This semester, the UPEI Healthy Campus Committee provides a free meditation and gentle yoga class for UPEI staff, faculty, and retirees. The classes take place on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm and Thursdays at 12:10 pm and will go until the end of June. Experience is NOT necessary. These classes are a great way to relieve stress, introduce some slow movements, and an opportunity to meditate and rest.   

To register weekly, log in at recreation.upei.ca or through the new Panther Recreation app with your UPEI email address and password. Click on the wellness icon and find the class you would like to participate in. Please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, for assistance and/or questions.

Happy New Year!

The UPEI Health Research Network is looking for full/part-time undergraduate students for the Connections program, which starts on January 22.

Would you like to meet new friends and be involved in an inclusive and non-judgmental environment to learn about food, health, stress, coping, and physical activity? 

The staff at the Health Research Network is offering a free eight-session program to help connect undergraduate students to provide an environment for learning on a variety of topics around health and well-being and connecting to the student community. Snacks will be provided at each session!

This free program will include a total of eight weekly group education sessions which include 1 hour with a registered dietitian and 1-2 hours of exercise sessions with a kinesiologist (plus open gym times) located in the lower level of the Steel Building. These sessions will be student-centered so we welcome any level of knowledge and ability. 

If you are interested in registering, please email Gemma and Laurie at connections@upei.ca for more information or to register. We look forward to seeing you there!

Based on his new book, Time Flies: An Aerial History of Coastal and Ribbon Development on Prince Edward Island, Dr. Joshua MacFadyen will show that development in the coastal zone and along rural roads is accelerating on Prince Edward Island, just as the province is experiencing sustainability challenges in both areas. The talk will offer a unique combination of aerial photographs, historical maps, and more traditional sources, as it describes the province’s journey into modernity.

The following undergraduate student research awards programs have been launched for 2024:

• NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards
• Engineering Undergraduate Student Research Awards
• Science Undergraduate Student Research Awards
• Undergraduate Student Research Awards for Black student researchers

Calls for applications can be found here. Applications are due on February 20, 2024. For more information, contact Leslie Cudmore, Research Grants Coordinator, at lcudmore@upei.ca. 

Looking to engage with other UPEI  instructors to ask questions and discuss your teaching experiences with AI? Join us in person or online for a coffee break on Tuesday, January 16, at 11:00 am. For details and to register, go to https://forms.office.com/r/PBapcgxN20

Plans are underway for a winter reading group. 

Our book this winter will be Towards Braiding. We're going to move quickly through this slim volume starting in February and then move on to a workbook called Stamina for Decolonizing Higher Education. We're planning four meetings from 11:00 am to noon on February 16, March 8, April 12, and May 8 in the Teaching and Learning Centre (RL 230). Please RSVP here

For a link to access the e-book, go to https://decolonialfutures.net/towardsbraiding/

For a link to access the workbook, go to https://decolonialfutures.net/stamina-for-decolonizing-higher-education/

If you have any questions, email TLC@upei.ca

The International Symposium of Critical Studies of Artificial Intelligence and Education will be a one-day online symposium taking place on February 2, 2024, supported by the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence under the auspices of UNESCO.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2024), cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally with an estimated 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths in 2020.

Facts about cervical cancer:

• The highest rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality are in low- and middle-income countries. This reflects major inequities driven by lack of access to national HPV vaccination, cervical screening and treatment services, and social and economic determinants.
• Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV.
• Prophylactic vaccination against HPV and screening and treatment of pre-cancer lesions are effective ways to prevent cervical cancer and are very cost-effective.
• Cervical cancer can be cured if diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly.
• Countries around the world are working to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer in the coming decades, with an agreed set of three targets to be met by 2030. 

If you have not been vaccinated for HPV, please contact the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre to discuss and potentially receive the HPV vaccine.

If you are sexually active and have not had a pap test in the last two years, contact the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre (healthcentre@upei.ca; 902-566-0616) or SHORS PEI (Sexual Health, Options and Reproductive Services, call toll free: 1-844-365-8258).

The call for proposals is open for the Active Learning Network's Global Festival of Active Learning until January 26.  The theme for this year is "Back to the future–looking ahead for active learning." The festival, which is online and free to attend, will take place from March 11 to 15, 2024, with two one-hour slots each day.  

A 45-minute drop-in session where we will look at some basic slide design principles and then spend time redesigning one of your own slide decks.

What to bring: A set of slides and a device to work on

Schedule:  

• 10-minute presentation on slide design 

• 30 minutes to work individually on your own slides; the host is present for questions 

• 5 minutes to reflect on how it went and ask more questions 

Contact Kristy at kmckinney@upei.ca if you have any questions.

