While sipping on cedar and chaga teas, we can start with digging into the Peace and Friendship Treaties, discussing what being a treaty person means.  Coming from a settler descendant perspective, Heathyr Francis hopes we will connect this discussion with two of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action: 

• 45)iii) Renew or establish relationships based on principles of mutual recognition, mutual respect, and shared responsibility for maintaining those relationships into the future
• 62)ii) Provide the necessary funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms. 

Heathyr plans to bring along some tactile objects to inspire conversation and some links to take away.  Join us in the TLC for conversations to shed some light on where else we need to go on these Calls to Action!

The UPEI Department of Music is hosting a performance by the Looking Glass Ensemble at 7:30 pm on Friday, September 27, in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall. 

The Looking Glass Ensemble is an interdisciplinary performance collective founded by clarinetist Christine Carter and dance artist Shannon Litzenberger. In collaboration with Canada’s trailblazing pianist Gregory Oh and award-winning cellist Vernon Regehr, the ensemble presents a program pairing newly imagined interdisciplinary creations, including Randall Woolf’s breathtaking “Everything is Green” and Arvo Pärt’s equally exquisite “Spiegel im Spiegel,” with whimsical repertoire for the clarinet, cello, and piano trio combination by Ludwig von Beethoven and Vivian Fung. 

Admission is $30 for adults and seniors and $10 for students payable by cash or cheque at the door. Accessible entry is available via elevator.

As UPEI begins the process of developing its next five-year strategic plan (2025–2030), we are launching a series of conversations and consultations to learn more about what matters to University members and priorities for the future.

UPEI faculty, staff, and students are invited to join in upcoming campus conversations hosted by UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Wendy Rodgers.

Bring your brown bag lunch and help us be forward thinking about our University’s future. Light refreshments will be provided, and door prizes will be drawn!

The first conversations will be in-person, small group ‘flipped’ sessions. The questions we will be exploring are provided below. Please come prepared to discuss and share your input on the topics.

Tuesday, September 24 
Topic: UPEI CULTURE 
11:30 am to 1:00 pm 
Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall

Please think about the following: 
What are the key indicators of a positive, thriving culture? 
How will we know when we get there? 
How will we know if we are slipping in our efforts?

Thursday, September 26 
Topic: UPEI PRIORITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES 
11:30 am to 1:00 pm 
McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre

Please think about the following: 
Some of the key priorities that have emerged through consultations to date include sustainability; building trust; reconciliation; streamlined processes; and renewing university values. Other priorities such as student experience and success; budget transparency; and completing the UPEI Action Plan and subsequent Implementation Plan are also important to our University community.

What are UPEI’s greatest opportunities in these priority areas? 
How do we assess or measure these priorities?

Additional conversations and consultations, including hybrid sessions, are being scheduled for the Fall. All University members will have an opportunity to participate in providing input and feedback throughout the strategic planning process.  

UPEI has a current posting (for both internal and external candidates) for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Children, Youth, and their Educational Geographies.

The posting details are available on the UPEI HR site.

Please contact UPEI’s Research Services Office (mlsteele@upei.ca) for eligibility details, and consult the CRC Program for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria (http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/nomination-mise_en_candidature-eng.aspx). 

It's homecoming season at UPEI!

There are several great events in store for the Panther community from September 23–29, including

• Homecoming Art Gallery
• “What Can You Do with an Arts Degree?”, featuring comedian and storyteller Justin Shaw (BA’14)
• Music Through the Decades - Homecoming Trivia
• 33rd Annual Distinguished and Inspiring Young Alumni Awards
• UPEI Panthers Pep Rally

For the full homecoming schedule with event details, please visit upei.ca/homecoming

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the UPEI Alumni Office at alumni@upei.ca

Are you trying to find some dedicated time to finish a writing project that needs focused attention?  A "Time to Write" retreat will be offered from October 15 to 18, 2024, at the North Rustico Cottages in North Rustico.

"Time to Write" retreats offer concentrated time to support your writing efforts and can be instrumental in the initiation or completion of scholarly work such as an article, book or book chapter, grant proposal, curriculum or OER development, conference presentations, or other scholarly, creative projects. Time to work on writing projects away from home and campus for a few days can be incredibly productive. Participation in a writing retreat with colleagues at various stages of their career not only provides quiet, focused writing time away from teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities, but it also offers mentorship and networking opportunities with colleagues from a range of disciplines. The retreat provides an opportunity to develop a supportive writing group with colleagues from across campus and join group discussions on writing and publishing. 

Participants must have a project (e.g., grant application, research publication) at a stage where sustained writing time makes sense with background research and/or data collection and analysis completed to the point that they are ready to write. Participants must be prepared to commit to the full program--a total of three days focused on writing--and contribute $300. The retreat is open to faculty (term and sessional faculty are encouraged to apply) and librarians in any academic unit at UPEI.

