Campus Notices
The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last TWELVE draws, the total pot has grown to more than $45,000, 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.
A new book titled The Spiritual Imagination of C.S. Lewis, by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, Assistant Professor with the UPEI Faculty of Arts, will be launched on Tuesday, October 6, at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, at UPEI. Hosted by the Bookmark, the event is free, and all are welcome.
During the book launch, Dr. Dickieson will be in conversation with Dr. Kate Scarth, Associate Professor and Chair of L.M. Montgomery Studies and Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture at UPEI.
With book sales exceeding 200 million copies, a billion-dollar film industry, and a bookshelf of critical, philosophical, and popular works, C.S. Lewis is at once the beloved author of The Chronicles of Narnia and a leading 20th-century English-speaking Christian public intellectual. Given the sheer diversity of Lewis's writing, what holds all this together? What is the beating heart of Lewis’ work? In The Spiritual Imagination of C.S. Lewis, Dr. Dickieson argues that what Lewis reveals throughout his writings is a cross-shaped, or cruciform, spirituality. This death-and-resurrection pattern unites Lewis's Christian thought and produces a hopeful and evocative spirituality that is embedded in his poetry and prose.
The Department of Physics invites you to visit the Earl L. Wonnacott Observatory this fall to look through our telescope. We will be pointing our telescope at various objects of interest: the moon, planets, stars, nebula, and galaxies, depending on the date and sky conditions.
Our next scheduled viewing is Saturday, October 3, 8:00-10:00 pm. Drop by Memorial Hall, room 417 during that time to wait for your turn to go up to the observatory.
In the event of cloudy weather, this event will be postponed to later in October. Check for updates on our website by 10am on the day of the event.
PEI’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week, October 1 - 7, 2026 is a dedicated time to raise awareness about sexual violence in our community; to educate on sexual violence prevention; and to show compassion and offer support to survivors of sexual violence in our community. For this Sexual Assault Awareness Week, make sure to check out:
- Sexual Assault Awareness Week Display, October 1 – 7, in the Concourse of the W. A. Murphy Student Centre.
- Coffee & Consent, October 2, 11:30am until 1:00pm in the Concourse of the W. A. Murphy Student Centre, hosted by the Student Union. Stop by for free warm drinks, resources on healthy relationships and consent, and to participate on the interactive community board.
- Sisters in Spirit: National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and Gender-Diverse People is observed on October 4. This is a day to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people, their families, loved ones, and communities.
- Courageous Conversation about Consent: Join SVPRO, the Student Union, and the Chaplaincy Centre for a courageous conversation about consent! Let's discuss what consent means, how it applies in our daily lives, and how we can build the campus community we want with a culture of consent as our foundation. Monday, October 5 at 12:00pm in the Chaplaincy Centre. Pizza and drinks provided!
- Sexy Sexual Healthy Trivia: First Kiss Edition with Samantha Bitty on October 6 at 7:00pm at The Fox and Crow. Learn about confidence and boundaries; navigating consent without cringe; prioritizing pleasure and choice; as well as sex and inclusivity! Expect lots of laughs, prizes, a drag lip-sync performance, and more at this sex positive event.
For information about events happening off-campus, please check out the PEI Rape and Sexual Assault Centre’s SAAW webpage: https://www.peirsac.org/prevention-education
If you experience sexual or gender-based violence, you are not alone. The UPEI Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office is here to help: 902-620-5090 or sv-pro@upei.ca. You can also visit us in the W. A. Murphy Student Centre, 2nd Floor (above the UPEI Bookstore) from 8:30 am–4:00 pm, Monday – Friday.
You can now pre-order a custom hoodie (Black or Forest Green) or a crew (Sport Grey) with your UPEI program on it. From September 28 to October 9 place your pre-order on our website or stop by the Bookstore and choose the custom program hoodie or crew of your choice. Pick up or delivery of all orders will be early December. If you are a current UPEI staff member enter the promo code STAFFWEB to use your staff discount. Contact us at bookstore@upei.ca for more information.
After many years, the Library had to make the difficult decision to close the Central Printing Service https://libraryupei.ca/cpo, which has historically operated from Robertson Library and provided printing, course pack production, poster printing, binding, and related services to university departments and the campus community.
Please note that this closure will not affect the PaperCut network printing: https://libraryupei.ca/printing.
These are the Island-based solutions that provide professional, high-quality printing, spiral binding, and other services. In fact, the library has frequently used these companies as a backup during our frequent equipment failures.
- Pressed for Time - https://www.pressed4time.ca/
- Dalmac - https://dalmac.ca/contact/
Submitting physical copies of theses to the library has no longer been required, as it has been replaced by an electronic deposit. However, if the department wishes to print copies for their own records, these are the solutions for hardback that we can recommend:
- Wallaceburg Bookbinding https://www.wbmbindery.com/ The most economical way to have a thesis bound is to send them an electronic file rather than a paper copy.
