Master of Education program celebrates a decade of leadership-building
Strong leadership is an essential ingredient of a successful education system. School principals, academic program developers, and informal educators such as media and communications personnel become more effective when they strengthen their leadership skills, and this directly benefits the many constituencies they serve—that was the key message during a special celebration on November 14 to mark the first decade of UPEI’s Master of Education in Leadership and Learning program.
The guest speakers included the Honourable Gerard Greenan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development; the Honourable Richard Brown, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning; and Katherine Schultz, UPEI Vice-President of Research and Development. The celebration was hosted by Tim Goddard, UPEI Dean of Education.
“Our 10-year celebration has provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on the positive impact that this graduate program has had on educators and education in Prince Edward Island and beyond,” said Dean Goddard.
More than 200 people have completed the MEd program since UPEI introduced it in 1998 to accommodate a stronger emphasis on the professional credentials of educators. Two graduates, from the classes of 2001 and 2002, made presentations that highlighted the program’s influence on their work.
“It was a life-changing experience and sent me on a journey of leadership in the public education system on PEI,” said Ken Gaudet, Principal of West Royalty Elementary. “As I look around the educational landscape, I see many of my classmates in leadership positions in schools, school boards, and the Department of Education. We became close knit as a group and have maintained that personal relationship over the years."
“The Master's of Education in Learning and Leadership represented, for me, an opportunity to achieve something I had always dreamed of doing,” said Audrey Penner, Director of Adult Education, Learner Supports, and Applied Research at Holland College. “I love to learn and I love to lead; this was the ideal program for me?a perfect fit.”
MEd Program Co-ordinator Miles Turnbull said that graduate and other advanced professional programs benefit the province in numerous ways.
“It is very important to build leadership capacity in our own province and in a wide variety of educational domains. Studies show that Islanders who do advanced degrees on the Island tend to stay here,” he said. “Programs such as this are an important way to keep our best and brightest people right here where we need them.”
In 2002, the University also introduced an innovative outreach component to this Master’s program that has attracted MEd students from as far afield as Grand Prairie and Fort McMurray in Alberta, and in Nunavut.
The Faculty of Education’s success with graduate studies had led to the development of a PhD program in educational studies that the UPEI Senate accepted earlier this year. This program is currently under review by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.
For further information, please contact Dr. Miles Turnbull at 902-566-0341 or mturnbull@upei.ca.
The guest speakers included the Honourable Gerard Greenan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development; the Honourable Richard Brown, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning; and Katherine Schultz, UPEI Vice-President of Research and Development. The celebration was hosted by Tim Goddard, UPEI Dean of Education.
“Our 10-year celebration has provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on the positive impact that this graduate program has had on educators and education in Prince Edward Island and beyond,” said Dean Goddard.
More than 200 people have completed the MEd program since UPEI introduced it in 1998 to accommodate a stronger emphasis on the professional credentials of educators. Two graduates, from the classes of 2001 and 2002, made presentations that highlighted the program’s influence on their work.
“It was a life-changing experience and sent me on a journey of leadership in the public education system on PEI,” said Ken Gaudet, Principal of West Royalty Elementary. “As I look around the educational landscape, I see many of my classmates in leadership positions in schools, school boards, and the Department of Education. We became close knit as a group and have maintained that personal relationship over the years."
“The Master's of Education in Learning and Leadership represented, for me, an opportunity to achieve something I had always dreamed of doing,” said Audrey Penner, Director of Adult Education, Learner Supports, and Applied Research at Holland College. “I love to learn and I love to lead; this was the ideal program for me?a perfect fit.”
MEd Program Co-ordinator Miles Turnbull said that graduate and other advanced professional programs benefit the province in numerous ways.
“It is very important to build leadership capacity in our own province and in a wide variety of educational domains. Studies show that Islanders who do advanced degrees on the Island tend to stay here,” he said. “Programs such as this are an important way to keep our best and brightest people right here where we need them.”
In 2002, the University also introduced an innovative outreach component to this Master’s program that has attracted MEd students from as far afield as Grand Prairie and Fort McMurray in Alberta, and in Nunavut.
The Faculty of Education’s success with graduate studies had led to the development of a PhD program in educational studies that the UPEI Senate accepted earlier this year. This program is currently under review by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.
For further information, please contact Dr. Miles Turnbull at 902-566-0341 or mturnbull@upei.ca.
UPEI student Joshua Darrach selected to attend UN conference on climate change
Joshua Darrach, a fourth-year student at the University of Prince Edward Island, has been chosen to be one of 25 youth attending the next UN climate change conference in Poznan, Poland, in early December of this year.
