Over the past several months there have been many requests to increase the per diem rates for University business travel in light of current expenses.  The office of the Vice-President, Administration and Finance has conducted a national review of per diem and mileage rates and in light of those results we have increased the allowances.

These increases take effect on November 23, 2015 for all travel scheduled on or after that date.

Details of the allowances can be found in the Travel Procedures document found on the UPEI Policies webpage. 

The International Relations Office would like to create a database of staff and faculty who speak a language in addition to English. This database will be used by the staff of the International Relations Office as a resource when visitors come to campus and to assist students at times  when translation would be helpful. We are not asking for certified translation services, but if you  are interested in offering your language skills, please email irostu@upei.ca with your name, gender, additional language(s), phone number, and email, and please title subject as “Translator Database”. Please submit this information by November 27. Thank you and have a great day!

Christian Veterinary Fellowship at UPEI is collecting winter items (clothes, boots, outerwear for children and adults) for the refugees coming to the Island, as well as toiletries, sundries, gifts, housewares.
If you have items to donate please drop them off at Sunny Hartwig's office, 2333N AVC, before December 4. These items will be delivered to Summerside on December 4 and will go directly to the refugee
families.

UPEI has a weekly knitting and crocheting group open to all students, staff, faculty and friends. 

From beginner to expert, all levels are welcome.  Supplies and guidance are currently available for beginner knitters and we hope to be set up to teach crocheting in the new year. 

Yarn & Soul meets weekly Monday evenings in the Student Affairs Boardroom.  Drop in between 6:30 and 8:30 pm.  For more info please contact Kathryn Harrison kharrison@upei.ca, 902-566-0623 or check out the Facebook group. 

Ms. Xiaotong Liang will present her Master of Arts - Island Studies thesis defence on Tuesday, December 1st at 8:30 am in Rm. 409 Dalton Hall. The thesis title is: "Claiming Green to Earn Green: China solidifying of environmental laws to secure economic monopoly in uninhabited islands - A case study of Fangji Island, China"

ITSS will be performing emergency maintenance work on UPEI's network on Sunday, November 22, 2015 between the hours of 8:00 am and 12:00 pm (noon). 

This maintenance is required to replace failed equipment that led to last weekend's network failure. All IT services with the exception of the local desktop will be affected by this outage. ITSS regrets any inconvenience that this may cause.

Please inform the ITSS Help Desk 902-566-0465 if this interruption will affect an important event or activity.

Dr. Dounia Daoud, Scientific Coordinator, Homarus Inc., Shediac New Brunswick will present a seminar called "Lobster research - from the Fisherman to the lab" on Wednesday, November 25 at 10:30 am in AVC Lecture Theatre B.

Everyone is welcome

The Office of the Vice-President Administration and Finance has a surplus HP LaserJet Print Cartridge Black number 124A. If your office could use this cartridge, please contact Kathryn Harrison, kharrison@upei.ca, 902-566-0623 .

As one response to the events of the past weeks, the Muslim students who pray each Friday afternoon in the Chaplaincy Centre are opening their prayer time and space to others who may wish to join them.  Sister Sue will be there and others are invited for prayer. 
Friday November 27
1:30 at the Chaplaincy Centre.

The second GSA Movie Night will be held at the Faculty Lounge of the SDU Main Building on Dec. 3 at 6:30 pm.
Our special Christmas themed movie will be the first Gremlins movie!
There will again be free popcorn for all!
All students (grad, undergrad), faculty, and staff welcome!.
Feel free to email the GSA with any questions or comments: gsa@upei.ca.

Join us on November 20 from 1-6 pm in MD246 for an undergraduate student conference entitled “Monsters, Gold and Glory.”

Participants include:
Thane Bernard, “Cursing the Darkness: The Portuguese Exploration of Africa and the Early Slave Trade”
Winnifred Daily, “The Portuguese Cultural Influence in Goa”
Rosemarie Dale, “The origins of the university Botany class: Exploring the ancient sources that contributed to the modern day classification of plants”
Jordan Fulford, “The Quest for Riches: Piracy Along the African Coast”
Emily MacIsaac, “Henry the Navigator, Bringing Glory to Portugal.”
Zachary Martin, “Monsters and Maps”
Michael Pass, “Saints, Sailors, & Samurai: English Views of Japan, 1543-1650”
Silei Peng, “Profit Seekers: The Vikings in the East”
Josh Power, “Para el oro, la Gloria y Dios (For Gold, Glory and God)”

Everyone welcome. Admission is free.

