UPEI recognizes its outstanding alumni through various events and awards, and it is nomination season for UPEI Alumni! If you would like to nominate any worthy UPEI alumni for the Distinguished Alumni or Inspiring Young Alumni Awards, please visit our website at upei.ca/alumni and submit a completed nomination form, or send us an email at alumni@upei.ca.

Nominations are due by July 31, 2020

Blackboard Collaborate is web conferencing software that allows instructors to do many things to engage with their students. Free for faculty and staff at UPEI, Blackboard Collaborate can be used to both hold live sessions with participants as well as make recordings that can be watched at a later time. Share your presentation, use the interactive whiteboard, form breakout groups or conduct a poll, Blackboard Collaborate allows you to set up a complete virtual classroom. It’s simple, easy and reliable. Facilitated by the E-Learning Office, who also create accounts and provide tech support for Collaborate on campus, this webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 8th from 2:00 to 3:00 pm and again on Wednesday, August 12th from 2:00 to 3:00 pm - Register for the Session

The UPEI International Student Office invites the campus community to join a presentation withTom Hilton from the PEI Human Rights Commission. The presentation and Q&A will focus on the PEI Human Rights Act, with emphasis on racial and ethnic discrimination and protections. Students, staff, & faculty are welcome and encouraged to join.

The session will be held over the lunch hour on Thursday, June.25th via Zoom starting at 12pm. The link is all that's needed to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81347228478.

Anyone with questions or who experience any technical issues joining the session can contact nmourad@upei.ca.

June 19th is Sickle Cell Awareness Day.  Sickle Cell anemia is one of a group of disorders known as sickle cell disease. Sickle cell anemia is an inherited red blood cell disorder in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body.  While there is no cure for the disease there are treatments available to reduce the pain and help prevent complications from the disease.  Approximately 5,000 Canadians have Sickle Cell disease.

The main symptoms from this disease include anemia (too few red blood cells), pain (pain crises), swelling of the hands and feet, frequent infections, delayed growth or puberty, vision problems.

For more information, go to the SCDAC (Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada) website: sicklecelldisease.ca.  There is an Atlantic Chapter of this organization:  Sickle Cell Disease of Atlantic Canada and you can visit the website:  https://sicklecellnovascotia.ca/health/.

UPEI Summer Studios, a summer chamber music workshop hosted by the UPEI Department of Music, has now been running for three years, and has expanded little by little each year. This year we are pleased to announce the addition of piano to our instrumentation. Dr. Magdalena von Eccher, one of the newest members of the UPEI Department of Music faculty, will share her expertise with young pianists.

This summer we will be offering our lessons and workshops ONLINE!

UPEI Summer Studios 2020 - ONLINE! will take place AUGUST 17-20, 2020 via Zoom. 

An instrument, a smart phone, and an internet connection are all students need.

This is an exciting opportunity for motivated brass, woodwind, and piano students aged 14-18 to hone their musicianship, improve their technique, and meet like-minded young musicians. Students take part in individual lessons with UPEI music faculty, enjoy like-instrument group sessions, and participate in workshops - virtually. Unique this year will be a virtual chamber collaboration which will result in a multi-screen music video!

Open to all brass, woodwind, and piano students aged 14-18. Tuition this year is $150. 

Students can register online now at: http://bit.do/UPEISummerStudios2020

More information and updates can be found on our Facebook page!

Contact nstrum@upei.ca with any questions.

The University has lowered the flags to half-mast in memory of Saint Dunstan's University alumnus (BA 1960) and UPEI's first Roman Catholic Chaplain, the Reverend Gerard (Gerry) Tingley. Father Gerry passed away at the Provincial Palliative Care Centre in Charlottetown on Saturday, June 13, 2020. Read the UPEI statement

Due to current public health restrictions, a Memorial Mass and interment will be held at a later date. Read the obituary

The Robertson Library is pleased to be able to offer these additional services to our campus community.

Scan and Send Service

Faculty, students, and staff can request scans of book chapters or journal articles from the Library’s print collection. You can submit your requests using the Library's  Interlibrary Loan form. Each scanned item will be delivered as a link in an email message, subject to the same conditions as an online item obtained through Interlibrary Loan. 