Darrach was chosen to attend the conference by the Canadian Youth Delegation (CYD) to Poznan through a highly competitive process that drew an outstanding roster of applicants. The CYD to Poznan is joining over 500 youth from around the world to voice their concerns about climate change and advocate for stronger measures to fight it.
“The conference in Poznan is potentially the largest and most important international meeting on climate change in the past 10 years,” he says. “With the Kyoto Protocol set to expire in 2012, discussions must start now to decide how countries will address the issue of climate change. The time to take action is now!”
The CYD has done groundbreaking policy and communications work at UN climate conferences in the past, and it has been influential in the process of these international negotiations. Youth attending the Poland conference with the CYD will coordinate a variety of influential activities, including policy research and writing, creative outreach events, and writing and blogging about the conference.
“Canadian youth expect a lot from the negotiations in Poland, and I feel very privileged to represent them,” he says.
Darrach, who will graduate from UPEI this spring with a degree in philosophy and environmental studies, will attend the negotiations as a youth observer. He has been working with local, national, and international groups to solidify tangible action on climate change for the last four years and has been a member of the CYD to the UNFCCC conferences in both Nairobi and Bali. Last year he received public speaking training from Al Gore and David Suzuki as a way of empowering his local community to demand real domestic action about the climate crisis.
Launched in the fall of 2006 to engage youth in international climate change negotiation processes, the CYD is a project of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. For information about the current delegation, please visit www.cydpoznan.org.
For more information, contact Darrach at (902) 940-6291 or josh.darrach@me.com.
Darrach was chosen to attend the conference by the Canadian Youth Delegation (CYD) to Poznan through a highly competitive process that drew an outstanding roster of applicants. The CYD to Poznan is joining over 500 youth from around the world to voice their concerns about climate change and advocate for stronger measures to fight it.
“The conference in Poznan is potentially the largest and most important international meeting on climate change in the past 10 years,” he says. “With the Kyoto Protocol set to expire in 2012, discussions must start now to decide how countries will address the issue of climate change. The time to take action is now!”
The CYD has done groundbreaking policy and communications work at UN climate conferences in the past, and it has been influential in the process of these international negotiations. Youth attending the Poland conference with the CYD will coordinate a variety of influential activities, including policy research and writing, creative outreach events, and writing and blogging about the conference.
“Canadian youth expect a lot from the negotiations in Poland, and I feel very privileged to represent them,” he says.
Darrach, who will graduate from UPEI this spring with a degree in philosophy and environmental studies, will attend the negotiations as a youth observer. He has been working with local, national, and international groups to solidify tangible action on climate change for the last four years and has been a member of the CYD to the UNFCCC conferences in both Nairobi and Bali. Last year he received public speaking training from Al Gore and David Suzuki as a way of empowering his local community to demand real domestic action about the climate crisis.
Launched in the fall of 2006 to engage youth in international climate change negotiation processes, the CYD is a project of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. For information about the current delegation, please visit www.cydpoznan.org.
For more information, contact Darrach at (902) 940-6291 or josh.darrach@me.com.
Science in Journalism
Students within the Holland College journalism program took part in a mock media conference recently to learn more about science in journalism.
Hosted by the Atlantic Veterinary College, the event provided journalism students with the opportunity to participate in a realistic media conference while gaining experience in gathering and reporting on science-based stories.
Atlantic Veterinary College researchers Dr. Jean Lavallée (Clinical Research Scientist, AVC Lobster Science Centre), Dr. Michael Cockram (Chair in Animal Welfare), and Dr. John VanLeeuwen (Professor of Health Management) participated in the media conference. AVC researchers provided overviews of their research as it appears in the Atlantic Veterinary College’s 2008 Research Report – Creating Knowledge, and took part in interviews with the journalism students.
The journalism students then prepared science-based stories for review by their instructor and the Atlantic Veterinary College.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time for this great learning experience!
Hosted by the Atlantic Veterinary College, the event provided journalism students with the opportunity to participate in a realistic media conference while gaining experience in gathering and reporting on science-based stories.
Atlantic Veterinary College researchers Dr. Jean Lavallée (Clinical Research Scientist, AVC Lobster Science Centre), Dr. Michael Cockram (Chair in Animal Welfare), and Dr. John VanLeeuwen (Professor of Health Management) participated in the media conference. AVC researchers provided overviews of their research as it appears in the Atlantic Veterinary College’s 2008 Research Report – Creating Knowledge, and took part in interviews with the journalism students.
