Rita Stanley has retired after more than 30 years of service to the University of Prince Edward Island. The Department of Chemistry invites colleagues, past and present, to a retirement reception for Rita on Thursday, August 29, 2019 from 3 to 5 pm at the Faculty Lounge, Room 201 in the Main Building. Light Refreshments will be served.

We hope that you can join us to wish Rita all the best in her retirement.

As a part of their training on Wednesday, August 28 from 9:00-9:45 am, the NSO Leaders will be running around campus collecting change for our annual "Panthers for Change" event. This year, all change donated will go towards three local non-profit organizations: Family Violence Prevention Services, Canadian Mental Health Association - PEI Division, and PEERS Alliance. Please be prepared and have your change ready for these worthy causes!

Fitness training subsidies are back again this fall for current UPEI employees and full-time students. The $75 subsidy can be used towards Panther Fitness Specialty Fitness Classes, Cycle Fitness Classes, or Small Group Training. One subsidy is available per person, per academic year (September 2019-April 2020). To apply for a subsidy, sign in to myUPEI and complete the subsidy application listed in the Forms section.  Note:  There are a limited number of subsidies, so apply early!

As a part of their training on Wednesday, August 28 from 9:00-9:45 am, the NSO Leaders will be running around campus collecting change for our annual "Panthers for Change" event. This year, all change donated will go towards three local non-profit organizations: Family Violence Prevention Services, Canadian Mental Health Association - PEI Division, and PEERS Alliance. Please be prepared and have your change ready for these worthy causes!

Human Resources developed a new online Employee and Spouse/Dependent Tuition Waiver fillable form. These forms can be found on the main page of MyUPEI under UPEI Forms as well as on the Human Resources portal under Professional Development. In order to have the tuition waiver reflect your account prior to the tuition deadline, please submit all Fall 2019 Tuition Waivers via the online form no later than August 26, 2019. Please be advised Human Resources will no longer accept printed waiver forms. 

If you have any questions please contact Kellie Nicholson at: 902-566-0514 or HRgeneral@upei.ca.

Our learners face many demands for their attention, so getting them to actively engage in their learning can be a challenge. How do you choose the best pedagogies? Today, lectures and active learning have been cast as competing opposites. In fact, they can be quite effective when used together. Interactive lectures combine engaging lecture segments with selected active learning methods. 

This intensive two-part workshop series, offered by the E-Learning Office, aims to give instructors the opportunity to experience first-hand the components necessary for creating interactive lectures.

Part one, titled Better PowerPoints for Better Lectures, focuses on slide design and the creation of study handouts. Part two, titled Action-Oriented Learning Design, focuses on interactions that can be created in PowerPoint and on active learning techniques that will connect and solidify lecture materials.

Part one will be offered on Monday, August 9th and repeated again on Thursday August 26th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm in Room 210 of the Robertson Library. Part two will be offered on Tuesday, November 12th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm in Room 265 of the Robertson Library. Interested individuals can register for either part on its own or for both parts. REGISTER

Please be advised that Accessibility Services has begun sending Student Accommodation Letters to professors and instructors for the Fall 2019 semester.

Please be sure to check your UPEI email address for a copy of the accommodation letters, including your SPAM folder, as sometimes our emails will not pass through the filter settings. We also ask that you check that your emails have not been "nested" and that multiple students' letters are compiled all in one string. 

If you have questions or concerns regarding the approved accommodations for your student, feel free to contact the Case Manager listed in the email. 

The annual UPEI Volunteer Fair welcomes local organizations who are seeking volunteers to campus so they can engage with students and recruit new volunteers. We also encourage UPEI organizations and departments to take part who are recruiting students for volunteer opportunities within our campus community. 

The 2019 Volunteer Fair will be held on Wednesday, September 11 from 10:00 am-2:00 pm in McMillan Hall, W. A. Murphy Student Centre. 

If interested in registering email careerservices@upei.ca for a registration form. Registration closes August 30. Space is limited. Please visit http://www.upei.ca/career-services/upei-volunteer-fair to see the list of registered organizations. 

If you have any questions, please contact Career Services at careerservices@upei.ca or 902-566-0336. 

UPEI grad students and postdoctorate fellows won't want to miss this opportunity to sharpen your communication skills at this FREE workshop being co-hosted by Synapse and Mitacs on Tuesday, September 10.

Skills of Communication is a full-day course featuring the tools and tips of better verbal communication. It will test your assumptions and mental models and for many, it may be the first time you learn about the Ladder of Inference, the Johari Window and more.  The goal is to make you more aware of the tools available to help you become a better communicator in both your work and personal lives. The mastery of these skills is a long-term process, but by simply becoming more conscious of the various communication styles, including your own, you can approach conversations differently and change conversational direction to achieve better outcomes.

 Learning Outcomes:

Through completing this course, participants will: 

- Understand how personal assumptions and mental models adversely influence communication

- Learn how to determine your own personal assumptions and how to avoid them

- Learn to navigate and approach difficult conversations

- Identify and implement communications tools and techniques for team success 

A complimentary light breakfast and lunch will be provided for all participants. Course registration is based ona  first come, first served basis.

To learn more and register for this course, please click here. Questions? Email training@mitacs.ca.

Curious about Open Education, Open Pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, or Open Textbooks? Join us on August 22, 2019 from 9am-12noon for an informative and hands-on workshop presented by Amanda Coolidge, Associate Director, Open Education at BCcampus. 

Please register using this form

9am - 11am

• introduce participants to Open Education and Open Educational Resources (OER),
• provide an overview of the latest research and what it tells us,
• surface connections between Open Education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL),
• incorporate Open Pedagogy into your practice
  • review case studies and examples
  • participants will co-create an open pedagogy assignment

11am - 12noon (Amanda Coolidge and Kim Mears) 

• review case studies
• hands-on experience exploring the Pressbooks platform for open textbook creation/adoption/adaptation.

When: August 22, 2019 – 9am – 12noon

Where: Andrew Hall, Room 142

Please contact Kim Mears (kmears@upei.ca) for more information.

Ethics protocols that involve ‘more than minimal risk’ must be reviewed by the full UPEI Research Ethics Board (REB).  The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday August 30 2019. They will be reviewed at the September meeting.  Protocols involving ‘more than minimal risk’ that are received after August 30 will be reviewed at the October 2019 meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve ‘more than minimal risk’, renewals, and amendments may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary forms are received.

Please ensure that you download and use the current forms from http://www.upei.ca/research/forms. Use Adobe Reader to complete forms.

Submit the following:

• one hard copy of the signed application form and associated documents to Joy Knight at the Office of Academic and Research, 200 Kelley Memorial Building and

• one e-copy of all documents to reb@upei.ca

For more information, please contact Joy Knight (Compliance Coordinator) at 620-5104 or reb@upei.ca

The next deadline for submitting Biosafety applications including new applications, renewals and/or amendments is Friday, August 30, 2019. These applications will be reviewed at the September 2019 meeting.

Please ensure that you use the new electronic forms available at http://www.upei.ca/research/forms. 

Submit the following:

• one hard copy of the application form with signatures and associated documents to Joy Knight at the Office of Academic and Research, 200 Kelley Memorial Building and
• one e-copy of all documents to reb@upei.ca

Please note that applications received after this deadline will be reviewed at the October 2019 meeting. For more information, please contact Joy Knight at 620-5104 or reb@upei.ca

Curious about Open Education, Open Pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, or Open Textbooks? Join us on August 22, 2019 from 9am-12noon for an informative and hands-on workshop presented by Amanda Coolidge, Associate Director, Open Education at BCcampus. 

Please register using this form

9am - 11am

• introduce participants to Open Education and Open Educational Resources (OER),
• provide an overview of the latest research and what it tells us,
• surface connections between Open Education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL),
• incorporate Open Pedagogy into your practice
  • review case studies and examples
  • participants will co-create an open pedagogy assignment

11am - 12noon (Amanda Coolidge and Kim Mears) 

• review case studies
• hands-on experience exploring the Pressbooks platform for open textbook creation/adoption/adaptation.

When: August 22, 2019 – 9am – 12noon

Where: Andrew Hall, Room 142

Please contact Kim Mears (kmears@upei.ca) for more information.

Curious about Open Education, Open Pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, or Open Textbooks? Join us on August 22, 2019 from 9am-12noon for an informative and hands-on workshop presented by Amanda Coolidge, Associate Director, Open Education at BCcampus. 

Please register using this form

9am - 11am

• introduce participants to Open Education and Open Educational Resources (OER),
• provide an overview of the latest research and what it tells us,
• surface connections between Open Education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL),
• incorporate Open Pedagogy into your practice
  • review case studies and examples
  • participants will co-create an open pedagogy assignment

11am - 12noon (Amanda Coolidge and Kim Mears) 

• review case studies
• hands-on experience exploring the Pressbooks platform for open textbook creation/adoption/adaptation.

