Ocean Coates from the Office of Research Services will be hosting an information session on UPEI's 2027 internal funding opportunities on Thursday November 5 at 12:00 in the Health Sciences Building, Room 226. 

An option to attend online via Microsoft Teams will also be available (linked here) https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/227081828588255?p=MIPTmTEMG9ccWYQP6t

The session will discuss opportunities such as: 

• internal research grants
• scholarship of teaching and learning research grant
• Levesque research chairs in human health 
• SSHRC seed research grant
• and more! 

Interested attendees are encouraged to review the internal funding opportunities on our SharePoint website and come with any questions they may have. We look forward to telling you more about the current opportunities and supporting you during the application process! 

The Department of Religious Studies completed the quality assurance review, conducted in accordance with the University’s Senate policy on cyclical reviews of academic units. 

As part of the review process, the Department submitted a self-study report outlining its academic activities, strengths, and opportunities for improvement. The review team assessed the self-study report and gave recommendations in their comprehensive report. The site visit was conducted virtually where the external reviewers met faculty, staff and students to gain further insight into the Department’s academic programs, teaching and learning environment, and the overall operations. Following the external review, the Department submitted a multi-year action plan outlining strategies and planned initiatives to address reviewers’ recommendations and support continuous improvement.

The McDougall Faculty of Business completed the quality assurance review of their Master of Business Administration in Global Leadership (MBA-GL) program. The review included an external assessment of the program by academic experts, providing an opportunity to evaluate its academic quality, curriculum, student experience and alignment with institutional priorities. The process also offered valuable insights into the program’s strengths and opportunities for further enhancement, and the review team provided recommendations to support the program’s continued development. An action plan was developed by the Faculty to address the recommendations and identify opportunities for continued program enhancement.

The Doctor of Psychology completed an external review under the Quality Assurance policy of Senate, and for Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission’s condition for new programs. The program prepared a comprehensive self-study report, which was reviewed by an external reviewer. The reviewer also met with faculty, staff and students and submitted a report with their recommendations and observations for continual improvements in teaching, learning, research and service. In response to the reviewer’s report, the program faculty prepared an action plan which was presented to the Academic Planning and Curriculum Committee for approval. 

The Office of the AVPR welcomes Zeyad Ahmed to UPEI as the new ACENET Research Coordinator.

Zeyad will support researchers with advanced research computing resources, services, and training opportunities. Zeyad is located in Kelley Memorial Building, Room 101 and can be reached at zaawad@upei.ca.

We are excited to have Zeyad join the UPEI community and encourage faculty, staff, and students to connect with him to learn more about ACENET's research computing resources and services.

Have you ever wanted to turn a unique idea into a business? Here's your chance!

Pitch Battles is a three-day entrepreneurship competition bringing together students from UPEI and Holland College to develop business ideas, build their entrepreneurial skills, and compete for cash prizes!

The twist? You won't know the competition's theme or your teammates until the event begins!

Throughout the weekend, you'll collaborate with students from different backgrounds, receive guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and industry mentors, and participate in hands-on workshops to bring your team's idea to life. You’ll have the opportunity to request one fellow full-time UPEI student or Holland College student, and as long as they sign up and request you back, you’ll be guaranteed that teammate. The competition wraps up with teams pitching their ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win $4,000 in prizes!

Whether you're interested in entrepreneurship, looking to develop new skills, or simply enjoy creative problem-solving, Pitch Battles is an opportunity to challenge yourself, make new connections, and gain valuable hands-on experience.

Event Details:

• Dates: November 6–8, 2026
• Location: UPEI Campus, Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building
• Eligibility: Open to current Holland College and UPEI students
• Registration Deadline: Wednesday, November 4 at 4:00 PM

Ready to take on the challenge? Learn more and register here: https://www.upei.ca/entrepreneurship/programming/pitch-battles

Internationally acclaimed and award-winning Canadian composer, improviser, and jazz pianist David Braid visits the Department of Music from November 4-6, to lead creative workshops, provide a public talk, and present a solo piano performance. Braid is a four-time JUNO award winner whose work spans jazz piano performance and chamber music, choral music, and film score composition. He is known for engaging audiences in both classical and jazz communities and transcending genre boundaries.

Public events include:

Thursday, November 5, 7:00 pm: Public talk at Steel Recital Hall (FREE admission)

Friday, November 6, 7:30 pm: Solo piano performance, music from Braid's JUNO award-winning album Verge

Admission for the November 6 performance is $30 adults, $25 seniors, $10 students, and FREE for UPEI students with ID, available online via upei.universitytickets.com or by cash at the door.

Steel Recital Hall is an accessible venue with elevator and ramp entry via the South-centre doors to Steel Building.

“What’s the purpose of a university education? or, what are we even doing here?” 

What does it mean to say we “teach,” across our many fields and areas at UPEI? Is there something in common about our teaching that we all share and could articulate? Could we, for instance, agree on what we want students to have at the end of their degrees—in terms of skills, knowledges, and questions for their lives after graduation; would we want to? Or is teaching, a core activity of the university, one of those taken-for-granted activities—and what might be some consequences of not holding it up to the same scrutiny we hold up many of the other knowledges we look at? How does—how can—our teaching respond to a rapidly changing world, a post-secondary sector under much duress everywhere (for lots of reasons), and an ever-changing student body articulating different needs and wants for their learning? (How) Does what we do in the classroom and in our curricula fit with UPEI’s strategic initiatives? At a time when many of us are quietly asking ourselves some version of the question “what are we even doing here,” let’s have that conversation together! 

Are you a graduate student looking to strengthen your teaching practice, prepare for future academic roles, or build confidence as an instructor? Whether you're new to teaching or have completed the Certificate in University Teaching Quick Start, the University Teaching Domain Certificate: Learner Centredness offers an opportunity to explore evidence-informed approaches to teaching and learning. 

Designed for graduate students, this program helps participants develop practical teaching skills for teaching assistantships and future instructional roles. Through self-paced learning, reflection, discussion, and application, you'll build a foundation in effective and inclusive teaching practices. 

Click here to learn more or Register for this series

You can also add these sessions directly to your Outlook Calendar:

• October 1 – How People Learn
• October 21 – Presentation Prep
• November 25 – Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The second UPEI Board of Governors meeting of the 2026-2027 academic year will take place on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, at 4:00 pm in Room 102, Alumni Hall. All board meetings include sessions that are open to the public. Certain agenda items, including but not limited to human resources discussions, may require the board to go into a closed session. 

For logistical purposes, members of the public who wish to attend the open session of a meeting are asked to contact board@upei.ca one week prior to the meeting. Members of the public wishing to attend the public portion of a meeting must adhere to the UPEI Board of Governors' Meeting Observer Guidelines.

Pitch Battles returns this fall for its third edition, along with major changes to the program! Get teamed up with fellow UPEI and Holland College students to create a business idea and compelling pitch over the course of three days within a mystery theme that will be revealed at the start of the competition! Access mentors with a diverse background of experience to help you develop your concept. 

Pitch Battles is taking place in FSDE 128B on the UPEI campus on the following dates:

• Friday, November 6 from 2:30 - 6:00 pm
• Saturday, November 7 from 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
• Sunday, November 8 from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Any current UPEI and Holland College student is eligible to apply. For more information, click here.

Effective October 30, 2026, Alumni Hall (618 University Avenue) is open for normal operations as the heating system has been repaired.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while this issue was being addressed.

Facilities Management

The Chief Justice Thane A. Campbell Lectureship in Law will feature a presentation titled “After First Nations children won: the struggle to remedy Canada’s systemic discrimination” on Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 5:00 pm in Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall (Room 248). The lecture will be delivered by Cindy Blackstock, PhD, Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society.

Admission to the lecture is free.

Presented by the Faculty of Arts and the Law Foundation of PEI.

The Office of the AVPR welcomes Zeyad Ahmed to UPEI as the new ACENET Research Coordinator.

Zeyad will support researchers with advanced research computing resources, services, and training opportunities. Zeyad is located in Kelley Memorial Building, Room 101 and can be reached at zaawad@upei.ca.

We are excited to have Zeyad join the UPEI community and encourage faculty, staff, and students to connect with him to learn more about ACENET's research computing resources and services.