- Scotia Bookbinding. It only accepts already printed copies, not electronic files: https://scotiabookbinding.com/.
A key factor in this decision was the growing challenges of maintaining the existing printing infrastructure. In August, we were advised that service support could no longer be provided, leaving the operation without a viable maintenance option. In the current financial climate, no funds are available to replace it. The closure reflects the equipment’s obsolescence, the significant investment required to establish a replacement service, the increased availability of network printing technologies, and ongoing efforts to identify operational efficiencies across the institution.
The service will honour all printing requests received before Monday, September 21. However, it will not be able to serve as an intermediary to organise any binding.
The Writing Centre is now open for in-person, virtual, and walk-in appointments. Please visit our booking site to see availability: https://upei.mywconline.com/
Please see the log-in page for our temporary locations. When booking, remember to cross-check the time slot and location.
For questions, please contact the Writing Centre Coordinator: jschneider@upei.ca
We look forward to working with you this semester!
The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, October 2, 2026. These applications will be reviewed at the October 15 meeting.
All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI researcher portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/. Instructions for using the researcher portal are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.
Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the researcher portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.
Join Marissa Clapson (Chemistry) and Ashton Dougan (Nursing) for an interactive lunch-and-learn where you won’t just hear about escape rooms, you’ll experience one. In this session, participants will take part in a mini educational escape room, explore the tactile and digital materials we use to design them, and learn how escape rooms can promote engagement, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving across disciplines. We will share examples from nursing and chemistry, discuss student reactions and learning outcomes, and walk you through the first steps of planning your own classroom escape room. Whether you teach in the sciences, health, or beyond, you’ll leave with practical ideas, adaptable resources, and inspiration to bring playful, high-impact learning into your courses.
Faculty, staff, and students are invited and encouraged to serve on a committee helping to implement programming for this year's senior class. Ideally, the group meets approximately 4 to 6 times during the academic year to discuss events, interests, and engagement promotion to those graduating between August 2026 and May 2027. The Office of Student Culture and Community Standards are particularly interested in hearing student perspectives. Those interested are asked to be willing to assist with some tasks related to the developed programming.
For more information, please reach out to Student Engagement Officer, Krissi Ewing, or refer back to the 2026 Convocation Countdown programming.
Below are upcoming training opportunities for the fall that may be of interest to faculty and students. Most sessions are online and free of charge.
REGISTER: https://www.ace-net.ca/training/
Introduction to Computational Thinking
7 October, 1300-1600hrs NL (in-person, Memorial University)
9 October, 0900-1200hrs Atlantic (in-person, Dalhousie University)
Note that there is no online option.
Computational thinking is an essential skill for anyone wanting to learn to program computers and write code. This workshop takes you through the steps involved in computational thinking, learning how to break down complex problems into smaller parts, identify patterns, and design logical solutions that a computer can execute. Through hands-on activities, you practice techniques such as problem decomposition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking. By the end of the session, you have a stronger foundation for approaching programming tasks with confidence, setting the stage for future coding and data-driven learning. This session is designed for beginners who are curious about programming but may not know where to start. It’s especially valuable for those exploring computer science or data science for the first time, or for people in non-technical fields who want to build problem-solving and coding skills.
Machine Learning Foundations
14, 15, 16 October, 0900-1730hrs Atlantic (In-person, Dalhousie University)
Note that there is no online option and space is limited to 30 participants.
Machine learning and AI technologies are transforming science, but knowing how to get started can feel overwhelming. This intensive 3-day hands-on workshop offered by the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops through bioinformatics.ca introduces foundational concepts and methods of machine learning with practical examples and exercises. You will gain experience in: applications and limitations of machine learning and deep learning; decision trees and random forests; artificial neural networks (ANNs); fundamentals of clustering as an unsupervised machine learning method; machine learning operations principles; and, applying these machine learning techniques for biomarker discovery, secondary structure prediction and more. This workshop targets biologists and other life scientists.
Microcredential in Practical Foundations for Data Analytics
20 October to 10 November, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1400-1700hrs Atlantic | 1430-1730hrs NL (online)
Note that space is limited and participants must submit an application.
This microcredential provides a comprehensive introduction to the essential tools and techniques required for modern computational data analysis. The program combines classroom and self-study learning to build foundational skills in Linux, Python, version control with Git, cybersecurity, and high performance computing (HPC). Participants gain hands-on experience with essential computational tools and methods and develop practical skills. Whether you are beginning to integrate computational tools into your workflow or seek to expand your knowledge, this microcredential offers a structured pathway to becoming proficient in key areas of data analytics. Participants need basic math skills and intermediate experience with computers, including working with documents and spreadsheets.
