Campus Notices
Our EFAP provider, Green Shield, is holding orientation webinars for all employees, faculty members, and their dependents who want to know more about how their UPEI EFAP benefits work.
2025 dates offered: August 7, September 4, October 2, November 6 and December 4.
To register:
- Click this ZOOM link to register
- Choose the best date (please note 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 or scan the QR code below
- 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.
https://greenshieldplus.zendesk.com/hc/en-ca/articles/37342446679956-Create-your-account-as-a-dependent
For questions, contact Human Resources at employeeservices@upei.ca
Our EFAP provider, Green Shield, is holding orientation webinars for all employees, faculty members, and their dependents who want to know more about how their UPEI EFAP benefits work.
2025 dates offered: August 7, September 4, October 2, November 6 and December 4.
To register:
- Click this ZOOM link to register
- Choose the best date (please note 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 or scan the QR code below
- 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.
https://greenshieldplus.zendesk.com/hc/en-ca/articles/37342446679956-Create-your-account-as-a-dependent
For questions, contact Human Resources at employeeservices@upei.ca
We are pleased to introduce UPEI’s new Exit Interview program, developed as part of the UPEI Action Plan:
- 3.1.6.1: Develop a process to offer exit interviews for departing employees, and
- 3.1.6.2: Develop a process to share aggregate information learned from exit interviews in confidential and appropriate ways.
An exit interview is a voluntary opportunity for employees who are leaving UPEI or moving to a new department to share feedback about their work experience. This helps us better understand the employee experience and identify opportunities to strengthen our workplace.
More information is available on the Human Resources SharePoint page, including:
- The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining eligibility and reporting
- A sample questionnaire
If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Employee Experience & Development Team in Human Resources at hrengage@upei.ca
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to scramble your way through a presentation you have no control over? It’s more fun than you think, and you can experience it yourself (or just come to watch!) on Tuesday, November 4, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship in 201 Robertson Library! No pre-registration required!
Note: If you would like to participate, please bring a phone or computer that can access wi-fi or cellular data.
The Health, Safety, and Environment Department (HSE) is offering Basic (previously called Emergency) First Aid/CPR training sessions on the following dates:
- December 8, 2025, 8:30 am–4:00 pm. Registration cut off: December 1, 2025
**Seats are limited, please register early to guarantee your spot!
To register, please email HSE@upei.ca. Include your name, department, contact number and the session date you are registering for.
The cost of registration will be covered by HSE for all UPEI faculty and staff, including students who require training for on-campus employment. Students who do not require training for on-campus employment are welcome to attend; however, the cost of registration will not be covered by HSE.
Intermediate (Previously called Standard) First Aid/CPR training is a comprehensive two-day course that offers first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for those who need enhanced training as a work requirement. Please contact HSE at HSE@upei.ca if you require this training.
The Healthy Campus Committee is pleased to support UPEI staff, faculty, and retirees with two weekly wellness programs this fall:
- Pickleball – Tuesdays, 12:00–1:00 pm, Gymnasium (September 16–December 2)
- Mindful Flow and Stillness – Thursdays, 12:10–12:55 pm, Studio 1 (September 18–December 11)
Both programs take place in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre and are free of charge for UPEI staff, faculty, and retirees. Please note that weekly registration is required for each activity.
How to Register:
- Visit recreation.upei.ca or open the Panther Recreation app.
- Select UPEI LOGIN and enter your UPEI email address and password.
- Click the Wellness icon, choose your program, and follow the prompts.
For more information, please contact:
Angela Marchbank
Coordinator, Fitness & Wellness
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to scramble your way through a presentation you have no control over? It’s more fun than you think, and you can experience it yourself (or just come to watch!) on Tuesday, November 4, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship in 201 Robertson Library! No pre-registration required!
Note: If you would like to participate, please bring a phone or computer that can access wi-fi or cellular data.