Curbside Pickup

If you’ve been wanting to borrow material from the Library’s circulating collection, then this service is for you. Starting the week of June 15th, faculty, students, and staff can request and pick up items from the Library’s circulating print collection.  For more information and to make a request visit: https://library.upei.ca/curbside 

Another Location to Return Books

We’d like to thank Security/Facilities for letting us provide a book return box for Library users at their location.  Starting Monday June 15th, we are providing another book return box located at the Library’s Epperly Plaza entrance available from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Our book return box at Security continues to be available daily from 8:00 am-10:00 pm. If you have a laptop to return, please contact the Library at circdesk@upei.ca/902-566-0583.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, July 3rd for the July meeting.

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

For new protocols select ‘applications’ and for renewal or amendment protocols select ‘events’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they 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.

The Bell Aliant Centre will be resurfacing their main parking lot (MacLauchlan Arena Lot), beginning Monday, June 15, 2020. In order to complete the resurfacing, they will be closing the parking lot for the duration of the construction work. They expect the work to take approximately 4 weeks to complete (weather dependent).

If you hold a parking permit for this parking lot, you may park in Parking Lots A, C, D or E during this time. Reminder that you can not park in any reserved or metered parking spaces.

The Bell Aliant Centre will be resurfacing their main parking lot (MacLauchlan Arena Lot), beginning Monday, June 15, 2020. In order to complete the resurfacing, they will be closing the parking lot for the duration of the construction work. They expect the work to take approximately 4 weeks to complete (weather dependent).

If you hold a parking permit for this parking lot, you may park in Parking Lots A, C, D or E during this time. Reminder that you can not park in any reserved or metered parking spaces.

Researchers from UPEI’s Health and Wellness Centre and the Department of Applied Human Sciences are seeking people who have or are at risk of metabolic syndrome to participate in a free supervised nutrition and exercise program called CHANGE (Canadian Health Advanced by Nutrition and Graded Exercise) in communities across Prince Edward Island.

Individuals will participate in a supervised exercise training program, based on their fitness, skill level, and personal interests, and receive nutrition counselling and education.

You may qualify if you:

• are at risk of or have metabolic syndrome
• are 18 years of age or older
• speak/read English
• have not had a diagnosis of dementia or are not undergoing active cancer treatment

The CHANGE program was created by Metabolic Syndrome Canada (www.metsc.ca). To sign up for the CHANGE Program, please contact the CHANGE team at 902-620-5156 or email ancarter@upei.ca and/or jpomeroy@upei.ca. For more details about the study, please contact Marilyn Barrett at 902-566-0355 or email at mbarrett@upei.ca.

As part of our Campus high-voltage distribution system upgrade project, we will be required to have a number of power interruptions, these power interruptions are necessary to transfer the power from the existing UPEI high-voltage electrical switchgear located in the lower level of the Central Utility Building to the new high-voltage electrical distribution system located in the new main electrical room recently added on to the Central Utility Building.
 
The schedule of power interruptions and associated buildings are listed below, this schedule may be required to be changed as we progress through the stages.  Should that be required, a new Campus Notice will be issued listing the updated schedule.
 
The emergency power generators will be started for each building prior to the power interruption beginning, which will mean there will be no delay of power for anything currently on emergency power when the power is disconnected.
 
Facilities Management apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at jmacphail@upei.ca or 902-566-6034
 
June 11, 2020 –Beginning at 4:00pm, expected to take approximately 2 hours to complete.
 
SDU Main Building and W.A. Murphy Student Centre
 
July 13, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 8 hours to complete.
 
All Campus Buildings
 
July 16, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 4 hours to complete.
 
Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre, Atlantic Veterinary College, Dalton Hall,  K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre,  Memorial Hall, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall, Blanchard Hall, Bernardine Hall, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Kelley Memorial Building, Duffy Science Centre, Robertson Library, Cass Science Hall, Chaplaincy Centre and the Daycare Building.
 
July 16, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.
 
Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building, Health Sciences Building, Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, SDU Main Building and the Central Utility Building.
 
July 20, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 6 hours to complete.
 
All Campus Buildings
 
July 20, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.
 
Central Utility Building and Steel Building
 
July 23, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 18 hours to complete.
 
Dalton Hall, Memorial Hall, Cass Science Hall, K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Bernardine Hall, Blanchard Hall, Chaplaincy Centre, Daycare Building, Kelley Memorial Building, Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre and the Atlantic Veterinary College.
 
