Campus Notices
Beginning at 9:00 am on Monday, February 2 and until further notice, anyone accessing electronic resources (e-journals, e-books, databases, etc.) subscribed to by the Robertson Library will be prompted to enter their UPEI username and password, even when connected to a UPEI computer network. Logging in with UPEI credentials is a long-standing requirement for accessing Library e-resources from off-campus, but not on UPEI computing networks. The need for a temporary “on-campus login” arrangement at this time arises from an initiative led by ITSS to consolidate UPEI-owned IP addresses. This has, in turn, made it necessary for the Library to reconfigure the EZProxy server that we use to manage access to our e-resources.
During the EZproxy reconfiguration, the only way to reliably access databases and other e-resources will be through the links on the Library's website. If you have saved or bookmarked links that do not include the word "proxy" in the URL (web address), please note that these will not work during this time. You can fix those URLs using our Creating Persistent Links to Content in Library Databases tool.
If you encounter any difficulties accessing Library e-resources during this EZproxy reconfiguration, or have questions about it, please contact us. For information about the broader UPEI IP initiative, please contact Graham Nixon, Manager, Infrastructure and Technology, ITSS. For updates see Change in Online Access to Library Resources.
The Local Pub and Oyster Bar is sponsoring a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, February 14 from 8am - 10am for the upcoming UPEI, IKERAS Faculty-Led Program for Study Abroad to New Zealand in May 2026! Only $15 per person for delicious pancakes (includes tea/coffee) and is being served by our students!
Graduate students are invited to come to the TLC on Feb. 5, 2026 at 12:00 to learn about creating an academic CV and some strategies for helping it grow as your career develops. If you are a Graduate Supervisor, consider encouraging your students to attend.
Our EFAP provider, Green Shield, is hosting orientation webinars for all employees, faculty members, and their dependents who would like to learn more about how their UPEI EFAP benefits work.
2026 dates offered: February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5 and December 3.
To register:
- Click this ZOOM link to register
- Please select the best date (note that the time zone is listed in EST).
- Complete the Webinar Registration.
- You will receive an email confirmation that has the log-in and call-in details.
This comprehensive, confidential, and accessible program offers a wide range of services to support your mental health and overall well-being, including:
5 hours of individual counselling (Green Shield will closely monitor usage and will provide additional hours to those who need further support, to ensure that no one is denied access to the program because of insufficient sponsored hours in any policy year) and 5 hours of couples therapy
Additional program highlights include:
- Flexible therapy options via phone, video, or in-person, with 30, 60, or 90-minute sessions
- Personalized therapist matching that considers DEI preferences
- Unlimited 15-minute consultations to help members find their ideal therapist
- Innovative, value-added services in areas such as children’s mental health, nutrition, and overall well-being
- Unlimited financial and legal consultations
- Self-guided digital CBT, well-being coaching, and personalized care navigation
- Digital pharmacy and nutrition services
Create your account to explore services, including Mental Health Support: Get convenient, personalized mental health support from a qualified therapist best suited to you, or explore our self-guided online therapy program at your own pace.
We hope you’ll enjoy this integrated and convenient health experience.
ACCOUNT AS AN EMPLOYEE
Create your account to access GreenShield+ services today.
Your Organization code is: UPEI
Sign Up
To access your EAP on GreenShield+:
- Make a note of your Organization Code "UPEI"
- Go to app.greenshieldplus.ca/en/sign-up
- Select Through an Employer or Organization
- Select I have an Organization Code
- Follow the steps to register
ACCOUNT AS A DEPENDENT
Before You Begin: You should only choose through a family member if you are a dependent (e.g. partner, spouse, child) of a person with a plan member ID or organization code.
For questions, contact Human Resources at employeeservices@upei.ca
This online Lunch & Learn session with Dr. Elizabeth Wells from Mount Allison University has been postponed. A new date later in the semester will be shared soon.
The UPEI departments of Human Resources and Athletics and Recreation are excited to invite staff and faculty to two Panther Pride events— “Why We Walk” on Thursday, February 5, and “Panther Sport Night and Employee Social” on Friday, February 6, 2026.
Why We Walk, hosted by the UPEI Men’s Basketball Panthers
Thursday, February 5, 2026 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Why We Walk is a campus-wide walk created to raise awareness and show unified support in the ongoing fight against breast cancer, bringing athletes, students, and the UPEI community together in a meaningful and visible way. This guided walk will take place around the campus beginning at a central location and ending at a final gathering point. Along the route, participants will stop at three interactive stations, each designed to encourage reflection, expression, and awareness.