The journalism students then prepared science-based stories for review by their instructor and the Atlantic Veterinary College.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time for this great learning experience!
UPEI and Newcomers’ Association to develop immigrant family literacy program
Researchers based at the University of Prince Edward Island are co-operating with the PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada (PEIANC) on a new program called Connecting Families through Community that aims to increase the literacy levels of new Canadians whose first language is not English.
The researchers will work closely with immigrant families in Charlottetown to develop and implement a flexible literacy program that meets the families’ specific needs and is transferable to other newcomers in PEI and across the country. Their findings will strengthen the capacity of service providers to assist new immigrants by providing information, training, and resources on family literacy. The three-year program is funded by a $296,000 award from Human Resources and Social Development Canada.
“The PEIANC is excited to be partnering with UPEI on this important research project,” says Dr. Kevin J. Arsenault, Executive Director of the PEIANC. “This kind of focused research on the language and literacy challenges facing newcomers is very important and much needed. These are the most formidable barriers many newcomers must overcome if they are to successfully integrate and participate in Island life for the long term.”
The UPEI Faculty Coordinator for the project is Dr. Barbara Campbell, Director of the Webster Centre for Teaching and Learning. Campbell’s background is in nursing education. She currently teaches Global Issues at UPEI, and she has worked in the past with the PEI Multicultural Council.
Campbell says, “Connecting Families through Community is an important and innovative project that aims to strengthen newcomers’ abilities to function effectively in Canadian culture and contribute to the Prince Edward Island economy. I am very excited to be part of it.”
The lead researcher is Dr. Vianne Timmons, former V.P. Academic Development at UPEI, and now President of the University of Regina. Timmons’ UPEI-based research team will work in tandem with her researchers in Regina.
“The collaboration of universities in different parts of Canada will ensure that the program developed can be utilized in multiple settings,” says Timmons, who has partnered extensively with rural and Aboriginal communities to develop new family literacy programs across the Atlantic region.
Connecting Families through Community will begin later this year with a needs assessment to determine the literacy goals of members of the ESL community in PEI. In stage two, researchers will develop a family program in close consultation with the families who participated in the needs assessment. This will include an in-depth analysis of “culture shock” factors that affect new Canadians’ readiness to benefit from literacy programs. In the final stages, the research group will deliver and evaluate a pilot program based on the experiences of 20 immigrant families.
The final outcomes of Connecting Families through Community will include: a framework of supports that newcomers need in PEI, a published ESL family literacy program, and recommendations for support for newcomer families in PEI.
The researchers will work closely with immigrant families in Charlottetown to develop and implement a flexible literacy program that meets the families’ specific needs and is transferable to other newcomers in PEI and across the country. Their findings will strengthen the capacity of service providers to assist new immigrants by providing information, training, and resources on family literacy. The three-year program is funded by a $296,000 award from Human Resources and Social Development Canada.
“The PEIANC is excited to be partnering with UPEI on this important research project,” says Dr. Kevin J. Arsenault, Executive Director of the PEIANC. “This kind of focused research on the language and literacy challenges facing newcomers is very important and much needed. These are the most formidable barriers many newcomers must overcome if they are to successfully integrate and participate in Island life for the long term.”
The UPEI Faculty Coordinator for the project is Dr. Barbara Campbell, Director of the Webster Centre for Teaching and Learning. Campbell’s background is in nursing education. She currently teaches Global Issues at UPEI, and she has worked in the past with the PEI Multicultural Council.
Campbell says, “Connecting Families through Community is an important and innovative project that aims to strengthen newcomers’ abilities to function effectively in Canadian culture and contribute to the Prince Edward Island economy. I am very excited to be part of it.”
The lead researcher is Dr. Vianne Timmons, former V.P. Academic Development at UPEI, and now President of the University of Regina. Timmons’ UPEI-based research team will work in tandem with her researchers in Regina.
“The collaboration of universities in different parts of Canada will ensure that the program developed can be utilized in multiple settings,” says Timmons, who has partnered extensively with rural and Aboriginal communities to develop new family literacy programs across the Atlantic region.
Connecting Families through Community will begin later this year with a needs assessment to determine the literacy goals of members of the ESL community in PEI. In stage two, researchers will develop a family program in close consultation with the families who participated in the needs assessment. This will include an in-depth analysis of “culture shock” factors that affect new Canadians’ readiness to benefit from literacy programs. In the final stages, the research group will deliver and evaluate a pilot program based on the experiences of 20 immigrant families.