July 27, 2020 – Beginning at 4:00 pm, expected to take approximately 12 hours to complete.
 
All Campus Buildings

The UPEI Health & Wellness Centre is now offering virtual appointments via Zoom Healthcare.  Beginning June 8th, 2020 students, faculty, staff and families can request to have virtual appointments with the health centre; in-person and telephone appointments are also available. UPEI has contracted with Zoom Healthcare to provide a secure platform to deliver virtual appointments for our patients that are private/secure. To request a virtual appointment, continue to use the same process of telephoning (902-566-0616) or emailing (healthcentre@upei.ca) us.  During the pandemic, we are discouraging coming in-person to make appointments. 

The UPEI Chaplaincy Centre Food Bank needs volunteers to help keep the Food Bank operating for the summer months.

Shifts are Tuesday and Thursday mornings for 1.5 hours each. The attached document outlines the volunteer duties, if you would like to sign up for a time(s) please click on the "Volunteer Hosting sign up sheet" link in the document. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gDjGn8wI5KFd7oZzNFS8TJqKJOayZGccFbAI5TRNyUM/edit?usp=sharing 

If you have any questions please contact Sister Sue, sukidd@upei.ca.  

The UPEI Student Union is excited to announce that we have hired Ashley Lewis as our full time Communications and Marketing Manager. If you have anything that you need communicated with the student body, contact Ashley and she will be able to assist you.  Her email is communications@upeisu.ca.  

Pooja Kumar, a candidate in the Master of Arts, Island Studies program, will be defending her thesis on Thursday, June 11th, 10:00am to 12:30pm (Atlantic time). The thesis title is, “Evolving perspectives on urban wildlife and their implications for policy-making in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.” As this thesis defence will be conducted using video conferencing technology, if you wish to attend, please contact the Program Coordinator, Jim Randall, at jarandall@upei.ca

Pooja Kumar, a candidate in the Master of Arts, Island Studies program, will be defending her thesis on Thursday, June 11th, 10:00am to 12:30pm (Atlantic time). The thesis title is, “Evolving perspectives on urban wildlife and their implications for policy-making in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.” As this thesis defence will be conducted using video conferencing technology, if you wish to attend, please contact the Program Coordinator, Jim Randall, at jarandall@upei.ca

Researchers from UPEI’s Health and Wellness Centre and the Department of Applied Human Sciences are seeking people who have or are at risk of metabolic syndrome to participate in a free supervised nutrition and exercise program called CHANGE (Canadian Health Advanced by Nutrition and Graded Exercise) in communities across Prince Edward Island.

Individuals will participate in a supervised exercise training program, based on their fitness, skill level, and personal interests, and receive nutrition counselling and education.

You may qualify if you:

• are at risk of or have metabolic syndrome
• are 18 years of age or older
• speak/read English
• have not had a diagnosis of dementia or are not undergoing active cancer treatment

The CHANGE program was created by Metabolic Syndrome Canada (www.metsc.ca). To sign up for the CHANGE Program, please contact the CHANGE team at 902-620-5156 or email ancarter@upei.ca and/or jpomeroy@upei.ca. For more details about the study, please contact Marilyn Barrett at 902-566-0355 or email at mbarrett@upei.ca.

Starting June 4,  ITSS will be conducting a building by building inventory of computers. This is necessary to continue moving forward to upgrade the operating system from Windows 7  to Windows 10. It is our intention to complete the inventory and upgrade devices by the start of the fall term in September.

For any cases in which ITSS is required to enter an office, ITSS will strictly follow all COVID 19 infection control protocols as established by UPEI. We will also be sending out communications to each individual, building by building, in advance of starting our inventory work indicating that work will begin in these buildings  . 

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the ITSS service desk at 902-566-0465 or  helpdesk@upei.ca

Pooja Kumar, a candidate in the Master of Arts, Island Studies program, will be defending her thesis on Thursday, June 11th, 10:00am to 12:30pm (Atlantic time). The thesis title is, “Evolving perspectives on urban wildlife and their implications for policy-making in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.” As this thesis defence will be conducted using video conferencing technology, if you wish to attend, please contact the Program Coordinator, Jim Randall, at jarandall@upei.ca