UPEI is once again inviting first- and fourth-year students to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). NSSE helps universities understand what students experience in and out of the classroom through a confidential, voluntary survey. UPEI uses the survey information to guide future decisions that will benefit students.

Approximately 1700 students have been invited by personal email to participate in the survey that takes about 15 minutes to complete. As a ‘thank you' for completing it, UPEI is offering students chances to win one of nine early bird prizes (valued at $100 each) and a grand prize (valued at $500) of either Amazon.ca gift cards or UPEI Campus Card credits. The first draw date of three early bird prizes is March 10, the second draw date is March 17, and the third is March 24. The $500 grand prize draw will be in mid-April. The earlier students complete the survey, the greater their chances of winning one of the prizes.

For more information on the project or how UPEI plans to use the results, contact Dr. Yuqin Gong, Institutional Research Officer at (902) 566-0361 or ygong@upei.ca.

Last December, Douglas Gibson, Alice Munro's editor and publisher, was in Norway observing the presentation of the Nobel Prize for Literature to Alice Munro, the first Canadian to receive the award.

On Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 pm in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Gibson will tell stories about the experience of editing Alice Munro and numerous other famous Canadian authors, including Alistair MacLeod, Pierre Trudeau, Mavis Gallant, Hugh MacLennan, Barry Broadfoot, W.O. Mitchell, and Robertson Davies. He will also showcase and sign copies of his book about these experiences, Stories About Storytellers.

Gibson calls his talk a 'road show,' complete with slides and music. One reviewer wrote, 'it's an event worthy of Stephen Leacock. Charles Dickens, even.' Another wrote, 'Gibson is a living link to the foundation of our country's literature, and also an impish and charming performer. His lifelong passion for these great writers is contagious.'

He was born in the village of Dunlop in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, and worked on farms during the summer. After university at St. Andrews, where, he writes, he 'did everything but study,' he earned a Rhodes-like graduate scholarship to Yale. Immigrating to Canada in 1967, he became Managing Editor at Doubleday Canada in 1969, and MacMillan's publisher in 1979, where he also introduced authors like Ken Dryden and Christina MacCall.

In 1986, Gibson was lured to the great Canadian publishing company McClelland and Stewart (M&S) to start the first editorial imprint in Canada, Douglas Gibson Books. He became president and publisher of M&S in 2000, from which he retired in 2008. He still shepherds authors through the publishing system with his imprint.

'No one has done more for Canadian Literature than this man,' writes Alistair MacLeod. Alice Munro says of Stories about Storytellers, 'Here is my prize read for those interested in writers, books, Canada, life, and all that kind of thing.'

Gibson's show is co-hosted by the UPEI English Department and the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, with funding from The Canada Council for the Arts. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.

For information:
Dr. Richard Lemm
Professor, Department of English
University of Prince Edward Island
(902) 566-0389, rlemm@upei.ca

A short conference entitled 'My Island, My Heart' will take place March 14, 1:00-3:00 pm, at UPEI's Chaplaincy Centre. The conference, led by UPEI arts student Faith Robinson, focuses on three themes-island fragility, island sustainability, and island community.

Special guest speakers include: Deirdre Kessler, writer and UPEI professor; Laurie Brinklow, accomplished poet and UPEI professor; and Millefiore Clarkes, filmmaker to name a few. A short docu-film Island Green, about organic farming on PEI, will also be featured as part of the conference.

Today, it is more important than ever to realize the limitations and magnificence of our environment, so keenly felt by Islanders worldwide. It is crucial that we not forget the roots from which we ourselves grow, to envision a better future.

For more information on the conference, contact Faith Robinson at frobinson@upei.ca. Admission is free, and snacks and beverages will be provided. All are welcome to attend.

UPEI business student Alex Davidson has been named PEI's 2014 Student Entrepreneur Provincial Champion and will represent the Island at Enactus Canada's Regional Exposition, March 6-7 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The exposition brings together student, academic, and industry leaders to celebrate the achievements of Canada's future leaders and entrepreneurs.

Davidson's determination and passion for his business Odd Jobbers PEI, a student-based business that encourages entrepreneurship among university students, paired with his academic excellence, warranted him the provincial title for the second year in a row.

'Being named provincial champion is an honour, and I am excited to represent Prince Edward Island once again in Halifax,' said Davidson who will compete against three other entrepreneurs from Atlantic Canada.

The entrepreneurs will compete based on feasibility, growth, entrepreneurial spirit, and market base knowledge. The regional champion will go on to compete at the Enactus Canada's National Exposition in Calgary on April 28.

Good luck, Alex!