The final outcomes of Connecting Families through Community will include: a framework of supports that newcomers need in PEI, a published ESL family literacy program, and recommendations for support for newcomer families in PEI.
UPEI Panthers Support Food Bank and Toys for Tots
During this final week of Panther Sport at the end of an exciting fall semester, UPEI student-athletes are reaching out to help people in the community who are in need.
They are asking Panther hockey supporters who plan to attend Thursday night's game against SMU to make cash and food donations to the PEI Food Bank. And they are encouraging basketball fans who are going to the women's and men's games against SFX on Saturday, November 29, to show their support by donating to the Toys for Tots program.
In return, the UPEI Athletics Department will distribute Panther gift packages to everyone who contributes to these worthy community services. They include discount coupons and
complimentary tickets to Panther games coming up in January.
“Some of the great corporate sponsors taking part in the UPEI Heroes program are supporting the Panther gift packages,” says Ron Annear, Athletics Director. “The total value of each package is close to $100.”
The Panther community support week wraps up with a float in Saturday's Christmas Parade. UPEI student-athletes, coaches, newcomers to PEI, and young Panther fans are all taking part in the float.
For further information, contact Lynn Boudreau at 566-0991.
Bright future for UPEI in challenging times
MacLauchlan spoke to university students, faculty and staff, and members of the public in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Don and Marion McDougall Hall.
Reflecting on 2008, MacLauchlan said that UPEI recorded its largest student numbers ever this fall at a time when total enrolment at universities in the region has declined by about seven per cent since 2005. The 4,245 full- and part-time students registered at UPEI this year represent a 5.5 per cent increase over 2007-2008.
Enrolment of international students continues to increase, and 28 per cent of Island high school graduates consistently come to UPEI, he said. He anticipates that the number of Island students coming to UPEI will grow to 30 per cent or higher in the near future.
The university continues to rank as one of the top ten primarily undergraduate universities in Canada. And it recently was named the top undergraduate university in Canada for research income growth from 2002 to 2007.
UPEI is ahead of the region and the country in the 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) released earlier this fall. The survey revealed that first- and fourth-year students have a high degree of satisfaction with their experience at UPEI.
The university is a leader of development and achievement within the Island community, he said. He highlighted the rejuvenation of the campus, the importance of UPEI’s community partnerships, its involvement in the 2009 Canada Games, and the progress of its Building a Legacy fundraising campaign which will conclude in February of 2009.
He noted that it is important for the Island community to know that they can contribute to the university in many ways, whether they come to see the rejuvenated campus, contribute to the Build a Legacy campaign, support UPEI athletics teams, or participate as research and educational partners.
Looking ahead to the future, MacLauchlan said that while UPEI is doing well, there is room to improve and continue to excel, even in challenging economic times.
“We are true to the culture of this place, which is to live within our means, to achieve the most that we can with the resources we have, and to show the university community and the people of the province that we produce a good return on investment.”
To view details of the University Update, please visit upei.ca and follow the link on the UPEI home page.
UPEI’s co-operative education program presents annual student awards
Students in the University of Prince Edward Island’s cooperative education program were recognized recently for their excellent work during an awards ceremony held in the Don and Marion McDougall Hall.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the annual co-op student of the year awards.
Johanna Egan, who graduated with her business degree in May of 2008, won the 2007 Business Student of the Year award. She worked as a co-op student on Tourism Atlantic’s Competitiveness through Best Practices program in the summers of 2006 and 2007. She was responsible for researching and organizing tourism best practices missions throughout North America for Atlantic Canadian tourism operators. Egan is currently a tourism officer in the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) Tourism Atlantic section.
The Computer Science Co-op Student of the Year award went to YunPeng Bai, who worked with Canada Mortgage and Housing Agency (CMHC) in Charlottetown during the summer of 2007. During his work term, he modified the design of an existing database to provide additional reports and data needed for changes to programs and procedures. In January 2008, he returned to CMHC for a second work term and then completed a third this summer for a power supply company in his home town of Chaotian, China. He will graduate in the spring of 2010.
Willy Gauthier won the Donald G. MacCormac Leadership Award for a student who has demonstrated leadership in his academic and co-op studies. Gauthier served as vice-president of finance for the UPEI Student Union in 2006/2007 and as president in 2007/2008. He was also president of the university’s Adult Connections in Education (ACE) program in 2007/2008 and vice-president of finance for ACE in 2006/2007. He did his first co-op work term with the Provincial Treasury and then two more with Grant Thornton in Charlottetown. Other awards include the National Futures Fund CEO of the Year, the Regis Duffy Award for Academic Achievement and Leadership in the University Community, the Peake and McInnis Prize in Business and the Class of 1998 Leadership Award. He graduated in May of 2008 and is employed with Grant Thornton.
