UPEI faculty and staff are invited to attend an informative presentation about health screenings, recommended screenings at different ages, where to go, what to ask, and information about the pharmacy plus program. The session will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 12:10-12:50 pm, Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, Room #142. It will be led by nursing students Juli MacMillan and Mohammadali Nouri. Registration is not required (although it would be nice to know numbers); to register, you can log into recreation.upei.ca or the UPEI Panther Recreation app and click on the wellness icon. This presentation is a UPEI Healthy Campus Committee initiative. If you have any questions, please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, at amarchbank@upei.ca.

What is Strep A?

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), also known as Strep A, is a type of bacteria that can cause skin, soft tissue, and respiratory tract infections. It is typically spread from person to person via respiratory droplets such as from coughing or sneezing and from touching skin or other surfaces contaminated with bacteria. Some people have Strep A bacteria (carriers) and do not become ill.  Others develop mild illness that is treated with antibiotics. There is a more severe and sometimes life-threatening condition referred to as Invasive Group A Strep (IGAS). This can occur when the bacteria invade parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood, deep muscle and fat tissue, or lungs.

Step A infection (e.g., strep throat) will not go away on its own. You will need an antibiotic to cure it. Lack of treatment can lead to more serious illnesses, so it is important to get treatment as soon as possible and to ensure you take the entire course of antibiotics.

To avoid strep and other infections, consider the following:

1. Wash your hands often.
2. Do not drink from a glass/water bottle or eat with utensils after an infected individual (e.g., someone with a strep throat infection).
3. Do not share toothbrushes.
4. Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes (wash your hands following contact).
5. Use good respiratory etiquette (cough into your sleeve, stay home if sick, wear a mask if you are coughing/sneezing).

Senator Kim Pate will give a presentation titled “Why We Need a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income” at two public events on PEI in April.

The first presentation will take place on April 3 at Westisle Composite High School, Elmsdale. The second presentation will be on April 4 in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242, University of Prince Edward Island. Both presentations begin at 7:00 pm.

The events are sponsored by the Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture at UPEI. Admission is free.

For information, contact Marion Clorey, Chair of SDU Out-Reach Committee at mgclorey@gmail.com  or (902) 675-2598.

Our Coffee Break Conversation will be hosted by Kristy McKinney, instructional multimedia specialist in the TLC. Bring your favourite morning beverage and join us in the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on March 25, at 10:30 am.

The UPEI Teaching and Learning Centre is hosting an in-person session on building Moodle online quizzes. The quiz activity can be used for short review quizzes or higher-value tests. Using Moodle Question Bank also allows instructors to build their bank of questions, which can be edited or grow each instance you teach the course.

The session will run on Tuesday, March 26, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Teaching and Learning Centre in the Robertson Library Annex (RL 230). Use this form to register for this session: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=9KUeeE99lUaXGGaCg81bviMdmudb-_hAlIyzwN_bom9URERISTZBVkM3WlQxWFNXSDNVUFhRRFBVUS4u

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, and every three days, someone on PEI is diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer.

Current colorectal cancer screening guidelines on PEI recommend a FIT test (fecal immunochemical test) every two years for Islanders aged 50-74 years of age for average-risk individuals.  If you are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer (positive family history, blood in the stool, history of colorectal cancer, change in bowel movements, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, long-standing diarrhea or constipation), then you should have a colonoscopy. This can be arranged through the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre, which is located on the second floor north of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre (above the bookstore).

The FIT test is available for anyone who is average risk and aged 50-74 at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. If you identify as being higher risk, make an appointment to see a nurse practitioner at the health centre. They can review the screening that is best for you and make a referral for a gastroenterology consult if necessary.

Detecting colorectal cancer at an earlier stage improves your chances of survival and avoidance of treatment. For more information, check out Health PEI’s provincial colorectal cancer screening program at https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/colorectal-screening-program-fit. For additional information on colorectal cancer screening, visit the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer for information on screening projects across Canada at https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/news-events/news/article/pan-canadian-success-colorectal-cancer/

As part of continuing to engage with the various audiences that make up the campus community, Dr. Greg Keefe, interim President and Vice-Chancellor would like to invite you to a series of Campus Town Halls where he will give brief updates as well as listen to your concerns and respond to questions.