UPEI values their employees and recognizes the importance of programming such as "Take Our Kids to Work Day" whereby grade nine students join their parents at work as an opportunity to expose our youth to future job possibilities and to teach the value of education and the rewards of hard work.
To ensure the safety of all, the following criteria must be met before your child may be permitted to participate in the program at UPEI.
- Permission from your supervisor
- Appropriate precautionary measures are taken, and hazards have been considered or removed during the visit
- Supervision of children is required at all times
- Supervisors may require additional safety measures prior to such visits and may require written parental consent authorizing the site visit
Examples of high-risk safety areas include, but are not limited to:
- Shops, mechanical rooms, confined spaces, food preparation areas
- Any areas, indoors or out, containing power tools or machinery with exposed moving parts or rotating equipment
- Areas with excessive noise, temperatures, inadequate ventilation, or potential for exposure to chemicals or hazardous biological material
- University vehicles, heavy duty, or other motorized equipment
- Any other high-risk areas such as rooftops, construction zones, etc.
- Laboratories or specialized work areas that include chemicals, biological hazards, radioactive hazards, flammables, explosives, compressed gases, sharp objects, lasers, research animals, hazardous wastes, or other environmental hazards. Please refer to the UPEI Laboratory Safety Manual for specific laboratory visitor guidance.
Supervisors must email HSE@upei.ca prior to November 5, to notify that a child will be at the workplace and to include date, workplace location(s), and activity.
For any questions or concerns please contact your supervisor.
The third meeting of the UPEI Senate will take place on Friday, November 21, 2025, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in Room 102 at Alumni Hall (618 University Avenue). To view the 2025-2026 calendar of Senate meetings or documents for the upcoming meeting, click here. (Posted one week before the meeting)
All meetings are open to members of the University community, although certain in-camera items (e.g., granting of degrees) may require the Senate to go into a closed session. Only members of Senate are permitted to address the Senate unless otherwise recognized by the chair.
For logistical purposes, members of the UPEI community who wish to attend the open session of a UPEI Senate meeting are asked to contact senate@upei.ca one week prior to the meeting. While Senate is an in-person meeting, members of the University community may request a virtual connection when they are unable to attend in person.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to scramble your way through a presentation you have no control over? It’s more fun than you think, and you can experience it yourself (or just come to watch!) on Tuesday, November 4, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship in 201 Robertson Library! No pre-registration required!
Note: If you would like to participate, please bring a phone or computer that can access wi-fi or cellular data.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to scramble your way through a presentation you have no control over? It’s more fun than you think, and you can experience it yourself (or just come to watch!) on Tuesday, November 4, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship in 201 Robertson Library! No pre-registration required!
Note: If you would like to participate, please bring a phone or computer that can access wi-fi or cellular data.
The Robertson Library’s Open Education Resource Development Program is accepting grant applications for the creation or adaptation of open educational resources (OERs). The grant types include:
- Open Educational Resource or Textbook Grant: up to $7000
- the development of a new open textbook on a topic that is currently not covered by an existing open textbook, or major adaptations of existing textbooks;
- Open Textbook Adaptation Grant: up to $4,500
- the adaptation of one or more open educational resources or open textbooks to create a new version or edition of a resource (i.e. a Canadian edition of an existing open textbook);
- Supplementary Resources Grant: up to $2,500
- the creation of ancillary materials for existing open textbooks, including, but not limited to test banks, slide decks, recordings, or interactive media, etc.
All applications will be reviewed and considered, however, applications that meet either/both of the following criteria will be prioritised:
- Applications that support first-year courses (as they reach the greatest number of students); and/or
- Applications with evidence of consultation with the TLC and/or a Librarian.
Applications close January 7, 2026.
For more information, or to apply, visit https://library.upei.ca/OERProgram/grants.
Questions about the grants, OERs, Pressbooks, or any other related topics can go to Keri McCaffrey, One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian at knmccaffrey@upei.ca or Charlene VanLeeuwen in the Teaching and Learning Centre at cvanleeuwen@upei.ca.
