On October 14, Health PEI implemented a universal masking policy across its facilities to help protect patients, staff, and the public from the spread of illness.

At UPEI, we encourage everyone to take proactive steps to stay healthy during the fall and winter months. These include

• staying up to date on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations;
• staying home if you are experiencing symptoms;
• practicing good hand hygiene;
• wearing a mask if you are feeling unwell or have been exposed to respiratory illness.

For more details, please visit the UPEI Guidance For Respiratory Illness.

To help protect our patients and staff, masking is strongly recommended at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre.

COVID-19 rapid test kits are available at both the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre and the UPEI Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) office.

Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Schedule:

• Wednesday, October 22, 9:00 am–3:00 pm, McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre
• Thursday, October 23, 12:00–7:00 pm, McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre 
• Wednesday, October 29, 12:00–7:00 pm, The McCain Foundation Learning Commons Atrium, Atlantic Veterinary College

Important Details:

• Vaccines are administered on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is necessary. 
• This service is free of charge for everyone.
• Please bring a valid provincial health card or student ID for registration.
• You are required to wait 15 minutes in the post-vaccine waiting area after receiving your flu shot to ensure you do not have an allergic reaction. Please plan your time accordingly.

Please Note: 

• We are unable to administer flu vaccines to children aged 2 and under.
• Flu Mist (nasal spray) is available only at the Public Health Nursing Community Vaccination Clinics for children 2 to 17 years of age.
• We are unable to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to children 12 and under. COVID-19 Immunization Clinics are located in communities across PEI.

Join us and volunteer at UPEI's premier on-campus recruitment event, the Fall Open House, where prospective students, parents, and guardians have the opportunity to discover all the benefits of joining the Panther family and how their big futures start at UPEI. This year's Open House will take place on Saturday, October 25 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm across the UPEI Charlottetown Campus. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here. There are volunteer opportunities to help with prep on October 23 and 24 and many opportunities on the day of Open House, October 25, for staff, faculty, and current students. 

If you have any questions about volunteering at Open House, please contact Student Engagement Officer Inara Bhalesha at binara@upei.ca.
 

ITSS is hosting an informal, in-person session to give you an overview of the services ITSS provides the campus — followed by an open Q&A.

• Got Wi-Fi questions?
• Need help with software?
• Want cybersecurity tips?
• Just curious?

No jargon. No presentations (Well, maybe just a quick overview of the services that ITSS provides for the campus). Just real answers from real people.

October 22, 2025
AVC 201N
12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Bring your questions — and let’s chat!

The UPEI Student Union is proud to introduce The Interdisciplinary Panther Series, a new initiative led by UPEISU President Luciana Quiroa and Vice President Academic Deanelle Sotiar in collaboration with Experiential Education, the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship, and the Office of Student Culture and Community Standards. This series is designed to expand Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities for students across all faculties and year levels. This initiative offers hands-on, interdisciplinary case competitions where students tackle real-world challenges and build valuable skills.

Applications for the first competition are now open, due on October 20, 2025. Winning teams will be awarded cash prizes, including $2,500 for the top team, $1,250 for second place, and $500 for third place to be shared equally among team members. Don't miss your chance to engage, compete and make an impact!

Register to compete through this link, or save your seat to vote for the most innovative team through this link!

Join us on Friday, October 24 in FSDE 128A for our first SMCS Pizza Seminar of the semester! Our speaker will be Jeremy Heartz, Entrepreneurship Program Officer, from the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship. There will be pizza to follow. 

Abstract:

The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship exists to provide students with the opportunity to learn, get support for, and collaborate with like-minded students who share a mutual interest in entrepreneurship. During this talk, you'll learn about the opportunities the Centre offers to empower students at whatever stage of entrepreneurship you're in. Whether that's exploring what entrepreneurship is for the first time, you're trying to launch your product, or you fall somewhere in between: there's something for everyone at the Catherine Callbeck Centre!

Based on feedback from the research community, the Release of Research Funds process has been updated. This updated mechanism allows researchers access to their full research funds before required compliance is approved, thereby reducing the restrictions at the start-up phase of research projects, including hiring of project team members. 

Please note that, under this new process: 

• When research funding is awarded, an account will be opened, and researchers will now receive immediate access to the full project funds. As always, these funds are NOT to be used for activities requiring compliance approval. 
• Already awarded research funds that have been fully or partially withheld under the previous release of funds process restrictions will now be released in full.  
• Either a compliance status update OR approval of all required compliance is required within three (3) months of the account opening/release of full funds. The compliance status update must be submitted in the UPEI Researcher Portal, using the 'Compliance Status Update’ event form. 

• If neither is completed, the corresponding account will be suspended until a status update or all compliance requirements are approved. 

• All required compliance must be approved at least six (6) months ahead of the corresponding project end date.  

• Adherence to the UPEI Responsible Conduct of Research Policy, in conjunction with the Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research, Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration, and all related institutional and Tri-Agency policies and procedures, is required at all phases of the research project. Not meeting any of the compliance requirements outlined above is Research Misconduct as defined by the UPEI Responsible Conduct of Research Policy.  

For full details, please see section 5 of the “Sponsored Research and Research Contracts SOP”, available on the UPEI policy page. 

Please contact Stephanie Palmer, Research Compliance Coordinator, scpalmer@upei.ca with any questions.  

The Canadian Career Virtual Symposium for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars will be three half-days jam-packed with career and professional development content. 

A selection of session titles include:

• Keynote: Motivation...It works!
• Ten healthy habits of financial management
• Building cultural and career competency through networking conversations
• A recruiter's perspective to applying and interviewing
• Panel: Career Roads: how to make the most of pit stops (featuring UPEI's own Rebecca Mok, Business Development Officer with UPEI Office of Commercialization, Industry & Innovation!)
• + more! 

For Agenda & Full Program, visit: https://gpdn-rpesp.ca/Career-symposium

Dates and Times:

• 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Tuesday, October 21
• 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Wednesday, October 22
• 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Thursday, October 23

UPEI graduate students and post-doctoral scholars are able to view sessions live and access session recordings, slides, and handouts for up to one year thanks to event sponsorship from the UPEI Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Registration open now: https://forms.office.com/r/gnN0Xa9dUW

For more information, contact: Kendra Mellish, Graduate Programs Officer at: kmellish@upei.ca

The Robertson Library’s Open Education Resource 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 $7000 
  • 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 
  • 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 
  • the creation of ancillary materials for existing open textbooks, including, but not limited to test banks, slide decks, recordings, or interactive media, etc. 

All applications will be reviewed and considered, however, applications that meet either/both of the following criteria will be prioritised: 

• Applications that support first-year courses (as they reach the greatest number of students); and/or 
• Applications with evidence of consultation with the TLC and/or a Librarian.  

Applications close January 7, 2026. 

For more information, or to apply, visit https://library.upei.ca/OERProgram/grants. 

Questions about the grants, OERs, Pressbooks, or any other related topics can go to Keri McCaffrey, One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian at knmccaffrey@upei.ca or Charlene VanLeeuwen in the Teaching and Learning Centre at cvanleeuwen@upei.ca. 

The second meeting of the UPEI Senate will take place on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in Room 102 at Alumni Hall (618 University Avenue). To view the 2025-2026 calendar of Senate meetings or documents for the upcoming meeting, click here. (Posted one week before the meeting)

All meetings are open to members of the University community, although certain in-camera items (e.g., granting of degrees) may require the Senate to go into a closed session. Only members of Senate are permitted to address the Senate unless otherwise recognized by the chair. 

For logistical purposes, members of the UPEI community who wish to attend the open session of a UPEI Senate meeting are asked to contact senate@upei.ca one week prior to the meeting. While Senate is an in-person meeting, members of the University community may request a virtual connection when they are unable to attend in person. 

Every day, our colleagues go above and beyond to make our university a vibrant, supportive, and inspiring place to work and learn. “Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues” is your space to give a shout-out to those who embody our mission and values—whether they’re championing a new initiative, supporting student success, lending a hand to a teammate, or bringing positivity to the workplace. You can also use this program to congratulate a colleague on a new role or wish them well in retirement.

Let’s celebrate the big and small wins that make our campus shine! Submit your note of recognition, and let’s cheer on our amazing colleagues together.

How to submit:

Complete this short form: https://forms.office.com/r/766cg9JsT6 

You’ll be asked to share:

• Who are you recognizing? (Name and department/faculty)
• Why are you recognizing them? (Briefly describe what they did or the impact they made)
• Your name 

Submit your form(s) by the last Friday of each month. Human Resources will collect the submissions and work with Communications to feature them in the Campus Connector. Please note, we now have a dedicated page for this program on the Human Resources SharePoint: Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues.

Not a current subscriber to Campus Connector? Click here for information on how to subscribe.