The 2013-14 AUS men's and women's major awards and all-stars were announced yesterday following regular season play. On the men's side, fourth-year defence Reggie Traccitto was honoured as a first team all-star, while UPEI goaltender Wayne Savage and forward Chris Desousa were named as second team all-stars. Traccitto, Savage, and Desousa are studying arts at UPEI.

On the women's side, UPEI arts student and fourth-year forward Ferran Brown earned the Marion Hillard award for student-athlete community service, a first for UPEI since the award's inception in 2002-03. Brown's community involvement has been tremendous, leading and taking part in many volunteer initiatives including food drives, and the 'Pink the Rink' event to raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Brown will represent the AUS as its nominee for the CIS Marion Hillard award at the 2014 Scotiabank CIS women's hockey championship, hosted by St. Thomas University, March 13-16.

UPEI defensive fourth-year player Keirstin Visser was named to the second team all-star list, while first-year player and kinesiology student Emma Martin was selected for the AUS All-rookie team. Visser and Martin are both science students at UPEI.

To read the full AUS men's major awards and all-stars list, click here

To read the full AUS women's major awards and all-stars list, click here

Congratulations to our UPEI hockey athletes and award winners!

Go Panthers Go!

The University of Prince Edward Island is inviting high school students to attend UPEI classes on Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19 during their March Break.

UPEI Vice-President Academic Christian Lacroix sent invitations to students earlier this month via high school principals, and said, 'This is a great opportunity to experience UPEI in the company of friends and classmates. We look forward to welcoming PEI high school students to campus.'

The University is providing lunch, offering information sessions, and giving campus tours. There are still a limited number of spaces available in each class so interested students should pre-register by emailing VPA@upei.ca.

Learn about the new Celebrating Student Achievement guaranteed undergraduate scholarship program at upei.ca/csa

UPEI women's basketball player Jenna Jones was named the 2013-14 Atlantic University Sport recipient of the Tracy MacLeod Award at tonight's Subway AUS Women's Basketball Championship awards banquet at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel. Championship play gets underway on Friday, March 6 at UPEI's Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. Championship Website

A fourth-year kinesiology student, Jones received the award for demonstrating determination, perseverance and unwavering spirit to continue playing the game of basketball. The five-foot-eight guard from Riverview, NB, played in an impressive 16 regular season games this year, despite facing multiple injuries, averaging 15.1 minutes per game.

Jones has battled patella tendon tears in both knees throughout her four-year career with the Panthers. This past summer, she underwent experimental platelet rich plasma injections in both knees. She then repeated the procedure during the season break in December. Initially expected to miss the first half of the season, Jones put the second procedure off until the season break and was cleared to play in the fall.

She contributed an average of 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, shooting 32.3 per cent from the floor and 22.2 from three-point range.

'I am so pleased that Jenna has been honoured as this year's recipient of the Tracy MacLeod Award,' said Panthers head coach Greg Gould. 'I can't think of anyone more deserving of this award. Despite the excruciating pain, Jenna has done everything humanly possible to be able to practice and play this season. Although restricted in her activities because of pain, she never complains. Her love of the game and her desire to help her team in whatever role possible makes her one of the toughest, most dedicated and unselfish players I have ever coached.'

Jones is now the AUS conference nominee for the CIS Tracy MacLeod award. The only two AUS players to take home the national honour have been Memorial's Brittany Dalton (2010-11) and Dalhousie's Janet Wells (1999-00).

Other major awards such as the AUS most valuable player, rookie of the year, coach of the year, and those named to first and second All-Star teams were also announced at the awards banquet. AUS News Release

Six teams are vying for the AUS title with the winner moving on to the CIS women's basketball championship at the University of Windsor, March 14-16. Live webcasts of all five games of the AUS championship are available at www.AUStv.ca.

Hometown fans were out in droves to support the sixth-seeded UPEI Panthers as they took on third-seeded Cape Breton Capers on Friday, March 7 in Subway AUS Women's Basketball Championship action.

Early in the contest, the Panthers took over the lead and never looked back. Leading 15-11 after one quarter, thanks in part to Danielle MacDonald's ability to attack the basket, UPEI continued to roll into the second frame. Fourth-year guards Amy Gough and Danielle MacDonald converted on back-to-back and ones, extending the lead to double digits early in the second quarter. The Capers' tough-nosed defence allowed them to chip away and cut the lead to seven, going into halftime with UPEI ahead 34-27.

