The University of Prince Edward Island swimming team leaves for Halifax today to compete at the 2015 Subway AUS Swimming Championship.

The UPEI Panthers varsity swimming team has had a strong year and looks to perform well at the three-day championship meet being hosted by Dalhousie University at DALplex, February 6-8th. Six teams will compete: UPEI, Dalhousie, Acadia, University of New Brunswick, Mount Allison, and Memorial University of Newfoundland.

The Panthers are sending seven enthusiastic swimmers who will strive for lifetime bests. The top 16 finishers in every race will score points to determine the team's overall ranking for the championship. On the women's side, the goal is to place fifth overall ahead of rival Memorial. On the men's side, with only two male athletes, the goal for the Panthers is to score as many points as possible and gain experience for future championships.

Team Captain Rebekah Nitchsmann will lead the team in the freestyle events. She will look to continue her early season success by taking a stab at placing top 8 in the 200 Freestyle. Fellow second-year swimmers, Joël Legault and Katie VanLeeuwen, will be both shooting for final swims especially in their best events, the 100 Butterfly and 200 Freestyle. These team veterans have a strong chance to land in the finals in each of their events.

The team has a great group of rookies who will all challenge for final spots. Martin Sobey has been improving all season and will take on the mile in the 1500 Freestyle. Hannah Jenkins will look to break her own UPEI Panther records set earlier this year in the breaststroke events. Brittany Hill will challenge for 'finals' spots in the butterfly events. Freestyle specialist Emily Swaine will make her mark in the 400- and 800-freestyle, potentially in record fashion.

The relay team of Nitchsmann, Swaine, Jenkins, and VanLeeuwen will also seek to break the UPEI 4x100 Freestyle record, held by a team that included Panther alumnae, AUS Champion and Olympian Janet Gamble. The current team has a good shot to take out the record of 4:12:02, although it will require all four swimmers to be on their 'A' game.

The UPEI Panthers are up for the fierce competition in the pool. The preliminary session starts at 10:00 am each day with the finals beginning at 6:00 pm.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

Sport PEI named UPEI Men's Soccer player Jared Murphy as "Intercollegiate Male Athlete of the Year" at its amateur sport awards presentation last night at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel. The provincial sport federation also presented the UPEI Men's Soccer team with the "SCORE! Team of the Year" award, as was announced previously.

The UPEI Men's Soccer team earned the nod based on its CIS bronze medal performance at last November's CIS Men's Soccer National Championship. The team made history as the first Panther soccer squad to win a national CIS competition medal, defeating the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins 2-1.

Murphy, a fifth-year business student from Charlottetown, PEI was one of two Panthers named to the tournament's all-star team in addition to be being named UPEI Athlete of the Week three times during the 2014 regular season.

Congratulations to Jared and the UPEI Men's Soccer team! Go Panthers Go!

The Climate Research Lab at the University of Prince Edward Island is hosting a day of Living Shorelines Training with Kevin M. Smith of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The training takes place Wednesday, February 19 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Registration is required.

'Living shorelines are the result of applying erosion control measures that include a suite of techniques and maintain coastal process,' said Smith. 'Techniques may include the use of fibre coir logs, sills, groins, breakwaters, or other natural components used in combination with sand, other natural materials and/or marsh plantings. These techniques are sued to protect, restores, enhance, or create natural shoreline habitat.'
Discussions during the day of training include the causes and outcomes of shoreline erosion, an overview of traditional control practices, the origins of living shorelines, and many more topics.

The cost of the training is $10, which includes lunch and breaks. For more information, or to register, email climate@upei.ca.

Prince Edward Island writers are invited to submit an 'Expression of Interest' for this year's Writers Exchange with Tasmania. The successful applicant will be offered a three-week residency in Hobart this September.

Writers must have:

• a high calibre of published work in any genre(s);
• a background in teaching creative writing;
• public speaking skills; and
• the ability to travel to Tasmania in September, 2015.

Applicants must submit:

• a completed Expression of Interest;
• a sample of their work; and
• the names and contact details of two referees.

Applications must be received by 28 February, 2015 and be sent to: director@tasmanianwriters.org. The successful applicant will be contacted in mid-March.

The Prince Edward Island and Tasmania Writers' Exchange is supported by the University of Tasmania, the University of Prince Edward Island, the PEI Writers' Guild, and the Tasmanian Writers' Centre. For more information, contact Richard Lemm, professor and chair of English, UPEI, at rlemm@upei.ca.

A new book by celebrated Island author and teacher Deirdre Kessler was recently launched at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery as part of the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance's Family Literacy Day. 'Born! A foal, five kittens, and Confederation' is published by the Acorn Press in both English and French.

Watch a video of 'Born!' here:

Deirdre Kessler teaches children's literature and creative writing in UPEI's Department of English. 'Born!' is illustrated by Brenda Jones

The UPEI Alumni Association invites all UPEI alumni and Island community members to a free family skate on Islander Day, Monday February 16 from 10:00 -11:00 am at the MacLauchlan Arena B. Hot chocolate and prizes will be provided. For more information, contact:

For more information, contact:
Sarah McInnis
UPEI Alumni Office
(902) 566-0687, smmacinnis@upei.ca

THIS EVENT IS POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED AT A LATER DATE.