For more information contact Richard Raiswell at rraiswell@upei.ca.

Let's kick off the weekend with a show of support and excitement by asking everyone on campus to wear green, and to come out and cheer on your Panthers!

Here's our home game scheule this weekend:

Friday, November 20
6:00 pm (W) Basketball vs CBU "Subway Night"
8:00 pm (M) Basketball vs CBU "Subway Night"

Saturday, November 21
6:00 pm (W) Basketball vs CBU
8:00 pm (M) Basketball vs CBU

By wearing green you'll have chance to win prizes!  Our Panther Crew will be roaming campus on Friday looking for people wearing green.

The Bookstore is partnering to offer special pricing on some thing green each week!

Your campus pub the Wave is the place to go on Friday's during the day or before the game, stay tuned for food and beverage specials to be announced.

We all belong to the Panther Family, enjoy the experience!

#GopanthersGo

The Science Graduate Studies committee invites the campus community to the following seminar:

Social Media for Scholarship & Teaching:  Why & How

Presented by Dr. Bonnie Stewart, UPEI Faculty of Education.

Friday, November 20, 2015
12:30 pm
Duffy Science 204

Everyone is welcome

Denise Happ, Department of Biomedical Sciences will present a seminar called "Pathophysiology of stroke" on Tuesday, November 24 at 3:30 pm in AVC Lecture Theatre C.

Everyone is welcome

Gas Cylinder users: As per the Praxair gas cylinder contract agreement a price adjustment has been made effective November 1st,2015. Please contact Procurement Services for the updated price list.

Please be advised that the main door to Central Services will be closed at all times. Closure of the door is a Public Health Agency of Canada requirement, to comply with the regulations for a Level 2 Containment Zone.  Entrance to the lab remains the same as previously, such as wearing the guest lab coats, etc., so the only change is that the door will be closed when you arrive.

I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.  We are hoping to install a more suitable door with a larger window in the near future.  In the meantime, as you open the door please be cautious of the traffic coming in and out.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at lrostant@upei or call 0842, if you have any questions or concerns.

Ethics protocols that involve ‘more than minimal risk’ must be reviewed by the full UPEI Research Ethics Board. However, the UPEI Research Ethics Board does not meet in December so the next deadline for submitting these protocols is Monday January 4 2016. They will be reviewed at the January meeting.  Protocols involving ‘more than minimal risk’ that are received after January 4 will be reviewed at the February meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve ‘more than minimal risk’, renewals, and amendments may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary forms are received.

Please ensure that you download and use the current forms from http://www.upei.ca/research/forms. Use Adobe Reader to complete forms.

Submit the following:
·         one hard copy of the signed application form and associated documents to Joy Knight at the Office of Research Services, 200 Kelley Memorial Building and
·         one e-copy of all documents to reb@upei.ca.

For more information, please contact Joy Knight at 620-5104 or reb@upei.ca.

The next deadline for submitting Biosafety Protocols including new applications, renewals and/or amendments is Friday November 27 2015. hese protocols will be reviewed at the December meeting. Please ensure that you download and use the current forms from http://www.upei.ca/research/forms. Use Adobe Reader to complete the forms.

Submit the following:
·         one hard copy of the application form with signatures and associated documents to Joy Knight at the Office of Research Services, 200 Kelley Memorial Building and
·         one e-copy of all documents to reb@upei.ca.

Please note that protocols received after this deadline will be reviewed the following month. For more information, please contact Joy Knight at 620-5104 or reb@upei.ca.

As one response to the events of the past weeks, the Muslim students who pray each Friday afternoon in the Chaplaincy Centre are opening their prayer time and space to others who may wish to join them. Sister Sue will be there and others are invited for prayer. 

Friday November 27
1:30 at the Chaplaincy Centre.