Welcome to the following new employees who joined the University of Prince Edward Island community in May 2025:

• Alexander Beaton, Security Services
• Julie Brown, Clinical Learning and Simulation Centre, Faculty of Medicine
• Katelynn Donahoe, Faculty of Nursing
• Olalekan Faromika, Security Services
• Shawna Gallant, Human Resources
• Hadeel Haddad, Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering
• Martyn Iannece, Teaching and Learning Centre
• Fatima Imtiaz, School of Climate Change and Adaptation, Faculty of Science
• Taewoo Kim, Comptroller’s Office
• Dr. Jane Ngobia, Vice-President People and Culture
• Kristen Nowlan, Comptroller’s Office
• Brent Robicheau, Biology, Faculty of Science
• Jaclyn Sanderson, Clinical Learning and Simulation Centre, Faculty of Medicine
• Shawn Sentner, IT Systems and Services
• Anmol Setia, Security Services
• Ikram Ullah, School of Climate Change and Adaptation, Faculty of Science

We are excited to have you join the UPEI team!

Please be advised that on June 19 and 20, 2025, the usual access route to the Health, Safety & Environment Department (AVC 4 South) will be temporarily closed, due to ongoing construction.

The office remains open and operational during this time. If you need to visit, we kindly ask that you call ahead at 902-566-0901 to receive updated directions or assistance with access.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this temporary disruption.

The search committee for the Associate Vice-President, Students, announces an upcoming public presentation by one of the finalists.

Since the search process began, the committee has undertaken a comprehensive search and selected finalists for a series of stakeholder meetings on campus. The second public presentation is scheduled for Monday, June 23, 2025 at 9:30 am and will be held in AVC 201N. 

All members of the University community are welcome to attend. For those unable to attend, this presentation will be recorded.

The UPEI Writing Centre is now closed for the summer. Please note that we will not be offering any appointments until we re-open in September. We look forward to seeing you then!

Please check for additional notices on the UPEI Writing Centre door (Robertson Library, Room 274) and on our Instagram (upeiwritingcentre). 

HR is pleased to announce the launch of UPEI’s new Employee Assistance Program (EAP), available through GreenShield Health beginning July 1, 2025.

This comprehensive, confidential, and accessible program offers a wide range of services to support your mental health and overall well-being, including:

5 hours of individual counselling (Green Shield will closely monitor usage and will provide additional hours to those who need further support, to ensure that no one is denied access to the program because of insufficient sponsored hours in any policy year) and 5 hours of couples therapy.

Additional program highlights include:

• Flexible therapy options via phone, video, or in-person, with 30, 60, or 90-minute sessions
• Personalized therapist matching that considers DEI preferences
• Unlimited 15-minute consultations to help members find their ideal therapist
• Innovative, value-added services in areas such as children’s mental health, nutrition, and overall well-being

Unlimited financial and legal consultations.

Self-guided digital CBT, well-being coaching, and personalized care navigation.

Digital pharmacy and nutrition services.

The program is offered through GreenShield’s secure GreenShield+ platform, with a guaranteed premium rate of $2.58/month for the first 5 years, cost-shared according to your collective agreement.

For more information, please watch your inbox for an email from Human Resources with login instructions on June 30, 2025.

If you are currently using EAP services through Telus Health, you may continue accessing support until your care is complete.

For questions, contact Human Resources at employeeservices@upei.ca.

Hello Panthers!

Here’s a wonderful opportunity to share your knowledge and support a stronger Panther community!

The Office of Student Culture and Community Standards, and Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office are currently looking for 10 current (undergraduate and graduate) UPEI students to join us to form a Student Consultation Committee.

Recognizing our diverse student population, the purpose of forming the Student Consultation Committee is to welcome student ideas, opinions, and suggestions to help us:

· enhance and improve future programs and event development for students;

· gather ideas and suggestions to develop and/or curate events, programming, and sessions that are beneficial to students; and

· gather ideas and suggestions to support the prevention of sexual violence on campus.