Research on Tap, the successful series of public discussions featuring research and ideas from the University of Prince Edward Island, is hitting the road in 2015. The first stop is Tuesday, February 17 at 7 pm at Brothers 2 Restaurant in Summerside.

The tour will kick off with a bit of patriotic zeal to Uncle Sam and friends. Dr. Richard Kurial, associate professor of history at UPEI, will lead a discussion entitled: The Debt of Western Civilization to the United States of America.

'In the modern era,' argues Kurial, 'all the freedoms enjoyed in the west-our political development, our economic well-being, and our safety-relies on the United States. We owe them a huge debt, and can repay that debt by endeavouring to understand the basis of their policies and initiatives.'

Kurial will lay out his arguments in a brief talk, then open the floor to discussion and debate. 'And I expect a healthy debate,' says Kurial with a wry smile. 'These are not popular sentiments outside of the U.S., but we'd be worse off were it not for their compassion, vision, and generosity.'

This season of Research on Tap is presented in cooperation with the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Atlantic Chapter. The RSC is Canada's national academy and is the senior national body of distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists.

The UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week for the week of February 2-8 are Amy Gough, Women's Basketball, and Marcus Power, Men's Hockey. UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. UPEI Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Who: Amy Gough, Women's Basketball and Marcus Power, Men's Hockey

What: UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week

When: Week of February 2-8, 2015

Where: University of Prince Edward Island

Why: Gough, a fifth-year Nursing student from, St. John's, NL, had her first 'double-double' of the season during the Panthers 70-66 win over Acadia on Friday night, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds. On Saturday, Gough continued her strong play during the Panthers 69-52 win over UNB recording 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Power, a first-year Bachelor of Business Administration student also from St. John's, NL, had a strong offensive weekend for the Panthers. Power recorded 3 goals and 3 assists during the Panthers' two wins: a 4-2 win over UNB and a 4-3 win over STU.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
  
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
  
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
  
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
  
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

At a regular meeting of Senate on February 13, 2015, a motion was passed by a majority vote to extend the number of teaching days in the current semester (January-May 2015) due to recent storm/weather closures.

As a result, please note:

• Classes will now end on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 (instead of Wednesday, April 8, 2015) providing instructors with 4 additional teaching days if needed: Thursday, April 9; Friday, April 10; Monday, April 13; and Tuesday, April 14.

• Instructors have the option of using these additional teaching days or not, but must communicate their plan for end of semester classes to their students by email or through Moodle.

• The exam period will now take place from Friday, April 17, 2015 to Friday, April 24, 2015 (instead of April 13 to 23). A final exam schedule will be produced and distributed by Friday, February 20, 2015.

• Course grades for fourth-year students must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by noon on Saturday, April 25, 2015.

For more information, contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@upei.ca or (902) 566-0439. Amended academic calendar dates (as approved by Senate) are listed below for reference.

SECOND SEMESTER ACADEMIC SEMESTER, JANUARY-MAY 2015
For all programs except Veterinary Medicine

January 2015

5 Monday Classes Begin
16 Friday FINAL DAY for late registration, for changing courses or sections, for cancellation of courses or sections, for cancellation of courses with full refund.
30 Friday Last day for discontinuing courses - 60% refund.

February 2015

16 Monday Islander Day. No classes
17 Tuesday Registration begins for SUMMER SESSIONS 2015
23-27(Mon-Fri) Mid-semester break. No classes
27 Friday Last day for discontinuing courses - 40% refund. No discontinuations after this date.

March 2015

2 Monday Classes resume

April 2015

3 Friday Good Friday. No classes/exams
6 Monday Easter Monday. No classes/exams
7 Tuesday Classes Resume
14 Tuesday Final day of classes
17-24 (Fri-Fri) EXAMINATIONS. Note: No examinations will be held during the period 30 March to 14 April inclusive without the permission of the Chair and appropriate Dean.
24 Friday End of Second Semester.
25-Saturday Course grades for fourth-year students to be submitted to the Registrar's Office by noon on this date.
29 Wednesday Course grades for third-year, second-year, first-year, and part-time students to be submitted to Registrar's Office by noon on this date.

May 2015

9 Saturday Convocation
11 Monday First day of classes for First Summer Session

The UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week for the week of February 9-15 are Tamara Tompkins, Women's Basketball and Bradley States, Men's Basketball. UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. UPEI Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Who: Tamara Tompkins, Women's Basketball, and Bradley States, Men's Basketball

What: UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week

When: Week of February 9-15

Where: University of Prince Edward Island

Why: Tompkins, fourth-year Bachelor of Science, Kinesiology student from Centreville, NB, was a big part of UPEI's 53-52 win over St. FX on Saturday night. Tompkins was Player of the Game and finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 1 steal.

States, a third-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Bathurst, NB, enjoyed a great game in UPEI's 74-73 win over St. FX on Saturday night. States was Player of the Game finishing with 30 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals, and 2 assists. He shot 12/18 from the field hitting 2 foul shots with 22 seconds remaining to win the game by 1 over St. FX, clinching a playoff bye.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
  
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
  
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
  
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas