The University of Prince Edward Island is maintaining its student enrolment levels in a highly competitive environment for Maritime universities. Statistics from the 2006–07 academic year just released by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission show declining enrolments at most major universities across the region but an overall increase at UPEI. Its enrolment numbers grew for full- and part-time undergraduates, international students, and graduate students.

“We’re up in all four categories and we’re very pleased about that,” says Dr. Vianne Timmons, Vice-President of Academic Development and Acting Registrar. “But we know we can’t afford to be complacent. It is a very competitive environment right now.”

Dr. Timmons noted that the University of Prince Edward Island has placed a strong emphasis on scholarship growth in recent years to help attract and retain students. The University now offers $2.5 million in scholarships and prizes annually. UPEI staff work with PEI high schools to assist students to apply for internal and external scholarships. Last year’s 10 per cent decrease in tuition rates also made UPEI very competitive. It now has one of the lowest tuition rates in the region.

“We are working extremely hard in every way we can to ensure that we remain the university of choice at a time when demographics are changing and there are fewer high school students available,” said Dr. Timmons.

UPEI has been introducing more graduate programs in recent years and has implemented a successful strategy to attract more international students. By 2010, the university expects that international students will make up 10 per cent of the student population.

MPHEC enrolment tables are available online. 

Starting in the fall of 2008, the University of Prince Edward Island will offer an executive-style Master of Business Administration program designed for people in the workforce who are interested in pursuing graduate studies.

Offered through the university’s School of Business Administration, this exciting new program is directed at people who currently work, or who want to work, in a management or leadership position. It caters to the demands of full-time working people, with a focus on peer-to-peer learning, small class sizes, a flexible course schedule, and a variety of course delivery methods—from the traditional classroom setting and case studies to webcasting and consulting projects.

“I am thrilled that the UPEI School of Business is able to offer this executive-style MBA program to Islanders,” says Roberta MacDonald, Dean of the School of Business Administration. “The faculty and staff are looking forward to providing this unique graduate program for business education on P.E.I. With the future graduates of this program and its various initiatives, there is no doubt the MBA program will add value to the local environment.”

With specialized streams of study in Innovative Management and Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship, the program provides graduate students with the skills, research and experiential learning opportunities to enhance their knowledge of and employability in these fields.

Students who enter the Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship stream will gain the knowledge and skills to effectively manage the business of science. This program will focus on the complexities of commercialization as well as the ethical and regulatory issues that face the biotechnology industry. Graduates will be well-equipped to develop and manage new ventures and small businesses or to work in the public and private sectors in the rapidly growing biotechnology/science fields.

Students who specialize in Innovative Management will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively manage within an innovative environment. Courses will combine the concepts of creativity and new ventures, real-world learning and management skills such as leadership, teamwork and dynamic thinking. Graduates will finish the program with a well-developed perspective on world issues and the skills to manage effectively within a globally competitive environment. This program is well-suited to those who are interested in studying business from new perspectives.

Students can complete the program in a minimum of 23 months and a maximum of six years. Applications may be submitted and reviewed at any time, but the deadline for submission to start the program in September 2008 is June 16. A. maximum of 25 to 30 students will be admitted to the program this year.

Information sessions are being held throughout the month of March. For more information about these sessions and the program, contact the UPEI School of Business at (902) 566-0564 or visit http://business.upei.ca/.

The latest book published by Island Studies Press, an imprint of the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, will be launched on Thursday, March 20, in the Province House Lecture Theatre, Charlottetown, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Entitled “Pulling Strings: Policy Insights for Prince Edward Island from other Sub-National Island Jurisdictions,” the book is based on research emerging from a project on sub-national island jurisdictions that has been underway at UPEI since 2004. It contains chapters by Godfrey Baldacchino, Hans Connor, Crystal Fall, Barbara Groome Wynne, Kathleen Stuart and Lawrence Liao. The introduction is by John Eldon Green, and the conclusion by Jean Mitchell.

The book proposes this question: “What policy lessons can Prince Edward Island consider from a global review of over 100 similar islands?” Looking at islands from Bermuda to Tasmania, from the Cook Islands to the Faroes, “Pulling Strings” discusses how P.E.I. can make the best of its autonomy for political and economic advantage. More specifically, the book discusses “the power of jurisdiction” in such areas as political sovereignty, the environment, human resources and immigration, sea and air transportation, and social capital and the social economy.

The book is co-edited by Godfrey Baldacchino and Kathleen Stuart. Baldacchino, who hails from Malta, is the Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at UPEI, and Stuart, from Meadowbank, P.E.I., is a sessional professor in Island Studies at the university.

The book, which sells for $24.95 plus GST, can be purchased at the launch or from the Institute of Island Studies. All proceeds go to support the Institute of Island Studies’ publishing program.

