Campus Notices
The Department of Physics is once again hosting public viewings of the sun using our solar telescopes this summer. We invite you to join us on Friday, August 7, from 12:30-2:00 pm on the grassy area between Memorial Hall and Robertson Library. There you can view one layer of the sun's atmosphere (the chromosphere) through our ground-based telescope before climbing to the observatory and viewing another layer (the photosphere) through a different telescope. You'll get to see sunspots and prominences and learn about our nearest star.
If the weather is too cloudy on Friday, we will have to cancel this event, but we will be holding additional events later in the summer.
Check our website after 9:30 am on Friday for the status of the event.
We are launching the first of three pulse surveys that will take place over the coming months. Pulse surveys are short, focused surveys that help us gather timely feedback on specific topics. Our first pulse survey is focused on Sharing Information and Communications. The survey aims to better understand the effectiveness of UPEI's communication channels, how employees prefer to receive information, and where opportunities exist to improve communication across the University. The information gathered will help inform the campus-wide communication strategy, led by the Communications and University Relations unit in Marketing and Communications, and improve the ways we share news, updates, events, and important information.
Survey Details
- The survey takes approximately 5–7 minutes to complete.
- The survey can be completed on a computer, or by using a mobile device.
- The survey is completed via the TalentMap survey platform we used in the previous employee engagement survey.
- The survey can only be completed once and must be completed in one sitting.
- Responses are anonymous. No personal information is collected, and individual responses cannot be connected to any employee.
- The deadline to complete is Friday, August 21, 2026, by 4pm.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Your input helps us better understand the employee experience and supports our ongoing efforts to make meaningful improvements across UPEI.
We would like to invite all UPEI employees to join us for a plant and trimming exchange.
Join colleagues old and new for a casual plant and trimming exchange designed to welcome new employees, reconnect returning staff, and set the tone for a thriving year ahead. No green thumb required, just curiosity and conversation.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in the campus Quad. Trade plants and trimmings with other staff and faculty, finally re-pot that office plant that is outgrowing its container, or offer slips and cuttings to folks looking to spruce up their office spaces!
Please bring what supplies you can, and even better if you have enough to share. Let us take care of our office greenery while enjoying a little visit with our coworkers.
What to Bring:
- Plant cuttings, slips, or trimmings to share or swap
- Your own pots or containers for repotting plants
- Seeds to swap (optional)
- A blanket or lawn chair if you'd like to sit and visit outdoors
We will have some cups and potting soil available.
Rain location: McMillan Hall.
The Doctor of Psychology program invites all to attend the public presentation of Ashlee Morrell's dissertation defence titled "Community as Hope and Harm: Group-Level Coping, Inequity, and Physical Health After General and Identity-Based Childhood Adversity in 2SLGBTQ+ Adults."
When: August 18, 2026, 2:00 pm
Where: Memorial Hall, Room 104
Please join us in supporting Ashlee on this momentous occasion!
The Doctor of Psychology Program invites all to attend the public presentation of Delrae Fawcett's Dissertation Defense titled: "Beyond Food: A Relational and Embodied Framework of Eating Disorders"
Date and Time: August 11, 2026 at 11:30am
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 104
Please join us in supporting Delrae on this momentous occasion!
In just a few weeks, students will return to campus in full force. The Office of Student Culture and Community Standards invites the campus community to stay tuned for updates and take part in Welcome Week 2026. Mark your calendars! This year, Welcome Week will take place between September 4th and 13th. Incoming students can register here to take part.
Welcome Week events are open to all Panthers, not only incoming students. The full schedule will be released soon, but favourites like the Back-2-School Fair and the President's Welcome Back BBQ, along with new ways to engage with the Panther community, await your participation.
Welcome Week updates will continue to be posted online. Follow @upei_studentaffairs or the Welcome Week site. Emails can be sent to welcomeweek@upei.ca.
UPEI is scheduling required network maintenance on Thursday, August 6, 2026, from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
During this maintenance, Internet access will be interrupted and unavailable. All traffic to and from the Internet, including M365, Teams, and VPN/remote access into UPEI, will be impacted and unavailable.
Internal UPEI networks and resources will be accessible.
This workshop, presented by the Teaching and Learning Centre in three half-day sessions, will enable instructors to redesign an assessment so that it is aligned, authentic, inclusive, AI‑aware, and sustainable. We will pay particular attention to the ways assessment design constraints and choices, such as format, instructions, and grading processes/criteria, may affect students and instructors. The workshop will take place on August 11, 12, and 13 in the Teaching and Learning Centre (Robertson Library Annex, Room 228) from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm each day.
Registration link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/qgXaFtHrm9
The Doctor of Psychology program invites all to attend the public presentation of Brenna Bagnell's dissertation defence titled "An Exploration of Relationship Doubts and Sexual Well-Being Among Couples."
When: August 17, 2026, 10:30 am
Where: Memorial Hall, Room 104
Please join us in supporting Brenna on this momentous occasion!
Almost all universities across Canada have collective agreements with their faculty and staff, and negotiations are a routine part of the life cycle of these agreements. During 2026, the University of Prince Edward Island has been engaged in the process of negotiating new Collective Agreements with the UPEI Faculty Association (FA #1 and FA #2), CUPE 1870, CUPE 501, IBEW 1928, and PSAC.