When: August 22, 2019 – 9am – 12noon

Where: Andrew Hall, Room 142

Please contact Kim Mears (kmears@upei.ca) for more information.

Ankita Shrestha will defend her MSc-SDE thesis entitled, "SEA LETTUCE TO BIOCARBON AND BIOGAS WITH RECOVERY OF NUTRIENTS " on Wednesday, August 21, 1:00 to 4:00 pm in FSDE 212.

All are welcome!

M & M Resources has been awarded the contract to complete various paving repairs around campus.  They will begin on Monday, August 19. It is anticipated to take approximately four (4) days to complete the work.

Parking lot and road closures:

The roadway between the Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre and the Atlantic Veterinary College will be closed for the day on Monday, August 19 to complete the paving repairs.

Parking Lot G Closure: this parking lot will be closed on Monday, August 19 to complete paving repairs on the roadway leading to this parking lot, all permit holders for Parking Lot G are required to park in Parking Lot A, D, or E for this day only.

Steel Building Metered/Barrier Free Parking Lot Closure: this parking lot will be closed on Monday, August 19 to complete the paving repairs. All users of this parking lot are asked to park in other locations for the day.

Parking Lot C Closure: paving repairs will be completed on Tuesday, August 20. All permit holders for Parking Lot C are required to park in Parking Lot A, D, or E for this day only.

This schedule is weather-dependent and could change. Updates will be provided if changes occur. While the contractor has been instructed that the work should be executed with the least possible disruption to the campus community, a certain amount is inevitable. Your patience and understanding is appreciated as we proceed with these repairs.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at 902-566-6034 or jmacphail@upei.ca.

The UPEI Bookstore annual Back to School Super Sale is on August 12-23. 

Enjoy 20% off all UPEI and AVC crested clothing and giftware as well as 30% off all backpacks!

Please note we will be closed August 16 for Gold Cup.

M & M Resources has been awarded the contract to complete various paving repairs around campus.  They will begin on Monday, August 19. It is anticipated to take approximately four (4) days to complete the work.

Parking lot and road closures:

The roadway between the Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre and the Atlantic Veterinary College will be closed for the day on Monday, August 19 to complete the paving repairs.

Parking Lot G Closure: this parking lot will be closed on Monday, August 19 to complete paving repairs on the roadway leading to this parking lot, all permit holders for Parking Lot G are required to park in Parking Lot A, D, or E for this day only.

Steel Building Metered/Barrier Free Parking Lot Closure: this parking lot will be closed on Monday, August 19 to complete the paving repairs. All users of this parking lot are asked to park in other locations for the day.

Parking Lot C Closure: paving repairs will be completed on Tuesday, August 20. All permit holders for Parking Lot C are required to park in Parking Lot A, D, or E for this day only.

This schedule is weather-dependent and could change. Updates will be provided if changes occur. While the contractor has been instructed that the work should be executed with the least possible disruption to the campus community, a certain amount is inevitable. Your patience and understanding is appreciated as we proceed with these repairs.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jackie MacPhail at 902-566-6034 or jmacphail@upei.ca.

Let’s Talk Teaching Day 2019: Obstacles to Teaching: Hidden and Visible

10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Tuesday, September 3

HSB 104

Teaching is thrilling, scary, challenging, and rewarding. Everybody does it differently; however, in any institution, we are all bound by certain rules, restrictions, guidelines, obligations, and constraints. We are all aware of them, but we don’t necessarily acknowledge and discuss them, foreground them as aids or obstacles to teaching the way we really want to. What kind of classroom are you in – a tiered lecture theatre or a small room with movable tables and chairs?  What time of day do you teach? How long are your classes? How do you use technology – and does it usually work? Are your classrooms too hot or too cold, too bright or too dark?  Join us at Let’s Talk Teaching Day to discuss these and other questions about matters that affect us every day of the academic year. Lunch and snacks will be provided, and you don’t need to register – just show up!

Promoting Girls in Research in Engineering and Sustainability (ProGRES) 2019

This summer the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering have had eight Grade 11 and 12 high school women work with engineering faculty and students. 

All are welcomed to attend their final presentations on Thursday, August 15, starting at 2:00 PM in FSDE 202.