Because there are limited seats in the venue, people who wish to attend are asked to RSVP by calling (902) 566-1717 or by e-mailing kstuart@islandtelecom.com.

Sociology students at the University of Prince Edward Island are translating into action the lessons they are learning in the classroom.

On Friday, March 28, students in Professor David Varis' Sociology 102B course will host a kitchen party to raise awareness about poverty and funds to fight it. The party will be held in the courtyard of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre from 1 to 4 p.m.

Varis says that a number of students came up with the idea of contributing back to the community, after spending the last year learning about social inequality, poverty and other social issues in his introductory course.

"I am very proud of my students for organizing this awareness event," he says. "It reflects the degree to which students of this generation are responding to issues that are global in nature but require attention locally."

The event will feature guest speaker Mike MacDonald, manager of the Upper Room Soup Kitchen, as well as remarks from event co-ordinator Joan Diamond and entertainers Tim Chaisson, Tian Wigmore, David Wigmore & Friends, Jeremy Murphy and Colette Cheverie. Donations will be accepted at the door, and all proceeds will go to the Upper Room Soup Kitchen in Charlottetown.

For more information, please contact Joan Diamond at jdiamond@hollandc.pe.ca or (902) 629-4248.

A new business succession initiative aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship opportunities for people aged 34 years and younger has been developed by the UPEI School of Business and the PEI Department of Development and Technology.

As a new initiative, “The Adopted Son or Daughter Program” encourages youth to consider a career as an entrepreneur by removing such obstacles as financing, lack of experience and the need for ongoing mentoring. In addition, many Island business owners are looking to reduce their workload or to retire, and are currently contemplating options to begin the process of ownership change. Bridging the gap between youth and existing business owners is a win-win situation.

PEI Business Development will provide five-year, interest-free loans to enable participants to purchase a minimum of 10 to 25 per cent of the shares in an existing business. “These loans will give young entrepreneurs access to equity that they may have difficulty acquiring on their own,” says Richard Brown, Minister of Development and Technology. “This program will also address the needs of business owners who are looking for someone to take over when they retire. It’s addressing the needs of both young entrepreneurs and the business community.”

"The Adopted Son or Daughter Program" was developed by local businessperson and UPEI entrepreneurship professor Mike Cassidy. “The biggest problem we have in entrepreneurship is: Does the person stepping into a business really understand the business? Do they know how to operate the business on a daily basis?” says Cassidy. “This program allows the young person to gain valuable experience and equity in the business. The young entrepreneur has to keep in mind the concept of ‘work to learn,’ not ‘work to earn,’ and the benefits of long-term gain.”

Mike Cassidy experienced the benefits of this business model when he and 29-year-old Cory Peters purchased Enviroage Plastics Industries Limited in 2004 on a 50-50 basis. The arrangement has worked out so well that the two have also acquired the Charlottetown OK Tire Store business. Cory Peters, a UPEI/UNB graduate, says, “The fact that I have a senior, more experienced and successful business person to bounce ideas off of, to redirect me and to show me how to tackle situations that arise in business — it’s huge. I owe it all to Mike for taking me under his wing.”

Dr. Roberta MacDonald, Dean of the UPEI School of Business, is excited about the program and believes it fills a need within the province. “We have many young people wanting to get into business knowing that experience and finance are two of the biggest challenges,” she says. “'The Adopted Son or Daughter Program' addresses both these issues. We are thrilled our program has attracted the attention and funding support from the John Dobson Foundation, a strong supporter of entrepreneurial activities at post-secondary institutions in Canada. Without our provincial government and the Dobson Foundation, 'The Adopted Son or Daughter Program' could not have been launched.”

Anyone wanting more information on the program can contact Joan Fleming at the UPEI School of Business, 566-0975, jofleming@upei.ca, or Brian Keefe, PEI Business Development, 368-6300, bwkeefe@gov.pe.ca.

A “green” chemist at the University of Prince Edward Island who is working to develop vegetation-based plastics to reduce our dependence on petroleum-based products and minimize our impact on the environment has just been recognized by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Dr. Michael Shaver will receive $83,731 towards the cost of essential equipment for his research on the design of homogeneous catalysts for application in green chemical reactions and polymerizations.

Green chemistry is a set of chemical ideals that drive many chemists towards sustainable and environmentally friendly operations. Dr. Shaver's research goals involve the making and breaking of bonds in order to create value-added products. Some products are precursors for drugs, some are polymers (plastics) with special properties unavailable through other methods, while others produce biodegradable and renewable plastics.

"Research on the environment is a definite strength in the Faculty of Science and the University as a whole. This award to Dr. Shaver is a testament to his innovative research program," says Dr. Christian Lacroix, UPEI Dean of Science.

