The Open Education Resource (OER) Development Program is hosting a drop-in Q&A for any faculty interested in applying for an OER Development Grant. This will be taking place on December 9 from 12:30 to 2 pm in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex 230. Faculty are welcome to drop by whenever it suits them during the allotted time to ask questions about project ideas, grant submissions, OERs, pressbooks, and more!

Can't make the time slot? Send your questions to Charlene VanLeeuwen, Program Coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Centre (cvanleeuwen@upei.ca) or Keri McCaffrey, One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian (knmccaffrey@upei.ca).

The UPEI Centre for Health and Community Research is seeking individuals to join a research advisory council to help create story maps showcasing how climate change can affect different communities across the island. No research experience is required. Applicants must be currently living on PEI and be 18+ years old.

Advisory members will share their experiences and insights to guide equitable decision-making and improve support for those most impacted by climate change. Advisors will take part in six 90-minute meetings between December 2024 and March 2025, with a final workshop in March 2025. Members will be compensated $400 for their time and will receive support to attend meetings. Applications are open until December 8, 2024. To apply, visit https://forms.office.com/r/fz1dQLR6za

On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, come to the Robertson Library for a coffee/tea break! At 10:00 am, stop by the lobby with your reusable cup for a free coffee or tea and a little treat!

This year, Giving Tuesday at UPEI (December 3) is all about showing our love for the Robertson Library! The Robertson Library has been at the heart of our campus for nearly 50 years, supporting student success. On Giving Tuesday, your support will help us elevate the Robertson Library to new heights, empowering every student to reach their full potential! UPEI’s growth demands a world-class library, and to bring this idea to life, we have embarked on a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $15 million to support the revitalization of the library and continue to serve generations of students to come.

Every donation designated for the "Robertson Library Revitalization Campaign" made on or before Giving Tuesday will be MATCHED by an extremely generous anonymous donor--up to a total of $20,000!  

Get ready to make your mark on Giving Tuesday and be part of something truly extraordinary! Let's come together, donate, and support the Robertson Library Revitalization Campaign!   

Donate on Giving Tuesday! Together we can create a vibrant future for the Robertson Library! 

Visit the Love our Library website and support the revitalization project or call 902-894-2888.

Giving Tuesday is a global movement for giving and volunteering that takes place each year after Black Friday. As the “opening day of the giving season,” it is a time when charities, companies, and individuals join together and rally for favourite causes. To learn more about Giving Tuesday, visit givingtuesday.ca. 

On November 28, the UPEI Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dale Sorensen with guest conductor Nicole Strum, will present a concert of music inspired by nature at UPEI’s Performing Arts Centre theatre at 7:30 pm. The program will include works by Canadian composers John Herberman (The Fisher Who Died in His Bed), Dana Reason (Currents), Barbara York (River of Stars), and the PEI premiere of Wind, Sand and Stars by Kevin Lau, commissioned in 2024 by a consortium of 25 North American wind ensembles including the UPEI Wind Symphony. Rounding out the program will be works by Luke Ellard (Shifting Tides) and Russell Peck (Cave).

Accessible parking is available, and accessible entry to the theatre is available via elevator.

For more information on the UPEI Department of Music’s upcoming recitals and events, visit upei.ca/music.

Join your UPEI Student Union on Thursday, November 28, for our Holiday Market from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in McMillan Hall, W.A Murphy Student Centre!

The first 250 students will each receive a $5 voucher to spend at their favourite vendor.

Students, club executives, and alumni will sell unique, handmade products!

Click on this link for more information: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCrYs-TMaSt/

Hey, Panther fans,

This holiday season,  your UPEI Panthers are excited to launch the "Panthers Pack the Truck with Love: A Teddy and Toy Drive" to spread joy and comfort to children in need. We are collecting new teddies and toys, which will be donated to the pediatric department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Ocean 100's Toys for Tots program.

Donations can be dropped off during the UPEI Panther Men’s hockey game on November 29 vs StFX at 7:00 pm at the MacLauchlan Arena, where a truck will be stationed in the lobby to accept donations. We’d love to see you there and fill the truck with love for kids in our community!

Kristina Kupferschmidt, who has recently joined the UPEI School of Mathematics and Computational Sciences, will give a talk entitled "Using Machine Learning to Forecast Changes in Canada’s Food Prices: Canada’s Food Price Report 2025" on Friday, November 29, at noon as part of the Atlantic Canada Data Science Tour. Anyone interested in meeting our new faculty member or in learning more about applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence is invited to join remotely or in person in AVC 286A.   

More information can be found here: https://canssi.ca/events/atlantic-tour-using-machine-learning/

Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, November 29, 2024, for review at the December meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for the REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, November 29, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the December 19 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI researcher portal. Information about the researcher portal, including instructions for using the site, is 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.

Nicholas Busch and Megaria Halim will perform on the SDU Stage in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall on November 29, 2024, at 7:30 pm.

Visions de l'amen is a suite of seven pieces for two pianos by Olivier Messiaen. Come and experience the richness of harmony, colour, and intensity in this performance!

“By joining the life of the creatures who say "amen" by the fact that they exist, I have tried to express the varied riches of the Amen in seven musical visions.” - O. Messiaen

Nicholas Busch is a pianist, organist, composer, and instructor based in Ottawa. He holds a Masters degree specializing in Collaborative Piano at Western University, studying with Dr. John Hess and Professor Mariana Chibotar-Rutkevich.

Megaria Halim is a pianist and teacher currently based in London, Ontario. She graduated with her DMA under Dr. Angela Park and MMus in Literature and Performance from Western University under Dr. John Hess.

Admission is free. Accessible parking is available, and the theatre has an accessible entrance via elevator.