The deadline for our next issue is Friday, October 31, 2025

Please contact Human Resources at hrengage@upei.ca should you have any questions. 

The Island Lecture Series and the Vinland Society present a talk by Dr. Helen Kristmanson, "Memories of Osland: a historical Icelandic village in northern British Columbia." The Island Lecture Series will be held on October 21, 2025, at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, Room 201. 

Hidden along the Skeena River's sylvan shores are the remains of a small historical village known as Osland. Settled by Icelanders who migrated west between 1870 and 1914, Osland was part of a thriving network of communities that formed an economic hub supported by the fishery and canneries. Today, though a few families preserve their ancestral houses at Osland, these historical buildings are interspersed with the fading remains of those long gone. This presentation draws on a range of primary sources, including memories gathered about thirty years ago from Osland's children and grandchildren.

Dr. Helen Kristmanson was the Island's first provincial archaeologist, serving in this role from 2009 until 2021, when she joined the L’nuey team as Senior Archaeologist. L’nuey is an Epekwitk-based initiative focused on protecting and implementing the constitutionally entrenched rights of the PEI Mi'kmaq. Helen is an Institute of Island Studies Executive Committee member at the University of Prince Edward Island, past president of the Canadian Archaeological Association, and sitting president of the Vinland Society of PEI. Current scholarly research includes an examination of the underrepresentation of historical Mi’kmaq archaeological sites on Epekwitk through collections, archival, and field research. Helen descends from Friðrik August Kristmansson and Elín Jonasdottir, first-generation Osland settlers, and Guðmundur Bjornsson and Thorbjorg Guðny Bjornrdottir, also vesturfarars, who settled in southern British Columbia. In her spare time, Helen researches Icelandic and Scottish history.

The lecture is free, and all are welcome. 

For more information, contact Laurie Brinklow at 902-894-2881 or brinklow@upei.ca.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency will announce federal support for three projects focused on strengthening the shellfish industry, including the establishment of a world-class rapid response testing system for the Atlantic Shellfish Industry at UPEI, at a news conference today at 11:00 am in the UPEI Performing Arts Centre and Residence building, Amphitheatre (PAC 121S).

On October 14, Health PEI implemented a universal masking policy across its facilities to help protect patients, staff, and the public from the spread of illness.

At UPEI, we encourage everyone to take proactive steps to stay healthy during the fall and winter months. These include

• staying up to date on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations;
• staying home if you are experiencing symptoms;
• practicing good hand hygiene;
• wearing a mask if you are feeling unwell or have been exposed to respiratory illness.

For more details, please visit the UPEI Guidance For Respiratory Illness.

To help protect our patients and staff, masking is strongly recommended at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre.

COVID-19 rapid test kits are available at both the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre and the UPEI Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) office.

Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Schedule:

• Wednesday, October 22, 9:00 am–3:00 pm, McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre
• Thursday, October 23, 12:00–7:00 pm, McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre 
• Wednesday, October 29, 12:00–7:00 pm, The McCain Foundation Learning Commons Atrium, Atlantic Veterinary College

Important Details:

• Vaccines are administered on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is necessary. 
• This service is free of charge for everyone.
• Please bring a valid provincial health card or student ID for registration.
• You are required to wait 15 minutes in the post-vaccine waiting area after receiving your flu shot to ensure you do not have an allergic reaction. Please plan your time accordingly.

Please Note: 

• We are unable to administer flu vaccines to children aged 2 and under.
• Flu Mist (nasal spray) is available only at the Public Health Nursing Community Vaccination Clinics for children 2 to 17 years of age.
• We are unable to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to children 12 and under. COVID-19 Immunization Clinics are located in communities across PEI.

Join us and volunteer at UPEI's premier on-campus recruitment event, the Fall Open House, where prospective students, parents, and guardians have the opportunity to discover all the benefits of joining the Panther family and how their big futures start at UPEI. This year's Open House will take place on Saturday, October 25 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm across the UPEI Charlottetown Campus. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here. There are volunteer opportunities to help with prep on October 23 and 24 and many opportunities on the day of Open House, October 25, for staff, faculty, and current students. 

If you have any questions about volunteering at Open House, please contact Student Engagement Officer Inara Bhalesha at binara@upei.ca.
 

ITSS is hosting an informal, in-person session to give you an overview of the services ITSS provides the campus — followed by an open Q&A.