Panther Sport Night and Employee Social
Friday, February 6, 2026
This high-energy night of sport will bring our campus community together to cheer on the UPEI Panthers as they near the finals—while also supporting an important cause.
The UPEI Women’s Basketball Panthers will host Shoot for the Cure, a fundraising initiative in support of breast cancer awareness and research. Dedicated to advancing breast cancer research and awareness, Shoot for the Cure has become a longstanding tradition in Canadian university sport, uniting athletes, coaches, and fans around a common cause.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK!
Join Ashton Dougan (Nursing) and Marissa Clapson (Chemistry) for an interactive lunch-and-learn on February 26 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in the TLC, Robertson Library Annex, Room 230, where you won’t just hear about escape rooms--you’ll experience one.
In this session, participants will take part in a mini educational escape room, explore the tactile and digital materials we use to design them, and learn how escape rooms can promote engagement, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving across disciplines. We will share examples from nursing and chemistry, discuss student reactions and learning outcomes, and walk you through the first steps of planning your own classroom escape room. Whether you teach in the sciences, health, or beyond, you’ll leave with practical ideas, adaptable resources, and inspiration to bring playful, high-impact learning into your courses.
The Office of Research Services and the Teaching and Learning Centre are collaborating to put on a workshop about incorporating Indigenization and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) in Research.
Funders (especially the Tri-Agencies) are increasingly looking for Indigenization and EDIA to be included in grant applications. This session will help researchers explore their positionality and incorporate Indigenization and EDIA into their proposal and highly qualified personnel (HQP) sections.
Event details
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Time: 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Location: FSDE 128A (in-person only)
More information and a registration link will be available shortly. Questions can be directed to Julie VanLeeuwen (jmvanleeuwen@upei.ca), Research Navigator.
Volunteers wanted for sauna and blood sugar and sauna study
Research study at the University of Prince Edward Island
Principal Investigator: Dr. Étienne Myette-Côté
Study Title:
The Effects of Acute Sauna Therapy on Glucose Control in Individuals at Risk for Metabolic Impairments.
What’s involved: Help us understand how a single 45-minute infrared sauna session affects blood sugar levels. Participants will complete two sessions (sauna and rest), wear a small blood sugar sensor (CGM), and attend a total of three lab visits. All meals for study days will be provided.
You may be eligible if you
- are 30–49 years old
- have a body mass index of ≥ 27 kg/m2
- have a waist size >102 cm (men) or >88 cm (women)
- have access to transportation for the last 2 visits (e.g., car, public transit, or drop-off) or live within a five-minute walk of the university.
- are cleared for participation based on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+).
You cannot participate if you
- take medications that affect blood sugar
- exercise intensely 2+ times/week
- have diabetes, heart issues, low blood sugar or pressure
- are pregnant
- regularly use saunas or other heat therapy
Location: All sessions take place at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Interested? Contact us to learn more or see if you're eligible: researchupei@outlook.com
Upcoming Information Sessions: Reducing Administrative Burden for Low-Value, Low-Risk Fee for Service Agreements
You spoke. We listened!
As part of our ongoing effort to live UPEI’s core value related to the Pursuit of Excellence, UPEI’s Contracts and Insurance and Procurement teams — along with a cross-functional process improvement group including representation from administrative staff, Privacy, ITSS, and the Office of the VPAF— have worked collaboratively to reduce administrative burden related to UPEI’s Low-Value, Low-Risk Fee for Service (FFS) agreements.
Did you know?
In 2025, UPEI processed 195 FFS agreements.
These agreements are currently subject to 28 touch points across seven UPEI departments and consume, on average, four hours of employee time each. That’s 780 employee hours per year!
These agreements average 26 days to process from start to completion.
Most interestingly, 79% of the FFS agreements are valued at less than $50,000.
Many of these FFS engagements pose minimal risk but require significant administrative effort.
What’s new?
Effective February 9, 2026, UPEI’s Procurement and Contracts and Insurance teams are proposing to eliminate FFS agreements for engagements valued at $50,000 or less, provided they meet "low risk" criteria.
The new Low-Value, Low-Risk Process reduces administrative steps from 28 to 7 - a 75% reduction - while maintaining key safeguards, including insurance.
This streamlined process will result in a significant reduction in paperwork and annual hours spent on FFS engagements each year, as well as shortening the time to complete while reducing potential frustration for UPEI staff and external vendors.