Six 90-minute in-person events are planned: two each for faculty, staff, and students to help accommodate schedules. Those who cannot attend in person due to work-from-home arrangements/other accommodations can join via Zoom.

Participants are asked to attend one of the two town halls for the group that is applicable to them.

Faculty Town Halls

1. Wednesday, March 20, 3:00–4:30 pm
   Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Don and Marion McDougall Hall (MCDH 242)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/63841183049?pwd=WS9vU1c4Z0pmNkIra21UVlc1R2pldz09

2. Friday, March 22, 10:00–11:30 am
   Duffy Science Centre Amphitheatre (DSC 135)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/69749369292?pwd=RUswS0pvNnhDQTlHc01USGhiUTRLQT09

Staff Town Halls

1. Monday, March 25, 1:00–2:30 pm
   Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/64618483493?pwd=SHQwUCt1Y3ZOYkt0ckovaGRKdmhGQT09

2. Wednesday, March 27, 10:00–11:30 am
   Duffy Science Centre Amphitheatre (DSC 135)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/65439065003?pwd=MjZ6TXFvdnNDLzc3d0MxK2FUcUlldz09

Student Town Halls

1. Tuesday, March 26, 3:00–4:30 pm
   Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/66581563155?pwd=MXc1YnpsOFBkNFAyL1NDd2svU0Z0dz09

2. Thursday, March 28, 1:30–3:00 pm
   Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/69611619672?pwd=bWhMeUFRZFBkWXF4RFZoY1hVa2xFdz09

If you are unable to participate in the scheduled town halls, you are welcome to provide feedback or send comments to president@upei.ca at any time.

Presented by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, the March 26 edition of the Island Lecture Series will island-hop across the northern North Atlantic to see who lives there and how they got there. Biogeography is the three-way crossroads of history, biology, and geography. For most of these islands--the Shetlands, the Faeroes, Iceland, and many others--this history started when bare land emerged from under melting ice about 10,000 years ago, with creatures soon arriving by wing or wind. Humans came too, some by primitive boats that we know almost nothing about. But history can also have recent beginnings, such as the explosive birth of Surtsey Island off Iceland in 1963. Speaker David Cairns will recount the rich biological traditions of island biogeography, and shows that their insights apply equally well to people.

The lecture will take place at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building. All are welcome.

The Chief Public Health Office is preparing for potential cases of measles on PEI in the next few weeks. As of March 13, 2024, there have been 29 confirmed measles cases in Canada across Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Some of these cases are related to travel outside of Canada, but others were acquired locally. Montreal is considered the country’s epicenter as there is community spread occurring locally in and around the city. Note: There are no confirmed cases in PEI at this time.

Measles is one of the most highly infectious vaccine-preventable diseases. It has been eliminated from circulation in Canada since 1998 due to highly effective vaccines and successful public health programs.

Measles is spread when you

• breathe air in a location where someone who is infected is or has recently been
• have direct contact with mucus from the nose or throat of someone who is infected
• touch a contaminated surface or object and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth

The symptoms include

• fever
• runny nose
• red watery eyes
• cough
• red blotchy rash that begins on the head and spreads down to the trunk, arms, and legs.

Measles usually starts with illness for 3-4 days before the rash appears. The fever tends to be high (at least 104 degrees F/40℃). The fever and rash usually disappear in 3-5 days. Complications of measles include ear infection, viral meningitis (inflammation of the brain), or pneumonia. On rare occasions, measles can result in death. If you have recently returned from travel and are experiencing symptoms of measles, you should seek health care, consider calling ahead to let them know of your history of travel, and wear a mask to your appointment.

Who is recommended to get a dose of the measles vaccine? Some individuals will have protection based on their age. The current recommendations for vaccination are as follows:

• Adults born before 1970 are considered to have acquired natural immunity and do not require the vaccine. Exception: individuals traveling outside of Canada should receive one dose of measles vaccine.
• Those born in or after 1970 who have not had measles disease or have not received two doses of measles vaccine should receive two doses of vaccine.
• Regardless of age, students entering post-secondary education, health-care workers, and military personnel should receive two doses if they have no evidence of having had the disease or do not have documentation of two doses of a measles vaccine.
• Any person living in PEI who is eligible may receive the vaccine free of charge at Public Health Nursing.

