To kick off our community engagement process for the 2026–2027 operating budget, the senior executive team invites you to join us at this Thursday’s town hall to share your ideas and ask questions. Tim Walker, Vice-President, Administration and Finance, will outline the budget process to date and the timeline through to March 2026, when UPEI intends to seek Board approval for the budget.

President’s Town Hall: UPEI Budget Planning for the 2026–2027 Fiscal Year
Thursday, November 6, 2025 – 1:30 pm
Performing Arts Centre and Residence Amphitheatre, PAC 121S

If you are unable to participate in person, you are welcome to join us virtually at this Teams Town Hall link.

UPEI is in the process of nominating a Canada Excellence Research Chair with a research focus on "One Health in Rural Environments". The search committee recently invited 2 candidates for interviews the week of October 27. Both candidates gave a research seminar on 'Research History and Vision for the CERC Project -One Health in Rural Environments at UPEI'

The CERC Search committee will accept feedback from the community to be submitted by November 5 to members of the search committee:

Dr. Beibei Jia, AVC

Dr. Trevor Clark, UPEI Fa

Dr. William Bourque, IKERAS

Dr. Don Desserud, Faculty of Arts

Dr. Travis Saunders, Faculty of Science

Or Rosemary McIver, AVC GSR Office

The UPEI Scholarships and Awards Office has extended the deadline to apply for the 2025 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing to November 10, 2025.

Applications for all categories—“Coursework,” “Faculty and Staff,” “UPEI Writing Centre,” and “Community,”—should be submitted electronically to scholarships@upei.ca by the deadline date. 

Criteria and application forms for the four prize categories can be found through the links below. Please note that there are a number of awards available in each category.

• MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Coursework)
• MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Faculty and Staff)
• MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Webster Centre for Teaching and Learning)
• MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Community)

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on December 5. For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca.

Title of the Thesis:  "Assessing Coastal Erosion Under Climate Change:  A Case Study of Prince Edward Island"

Coastal erosion, exacerbated by climate change, threatens global communities. Traditional vulnerability assessments often underestimate climate-induced dynamic oceanic processes. This research addresses this gap by developing a process-based framework to quantify the role of extreme waves, using Prince Edward Island's vulnerable coastline as a case study. Analysis of Hurricane Fiona (2022) demonstrated the capacity of single storms to cause catastrophic land loss far exceeding long-term averages. Furthermore, correlation with multi-decadal wave data confirmed that the frequency of extreme wave events instead of average wave heights is the primary erosion driver. Future climate projections under intensified scenarios reveal a non-linear relationship, where increased extreme storm disproportionately amplifies wave heights and the corresponding potential coastline retreat, while critically shortening recovery periods. This work advocates a paradigm shift toward dynamic, process-based vulnerability assessments to guide mitigation and enhance coastal resilience globally.

November 7 at 1:30 pm in AVC 286A

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Join UPEI President Wendy Rodgers for casual "coffee chats" at the Fox and Crow in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre on Thursday, November 6 from 8:00-9:00 am.

These coffee chats offer a relaxed setting where any member of the UPEI community can drop by, grab a drink, and chat with Wendy about anything on your mind. Whether you want to share ideas, ask questions or simply say hello, these chats are a great way to connect with the president in a comfortable and informal environment.

Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have followed the 13 Moons or moon cycles to ground themselves in their teachings and ensure balance. Life on Earth is connected to and regulated by Grandmother Moon, through the tides and waters, which stabilizes our Earth's position and determines the cycle of women and the birth of new life. Grandmother Moon helps us with healing and is strongly connected to human life. Every phase of Grandmother Moon has a different focus, and this month, we focus on the strength and beauty of slowing down as Mother Earth begins to awaken from her rest. Leading us will be Doris Googoo and Thirly Levi, well-respected Knowledge and Language Keepers in Mi'kma'ki. We ask participants to bring a bottle of water for blessing and to refrain from recording the ceremony (photo or video). If you would like to wear a skirt but do not have one, you may borrow one during the ceremony. Sacred fire will be lit and ceremony beginning at 6 pm. As always all are welcome!

The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship invites you to join our Ideation Workshop. Learn creative techniques to generate, refine, and expand entrepreneurial ideas. Refreshments provided!

The session is open to public. Sign up here!

The Island Lecture Series presents a talk by Kate MacQuarrie, “The Wild Side of PEI." The Island Lecture Series will be held on November 18, 2025, at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building Room 201, University of Prince Edward Island. 