"I am excited about receiving this recognition from CFI and the infrastructure it will bring to my laboratory," says Dr. Shaver. "This equipment will kick-start our research into biodegradable plastics and also provide UPEI chemistry students with hands-on access to state-of-the-art instrumentation."

Currently, Dr. Shaver is focussing on the synthesis of a biodegradable, renewable polymer, polylactic acid or PLA, which is made from agricultural by-products. He is using novel catalysts to control the properties of the polymers produced and build them into larger structures. This will expand the number of applications that the plastics can have by giving them increased stability and a much higher melting point. The future applications will lead to collaborations with engineers and biomedical scientists who can use these specialty polymers in their fields without having to worry about any associated waste.

The $83,731 investment from the CFI will assist UPEI to purchase a high-performance liquid chromatography system for gel-permeation chromatography, a single station glove box equipped with a carbon solvent filter, and a gas-chromatography/mass spectroscopy system.

CFI is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI's mandate is to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians.

Photo: Guided by Dr. Michael Shaver, of the UPEI Department of Chemistry (right), Marieke Hutchinson, a third-year chemistry student, works with chemicals in a glove box in the UPEI chemistry department’s synthetics lab.

The University of Prince Edward Island has appointed Dr. J. Tim Goddard, of the University of Calgary, to the position of Dean of Education for a six-year term beginning July 1, 2008.

“It’s a real coup for UPEI and for the entire PEI educational system to attract Dr. Tim Goddard as our Dean of Education,” says UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan. “He was selected through a very competitive process, with top calibre candidates, and we look forward to many continuing successes for our Faculty of Education.”

Goddard is currently a Professor of Education and Vice-Provost (International) at the University of Calgary. He had earlier been Associate Dean (Research & International) in the Faculty of Education at that institution.

“I am very excited by the prospect of moving to Charlottetown,” says Goddard. “UPEI has some exciting plans for the Faculty of Education, and it is an honour to be selected to lead these positive developments over the next six years.”

Born in Leeds, England, Goddard trained as an art and geography teacher at the Hockerill College of Education (1974) in the United Kingdom. He has a B.Ed. in Native Studies, Indian and Northern Education (1988), and an M.Ed. in Educational Administration (1990) from the University of Saskatchewan. In 1996 he received a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Alberta. He has extensive experience in Canada and abroad as an educator and administrator at all levels of education.

Goddard's research is in educational administration with a focus on educational leadership and management across cultures. He is currently engaged as the lead investigator in a major international study that is examining ways in which policy implementation by principals facilitates or hinders access to schools by children from minority and marginalized cultures.

He coordinated the leadership component of the Kosovo Educator Development Project, a six-year regional initiative funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) that supported educational reform in southeastern Europe. He was also project leader for a two-year leadership reform project in Lebanon, funded by the World Bank. He has published extensively in various journals, and is a regular presenter at national and international conferences.

Goddard will succeed Dr. Graham Pike who is completing a successful six-year term as Dean of Education. In 2006 Pike received the Canadian Bureau of International Education’s award for innovation in international education. After taking a year’s administrative leave, Pike will continue as a professor in the UPEI Faculty of Education.

MacLauchlan expressed appreciation for Pike’s contributions as dean, saying: “Under Graham Pike’s leadership, UPEI’s Faculty of Education has seen many fine achievements, and we can expect to see this record continue into the future.”

Members of the public are invited to the launch of the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network’s report, “Bridging Public Investment and Social Value: An examination of the supports for the Social Economy on Prince Edward Island,” on Monday, April 7, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., in the UPEI Main Building Faculty Lounge.

Communications specialist Barbara Groome-Wynne, who was commissioned by the Network to do the study, will present her report, including the findings from a public workshop held in November 2007 in Charlottetown, during the event. A new book of policy documents “Pulling Strings,” which has recently been published by Island Studies Press, will also be available for purchase. Refreshments will be available at the launch.

The study documents how federal and provincial governments support social service organizations on Prince Edward Island. The study also inquires into the impact of changes to these supports in recent years. Recommendations are made on how the social sector, policy makers and the public can work together to improve the quality of life for Islanders, especially the most vulnerable members of Island communities.

The Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network, coordinated on PEI by the Institute of Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, commissioned the study, which took place during the summer and fall of 2007. A total of 30 social organizations generously donated their time to be interviewed. The study was funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and supervised by Dr. Irene Novaczek, of the Institute of Island Studies, and Janice Pettit, of the Executive Council Office.

The report will be distributed widely to social organizations and government policy makers. It will also be used by academic researchers who collaborate with UPEI to document the social economy and to strengthen and promote this sector.

The Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network seeks to increase the region’s capacity for a dynamic social economy built on partnerships, knowledge and networks. University researchers and community partners collaborate to meet the research needs of the community and to influence policy at the provincial and federal levels.

For information about this event, please contact the Institute of Island Studies at (902) 566-0377.