Using Spreadsheets to Organize Data
28 October, 1300-1600hrs Atlantic | 1330-1630hrs NL (online)
We use spreadsheet programs for entering, organizing, subsetting, and sorting data, for generating statistics and plots, and more. This course shows you some best practices that will result in fewer mistakes, greater reproducibility, and easier use of other software tools with data exported from spreadsheets. Learn how to: decide whether a spreadsheet or a database is the more suitable tool for a project; reorganize and reformat a spreadsheet to avoid common problems; parse and format dates using spreadsheet functions; detect and correct some kinds of data errors in spreadsheets; export spreadsheet data in portable formats; and, use a pivot table to summarize data in different ways. Participants should be comfortable using a computer and navigating files and folders. No prior programming experience is necessary.
Are you a graduate student looking to strengthen your teaching practice, prepare for future academic roles, or build confidence as an instructor? Whether you're new to teaching or have completed the Certificate in University Teaching Quick Start, the University Teaching Domain Certificate: Learner Centredness offers an opportunity to explore evidence-informed approaches to teaching and learning.
Designed for graduate students, this program helps participants develop practical teaching skills for teaching assistantships and future instructional roles. Through self-paced learning, reflection, discussion, and application, you'll build a foundation in effective and inclusive teaching practices.
Dates and Times:
- October 1 – How People Learn, 12:00-1:00 pm (Please note the change in the date for this session.)
- October 21 – Presentation Prep, 12:00-1:00 pm
- November 18 – Universal Design for Learning (UDL), 12:00-1:00 pm
Bring your own lunch and join us for an engaging session.
Location: Robertson Library Annex 230
Hosted by: The Teaching and Learning Centre
Spinal Cord Injury PEI (SCI PEI) invites you to participate in a Week Without Driving!
Transportation shapes every part of life. No matter where we live, everyone deserves safe, reliable, and dignified access to the places we need to go. Non-drivers make up 30% of the population.
The annual Week Without Driving returns October 1 to 8, inviting policy-makers and the public to experience transit, active travel, and other mobility options as a non-driver. We hope that the insights we collect from participants will lead to more accessible communities for everyone.
Commit to not driving for the week, or even just a day or two. And spread the word about the need for more transportation choices in your community. Pledge to take a Week Without Driving here: https://transitmatterschtown.ca/wwd2026
September programming through SCI PEI can also be found on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1980961509352887&set=a.1162200021229044
Campus2Market Discover Bootcamp is the one-stop shop to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey, whether you already have an idea or not! Learn how to ideate with a customer focus, structure your concept into a business model, identify your most attractive customer segment, and communicate your early-stage idea effectively!
Campus2Market Discover Bootcamp is the only way to make yourself and your team eligible to participate in the new Aspire stream of the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program next semester for first and second year students!
The best part? You can complete the whole program in just 3 DAYS! The full bootcamp is taking place in FSDE 128B on the UPEI campus on the following dates:
- Friday, October 2 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm
- Saturday, October 3 from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
- Sunday, October 4 from 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Any current UPEI and Holland College student, faculty member, or recent graduate within the last 5 years is eligible to attend. Food is provided throughout the bootcamp! Register today.
Our EFAP provider, Green Shield, is hosting orientation webinars for all employees, faculty members, and their dependents who would like to learn more about how their UPEI EFAP benefits work.
2026 dates offered: February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5 and December 3.
To register:
- Click this ZOOM link to register
- Please select the best date (note that the time zone is listed in EST).
- Complete the Webinar Registration.
- You will receive an email confirmation that has the log-in and call-in details.
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
Create your account to explore services, including Mental Health Support: Get convenient, personalized mental health support from a qualified therapist best suited to you, or explore our self-guided online therapy program at your own pace.
We hope you’ll enjoy this integrated and convenient health experience.
ACCOUNT AS AN EMPLOYEE
Create your account to access GreenShield+ services today.
Your Organization code is: UPEI
Sign Up
To access your EAP on GreenShield+:
- Make a note of your Organization Code "UPEI"
- Go to app.greenshieldplus.ca/en/sign-up
- Select Through an Employer or Organization
- Select I have an Organization Code
- Follow the steps to register
ACCOUNT AS A DEPENDENT
Before You Begin: You should only choose through a family member if you are a dependent (e.g. partner, spouse, child) of a person with a plan member ID or organization code.
For questions, contact Human Resources at employeeservices@upei.ca
If you’d like to explore quantum computing, put together a team and enter the Qollab global quantum hackathon for 48 hours beginning October 9! It’s the largest global distributed quantum hackathon, and ACENET is the Atlantic Canadian partner with Qollab and IonQ. There are both student and professional tracks.