Interested participants will email an expression of interest consisting of a summary of the project they plan to work on and their writing goals for the retreat to TLC@upei.ca by 12:00 noon on September 27, 2024. Five participants will be accepted for this "Time to Write" retreat.  
 

The UPEI Philosophy Reading Group, facilitated by Dr. Max Schaefer, sessional instructor, Faculty of Arts, will hold its first meeting of the 2024–2025 academic year on Wednesday, September 25, from 7:00–8:00 pm, at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre, 97 Queen Street. 

At this meeting, the group will discuss a reading from Gernot Böhme’s The Aesthetics of Atmospheres. A theory of atmospheres first began to take shape in psychiatrist Hubertus Tellenbach’s study and treatment of certain mental disorders and has been a growing movement in philosophy in recent years. To date, atmospheres have been studied in relation to a variety of fields, including psychopathology, politics, advertising, architecture, and urban studies.

The group meets once a month at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre and is regularly attended by students and faculty across a range of disciplines. If you are interested in attending this upcoming meeting or any in the future, please contact Dr. Schaefer at mschaefer@upei.ca for more information.

Last year, the Chaplaincy Centre hosted eight Soup for the Soul free lunches for the campus thanks to the generosity of the UPEI community.  In other years, we had six. What a great problem--too many groups asking to host!  Easy solution--serve more soup!  So let's welcome our 10th anniversary with more. Can we reach 10 for 10?

On Wednesday, September 25, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, join the UPEI Student Union as we kick off our soup season with potato bacon chowder and butternut squash soup, complete with a dinner roll and butter. We leave it to the hosts to surprise us with a sweet treat to finish your lunch.  

And if you would like to host an event, please reach out. Four groups have booked dates, and others have spoken to me with expressions of interest. Hosts are responsible for soup choices, shopping, chopping, cooking, and serving.  We have volunteers and funding for the rest.  Email Sister Sue at sukidd@upei.ca to get in the tenth anniversary Soup for the Soul calendar. 

The UPEI Healthy Campus Commitee is extending your indoor track access at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre until October 3, 2025. Access is free, but you must register if you haven't before. Please read the following:

1. If you had signed up for the track access in the past year, you DO NOT need to sign up again. We will adjust it on our end, so you do not need to do anything.
2. If you never signed up for access to the indoor track, go to recreation.upei.ca. When signing in, ensure that you click on the UPEI LOGIN button and enter your UPEI email address and password, and go through the authentication process. Once you have logged in, go to the Wellness icon, click on the indoor track access and then on select, and follow the rest of the prompts.

There will be a basic biosafety training session on October 8, 2024, at 1:00 pm in AVC 287N. Topics will include basic biosafety principles and how they are applied at the University of Prince Edward Island, as well as biosecurity training. This session is open to everyone, including graduate students.

To attend, you must pre-register by contacting Jacky Buell by the end of the day on October 1, 2024, by email (hse@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901). Please provide your name, department, your supervisor’s name (if applicable), email address, phone number, and if you are a graduate student. 

NOTE: An online basic biosafety training refresher course is available for those who need it. 

Translate texts in Teams Chat.

Team Chat allows you to translate texts as you communicate with other people on campus! 

Hover over the text you wish to translate, click on the three dots, and choose the “translate” option. 

Share your experiences, make connections, and communicate on campus using Teams Chat!  

If you’ve discovered new tips and tricks while using Teams, submit them through our Teams for Communications Tips and Tricks Submission Form for a chance to win a prize!  

Are you eager to know more about Teams for Communications? Visit the M365 Project section of the IT Systems & Services website to learn more and continue to visit our site for new tips, tricks, and updates! 

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last FIVE draws, the total pot has grown to more than $16,000, with half going to the winner of the draw.

Gold Rush is a virtual fundraising initiative that raises funds for UPEI’s athletic and recreation programs. You can now select a specific team, club, or program to direct your proceeds from each of your tickets. 

Play today and every week for a chance to win! Download the UPEI Panther Recreation app from the App Store or on Google Play, or play from your computer. The weekly draw is held at 8:00 pm every Saturday.

HSE has moved all Occupational Health and Safety required postings that were previously posted to bulletin boards across campus to a virtual OHS board! 

Check out the new page here: Virtual OHS Board

The Scholarships and Awards Office is reminding the campus community that the deadline for the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle is Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 11:59 pm. 

You can access over 100 scholarships and awards on the Scholarship and Award Application portal by clicking the link provided here or in the UPEI Forms section of your MyUPEI account. Review the application instructions and submit your electronic application by October 1 to be considered. Be sure to submit any saved applications you may have started.

Dozens of awards are also available with a separate application process listed on the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle webpage. Deadlines vary across the fall semester, and award links are listed beneath their deadline month. 

If you have questions about the application processes, award criteria, or deadlines, please contact scholarships@upei.ca, or visit us in Dalton Hall, Room 202. Best of luck to all who apply!