UPEI continued to feed off the energy of their hometown fans, controlling the majority of the third quarter, stretching the margin to 16 points with under three minutes left to go. The Capers refused to back down, continuing to use their physical style of play to chip away at the Pathers lead, reducing the deficit to 10 going into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Capers were unable to stop UPEI from getting to the rim and saw themselves trailing by 15 early. The Panthers were able to keep AUS rookie of the year, Alison Keough, contained on the offensive end, despite her pulling down 15 rebounds in the game.

The Capers came within nine points but couldn't get any closer as UPEI pulled off the upset, winning 67-56.

Subway Player of the Game for the Panthers was Amy Gough. Gough finished with a double-double, scoring a game-high 26 points while shooting 15-17 from the charity stripe and hauling down 10 rebounds. Colleen Keane was named player of the game for Cape Breton, scoring 14 points and collecting seven rebounds in the loss.

UPEI's shot percentage was 48, scoring 65 per cent of their points inside the key, while Cape Breton struggled from the field shooting at 27 per cent.

Top performers for UPEI were Amy Gough, with 10 points and seven boards, and Danielle MacDonald who lead the team with 12 points. Keisha Lespoir and Alison Keough led the Capers with seven and four points respectively.

UPEI will now face the St. Francis Xavier X-Women in Saturday's second semifinal matchup at 8 pm at UPEI's Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. Visit the championship website for ticket details or watch the game live on AUStv.ca or Eastlink television.

Source: UPEI Sports Information

The Guardians of Confederation-Leaders of Tomorrow project, a UPEI-led initiative, offers a unique opportunity to link PEI high school students with their peers from across Canada in the context of Confederation.

The project's organizing committee is launching a contest in March to select student participants from across the country. 'We're holding the contest to select the students, and asking them, ‘How would Canada look if you were creating it today?'' said Guardians project coordinator Lee Ellen Pottie. 'These students are the people who will become the politicians, business people, activists, and strategists of tomorrow.'

The contest will twin contest-winning students from each of the twelve provinces and territories across Canada with students from the Island's thirteen high schools. UPEI students will mentor the project participants and guide them through the task of addressing a series of questions relating to the state of Confederation today, its relationship to the past, and prospects for the future of the Canadian nation. Over the course of the project, the students will communicate and collaborate online with each other in preparation of attending a conference in Charlottetown in November. The three-day event will run concurrently with the Association of Canadian Studies-Teaching Canadian History conference, also taking place in Charlottetown.

Sharon Myers, UPEI coordinator of Canadian Studies and chair of the organizing committee agrees with Pottie. 'We want to engage young people, and help them understand that 1864 is relevant, as is Confederation.'

Open to grade 10 and 11 Canadian and Island students who have an interest in the past, present, and/or future of Canada, the contest consists of a (maximum) five-minute video submission that can be entered online. The committee will be looking for creativity and imagination in the student videos.

'Perhaps the Mothers and Fathers of Confederation are visiting Canada in 2014; what would they think? Or, someone submits a video-rant, à la Rick Mercer. We want students to think outside the box and have fun,' added Pottie.

Interested students should visit guardiansofconfederation.ca, or the Facebook page 'Guardians of Confederation' for full contest details. The contest closes May 30, 2014. The winning entrants will be announced on Canada Day through national media and on the project's social media sites.

The University of Prince Edward Island received a PEI 2014 grant to lead the Guardians of Confederation-Leaders of Tomorrow project.

The UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week for the week of March 3-9 are Danielle MacDonald, Women's Basketball; and Aaron Robbins, Men's Basketball. UPEI Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes in order to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports throughout the season. 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: Danielle MacDonald, Women's Basketball; and Aaron Robbins, Men's Basketball

What: UPEI Panther Athletes of the Week

When: Week of March 3-9

Why: Danielle MacDonald, a fourth-year science student from Sydney Mines, NS had a strong performance during the AUS Women's Basketball Championship. MacDonald had an outstanding game in her team's 67-56 win over Cape Breton in the AUS quarterfinal game on Friday, March 7. MacDonald scored 16 points, and had four rebounds while playing outstanding defence against CBU's outstanding point guard. In Saturday's semifinal overtime loss to St. Francis Xavier, MacDonald scored 21 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one blocked shot. MacDonald was selected to the AUS Championship All-Star team for her outstanding weekend play.

Aaron Robbins, a fourth-year arts student from Charlottetown finished off a strong season with a solid performance during the AUS Men's Basketball Championship. During the Panthers AUS quarterfinal 74-60 win over Cape Breton, Robbins played strong defensively and recorded five assists and three rebounds. In Saturday's 94-78 semifinal loss to Saint Mary's, Robbins continued his strong game along while hauling down 10 rebounds, and contributing two assists, and six points.

Go Panthers Go!

Aaron Robbins, Men's Basketball