The end goal of the Student Consultation Committee is to make recommendations that will help improve students’ experiences at UPEI! We are looking for keen and enthusiastic individuals who will share their valuable thoughts and suggestions to help us improve programming, events, and sessions for students in the upcoming semesters. Student voices are key to ensuring successful student engagement and a positive student culture at UPEI—both are at the centre of our programming; this is a perfect opportunity to contribute!

This committee will meet monthly from October 2025 to March 2026 for two to three hours at a time. The members of this committee will receive a $150 UPEI bookstore credit, UPEI merchandise, food and refreshments during meetings, transportation accommodation* to attend each meeting, and a certificate of participation.

Upon successful completion of the service term, reference letters can also be provided upon request.

If this opportunity interests you, apply by sending a copy of your resume, and a letter of interest to Inara Bhalesha, Student Engagement Officer at binara@upei.ca, on or before June 20, 2025.

If you have any further questions about this opportunity or require any accommodation to apply, please reach out to Inara Bhalesha at binara@upei.ca.

All applicants are advised that the selection process will be conducted by the Office of Student Culture and Community Standards and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office and will be subject to applicable policies and procedures.

To recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day here on campus, IKERAS and the Advisor to the Vice-President Academic and Research on Indigenous Affairs invite you to a lunch and learn on Friday June 20 for an anonymous Q&A from noon to 1pm in the Quad by the TIPI. Enter your question in the box and we will take the time to answer questions you may have been afraid to ask, this is a time to learn! Please bring your lunch and we will provide blueberry cake for dessert! (if rain, it will be held in the foyer of Kelley Memorial Building)

June 21—the summer solstice—is designated as National Indigenous Peoples Day, “a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples…For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.” (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada). 

In Epekwitk on June 21, the Native Council of PEI invites the Indigenous and broader community to its annual celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day at Confederation Landing Park in Charlottetown, beginning at 11:00 am. 

The Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, invites all to attend Catherine Standage's public defence of her PsyD dissertation titled “Mentoring Matters to These Early-Career Veterinarians and is Mediated by Experiences, Expectations, and Gender: A Qualitative Interview Study”.

Date and time: June 27, 2025, at 10:00 ADT 
Location: AVC Room 219S 

Please be advised that on June 19 and 20, 2025, the usual access route to the Health, Safety & Environment Department (AVC 4 South) will be temporarily closed, due to ongoing construction.

The office remains open and operational during this time. If you need to visit, we kindly ask that you call ahead at 902-566-0901 to receive updated directions or assistance with access.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this temporary disruption.

The search committee for the Associate Vice-President, Students, announces an upcoming public presentation by one of the finalists.

Since the search process began, the committee has undertaken a comprehensive search and selected finalists for a series of stakeholder meetings on campus. The second public presentation is scheduled for Monday, June 23, 2025 at 9:30 am and will be held in AVC 201N. 

All members of the University community are welcome to attend. For those unable to attend, this presentation will be recorded.

The UPEI Writing Centre is now closed for the summer. Please note that we will not be offering any appointments until we re-open in September. We look forward to seeing you then!

Please check for additional notices on the UPEI Writing Centre door (Robertson Library, Room 274) and on our Instagram (upeiwritingcentre). 

The University’s operating budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year was approved at the UPEI Board of Governors meeting on May 27.

Dr. Wendy Rodgers, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Tim Walker, Vice-President, Finance and Administration, invited the University community to a

UPEI Budget 2025–2026 Information Session
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 
Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium (Room 242), Don and Marion McDougall Hall
2:30 pm

If you are unable to participate in person, you are welcome to join us virtually at this Teams Town Hall link. (Another information session will be held in the fall semester for those unable to attend on this date.)

The 2025–2026 UPEI Operating Budget may be found on the publications page of the UPEI website.

We look forward to seeing you!

Hello Panthers!

Here’s a wonderful opportunity to share your knowledge and support a stronger Panther community!

The Office of Student Culture and Community Standards, and Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office are currently looking for 10 current (undergraduate and graduate) UPEI students to join us to form a Student Consultation Committee.