The Health, Safety, and Environment Department (HSE) is offering Basic (previously called Emergency) First Aid/CPR training sessions on the following dates:
- November 7, 2025, 8:30-4:00 pm. Registration cut off: October 31, 2025
- December 8, 2025, 8:30 am–4:00 pm. Registration cut off: December 1, 2025
**Seats are limited, please register early to guarantee your spot!
To register, please email HSE@upei.ca. Include your name, department, contact number and the session date you are registering for.
The cost of registration will be covered by HSE for all UPEI faculty and staff, including students who require training for on-campus employment. Students who do not require training for on-campus employment are welcome to attend; however, the cost of registration will not be covered by HSE.
Intermediate (Previously called Standard) First Aid/CPR training is a comprehensive two-day course that offers first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for those who need enhanced training as a work requirement. Please contact HSE at HSE@upei.ca if you require this training.
Every day, our colleagues go above and beyond to make our university a vibrant, supportive, and inspiring place to work and learn. “Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues” is your space to give a shout-out to those who embody our mission and values—whether they’re championing a new initiative, supporting student success, lending a hand to a teammate, or bringing positivity to the workplace. You can also use this program to congratulate a colleague on a new role or wish them well in retirement.
Let’s celebrate the big and small wins that make our campus shine! Submit your note of recognition, and let’s cheer on our amazing colleagues together.
How to submit:
Complete this short form: https://forms.office.com/r/766cg9JsT6
You’ll be asked to share:
- Who are you recognizing? (Name and department/faculty)
- Why are you recognizing them? (Briefly describe what they did or the impact they made)
- Your name
Submit your form(s) by the last Friday of each month. Human Resources will collect the submissions and work with Communications to feature them in the Campus Connector. Please note, we now have a dedicated page for this program on the Human Resources SharePoint: Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues.
Not a current subscriber to Campus Connector? Click here for information on how to subscribe.
The deadline for our next issue is Friday, October 31, 2025
Please contact Human Resources at hrengage@upei.ca should you have any questions.
We are pleased to introduce UPEI’s new Exit Interview program, developed as part of the UPEI Action Plan:
- 3.1.6.1: Develop a process to offer exit interviews for departing employees, and
- 3.1.6.2: Develop a process to share aggregate information learned from exit interviews in confidential and appropriate ways.
An exit interview is a voluntary opportunity for employees who are leaving UPEI or moving to a new department to share feedback about their work experience. This helps us better understand the employee experience and identify opportunities to strengthen our workplace.
More information is available on the Human Resources SharePoint page, including:
- The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining eligibility and reporting
- A sample questionnaire
If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Employee Experience & Development Team in Human Resources at hrengage@upei.ca
What an instructor communicates to students can be highly impactful, but it is constrained by the limits of time and subject matter. What if additional dimensions of topics were folded into classes in a way that only becomes apparent later? A student who realizes stealth teaching has happened can react by thinking "Ahh, I see what you did there." This is how stealth teaching can carry the benefits of learning beyond the classroom. Join Etienne Cote on October 29 at 12:30 pm in the TLC Robertson Library Annex Room 230 to discuss how and why you might want to incorporate elements of stealth teaching into your courses.
The UPEI Health and Wellness Centre will offer flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics in October to all students as well as faculty, staff, and their families.
Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Schedule:
- Wednesday, October 22, 9:00 am-3:00 pm, McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre
- Thursday, October 23, 12:00–7:00 pm, McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre
- Wednesday, October 29, 12:00 –7:00 pm, The McCain Foundation Learning Commons Atrium, Atlantic Vet College
Important details:
- Vaccines are administered on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is necessary
- This service is free of charge
- We are unable to administer vaccines to children aged 2 and under
- Please bring a valid provincial health card or student ID for registration
- You are required to wait 15 minutes in the post-vaccine waiting area after receiving your flu shot to ensure no allergic reaction. Please plan your time accordingly.