Dr. Kevin Gannon, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence and Professor of History at Queens University-Charlotte, gave the 2026 Shannon K. Murray Lecture on Hope and the Academy in September on the UPEI campus. Dr. Gannon’s lecture, titled "Hope for Humans", was open to the public and was also recorded by CBC IDEAS, hosted by Nahlah Ayed. 

The 2026 Shannon K. Murray Lecture will first air on CBC Radio One (96.1 FM in Charlottetown) on Monday, November 2, at 8 pm. For other air times and ways to listen, visit the CBC Radio website: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/about-ideas-1.4348080 

The Shannon K. Murray Lecture on Hope and the Academy was established in 2023 to honour the achievements of Dr. Shannon Murray, an award-winning professor of English and a 3M National Teaching Fellow. CBC IDEAS has recorded and aired the annual lecture every year since it was launched.

Have you ever wanted to turn a unique idea into a business? Here's your chance!

Pitch Battles is a three-day entrepreneurship competition bringing together students from UPEI and Holland College to develop business ideas, build their entrepreneurial skills, and compete for cash prizes!

The twist? You won't know the competition's theme or your teammates until the event begins!

Throughout the weekend, you'll collaborate with students from different backgrounds, receive guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and industry mentors, and participate in hands-on workshops to bring your team's idea to life. You’ll have the opportunity to request one fellow full-time UPEI student or Holland College student, and as long as they sign up and request you back, you’ll be guaranteed that teammate. The competition wraps up with teams pitching their ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win $4,000 in prizes!

Whether you're interested in entrepreneurship, looking to develop new skills, or simply enjoy creative problem-solving, Pitch Battles is an opportunity to challenge yourself, make new connections, and gain valuable hands-on experience.

Event Details:

• Dates: November 6–8, 2026
• Location: UPEI Campus, Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering Building
• Eligibility: Open to current Holland College and UPEI students
• Registration Deadline: Wednesday, November 4 at 4:00 PM

Ready to take on the challenge? Learn more and register here: https://www.upei.ca/entrepreneurship/programming/pitch-battles

Please join us to thank Sister Sue for her years of dedicated service to UPEI as our Campus Minister and to congratulate her on her leadership appointment with the Sisters of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame de Montréal.

Monday, November 2, 2026
3:00–6:00 pm
The Fox & Crow, W.A. Murphy Student Centre

Your experience matters to us.

If you have received services at the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre in the past year, we invite you to complete our Patient Experience Survey. Your feedback helps us understand what we're doing well and where we can improve to better support our campus community.

• Takes just 5-6 minutes to complete
• Responses are anonymous and confidential
• Participation is voluntary
• Open to students, staff, faculty, and eligible family members who have received services at the Health and Wellness Centre within the last year
• Survey closes at midnight on November 4

Complete the Survey: Patient Experience Survey | UPEI Health and Wellness Centre – Fill out form

Win a Prize! After completing the survey, you may enter a draw for a chance to win 1 of 3 prizes:

• Two $150 VISA prepaid gift cards
• One UPEI Bookstore Gift Basket

If you have questions or concerns about the survey, please contact Bonnie Lipton-Bos at blipton@upei.ca

Thank you for helping us improve the care and services we provide to the UPEI community!

Internationally acclaimed and award-winning Canadian composer, improviser, and jazz pianist David Braid visits the Department of Music from November 4-6 to lead creative workshops with students, provide a public talk on his work, and present a solo piano performance on the Department's fabulous Yamaha CFX grand piano. Braid is a four-time JUNO award winner whose work spans jazz piano performance and chamber music, choral music, and film score composition. He is known for engaging audiences in both classical and jazz communities and transcending genre boundaries.

Public events include:

Thursday, November 5, 7:00 pm: Public talk at Steel Recital Hall (FREE admission)

Friday, November 6, 7:30 pm: Solo piano performance, music from Braid's JUNO award-winning album Verge

Admission for the November 6 performance is $30 adults, $25 seniors, $10 students, and FREE for UPEI students with ID, available online via upei.universitytickets.com or by cash at the door.

Steel Recital Hall is an accessible venue with elevator and ramp entry via the South-centre doors to Steel Building.