Recognizing our diverse student population, the purpose of forming the Student Consultation Committee is to welcome student ideas, opinions, and suggestions to help us:

· enhance and improve future programs and event development for students;

· gather ideas and suggestions to develop and/or curate events, programming, and sessions that are beneficial to students; and

· gather ideas and suggestions to support the prevention of sexual violence on campus.

The end goal of the Student Consultation Committee is to make recommendations that will help improve students’ experiences at UPEI! We are looking for keen and enthusiastic individuals who will share their valuable thoughts and suggestions to help us improve programming, events, and sessions for students in the upcoming semesters. Student voices are key to ensuring successful student engagement and a positive student culture at UPEI—both are at the centre of our programming; this is a perfect opportunity to contribute!

This committee will meet monthly from October 2025 to March 2026 for two to three hours at a time. The members of this committee will receive a $150 UPEI bookstore credit, UPEI merchandise, food and refreshments during meetings, transportation accommodation* to attend each meeting, and a certificate of participation.

Upon successful completion of the service term, reference letters can also be provided upon request.

If this opportunity interests you, apply by sending a copy of your resume, and a letter of interest to Inara Bhalesha, Student Engagement Officer at binara@upei.ca, on or before June 20, 2025.

If you have any further questions about this opportunity or require any accommodation to apply, please reach out to Inara Bhalesha at binara@upei.ca.

All applicants are advised that the selection process will be conducted by the Office of Student Culture and Community Standards and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office and will be subject to applicable policies and procedures.

To celebrate National Indigenous History Month, here’s a tip for instructors on how to incorporate the concept of talking circles into their classrooms.

Talking Circles Spotlight Teaching Tip Week #2: Use “I” Language to Decentre Authority 

Spotlight: 
Talking Circles create space for each voice to be heard without interruption or hierarchy. This practice values lived experience and invites everyone—including instructors—to participate with humility and openness. 

They invite personal storytelling and lived experience as valid forms of knowledge. In this space, educators are participants too—not just facilitators. Using “I” language shifts the tone from top-down instruction to co-learning, a core value in Indigenous pedagogies. 

Why it matters: 
Instructors often speak from a place of expertise. In Talking Circles, sharing from personal experience (not as an authority) fosters authenticity and mutual respect. 

Try this: 
Model the use of “I” statements. Rather than saying, “Students need to…” try, “In my experience, I’ve noticed…” 

Reflective question: 
How can shifting from expert to co-learner deepen trust and learning in your classroom? 

See all the tips and additional resources here - Teaching Tips Spotlight on Teaching Circles in the Classroom.docx

University of Prince Edward Island is hosting the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) 2025 Atlantic Regional Meeting in Charlottetown June 26 to 27. This event will focus on the future of international education through a series of sessions, roundtables and networking activities.

CBIE’s Atlantic Regional Meeting is an annual gathering of international education practitioners. It is an opportunity to share knowledge and resources and keep abreast of immigration and other changes in the sector. It also serves as an annual networking event for international education practitioners and is a precursor to the national conference held each November.

Registration is now open for the CBIE Atlantic Regional Meeting.

13 department and faculty hosts. 17 different soups, with a few repeats. By our best count, over 3100 bowls served!  What a 10th year!  Thank you!

Plans are underway for year 11 when we hope to offer bi-weekly Soup for the Soul at the Chaplaincy Centre. Hosts are asked to choose recipes with some help provided, shop and chop one day, then cook and serve the next day. Hosts who finance their events are appreciated but we have limited funding available.  

Quick! Consider this invitation with the same momentum as bidding to host the Olympics or World Cup event. Check your calendars and email sukidd@upei.ca to book your date. 

To recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day here on campus, IKERAS and the Advisor to the Vice-President Academic and Research on Indigenous Affairs invite you to a lunch and learn on Friday June 20 for an anonymous Q&A from noon to 1pm in the Quad by the TIPI. Enter your question in the box and we will take the time to answer questions you may have been afraid to ask, this is a time to learn! Please bring your lunch and we will provide blueberry cake for dessert! (if rain, it will be held in the foyer of Kelley Memorial Building)

June 21—the summer solstice—is designated as National Indigenous Peoples Day, “a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples…For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.” (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada). 