Public Health Nursing is holding clinics to immunize for measles. In Charlottetown, they are located at 161 St. Peters Road, telephone 902-368-4530. If you are unable to attend these clinics, make an appointment at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre to get vaccinated. You can also make an appointment to discuss this and other vaccines with the registered nurse at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre.

To learn more about measles, check out https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-and-wellness/measles-mumps-and-rubella-german-measles-vaccine-mmr

To see if you are due or overdue for other vaccines, visit www.canimmunize.ca/en/pei-assessment-tool 

For more information on MMR, view https://youtu.be/jL9QfTubi7I

What is Strep A?

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), also known as Strep A, is a type of bacteria that can cause skin, soft tissue, and respiratory tract infections. It is typically spread from person to person via respiratory droplets such as from coughing or sneezing and from touching skin or other surfaces contaminated with bacteria. Some people have Strep A bacteria (carriers) and do not become ill.  Others develop mild illness that is treated with antibiotics. There is a more severe and sometimes life-threatening condition referred to as Invasive Group A Strep (IGAS). This can occur when the bacteria invade parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood, deep muscle and fat tissue, or lungs.

Step A infection (e.g., strep throat) will not go away on its own. You will need an antibiotic to cure it. Lack of treatment can lead to more serious illnesses, so it is important to get treatment as soon as possible and to ensure you take the entire course of antibiotics.

To avoid strep and other infections, consider the following:

1. Wash your hands often.
2. Do not drink from a glass/water bottle or eat with utensils after an infected individual (e.g., someone with a strep throat infection).
3. Do not share toothbrushes.
4. Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes (wash your hands following contact).
5. Use good respiratory etiquette (cough into your sleeve, stay home if sick, wear a mask if you are coughing/sneezing).

Senator Kim Pate will give a presentation titled “Why We Need a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income” at two public events on PEI in April.

The first presentation will take place on April 3 at Westisle Composite High School, Elmsdale. The second presentation will be on April 4 in Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 242, University of Prince Edward Island. Both presentations begin at 7:00 pm.

The events are sponsored by the Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture at UPEI. Admission is free.

For information, contact Marion Clorey, Chair of SDU Out-Reach Committee at mgclorey@gmail.com  or (902) 675-2598.

Our Coffee Break Conversation will be hosted by Kristy McKinney, instructional multimedia specialist in the TLC. Bring your favourite morning beverage and join us in the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, on March 25, at 10:30 am.

The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee invites the campus community to the final presentation of the 2023-24 Environmental Sciences & Human Biology seminar series on Friday, March 22, at 12:30 p.m. in Duffy Science 204.

Lauren Reid, MSc candidate, Human Biology (Sweeney-Nixon Lab, Department of Biology), will present “Evaluation of an in vitro inflammatory bowel disease model,” and Keileigh Rowe, MSc Candidate, Human Biology (Ross Lab, Department of Biology), will present “Overcoming metabolic constraints in scalable growth of mouse embryonic stem cells.”

All are welcome.

Reminder: The UPEI Parking Advisory Committee is conducting a parking study to help determine current and future parking needs within our community by collecting input and ideas from students, faculty, and staff through an anonymous survey.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey to help shape future parking, mobility, and accessibility at UPEI.

The deadline to submit your input through the survey is March 22, 2024.

Here is the survey link if you missed it: https://forms.office.com/r/tggDGitKjN

Thank you,

Parking@upei.ca

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, and every three days, someone on PEI is diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer.

Current colorectal cancer screening guidelines on PEI recommend a FIT test (fecal immunochemical test) every two years for Islanders aged 50-74 years of age for average-risk individuals.  If you are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer (positive family history, blood in the stool, history of colorectal cancer, change in bowel movements, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, long-standing diarrhea or constipation), then you should have a colonoscopy. This can be arranged through the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre, which is located on the second floor north of the W.A. Murphy Student Centre (above the bookstore).