What do you need to know?
The Contracts and Insurance Office invites all members of the campus community to attend upcoming information sessions regarding the new Low-Value, Low-Risk FFS process.
These pre-launch sessions are intended to help departments prepare and ask questions ahead of implementation.
Sessions will include overviews of the Contracts and Insurance Office; FFS agreements; and the new Low-Value, Low-Risk FFS process; and offer an opportunity for Q&A
Session details: February 4, 2026 | 9:00–10:00 am | TBD | Register Here
Questions: If you have questions or require additional information, please contact the Contracts and Insurance Office at contracts@upei.ca
UPEI is seeking input from community members and users of the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre on whether to develop a high-performance strength and conditioning facility for UPEI and PEI athletes. A dedicated high-performance training centre would support approximately 250 varsity and 200 club student-athletes. UPEI is considering the creation of this training centre by redeploying 3,146 square feet of space in the Sports Centre from current use as squash courts and “Studio One” (a flexible exercise space). For more details, click here. Please provide input to Tim Walker, Vice-President, Administration and Finance, at vpaf@upei.ca by February 20, 2026.
The Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship is hosting a workshop focused on teaching the basics about creating a business plan on Wednesday, February 3, from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. Participants will learn about the major components of a business plan and what sort of information should be included in the document.
Attendees participating in the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program will also receive suggestions, tips, and tricks for how to make the most of their business plan for their written award submissions. The event is open to the public, but those participating in the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program Accelerate stream will have the event count towards their attendance boost for the Entrepreneurial written awards if present.
Beginning at 9:00 am on Monday, February 2 and until further notice, anyone accessing electronic resources (e-journals, e-books, databases, etc.) subscribed to by the Robertson Library will be prompted to enter their UPEI username and password, even when connected to a UPEI computer network. Logging in with UPEI credentials is a long-standing requirement for accessing Library e-resources from off-campus, but not on UPEI computing networks. The need for a temporary “on-campus login” arrangement at this time arises from an initiative led by ITSS to consolidate UPEI-owned IP addresses. This has, in turn, made it necessary for the Library to reconfigure the EZProxy server that we use to manage access to our e-resources.
During the EZproxy reconfiguration, the only way to reliably access databases and other e-resources will be through the links on the Library's website. If you have saved or bookmarked links that do not include the word "proxy" in the URL (web address), please note that these will not work during this time. You can fix those URLs using our Creating Persistent Links to Content in Library Databases tool.
If you encounter any difficulties accessing Library e-resources during this EZproxy reconfiguration, or have questions about it, please contact us. For information about the broader UPEI IP initiative, please contact Graham Nixon, Manager, Infrastructure and Technology, ITSS. For updates see Change in Online Access to Library Resources.
Join the Master of Cleantech Leadership and Transformation (MCLT) for a hands-on, creative student mixer on February 25, 2026, from 1:30–3:30 pm in McMillan Hall.
Open to all students (undergraduate and graduate), participants can sign up in teams of three to build sustainability-themed miniatures—such as green homes and pollinator gardens—while learning about the MCLT program.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams, with additional door prizes, food, and a relaxed opportunity for students to connect and explore future pathways in sustainability and graduate studies.
The event is free to attend but space is limited, so sign up today: MCLT Mixer & Miniature-Making Event - Sign Up – Fill out form
Questions? Email fgaballa@upei.ca or cleantech@upei.ca
Bring your own lunch and join us for an engaging session
Hosted by: The Teaching and Learning Centre
Session Overview:
Join us for a relaxed and informative Teaching & Learning Centre (TLC) Lunch & Learn session focused on Maintaining Motivation & Engagement in your classes. This is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, share ideas, and gain insights into connecting learning to real‑world purpose, building an interactive learning environment, fostering a sense of belonging, providing clear structure and expectations, offering autonomy and choice, giving meaningful feedback, and integrating active learning technologies.
RSVP: https://forms.office.com/r/c5DsnwcRTu
Contact: tlc@upei.ca
The Office of Research Services and the Teaching and Learning Centre are collaborating to put on a workshop about incorporating Indigenization and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) in Research.
Funders (especially the Tri-Agencies) are increasingly looking for Indigenization and EDIA to be included in grant applications. This session will help researchers explore their positionality and incorporate Indigenization and EDIA into their proposal and highly qualified personnel (HQP) sections.
Event details
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Time: 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Location: FSDE 128A (in-person only)
More information and a registration link will be available shortly. Questions can be directed to Julie VanLeeuwen (jmvanleeuwen@upei.ca), Research Navigator.
