62825827042?pwd=gF9ZPIlix5XFI20pDbsaL3NXB12pvV.1

Meeting ID: 628 2582 7042

Passcode: 898184

December 4, 1:15–2:15 pm: Dr. Madj Zouda

Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/61103946043?pwd=0BnPtB7yvg1FqgNpzqq7txQsPOI9te.1

Meeting ID: 611 0394 6043

Passcode: 846462

December 13, 1:00–2:00 pm: Dr. Kyla Smith

Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/61172730481?pwd=3quGIKMFfbkcKJbMJ6nQFRj5B5hu8f.1

Meeting ID: 611 7273 0481

Passcode: 159033

 For further information, contact Karen-Anne O’Halloran.

The annual call for applications for the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) 2025 program is open.  

Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) is a program under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which aims to provide flexible and holistic services to help all young Canadians develop the skills and gain paid work experience to successfully transition into the labour market.

Applicants can seek funding to hire youth (people aged 15-30 years and must have Canadian citizenship) between April 21, 2025, and August 30, 2025; the latest start date is July 21, 2025. Work placements must be full-time (30-40 hours per week) quality jobs with a minimum duration of six weeks and a maximum of 16 weeks.

Approved employers will be eligible to receive a wage subsidy reimbursement of up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage of $16.00/hour unless there is an increase prior to April 21, 2025.

For additional information and application information for this program please click here.

To apply for this program, you will need to contact Human Resources:

• Gabe Blunte at staffing@upei.ca (902) 620-5359, or
• Monique Geurts at mgeurts@upei.ca (902) 566-0515.

The closing date for applications in Human Resources is December 16, 2024.

The Open Education Resource (OER) Development Program is hosting a drop-in Q&A for any faculty interested in applying for an OER Development Grant. This will be taking place on December 9 from 12:30 to 2 pm in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex 230. Faculty are welcome to drop by whenever it suits them during the allotted time to ask questions about project ideas, grant submissions, OERs, pressbooks, and more!

Can't make the time slot? Send your questions to Charlene VanLeeuwen, Program Coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Centre (cvanleeuwen@upei.ca) or Keri McCaffrey, One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian (knmccaffrey@upei.ca).

On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, come to the Robertson Library for a coffee/tea break! At 10:00 am, stop by the lobby with your reusable cup for a free coffee or tea and a little treat!

This year, Giving Tuesday at UPEI (December 3) is all about showing our love for the Robertson Library! The Robertson Library has been at the heart of our campus for nearly 50 years, supporting student success. On Giving Tuesday, your support will help us elevate the Robertson Library to new heights, empowering every student to reach their full potential! UPEI’s growth demands a world-class library, and to bring this idea to life, we have embarked on a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $15 million to support the revitalization of the library and continue to serve generations of students to come.

Every donation designated for the "Robertson Library Revitalization Campaign" made on or before Giving Tuesday will be MATCHED by an extremely generous anonymous donor--up to a total of $20,000!  

Get ready to make your mark on Giving Tuesday and be part of something truly extraordinary! Let's come together, donate, and support the Robertson Library Revitalization Campaign!   

Donate on Giving Tuesday! Together we can create a vibrant future for the Robertson Library! 

Visit the Love our Library website and support the revitalization project or call 902-894-2888.

Giving Tuesday is a global movement for giving and volunteering that takes place each year after Black Friday. As the “opening day of the giving season,” it is a time when charities, companies, and individuals join together and rally for favourite causes. To learn more about Giving Tuesday, visit givingtuesday.ca. 

Swing into the season with the UPEI Jazz Ensemble in concert on Tuesday, December 3, at 7:30 pm at UPEI’s Performing Arts Centre theatre. Led by Bachelor of Music Education students Ross Boyd, Ivan Stewart, and Nathan Wright, the program will feature a variety of charts for big band. There will also be a guest appearance by the Charlottetown Jazz Ensemble, a community group founded in 1996. Under the direction of Doug Millington, they will perform a number of seasonal selections for big band.

Accessible parking is available, and accessible entry to the theatre is available via elevator.