Teams of 1 to 4 participants compete globally for a first prize of $10,000, plus quantum compute time valued at $20,000. If at least 10 Atlantic Canadian teams enter, there will be local prizes too! You don’t need quantum computing experience to enter, but Python would be useful.
Have questions? Join the Q&A session at 2:00pm Atlantic on September 29
Our new quantum computing specialist, muhammad.muzammil@ace-net.ca, will also be happy to help you.
PEI’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week, October 1 - 7, 2026 is a dedicated time to raise awareness about sexual violence in our community; to educate on sexual violence prevention; and to show compassion and offer support to survivors of sexual violence in our community. For this Sexual Assault Awareness Week, make sure to check out:
- Sexual Assault Awareness Week Display, October 1 – 7, in the Concourse of the W. A. Murphy Student Centre.
- Coffee & Consent, October 2, 11:30am until 1:00pm in the Concourse of the W. A. Murphy Student Centre, hosted by the Student Union. Stop by for free warm drinks, resources on healthy relationships and consent, and to participate on the interactive community board.
- Sisters in Spirit: National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and Gender-Diverse People is observed on October 4. This is a day to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people, their families, loved ones, and communities.
- Courageous Conversation about Consent: Join SVPRO, the Student Union, and the Chaplaincy Centre for a courageous conversation about consent! Let's discuss what consent means, how it applies in our daily lives, and how we can build the campus community we want with a culture of consent as our foundation. Monday, October 5 at 12:00pm in the Chaplaincy Centre. Pizza and drinks provided!
- Sexy Sexual Healthy Trivia: First Kiss Edition with Samantha Bitty on October 6 at 7:00pm at The Fox and Crow. Learn about confidence and boundaries; navigating consent without cringe; prioritizing pleasure and choice; as well as sex and inclusivity! Expect lots of laughs, prizes, a drag lip-sync performance, and more at this sex positive event.
For information about events happening off-campus, please check out the PEI Rape and Sexual Assault Centre’s SAAW webpage: https://www.peirsac.org/prevention-education
If you experience sexual or gender-based violence, you are not alone. The UPEI Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office is here to help: 902-620-5090 or sv-pro@upei.ca. You can also visit us in the W. A. Murphy Student Centre, 2nd Floor (above the UPEI Bookstore) from 8:30 am–4:00 pm, Monday – Friday.
You can now pre-order a custom hoodie (Black or Forest Green) or a crew (Sport Grey) with your UPEI program on it. From September 28 to October 9 place your pre-order on our website or stop by the Bookstore and choose the custom program hoodie or crew of your choice. Pick up or delivery of all orders will be early December. If you are a current UPEI staff member enter the promo code STAFFWEB to use your staff discount. Contact us at bookstore@upei.ca for more information.
After many years, the Library had to make the difficult decision to close the Central Printing Service https://libraryupei.ca/cpo, which has historically operated from Robertson Library and provided printing, course pack production, poster printing, binding, and related services to university departments and the campus community.
Please note that this closure will not affect the PaperCut network printing: https://libraryupei.ca/printing.
These are the Island-based solutions that provide professional, high-quality printing, spiral binding, and other services. In fact, the library has frequently used these companies as a backup during our frequent equipment failures.
- Pressed for Time - https://www.pressed4time.ca/
- Dalmac - https://dalmac.ca/contact/
Submitting physical copies of theses to the library has no longer been required, as it has been replaced by an electronic deposit. However, if the department wishes to print copies for their own records, these are the solutions for hardback that we can recommend:
- Wallaceburg Bookbinding https://www.wbmbindery.com/ The most economical way to have a thesis bound is to send them an electronic file rather than a paper copy.
- Scotia Bookbinding. It only accepts already printed copies, not electronic files: https://scotiabookbinding.com/.
A key factor in this decision was the growing challenges of maintaining the existing printing infrastructure. In August, we were advised that service support could no longer be provided, leaving the operation without a viable maintenance option. In the current financial climate, no funds are available to replace it. The closure reflects the equipment’s obsolescence, the significant investment required to establish a replacement service, the increased availability of network printing technologies, and ongoing efforts to identify operational efficiencies across the institution.
The service will honour all printing requests received before Monday, September 21. However, it will not be able to serve as an intermediary to organise any binding.
The Writing Centre is now open for in-person, virtual, and walk-in appointments. Please visit our booking site to see availability: https://upei.mywconline.com/
Please see the log-in page for our temporary locations. When booking, remember to cross-check the time slot and location.
For questions, please contact the Writing Centre Coordinator: jschneider@upei.ca
We look forward to working with you this semester!