Beginning at 9 am on Monday, February 2, and until further notice, anyone accessing electronic resources (e-journals, e-books, databases, etc.) subscribed to by the Robertson Library will be prompted to enter their UPEI username and password, even when connected to a UPEI computer network. Logging in with UPEI credentials is a long-standing requirement for accessing Library e-resources from off-campus but not on UPEI computing networks. The need for a temporary “on-campus login” arrangement at this time arises from an initiative led by ITSS to consolidate UPEI-owned IP addresses. This has, in turn, made it necessary for the Library to reconfigure the EZProxy server that we use to manage access to our e-resources.
During the EZproxy reconfiguration, the only way to reliably access databases and other e-resources will be through the links on the Library's website. If you have saved or bookmarked links that do not include the word "proxy" in the URL (web address), please note that these will not work during this time. You can fix those URLs using our Creating Persistent Links to Content in Library Databases tool.
If you encounter any difficulties accessing Library e-resources during this EZproxy reconfiguration, or have questions about it, please contact us. For information about the broader UPEI IP initiative, please contact Graham Nixon, Manager, Infrastructure & Technology, ITSS. For updates, see Change in Online Access to Library Resources.
Increasingly, faculty are reporting exhaustion, overwork, and burnout as serious issues affecting their work lives. Join Dr. Elizabeth Wells from Mount Allison University for this ONLINE session, where we will explore the landscape of burnout through the literature, and consider support and solutions for today’s overburdened academic. Register here to receive the Teams link for this session happening on February 3 at 12:00 noon.
February is Black History Month, and the UPEI Student Union invites everyone to take part in a series of celebrations throughout the month. During Black History Month, we honour and amplify the voices of Black folks while celebrating their many achievements and contributions.
We kick things off on Monday, February 2, with a Flag Raising Ceremony at 11 am in front of the Kelley Memorial Building. Later on the same day, at 12:30 pm in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, enjoy Flavours of Black History Month featuring free food, including rice and peas, fried plantains, jerk chicken, vegetable, beef, and chicken samosas, and mandazi, prepared by Out of Africa and Boonoonoonoos. Sorrel and pineapple juice will also be available. This event will run while supplies last.
Information about other events will be posted closer to the event dates on our social media channels: @upeisu on all platforms.
Upcoming Information Sessions: Reducing Administrative Burden for Low-Value, Low-Risk Fee-for-Service Agreements
You spoke. We listened!
As part of our ongoing effort to live UPEI’s core value related to the Pursuit of Excellence, UPEI’s Contracts and Insurance and Procurement teams—along with a cross-functional process improvement group including representation from administrative staff, Privacy, ITSS, and the Office VPAF—have worked collaboratively to reduce administrative burden related to UPEI’s Low-Value, Low-Risk Fee-for-Service (FFS) agreements.
Did you know?
In 2025, UPEI processed 195 FFS agreements.
These agreements are currently subject to 28 touch points across seven UPEI departments and consume, on average, four hours of employee time each. That’s 780 employee hours per year!
These agreements average 26 days to process from start to completion.
Most interestingly, 79% of the FFS agreements are valued at less than $50,000. Many of these FFS engagements pose minimal risk but require significant administrative effort.
What’s new?
Effective February 9, 2026, UPEI’s Procurement and Contracts & Insurance teams are proposing to eliminate FFS agreements for engagements valued at $50,000 or less, provided they meet "low risk" criteria.
The new Low-Value, Low-Risk process reduces administrative steps from 28 to 7--a 75% reduction--while maintaining key safeguards, including insurance.
This streamlined process will result in a significant reduction in paperwork and annual hours spent on FFS engagements each year, as well as shortening the time to complete while reducing potential frustration for UPEI staff and external vendors.
What do you need to know?
The Contracts and Insurance Office invites all members of the campus community to attend upcoming information sessions regarding the new Low-Value, Low-Risk FFS process.
These pre-launch sessions are intended to help departments prepare and ask questions ahead of implementation.
Sessions will include overviews of the Contracts and Insurance Office; FFS agreements; and the new Low-Value, Low-Risk FFS process, and offer an opportunity for Q&A
Session details:
February 2, 2026 | 1:00–2:00 pm | TBD | Register Here
February 4, 2026 | 9:00–10:00 am | TBD | Register Here
Questions: If you have questions or require additional information, please contact the Contracts & Insurance Office at contracts@upei.ca