On an earlier occasion, Brian Bylhouwer received the 2007 Physics Co-op Student of the Year award. Bylhouwer completed two four-month work terms in the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre at National Research Council-Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in Victoria, B.C. He then joined Satlantic where he worked on a project to build a novel underwater sensor, a digital video camera that measures radiance at each pixel in the image. He graduated with a BSc with a major in physics in May 2008.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the annual co-op student of the year awards.
Johanna Egan, who graduated with her business degree in May of 2008, won the 2007 Business Student of the Year award. She worked as a co-op student on Tourism Atlantic’s Competitiveness through Best Practices program in the summers of 2006 and 2007. She was responsible for researching and organizing tourism best practices missions throughout North America for Atlantic Canadian tourism operators. Egan is currently a tourism officer in the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) Tourism Atlantic section.
The Computer Science Co-op Student of the Year award went to YunPeng Bai, who worked with Canada Mortgage and Housing Agency (CMHC) in Charlottetown during the summer of 2007. During his work term, he modified the design of an existing database to provide additional reports and data needed for changes to programs and procedures. In January 2008, he returned to CMHC for a second work term and then completed a third this summer for a power supply company in his home town of Chaotian, China. He will graduate in the spring of 2010.
Willy Gauthier won the Donald G. MacCormac Leadership Award for a student who has demonstrated leadership in his academic and co-op studies. Gauthier served as vice-president of finance for the UPEI Student Union in 2006/2007 and as president in 2007/2008. He was also president of the university’s Adult Connections in Education (ACE) program in 2007/2008 and vice-president of finance for ACE in 2006/2007. He did his first co-op work term with the Provincial Treasury and then two more with Grant Thornton in Charlottetown. Other awards include the National Futures Fund CEO of the Year, the Regis Duffy Award for Academic Achievement and Leadership in the University Community, the Peake and McInnis Prize in Business and the Class of 1998 Leadership Award. He graduated in May of 2008 and is employed with Grant Thornton.
On an earlier occasion, Brian Bylhouwer received the 2007 Physics Co-op Student of the Year award. Bylhouwer completed two four-month work terms in the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre at National Research Council-Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in Victoria, B.C. He then joined Satlantic where he worked on a project to build a novel underwater sensor, a digital video camera that measures radiance at each pixel in the image. He graduated with a BSc with a major in physics in May 2008.
Former UPEI vice-president named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women
Dr. Vianne Timmons, who served as vice-president Academic Development at UPEI from 2001 to 2008, has named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2008.
Timmons joined UPEI in 1996 as dean of the Faculty of Education and was named vice-president Academic Development in 2001. She became president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina in July of 2008. She will chair the Canadian Bureau for International Education starting in November 2009.
Her research is focused in the area of education with emphasis on literacy and learning and their roles in establishing healthy vibrant communities. She was lead investigator of a three-year collaborative research project looking at six rural communities’ need to address the issues their children are facing. This research has been published in academic journals and presented at conferences, as well as in the book Voice of the Community, featuring the work of social documentary photographer Carlos Reyes-Manzo.
Currently, she is leading a team of researchers at UPEI and the University of Regina to develop a program designed to increase the literacy levels of new Canadians whose first language is not English. The project involves working closely with immigrant families in Charlottetown and Regina to develop and implement a flexible literacy program that meets the families’ specific needs and will be transferable to other newcomers in P.E.I. and across the country.
Other research work includes improving the lives of children in India; development of rural and Aboriginal family literacy programs in Atlantic Canada; and the effectiveness of programming and services for children with autism in P.E.I.
The Top 100 Award is an initiative of the Women's Executive Network (WXN) and is co-presented by the Richard Ivey School of Business and Scotiabank.
Timmons joined UPEI in 1996 as dean of the Faculty of Education and was named vice-president Academic Development in 2001. She became president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina in July of 2008. She will chair the Canadian Bureau for International Education starting in November 2009.
Her research is focused in the area of education with emphasis on literacy and learning and their roles in establishing healthy vibrant communities. She was lead investigator of a three-year collaborative research project looking at six rural communities’ need to address the issues their children are facing. This research has been published in academic journals and presented at conferences, as well as in the book Voice of the Community, featuring the work of social documentary photographer Carlos Reyes-Manzo.