The FIT test is available for anyone who is average risk and aged 50-74 at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. If you identify as being higher risk, make an appointment to see a nurse practitioner at the health centre. They can review the screening that is best for you and make a referral for a gastroenterology consult if necessary.

Detecting colorectal cancer at an earlier stage improves your chances of survival and avoidance of treatment. For more information, check out Health PEI’s provincial colorectal cancer screening program at https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/colorectal-screening-program-fit. For additional information on colorectal cancer screening, visit the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer for information on screening projects across Canada at https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/news-events/news/article/pan-canadian-success-colorectal-cancer/

The excitement for this Saturday's Gold Rush draw is growing as big as the pot! With no winners in the last FOUR draws, the total pot has grown to more than $13,255, 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 Panthers 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.

As part of continuing to engage with the various audiences that make up the campus community, Dr. Greg Keefe, interim President and Vice-Chancellor would like to invite you to a series of Campus Town Halls where he will give brief updates as well as listen to your concerns and respond to questions.

Six 90-minute in-person events are planned: two each for faculty, staff, and students to help accommodate schedules. Those who cannot attend in person due to work-from-home arrangements/other accommodations can join via Zoom.

Participants are asked to attend one of the two town halls for the group that is applicable to them.

Faculty Town Halls

1. Wednesday, March 20, 3:00–4:30 pm
   Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Don and Marion McDougall Hall (MCDH 242)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/63841183049?pwd=WS9vU1c4Z0pmNkIra21UVlc1R2pldz09

2. Friday, March 22, 10:00–11:30 am
   Duffy Science Centre Amphitheatre (DSC 135)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/69749369292?pwd=RUswS0pvNnhDQTlHc01USGhiUTRLQT09

Staff Town Halls

1. Monday, March 25, 1:00–2:30 pm
   Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/64618483493?pwd=SHQwUCt1Y3ZOYkt0ckovaGRKdmhGQT09

2. Wednesday, March 27, 10:00–11:30 am
   Duffy Science Centre Amphitheatre (DSC 135)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/65439065003?pwd=MjZ6TXFvdnNDLzc3d0MxK2FUcUlldz09

Student Town Halls

1. Tuesday, March 26, 3:00–4:30 pm
   Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/66581563155?pwd=MXc1YnpsOFBkNFAyL1NDd2svU0Z0dz09

2. Thursday, March 28, 1:30–3:00 pm
   Performing Arts Centre Theatre (PAC 121 S)
   Zoom: https://upei.zoom.us/j/69611619672?pwd=bWhMeUFRZFBkWXF4RFZoY1hVa2xFdz09

If you are unable to participate in the scheduled town halls, you are welcome to provide feedback or send comments to president@upei.ca at any time.

The PEI Federation of Agriculture is conducting a survey to better understand how Islanders think of agriculture. This 10-minute survey is open to everyone living on Prince Edward Island. All participants have the chance to enter a draw for a $50 gift card to the Atlantic Superstore. To take the survey, follow this link: https://forms.gle/uBnTo74uxabx4VAS9 This research is part of the coursework for a group of students who are doing their capstone course for Environmental Studies 4010: Public Scholars on Environmental Issues.

The UPEI Health and Wellness Centre is conducting a survey to receive feedback on the services it provides. The deadline to participate in the survey has been extended to March 22, 2024, at 4:00 pm. If you or your family member have used the services of the health centre in the past two years, please take five minutes to complete the survey at https://forms.office.com/r/h0JzhrStAs?origin=lprLink. 

We appreciate your time and consideration. We are always looking for ways to improve the services we provide, and your feedback can help us to identify what is working well and what could be improved. Thank you!

With the sunset of Google's Jamboard on December 31, you will find an excellent alternative in Microsoft's Whiteboard. Available as one of the suite of useful tools in your UPEI Microsoft 365 account, Whiteboard is a must try. You can learn more about the capabilities of Microsoft's Whiteboard here or contact the Teaching and Learning Centre (tlc@upei.ca).