The UPEI Concert Choir invites you to share in "A European Christmas," an afternoon of music inspired by the iconic festive markets of Europe. The choir will be joined by members of the PEI Regiment Band to perform Schubert’s majestic "Deutsche Messe." The program will also include favourite selections from "The Sound of Music" with pianist Leo Marchildon, glorious carols, and a special low brass feature. The UPEI Concert Choir is under the direction of Hannah O’Donnell, and the PEI Regiment Band is under the direction of Captain Rory O’Donnell, both of whom are UPEI music alumni.

The recital will take place in Steel Recital Hall on December 8, starting at 2:30 pm.

Accessible parking is available, and accessible entry to the recital hall is available via elevator.

The Department of Psychology is pleased to present three candidates for two tenure-track assistant professor positions. 

Please join us for the following presentations:

• On Thursday, December 5, at 11:30 am, Dr. Margaret Manges will present her research talk titled “A Minority Stress Approach for Advancing Clinical Interventions: Addressing Suicide Risk in LGBTQ+ People and Individuals with Psychosis.” The presentation will take place in SDU Main Building, Room 211. 
•  On Monday, December 9, at 12:00 pm, Dr. Brent Macdonald will present his research talk titled “Mental toughness and executive functioning development in adults with ADHD: A collaborative proposal for the PEI community." The presentation will take place in Memorial Hall, Room 308. 
• On Thursday, December 12, at 10:15 am, Dr. Elena Kosterina will present her research talk titled “Understanding Community Psychology Topics Through Qualitative Interdisciplinary Research.”  The presentation will take place in SDU Main Building, Room 420. 

Join the Institute of Island Studies in person or online on December 3, 1-2 pm, for “Yarns and Yarns,” an hour of knitting and storytelling on northern islands, when we will discuss and demonstrate island knitting traditions that focus on mittens. Local knitter Cheryl Wartman will talk about the tradition of making fishing mittens felted in salt water, as told to her by her grandmother Yoston from Launching Place, PEI. Kim Doherty Smith from Fleece and Harmony, a locally sourced wool mill in Belfast, PEI, will answer questions about how they mini mill their yarn from PEI sheep. Lynda Harling Stalker, from a long line of Prince Edward Islanders, will join us online from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, to discuss handknit mitts and islandness.

Knitters: bring your knitting and share your current projects and mitten stories! We’ll be gathering at The Gallery Coffee House and Bistro, 82 Great George Street, Charlottetown, PEI, or you can join us online. Please click here to register: it’s free and everyone is welcome.

This is the fourth “Yarns and Yarns” event organized by the Northern and Arctic Island Studies Research (NAISR) Thematic Network of the University of the Arctic. Previous in-person and online events were hosted by knitting groups in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador; Uist, Scotland; and Iceland, with over 100 knitters from all over the North Atlantic Zooming in. The Charlottetown event is hosted by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI in collaboration with the Institute for Northern Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Shetland, Scotland, and other members of the NAISR.

Reminder: Have you connected with Accessibility Services but have not yet completed your registration? The end of the semester and final exams are fast approaching, and this is a reminder to complete this registration if you wish to receive accommodations for the 2024 Fall term exams.

Please note: To qualify for exam accommodations during the 2024 Fall exam period, registration with Accessibility Services must be completed by November 27 at 4:00 pm to ensure time to meet the final exam booking deadline. If you are experiencing any technical issues, an email must be sent to accessibility@upei.ca by November 27h at 4:00 pm at the latest.

*Note* Intake appointments before the deadline are limited.

Registration is considered complete when students have met the following conditions:

1. Intake form has been submitted in Accommodate - DOC PDF VIDEO
2. Medical documentation has been uploaded in Accommodate - PDF VIDEO
3. Appointment request has been submitted - DOC PDF VIDEO
4. Student has attended their intake appointment with an Accessibility Advisor.
5. Accommodations have been approved.

Students who complete their registration after the deadline of November 27 may be eligible for accommodations for the winter 2025 semester.   

IMPORTANT: Accessibility Services requires medical documentation to support approval of accommodations. If you are unsure about what documentation can be accepted, please use the Guide to Medical Documentation as reference.

Best of luck with the remainder of the semester, and please reach out if you have any questions.

EXAM BOOKING DEADLINE: Sunday, December 1, 2024, at 11:59 pm 

All final exams are now available to be booked through Accommodate! This deadline is to provide our Testing Services and Accessibility Services team with enough time to coordinate rooms and individual accommodations. 