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last SEVEN draws, the total pot has grown to more than $28,000, 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 MacLauchlan Panther Pitch is returning this winter semester! To celebrate the return of this storied competition, the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is kicking off the program with an official launch event on Thursday, November 28, from 5:00-7:00 pm, in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall. 

Join us in celebrating the return of Panther Pitch, get the earliest scoop about what’s in store for this round of the competition, listen to past winners and their experiences in the program, and network with like-minded students about entering the competition! Light refreshments will be provided.

This 45-minute session has been created in collaboration between the TLC, EDIHR, and Accessibility Services. It will take place on November 28, starting at noon, in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library Annex 230.

Make an impact on student learning by rethinking your slides. We will touch on simple suggestions that can build a connection with your students and enhance learning. If you haven’t reviewed your slides recently or if you feel like you need some support in this process, this is a great space to ask questions and be among others who feel the same way. We will look at some basic principles, and then you will spend time redesigning one of your own slide decks. 

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

Schedule:   

• 15-minute presentation by Jaclyn Borden, Jasmine Pauze, and Kristy McKinney 

• 25 minutes to work individually or in groups on your own slides; the hosts are present for questions  

• 5 minutes to reflect and ask more questions 

Contact Kristy at kmckinney@upei.ca if you are planning to attend. 

This is a reminder that the UPEI Biosafety Program requires that all principal investigators confirm the security and complete inventory of all biohazardous materials being used or stored. This confirmation is due in November of each year.  

Inventory records must be kept up to date throughout the year. Any inventory discrepancies noted during an annual lab inspection may lead to an in-depth inventory audit by the Biosafety Committee. Please ensure your inventory is up to date throughout the year, including prior to completing the steps listed below.

To confirm your inventory is up to date, take the following steps:

1. Access your inventory at http://biosafety.vre3.upei.ca.  Remember to ignore the prominent "Access Denied" that appears on your screen. Just click on "Log in" at the top of the screen, in the grey bar.
2. Log in 
3. Click Edit 
4. Scroll down this page until you see the November 2024 box and enter the date.
5. Hit Save! Task completed. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Please contact Rhoda Speare (rspeare@upei.ca or ext. 5071) if you have any questions.

As part of the UPEI Hearing Conservation Program, audiometric testing will take place on November 27 and December 3, 2024. These tests take approximately ten minutes to complete. 

It is important to have your hearing tested annually, especially in workplaces with high noise levels. All UPEI employees are welcome to participate.

Please pre-register for audiometric testing by contacting Jacky Buell at HSE@upei.ca or 902-566-0901 by November 26, 2024.

Dr. Kate Scarth will give a presentation titled "L.M. Montgomery at 150" on November 15, 2024, at 2:30 pm, in SDU Main Building, Room 320.

"This talk will happen on the eve of the 150th anniversary of L.M. Mont­gomery’s birth on November 30, 1874. Given this Prince Edward Islander’s status as an internationally renowned and beloved writer, it is perhaps not surprising that across Montgomery’s life, works, and legacy, births and birthdays are marked with stories—stories told, stories gifted, stories made possible. To celebrate Montgomery’s 150th birthday, I’ll share some of these stories marking births and birthdays from her novels, journals, and from readers and fans (for example, from the yourlmmontgomerystory.com project that I’m co-directing with Trinna Frever). I look forward to sharing stories with you in honour of #Maud150!"

Current and new members of the UPEI Community of Practice: Excellence in Graduate Supervision are invited to the next CoP meeting on November 27, at 4:00 pm, in the Teaching and Learning Centre, Roberston Library 230. Join Dr. Raquel Hoersting for a conversation about the practical applications of the supervision discrimination model to various practices within graduate supervision. Following a brief overview of the model applied to their own clinical supervision, Dr. Hoersting will engage CoP members in discussing ways the model can be applied to their own graduate supervision.

To request a calendar invitation, or for more information about the Community of Practice, please contact Kendra Mellish, FGS Graduate Programs Officer, at kmellish@upei.ca

From November 25 until December 10, Canada observes 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This international campaign raises awareness of gender-based violence and calls us to take action to make our communities safer for everyone. 

This year, the UPEI Student Union's Mental Health team and the UPEI Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office (SVPRO) invite everyone to join us in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, on November 27, from 12:00 to 3:00 pm, as we make a community “quilt” for gender-based violence prevention.

Each participant may create a canvas square for the quilt with a message about gender-based violence prevention:

• Paint an image 
• Create a poem 
• Write a message of support to survivors

Art supplies, snacks, and some goodies will be provided!

Attention UPEI staff and faculty members! 

The UPEI M365 Project is looking to verify UPEI’s staff and faculty telephone information to ensure that our system catalogue is accurate and up to date.

By participating in this activity, you are helping support the planning and implementation of our new telephone systems once we are ready to deploy them on campus. 

We encourage all staff and faculty members to take part in this survey even if you have recently updated your telephone data. We appreciate your individual confirmation to ensure that our records are accurate.

The first group who will be engaged are those who have a single assigned telephone number or share a telephone (number) with other team members. For those who meet these criteria, you will receive an email the week of November 25 from M365Project@upei.ca with further information and a link to the survey.

Mobile phones and associated numbers are excluded from this activity.

This survey will take 1-2 minutes to complete.

Thank you for your time and support. 

M365 Project Team

UPEI Bookstore will hold its staff and faculty appreciation week from Monday, November 25, to Saturday, November 30. 

UPEI staff and faculty will be able to charge purchases from the UPEI Bookstore to their personal account and pay for them via payroll deductions in 2025. 

SAVE 30% on all hoodies, crews, and zip-up sweaters! For other clothing and giftware items, the regular 20% discount will apply.

We have extended hours on Thursday, November 28 until 7:00 pm and on Saturday, November 30 from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. 

Please contact bookstore@upei.ca for any questions.