The University will make every effort to keep employees, students, and community members informed about collective bargaining process and will share regular updates on the work underway at each table. Please refer upei.ca/labour for updates and access to resources.
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
The Office of Research Services (ORS) supports researchers through the research administration process. We recognize that it can be complicated and takes precious time! Several institutional reviews are required, an important step to ensure accuracy and compliance, manage institutional commitments, and reduce risk to everyone involved in the research (PI, students, participants, partners, and the University). This session will outline the ORS review and approvals processes and timelines, highlighting factors that might affect these processes, and providing tips to researchers to enhance efficiencies of this important work.
August 5, 12:00 pm, Kelley Memorial Building, Room 210
Presented by: Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon, Associate Vice-President, Research
Hybrid option available
Open to Faculty, Research Scientists, Post-Docs, and Graduate Students
Register here: Info session - Understanding Research Services' reviews and approvals processes – Fill out form
We are launching the first of three pulse surveys that will take place over the coming months. Pulse surveys are short, focused surveys that help us gather timely feedback on specific topics. Our first pulse survey is focused on Sharing Information and Communications. The survey aims to better understand the effectiveness of UPEI's communication channels, how employees prefer to receive information, and where opportunities exist to improve communication across the University. The information gathered will help inform the campus-wide communication strategy, led by the Communications and University Relations unit in Marketing and Communications, and improve the ways we share news, updates, events, and important information.
Survey Details
- The survey takes approximately 5–7 minutes to complete.
- The survey can be completed on a computer, or by using a mobile device.
- The survey is completed via the TalentMap survey platform we used in the previous employee engagement survey.
- The survey can only be completed once and must be completed in one sitting.
- Responses are anonymous. No personal information is collected, and individual responses cannot be connected to any employee.
- The deadline to complete is Friday, August 21, 2026, by 4pm.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Your input helps us better understand the employee experience and supports our ongoing efforts to make meaningful improvements across UPEI.
UPEI is scheduling required network maintenance on Thursday, August 6, 2026, from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
During this maintenance, Internet access will be interrupted and unavailable. All traffic to and from the Internet, including M365, Teams, and VPN/remote access into UPEI, will be impacted and unavailable.
Internal UPEI networks and resources will be accessible.
This workshop, presented by the Teaching and Learning Centre in three half-day sessions, will enable instructors to redesign an assessment so that it is aligned, authentic, inclusive, AI‑aware, and sustainable. We will pay particular attention to the ways assessment design constraints and choices, such as format, instructions, and grading processes/criteria, may affect students and instructors. The workshop will take place on August 11, 12, and 13 in the Teaching and Learning Centre (Robertson Library Annex, Room 228) from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm each day.
Registration link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/qgXaFtHrm9
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
The University of Prince Edward Island is mourning the passing of Frederick E. Hyndman, CM, LLD, chair of the UPEI Board of Governors from 2006 to 2012. During his term, he led the Board during a time of significant growth in enrolment and infrastructure at the University.
Dr. Hyndman’s contributions to post-secondary education go back to his role as a member of the University/College Planning Committee in 1968–69 that led to the creation of UPEI and Holland College. He received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from UPEI in 2013 to recognize his significant contributions to post-secondary education, community heritage, the arts, and health care on PEI.
The UPEI community expresses condolences to Dr. Hyndman’s family, friends, and colleagues. The flags in front of the Kelley Memorial Building, and at UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place and the Artificial Turf Field have been lowered to half mast in Dr. Hyndman’s memory. Read the full UPEI article here.
UPEI is scheduling required network maintenance on Thursday, August 6, 2026, from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
During this maintenance, Internet access will be interrupted and unavailable. All traffic to and from the Internet, including M365, Teams, and VPN/remote access into UPEI, will be impacted and unavailable.
Internal UPEI networks and resources will be accessible.
Honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
McMillan Hall, W. A. Murphy Student Centre
Join us for a day of reflection, learning, and community as we mark the 11th anniversary of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)’s "Final Reports" along with "94 Calls to Action," which guide Canada’s path toward reconciliation. Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR). The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and the ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
To commemorate and honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, UPEI is expanding its annual Mawi’omi (the word for gathering in the Mi’kmaw language) and holding it on September 29. The TRC Mawi’omi is a gathering that will be open to the University and broader community, which will include several activities aimed at increasing awareness, fostering community relationships, and ensuring that the narratives of Indigenous peoples are honoured and understood.
We would like to invite all UPEI employees to join us for a plant and trimming exchange.
Join colleagues old and new for a casual plant and trimming exchange designed to welcome new employees, reconnect returning staff, and set the tone for a thriving year ahead. No green thumb required, just curiosity and conversation.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in the campus Quad. Trade plants and trimmings with other staff and faculty, finally re-pot that office plant that is outgrowing its container, or offer slips and cuttings to folks looking to spruce up their office spaces!
Please bring what supplies you can, and even better if you have enough to share. Let us take care of our office greenery while enjoying a little visit with our coworkers.
What to Bring:
- Plant cuttings, slips, or trimmings to share or swap
- Your own pots or containers for repotting plants
- Seeds to swap (optional)
- A blanket or lawn chair if you'd like to sit and visit outdoors
We will have some cups and potting soil available.
Rain location: McMillan Hall.