In Epekwitk on June 21, the Native Council of PEI invites the Indigenous and broader community to its annual celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day at Confederation Landing Park in Charlottetown, beginning at 11:00 am. 

Now Accepting Participants: The CHANGE Program at UPEI

A free, year-long health program for a healthier you.

Are you living with, or at risk of, metabolic syndrome? The UPEI Health & Wellness Centre is now welcoming participants for the next round of the CHANGE Program, a free, evidence-based program designed to help you take charge of your health through sustainable lifestyle changes.

What is Metabolic Syndrome?
You may qualify for the program if you have two or more of the following:

• Pre-diabetes or diabetes
• High triglycerides
• Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Abdominal adiposity (carry your weight in your middle)

What You Can Expect
The CHANGE program runs for one year and includes 28 guided sessions focused on two key lifestyle changes:

1. Nutrition – Work with a registered dietitian to learn and adopt the Mediterranean diet, a heart-healthy, evidence-based way of eating.
2. Physical Activity – Partner with a kinesiologist to safely incorporate exercise into your daily life. No equipment or gym membership required.

Sessions are available on campus and in communities across PEI. There is no cost to participate.

To learn more or to register, please contact the CHANGE Program at change@upei.ca or 902-620-5156.

Take the first step toward a healthier future, join the CHANGE Program!

The University’s operating budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year was approved at the UPEI Board of Governors meeting on May 27.

Dr. Wendy Rodgers, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Tim Walker, Vice-President, Finance and Administration, invited the University community to a

UPEI Budget 2025–2026 Information Session
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 
Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium (Room 242), Don and Marion McDougall Hall
2:30 pm

If you are unable to participate in person, you are welcome to join us virtually at this Teams Town Hall link. (Another information session will be held in the fall semester for those unable to attend on this date.)

The 2025–2026 UPEI Operating Budget may be found on the publications page of the UPEI website.

We look forward to seeing you!

The IPSFC will provide support to eligible Canadian post-secondary academic institutions, university consortia and research organizations to award scholarships and research fellowships to graduate students, academics and researchers at their institutions, to study or undertake research in the Indo-Pacific Region.

The IPSFC program will:

• Enhance the study and research capacity of Canadians in areas related to the Indo-Pacific Strategy
• Increase connectivity between Canadian and Indo-Pacific institutions dedicated to research and education
• Support new research streams and academic pursuits in Canada on the Indo-Pacific region

Study or research must be in line with the strategic objectives of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Individual projects may receive up to $520,000 in funding. Projects must start after November 1, 2025, and end before March 31, 2028.

Host universities or research institutions must be based in one of the eligible countries and economies in the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information on this call for proposals, please consult the program guidelines. 

Each organization may submit one (1) proposal to the competition; therefore, UPEI applicants must follow the internal selection process outlined below.

Anyone interested in applying to the call for proposals must first confirm the support of their supervisor (e.g., Chair/Dean/Director), then submit a letter of intent (LOI) to Research Services (researchservices@upei.ca) by July 7, 2025 at noon.

The LOI must include the following information:

1) A maximum two-page document outlining:

• Project description, including areas of study or research and anticipated host country 
• Your team’s existing engagement and partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, and how the proposed project will support the strategic objectives of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
• Proposed process for project delivery, including the selection of awardees and how the project will take reasonable efforts to ensure diversity in awardees
• The project team’s organizational structure with key roles and responsibilities
• Confirmed and anticipated partner organization(s) 

2) A maximum one-page budget description 

• Anticipated number of scholarships and/or fellowships
• Anticipated budget including any contributions from other sources

3) Proof of the involvement of an Indo-Pacific host institution for awardees of scholarships or fellowships. Correspondence can be informal (e.g., an email) at the internal LOI stage. 

An internal selection process will be jointly coordinated by the Office of Study Abroad and International Relations, Faculty of Graduate Studies, and Research Services. One applicant will be selected to proceed with a submission to the program. The application deadline is August 6, 2025 at 1pm (Atlantic Time). 

For more information, contact Leslie Cudmore, Research Grants Coordinator (lcudmore@upei.ca or 902-566-0709).