Currently, she is leading a team of researchers at UPEI and the University of Regina to develop a program designed to increase the literacy levels of new Canadians whose first language is not English. The project involves working closely with immigrant families in Charlottetown and Regina to develop and implement a flexible literacy program that meets the families’ specific needs and will be transferable to other newcomers in P.E.I. and across the country.
Other research work includes improving the lives of children in India; development of rural and Aboriginal family literacy programs in Atlantic Canada; and the effectiveness of programming and services for children with autism in P.E.I.
The Top 100 Award is an initiative of the Women's Executive Network (WXN) and is co-presented by the Richard Ivey School of Business and Scotiabank.
UPEI expands wireless internet service
Wireless internet access is now available in all academic buildings on the University of Prince Edward Island’s campus.
To extend wireless access across UPEI, Computer Services increased the number of wireless access points on campus from 25 to 100. Prior to this expansion, which was completed in early November, wireless access was available only in select areas on campus, such as the Robertson Library, W.A. Murphy Student Centre and the Kelley Building Student Lounge.
“This gives students, faculty and staff greater flexibility in their ability to use the technology available at UPEI to conduct research, teach and do their work,” says Blair Vessey, Operations Manager at UPEI Computer Services. “They are no longer restricted to having to work in particular places on campus.”
As well, UPEI now has multiple wireless network services available through the new equipment, aimed to make it easier to connect a wide variety of devices. New services will allow people such as visiting scholars to access the campus’s wireless system using a guest username and password, without having to install software or configure security settings on their computer.
Computer Services will monitor the wireless system and expand it where necessary, based on feedback from users. While coverage was planned to include as many areas as possible, there may be locations where signal strength will need to be increased to handle the demand as more people begin to use the network. More access points will be added in these areas.
Over time, Computer Services plans to increase the number of campus services available through the wireless system, such as printing and file sharing. They are also working with the residences to incorporate wireless internet in all three residence buildings by the fall of 2009.
Computer Services worked with Cisco Systems Inc, a leading supplier of networking equipment and network management for the Internet, to expand the wireless network at UPEI.
To extend wireless access across UPEI, Computer Services increased the number of wireless access points on campus from 25 to 100. Prior to this expansion, which was completed in early November, wireless access was available only in select areas on campus, such as the Robertson Library, W.A. Murphy Student Centre and the Kelley Building Student Lounge.
“This gives students, faculty and staff greater flexibility in their ability to use the technology available at UPEI to conduct research, teach and do their work,” says Blair Vessey, Operations Manager at UPEI Computer Services. “They are no longer restricted to having to work in particular places on campus.”
As well, UPEI now has multiple wireless network services available through the new equipment, aimed to make it easier to connect a wide variety of devices. New services will allow people such as visiting scholars to access the campus’s wireless system using a guest username and password, without having to install software or configure security settings on their computer.
Computer Services will monitor the wireless system and expand it where necessary, based on feedback from users. While coverage was planned to include as many areas as possible, there may be locations where signal strength will need to be increased to handle the demand as more people begin to use the network. More access points will be added in these areas.
Over time, Computer Services plans to increase the number of campus services available through the wireless system, such as printing and file sharing. They are also working with the residences to incorporate wireless internet in all three residence buildings by the fall of 2009.
Computer Services worked with Cisco Systems Inc, a leading supplier of networking equipment and network management for the Internet, to expand the wireless network at UPEI.
Public presentation about excavating blue whale on December 4
In May 2008, teams from the University of British Columbia and Atlantic Veterinary College excavated the 20-year-old remains of a blue whale near Tignish. Join us as AVC Wildlife Pathologist, Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust, speaks about his experience, using the excavation to illustrate some remarkable adaptations of these magnificent animals to their environment. A question and answer session will follow the presentation, and some biological specimens will be available for viewing.
The presentation will take place on Thursday, December 4, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Lecture Theatre A at the Atlantic Veterinary College. Everyone is welcome. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. Donations to the Friends of AVC will be gratefully accepted.
For information, call (902) 566-0589 or visit upei.ca/avcnews.
Part of the AVC Community Workshop Series
The presentation will take place on Thursday, December 4, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Lecture Theatre A at the Atlantic Veterinary College. Everyone is welcome. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. Donations to the Friends of AVC will be gratefully accepted.
For information, call (902) 566-0589 or visit upei.ca/avcnews.
Part of the AVC Community Workshop Series