Prince Edward Island is known as the 'million-acre farm' and 'Canada's food island', but there is so much more to this province than farming and fishing! In this illustrated presentation, Kate MacQuarrie will take you on a tour of some of PEI's best remaining natural landscapes. From iconic coastal sand dunes and red sandstone cliffs to wetlands, ancient peat bogs, and old growth forests, this presentation highlights the wild side of Canada's smallest province. No matter how well you know PEI, you’ll something new and interesting from this talk.

Kate MacQuarrie is an award-winning botanist, naturalist, and author with more than 30 years’ experience working with the plants, wildlife, and natural history of PEI. In addition to being PEI’s Director of Forests, Fish, and Wildlife, she runs PEI Untamed, a business dedicated to helping people learn, explore, and reconnect with the natural world around them. Kate has conducted research in PEI’s upland hardwood forests and coastal sand dunes, found plants not previously known to exist on PEI, published papers in national and international peer-reviewed journals, and has just published her first book, Wild Foods of Prince Edward Island, with Acorn Press. She is currently working on another book due out Fall 2026.

The lecture is free, and all are welcome. For more information, contact Bren Simmers at 902-566-0386 or ispstaff@upei.ca.

We are pleased to introduce UPEI’s new Exit Interview program, developed as part of the UPEI Action Plan: 

• 3.1.6.1: Develop a process to offer exit interviews for departing employees, and 
• 3.1.6.2: Develop a process to share aggregate information learned from exit interviews in confidential and appropriate ways. 

An exit interview is a voluntary opportunity for employees who are leaving UPEI or moving to a new department to share feedback about their work experience. This helps us better understand the employee experience and identify opportunities to strengthen our workplace. 

More information is available on the Human Resources SharePoint page, including: 

• The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining eligibility and reporting 
• A sample questionnaire 

If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Employee Experience & Development Team in Human Resources at hrengage@upei.ca

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to scramble your way through a presentation you have no control over? It’s more fun than you think, and you can experience it yourself (or just come to watch!) on Tuesday, November 4, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship in 201 Robertson Library! No pre-registration required!

Note: If you would like to participate, please bring a phone or computer that can access wi-fi or cellular data.

UPEI is in the process of nominating a Canada Excellence Research Chair with a research focus on "One Health in Rural Environments". The search committee recently invited 2 candidates for interviews the week of October 27. Both candidates gave a research seminar on 'Research History and Vision for the CERC Project -One Health in Rural Environments at UPEI'

The CERC Search committee will accept feedback from the community to be submitted by November 5 to members of the search committee:

Dr. Beibei Jia, AVC

Dr. Trevor Clark, UPEI Fa

Dr. William Bourque, IKERAS

Dr. Don Desserud, Faculty of Arts

Dr. Travis Saunders, Faculty of Science

Or Rosemary McIver, AVC GSR Office

The UPEI Scholarships and Awards Office has extended the deadline to apply for the 2025 MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing to November 10, 2025.

Applications for all categories—“Coursework,” “Faculty and Staff,” “UPEI Writing Centre,” and “Community,”—should be submitted electronically to scholarships@upei.ca by the deadline date. 

Criteria and application forms for the four prize categories can be found through the links below. Please note that there are a number of awards available in each category.

• MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Coursework)
• MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Faculty and Staff)
• MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Webster Centre for Teaching and Learning)
• MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing (Community)

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on December 5. For more information, please contact scholarships@upei.ca.

The UPEI Department of Philosophy has rented Tivoli Cinema, 155 Kent Street, Charlottetown, for a private showing of Edward Yang’s film, "Yi Yi (A One and a Two)," on Friday, November 7, at 1:00 pm. The showing is open to all students, staff, and faculty at UPEI. Please contact Dr. Max Schaefer at mschaefer@upei.ca for further details on how to claim a seat.

Please see the following reviews and trailers for more information about the movie: 

“When it’s over, you’ll wish it weren’t. You will also feel better about being alive. Do yourself a favour, don't miss this one!” - John Leonard

“The extraordinary, internationally embraced "Yi Yi," directed by the late Taiwanese master Edward Yang, follows a middle-class family in Taipei over the course of one year, beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral. Whether chronicling middle-aged father NJ’s tentative flirtations with an old flame or precocious young son Yang-Yang’s attempts at capturing reality with his beloved camera, the filmmaker deftly imbues every gorgeous frame with a compassionate clarity. Warm, sprawling, and dazzling, this intimate epic is one of the undisputed masterworks of the twenty-first century”-The Criterion Collection

4K Restoration Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxgrzNFwyqY

Original Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SCs_jbdHwg

Join UPEI President Wendy Rodgers for casual "coffee chats" at the Fox and Crow in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre on Thursday, November 6 from 8:00-9:00 am.