There will be a basic biosafety training session on February 14, 2024, at 9:00 am in AVC 287N. Topics will include basic biosafety principles and how they are applied at the University of Prince Edward Island, as well as biosecurity training. This session is open to everyone, including graduate students.

To attend, you must pre-register by contacting Jacky Buell by the end of the day on February 7, 2024, by email (hse@upei.ca) or by phone (902-566-0901). Please provide your name, department, your supervisor’s name (if applicable), if you are a graduate student, email address, and phone number in your email or voice message.

NOTE: An online basic biosafety training refresher course is available for those who need it. 

A variety of small group training options and specialty fitness classes (barre fitness, kettlebell, yoga) will start soon. UPEI staff and faculty have discounted rates. What rate do you pay? Log into recreation.upei.ca, and click on the UPEI login button. Enter your UPEI email and password. Click on fitness programming and check out the small group training options and specialty fitness classes. 

New: Download the Panther Recreation app and log in with your UPEI email and password. With the app, you'll be able to register for fitness programs, click on operating hours, see varsity schedules, buy varsity tickets online, and more.    

Since the release of the University of Prince Edward Island Review (UPEI Review) in June 2023, UPEI has undertaken a consultation process with members of the campus and broader community. The preliminary draft of the UPEI Action Plan, which is a work in progress, reflects the candid input and feedback gathered through consultations over a six-month period. To contribute to further developing the plan, we encourage you to read the draft and provide feedback until January 17:

Preliminary Draft – UPEI Action Plan

Feedback Consultation Form 

For more information, visit the Action Plan Community Consultation web page on upei.ca.

UPEI Health, Safety, and Environment will hold a building emergency plan session for chief wardens, floor wardens, and guardians on Friday, January 19, 2024, at 1:30 pm, in Bill and Denise Andrew Hall (AH), Room 142.

Please email hse@upei.ca if you are interested in attending.

This semester, the UPEI Healthy Campus Committee provides a free meditation and gentle yoga class for UPEI staff, faculty, and retirees. The classes take place on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm and Thursdays at 12:10 pm and will go until the end of June. Experience is NOT necessary. These classes are a great way to relieve stress, introduce some slow movements, and an opportunity to meditate and rest.   

To register weekly, log in at recreation.upei.ca or through the new Panther Recreation app with your UPEI email address and password. Click on the wellness icon and find the class you would like to participate in. Please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, for assistance and/or questions.

A variety of small group training options and specialty fitness classes (barre fitness, kettlebell, yoga) will start soon. UPEI staff and faculty have discounted rates. What rate do you pay? Log into recreation.upei.ca, and click on the UPEI login button. Enter your UPEI email and password. Click on fitness programming and check out the small group training options and specialty fitness classes. 

New: Download the Panther Recreation app and log in with your UPEI email and password. With the app, you'll be able to register for fitness programs, click on operating hours, see varsity schedules, buy varsity tickets online, and more.    

The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) is now accepting applications for the Dr. Tim Ogilvie AVC Vet Camps, taking place in July/August 2024.

Designed for students entering grades 7-9 or 10-12, each of the four week-long camps will provide campers with a behind-the-scenes look at the world of veterinary medicine. Campers will learn about caring for animals, go on field trips, and take part in fun and educational activities.

For more information, and to apply, visit www.upei.ca/avcsummerprograms/vetcamp

The deadline for applications is March 18, 2024.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, February 2, for the February meeting.

Please note that as of June 1, 2020, all animal user protocols must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

For new protocols, select "applications," and for renewal or amendment protocols, select "events."

UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx. 

Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The committee requires at least one month for processing applications.

On Saturday, January 13, at 7:30 pm, the UPEI Department of Music will present a Faculty Recital featuring Magdalena von Eccher on the SDU Stage, Dr. Steel Recital Hall, UPEI.

This solo piano recital will feature a diverse program of works ranging from W. A. Mozart to Kelly-Marie Murphy, centering around a group of works by Clara and Robert Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn and her brother Felix, and Johannes Brahms. Steeped in lyricism and poetry, the recital will be a vivid portrayal of Magdalena's broad range of musical interests.

Admission is $30 for adults and $10 for students, payable by cash at the door. Accessible parking is available, and the theatre has an accessible entrance via elevator.

Since the release of the University of Prince Edward Island Review (UPEI Review) in June 2023, UPEI has undertaken a consultation process with members of the campus and broader community. The preliminary draft of the UPEI Action Plan, which is a work in progress, reflects the candid input and feedback gathered through consultations over a six-month period. To contribute to further developing the plan, we encourage you to read the draft and provide feedback until January 17:

Preliminary Draft – UPEI Action Plan

Feedback Consultation Form 

For more information, visit the Action Plan Community Consultation web page on upei.ca.