UPEI is a member of the Academics Without Borders (AWB) network of partner institutions, and UPEI's Dr. Ann Braithwaite, Professor, Diversity and Social Justice Studies is a member of the AWB Board of Directors. 

As a member of the network, anyone at UPEI can respond to an AWB volunteer opportunity. To learn more about the latest volunteer opportunity at the Université d’Antsiranana in Madagascar, "Strengthening English Language Programs: Curriculum Development and Training Program for English Language Teachers", click here. (Deadline: October 21, 2024)

For more information about Academics Without Borders, reach out to Dr. Braithwaite at abraithwaite@upei.ca or visit the AWB website: https://www.awb-usf.org/ 

As UPEI begins the process of developing its next five-year strategic plan (2025–2030), we are launching a series of conversations and consultations to learn more about what matters to University members and priorities for the future.

UPEI faculty, staff, and students are invited to join in upcoming campus conversations hosted by UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Wendy Rodgers.

Bring your brown bag lunch and help us be forward thinking about our University’s future. Light refreshments will be provided, and door prizes will be drawn!

The first conversations will be in-person, small group ‘flipped’ sessions. The questions we will be exploring are provided below. Please come prepared to discuss and share your input on the topics.

Tuesday, September 24 
Topic: UPEI CULTURE 
11:30 am to 1:00 pm 
Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall

Please think about the following: 
What are the key indicators of a positive, thriving culture? 
How will we know when we get there? 
How will we know if we are slipping in our efforts?

Thursday, September 26 
Topic: UPEI PRIORITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES 
11:30 am to 1:00 pm 
McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre

Please think about the following: 
Some of the key priorities that have emerged through consultations to date include sustainability; building trust; reconciliation; streamlined processes; and renewing university values. Other priorities such as student experience and success; budget transparency; and completing the UPEI Action Plan and subsequent Implementation Plan are also important to our University community.

What are UPEI’s greatest opportunities in these priority areas? 
How do we assess or measure these priorities?

Additional conversations and consultations, including hybrid sessions, are being scheduled for the Fall. All University members will have an opportunity to participate in providing input and feedback throughout the strategic planning process.  

Show your Panther Pride and your support of our UPEI Panther athletes by wearing your green and white no matter where you are! On September 28, take a photo of you wearing your swag and post it to social media with the hashtag #UPEIHOCO for a chance to win some awesome UPEI swag.

While Green and White Day falls on Saturday this year, UPEI community members are encouraged to participate any day of the week during homecoming and have the opportunity to win a swag item from the UPEI Alumni Office!

Need some new green and white gear? The UPEI Bookstore has you covered! From Thursday, September 26, to Friday, September 27, save 30% on select Panther Gear!

Go Panthers Go!
 

UPEI has a current posting (for both internal and external candidates) for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Children, Youth, and their Educational Geographies.

The posting details are available on the UPEI HR site.

Please contact UPEI’s Research Services Office (mlsteele@upei.ca) for eligibility details, and consult the CRC Program for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria (http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/nomination-mise_en_candidature-eng.aspx). 

It's homecoming season at UPEI!

There are several great events in store for the Panther community from September 23–29, including

• Homecoming Art Gallery
• “What Can You Do with an Arts Degree?”, featuring comedian and storyteller Justin Shaw (BA’14)
• Music Through the Decades - Homecoming Trivia
• 33rd Annual Distinguished and Inspiring Young Alumni Awards
• UPEI Panthers Pep Rally

For the full homecoming schedule with event details, please visit upei.ca/homecoming

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the UPEI Alumni Office at alumni@upei.ca

Are you trying to find some dedicated time to finish a writing project that needs focused attention?  A "Time to Write" retreat will be offered from October 15 to 18, 2024, at the North Rustico Cottages in North Rustico.

"Time to Write" retreats offer concentrated time to support your writing efforts and can be instrumental in the initiation or completion of scholarly work such as an article, book or book chapter, grant proposal, curriculum or OER development, conference presentations, or other scholarly, creative projects. Time to work on writing projects away from home and campus for a few days can be incredibly productive. Participation in a writing retreat with colleagues at various stages of their career not only provides quiet, focused writing time away from teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities, but it also offers mentorship and networking opportunities with colleagues from a range of disciplines. The retreat provides an opportunity to develop a supportive writing group with colleagues from across campus and join group discussions on writing and publishing. 

Participants must have a project (e.g., grant application, research publication) at a stage where sustained writing time makes sense with background research and/or data collection and analysis completed to the point that they are ready to write. Participants must be prepared to commit to the full program--a total of three days focused on writing--and contribute $300. The retreat is open to faculty (term and sessional faculty are encouraged to apply) and librarians in any academic unit at UPEI.

Interested participants will email an expression of interest consisting of a summary of the project they plan to work on and their writing goals for the retreat to TLC@upei.ca by 12:00 noon on September 27, 2024. Five participants will be accepted for this "Time to Write" retreat.