These coffee chats offer a relaxed setting where any member of the UPEI community can drop by, grab a drink, and chat with Wendy about anything on your mind. Whether you want to share ideas, ask questions or simply say hello, these chats are a great way to connect with the president in a comfortable and informal environment.

Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have followed the 13 Moons or moon cycles to ground themselves in their teachings and ensure balance. Life on Earth is connected to and regulated by Grandmother Moon, through the tides and waters, which stabilizes our Earth's position and determines the cycle of women and the birth of new life. Grandmother Moon helps us with healing and is strongly connected to human life. Every phase of Grandmother Moon has a different focus, and this month, we focus on the strength and beauty of slowing down as Mother Earth begins to awaken from her rest. Leading us will be Doris Googoo and Thirly Levi, well-respected Knowledge and Language Keepers in Mi'kma'ki. We ask participants to bring a bottle of water for blessing and to refrain from recording the ceremony (photo or video). If you would like to wear a skirt but do not have one, you may borrow one during the ceremony. Sacred fire will be lit and ceremony beginning at 6 pm. As always all are welcome!

Meet fellow UPEI and Holland College students, learn more about the Pitch Battles competition, and grab some light refreshments at the Pitch Battles Networking Night on Monday, November 3!

Happening from 5 - 7 pm in 201 Robertson Library, this is a great way to meet future potential teammates and competitors in the competition, or ask questions to organizers of the program!

Sign up here!

Academics Without Borders / Universitaires Sans Frontières has several exciting volunteer opportunities open. The first is for strengthening research capacity; the partner university--Soroti University in Uganda--is seeking a faculty member (working or retired) with an advanced degree in a health-related field, with specialized expertise in systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and evidence synthesis--with a deadline of December 1, 2025. See https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j79gXqjmpil9KKNozWa_IRpefgAgLumA/view for more details and contact information. 

The second is for strengthening teaching capacity and establishing a faculty development program for a newly established university in Nepal; the partner institution, University of Nepal in Kathmandu, is seeking a volunteer to collaborate with faculty of the newly established Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Research (CTLR) to design and implement a faculty development program.See https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fGf6kLErLyBoCoC0nYLlvAo31DymPEJO/view for more details and information. 

The third is the annual call for proposals from members of the AWB / USF network, in which you are invited to submit a proposal to AWB introducing a capacity-building project in an institution of higher education in low or middle-income countries; these are often a way to build on already existing relationships with partner institutions. The deadline for proposals is November 10, 2025. See https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BYSbuuwjFll5Kd0WKig6kHTWTvN-IUuS/view for more details and contact information. AWB / USF is a Canadian nonprofit organization. Its mission is to help low and middle-income countries improve their colleges and universities so that they can train their own experts and conduct research to assist in their countries’ development. UPEI joined the network in 2024. For questions, contact Corrie Young, Associate Executive Director, at cyoung@awb-wsf.org, or Ann Braithwaite, member of the Board, at abraithwaite@upei.ca 

The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship invites you to join our Ideation Workshop. Learn creative techniques to generate, refine, and expand entrepreneurial ideas. Refreshments provided!

The session is open to public. Sign up here!

Please "save the dates" for the remainder of the President’s Town Hall series for the 2025–2026 academic year. More information on each event will be provided closer to each date.

• November 6, 2025 - Town Hall at 1:30 pm re: Budget Plan
• November 20, 2025 - Town Hall/Launch at 2:30 pm re: Strategic Plan
• January 21, 2026 - Town Hall at 10:00 am, topic to be confirmed
• February 12, 2026 - Town Hall at 3:00 pm, topic to be confirmed
• March 26, 2026 - Town Hall at 2:30 pm, topic to be confirmed

We look forward to seeing you!

The Canadian Career Virtual Symposium for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars was three half-days, jam-packed with career and professional development content from career practitioners and researchers across Canada.

Current graduate students and post-doctoral scholars may access recordings in FGS's UPEI Graduate Student Professional & Academic Development Resources Moodle page (a self-enroll course).

Faculty/Staff interested in one or more session recordings can either self-enroll in the Moodle course for access, or request the link for a particular session by emailing Kendra Mellish, Graduate Programs Officer at kmellish@upei.ca

Sessions:

• Keynote: Motivation...It Works! 
• Ten healthy habits of financial management (only handouts available, no session recording)
• You have a story worth sharing
• Getting practical career relevant experience (and talking to your supervisor about it...or not!)
• A recruiter's perspective to applying and interviewing
• Building cultural and career competency through networking conversations

UPEI graduate students and post-doctoral scholars were able to access sessions live and are now able to view session recordings, slides, and handouts for up to one year thanks to event sponsorship from the UPEI Faculty of Graduate Studies.