Please note: The 7-day booking minimum DOES NOT apply for final exams. If you have any technical issues, an email must be sent to astesting@upei.ca by December 1st at 11:59 pm at the latest.

Due to the high volume of accommodated exams for finals, late bookings will not be accepted. Please doublecheck in Accommodate that you have all your exams booked.

How to book a test/exam: Video | Step-by-step guide

You will receive an email confirmation with the location of your exam at least 3 days in advance. Any adjustments to the start time of your exams will be communicated through email – please book 7:00 pm exams at the scheduled time, and we will manually adjust these bookings.

PRIZE DRAW BONUS: If you register for your final exams in Accommodate by Wednesday, November 20, at 11:59 pm, your name will be entered into a draw to win some prizes, including Tim Hortons and Starbucks gift cards, provided by Accessibility Services! If you do not have any final exams and would still like to enter, please email astesting@upei.ca to let us know and your name will be entered into the draw. 

Best of luck with your exam preparation and please reach out if you have any questions.

Scent-Free Policy: Accessibility Services is scent-free to accommodate members with fragrance sensitivities. Please refrain from using scented products like perfume or cologne. If you are wearing a product that causes discomfort or adverse reactions to any community members, you may be asked to leave. Thank you for your cooperation in creating a comfortable environment for all.

 Thank you,

Accessibility Services Team
 

The Robertson Library’s OER Development Program is accepting grant applications for the creation or adaptation of open educational resources (OERs). The grant types include 

• Open Educational Resource or Textbook Grant: up to $7,000 for the development of a new open textbook on a topic that is currently not covered by an existing open textbook, or major adaptations of existing textbooks; 
• Open Textbook Adaptation Grant: up to $4,500 for the adaptation of one or more open educational resources or open textbooks to create a new version or edition of a resource (i.e. a Canadian edition of an existing open textbook); 
• Supplementary Resources Grant: up to $2,500 for the creation of ancillary materials for existing open textbooks, including, but not limited to test banks, slide decks, recordings, or interactive media, etc. 

Applications that support first-year courses will be given priority as they reach the greatest number of students, but all applications will be reviewed and considered. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2025. For more information, or to apply, visit https://library.upei.ca/OERProgram/grants. 

Questions about your grant idea? Don’t need a grant, but you’d like to make an OER? Contact Keri McCaffrey, One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian, at knmccaffrey@upei.ca or Charlene VanLeeuwen, Manager, Teaching and Learning Centre, at cvanleeuwen@upei.ca. 

Girls Get WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) Challenge Day on Saturday, December 7, will cover the topics of science, engineering, math, and technology for female-identifying and gender-diverse individuals in grades K-12 with age groupings of grades K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12.

The goal is to expose participants to hands-on science activities and careers so that they can make informed decisions about subject choices in future school years. They will participate in hands-on science, technology, and engineering activities led by female faculty and staff from UPEI and STEAM PEI staff. 

The event is a collaboration between Girl Guides, STEAM PEI, and UPEI with financial support from the Fund for Gender Equity, Actua, WISEatlantic, CISE Atlantic, and Engineers PEI.

Students can register at https://steampei.jumbula.com/Fall2024/GirlsGetWise. There is no cost for this event, and lunch is provided.

The Faculty of Education invites members of the campus community–-students, faculty, and staff-–to attend public presentations on “What is the most critical issue in science education?” by candidates for a tenure-track position in science education. Presentations are in a hybrid format in Memorial 308 and via Zoom as follows:

December 3, 9:00–10:00 am: Dr. Sarah Slauenwhite

Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/62825827042?pwd=gF9ZPIlix5XFI20pDbsaL3NXB12pvV.1

Meeting ID: 628 2582 7042

Passcode: 898184

December 4, 1:15–2:15 pm: Dr. Madj Zouda

Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/61103946043?pwd=0BnPtB7yvg1FqgNpzqq7txQsPOI9te.1

Meeting ID: 611 0394 6043

Passcode: 846462

December 13, 1:00–2:00 pm: Dr. Kyla Smith

Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/61172730481?pwd=3quGIKMFfbkcKJbMJ6nQFRj5B5hu8f.1

Meeting ID: 611 7273 0481

Passcode: 159033

 For further information, contact Karen-Anne O’Halloran.