• Got Wi-Fi questions?
• Need help with software?
• Want cybersecurity tips?
• Just curious?

No jargon. No presentations (Well, maybe just a quick overview of the services that ITSS provides for the campus). Just real answers from real people.

October 22, 2025
AVC 201N
12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Bring your questions — and let’s chat!

The UPEI Student Union is proud to introduce The Interdisciplinary Panther Series, a new initiative led by UPEISU President Luciana Quiroa and Vice President Academic Deanelle Sotiar in collaboration with Experiential Education, the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship, and the Office of Student Culture and Community Standards. This series is designed to expand Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities for students across all faculties and year levels. This initiative offers hands-on, interdisciplinary case competitions where students tackle real-world challenges and build valuable skills.

Applications for the first competition are now open, due on October 20, 2025. Winning teams will be awarded cash prizes, including $2,500 for the top team, $1,250 for second place, and $500 for third place to be shared equally among team members. Don't miss your chance to engage, compete and make an impact!

Register to compete through this link, or save your seat to vote for the most innovative team through this link!

Based on feedback from the research community, the Release of Research Funds process has been updated. This updated mechanism allows researchers access to their full research funds before required compliance is approved, thereby reducing the restrictions at the start-up phase of research projects, including hiring of project team members. 

Please note that, under this new process: 

• When research funding is awarded, an account will be opened, and researchers will now receive immediate access to the full project funds. As always, these funds are NOT to be used for activities requiring compliance approval. 
• Already awarded research funds that have been fully or partially withheld under the previous release of funds process restrictions will now be released in full.  
• Either a compliance status update OR approval of all required compliance is required within three (3) months of the account opening/release of full funds. The compliance status update must be submitted in the UPEI Researcher Portal, using the 'Compliance Status Update’ event form. 

• If neither is completed, the corresponding account will be suspended until a status update or all compliance requirements are approved. 

• All required compliance must be approved at least six (6) months ahead of the corresponding project end date.  

• Adherence to the UPEI Responsible Conduct of Research Policy, in conjunction with the Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research, Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration, and all related institutional and Tri-Agency policies and procedures, is required at all phases of the research project. Not meeting any of the compliance requirements outlined above is Research Misconduct as defined by the UPEI Responsible Conduct of Research Policy.  

For full details, please see section 5 of the “Sponsored Research and Research Contracts SOP”, available on the UPEI policy page. 

Please contact Stephanie Palmer, Research Compliance Coordinator, scpalmer@upei.ca with any questions.  

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last FOURTEEN draws, the total pot has grown to more than $55,000, 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.

The Canadian Career Virtual Symposium for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars will be three half-days jam-packed with career and professional development content. 

A selection of session titles include:

• Keynote: Motivation...It works!
• Ten healthy habits of financial management
• Building cultural and career competency through networking conversations
• A recruiter's perspective to applying and interviewing
• Panel: Career Roads: how to make the most of pit stops (featuring UPEI's own Rebecca Mok, Business Development Officer with UPEI Office of Commercialization, Industry & Innovation!)
• + more! 

For Agenda & Full Program, visit: https://gpdn-rpesp.ca/Career-symposium

Dates and Times:

• 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Tuesday, October 21
• 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Wednesday, October 22
• 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Thursday, October 23

UPEI graduate students and post-doctoral scholars are able to view sessions live and access session recordings, slides, and handouts for up to one year thanks to event sponsorship from the UPEI Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Registration open now: https://forms.office.com/r/gnN0Xa9dUW

For more information, contact: Kendra Mellish, Graduate Programs Officer at: kmellish@upei.ca

You’re invited to a series of TLC Lunch and Learn sessions throughout the month of October; each focused on a Core Principle of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Grab your own lunch to join us online for engaging conversations and practical strategies to support inclusive teaching.

Session Lineup:

• Wednesday, October 1, 12 – 1 pm – Expanding Access Through Representation
  • Learn how offering multiple ways for learners to access and engage with content can enhance understanding and equity. Register here.
• Wednesday, October 8, 12 – 1 pm – Fostering Engagement
  • Explore how to motivate and sustain learner interest through varied approaches to engagement. Register here.
• Wednesday, October 22, 12 – 1 pm – Supporting Action and Expression
  • Discover strategies for allowing learners to demonstrate what they know in diverse and meaningful ways. Register here.

Each session will include a brief presentation, followed by interactive discussion and idea-sharing with colleagues across departments. You’ll leave with practical insights and tools you can apply in your own teaching.