Stay healthy this season - come get vaccinated!
The Robertson Library’s Open Education Resource Development Program is accepting grant applications for the creation or adaptation of open educational resources (OERs). The grant types include:
- Open Educational Resource or Textbook Grant: up to $7000
- the development of a new open textbook on a topic that is currently not covered by an existing open textbook, or major adaptations of existing textbooks;
- Open Textbook Adaptation Grant: up to $4,500
- the adaptation of one or more open educational resources or open textbooks to create a new version or edition of a resource (i.e. a Canadian edition of an existing open textbook);
- Supplementary Resources Grant: up to $2,500
- the creation of ancillary materials for existing open textbooks, including, but not limited to test banks, slide decks, recordings, or interactive media, etc.
All applications will be reviewed and considered, however, applications that meet either/both of the following criteria will be prioritised:
- Applications that support first-year courses (as they reach the greatest number of students); and/or
- Applications with evidence of consultation with the TLC and/or a Librarian.
Applications close January 7, 2026.
For more information, or to apply, visit https://library.upei.ca/OERProgram/grants.
Questions about the grants, OERs, Pressbooks, or any other related topics can go to Keri McCaffrey, One Health and Scholarly Communications Librarian at knmccaffrey@upei.ca or Charlene VanLeeuwen in the Teaching and Learning Centre at cvanleeuwen@upei.ca.
The title of this year's Murray Lecture is Water as Teacher: What water can teach us about hope in hard times
What can water teach us about hope? Biomimicry is the design of structures and systems based on natural processes, and this approach might just offer the insights that education needs in times of crisis. In this distinguished lecture, educator and author Dr. Kari Grain extends the ideas from her book Critical Hope to explore what the behaviours of water can teach us when our most important efforts in education are blocked by obstacles and interruptions. In an era of austerity, political polarization, and fatigue from ongoing crises, many people who are committed to social change efforts face a damming of their life’s work. By observing four habits of water, Grain invites us to reimagine how hope itself can move: Bending, pooling in deep places, going underground, and persisting. In this reflection, critical hope offers an alternative to toxic positivity, shifting from an emotion that we either have or lack, to a complex relationship that we navigate continually. When it embodies the habits of water, critical hope is a practice of relentless incrementalism, discernment, and creativity, fluid enough to forge new pathways forward.
This year's distinguished speaker is Dr. Kari Grain. Dr. Grain is the author of Critical Hope and teaches at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Education, where she leads the Master’s in Adult Learning and Global Change (ALGC) Program. Her scholarship in experiential education, anti-racism, climate action, and community engagement has been featured in peer-reviewed journals, books, and podcasts. At the nucleus of Grain’s body of work is the belief that education has the potential to be a vibrant pathway toward systemic change; and vital to that process of transformation is an attunement to relational, creative, and vulnerable ways of being in the world with others. Kari is the co-editor of a forthcoming (2025) volume on Community Engaged Research (CER) with University of Toronto Press. Kari lives on unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories.
The Shannon K. Murray Lecture on Hope in the Academy was established in 2023 to celebrate Shannon's receipt of the Christopher Knapper Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Shannon K. Murray Lecture on Hope and the Academy will take place on Monday, November 3, at 3:30 pm in SDU Main Building, Room 117.
Every day, our colleagues go above and beyond to make our university a vibrant, supportive, and inspiring place to work and learn. “Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues” is your space to give a shout-out to those who embody our mission and values—whether they’re championing a new initiative, supporting student success, lending a hand to a teammate, or bringing positivity to the workplace. You can also use this program to congratulate a colleague on a new role or wish them well in retirement.
Let’s celebrate the big and small wins that make our campus shine! Submit your note of recognition, and let’s cheer on our amazing colleagues together.
How to submit:
Complete this short form: https://forms.office.com/r/766cg9JsT6
You’ll be asked to share:
- Who are you recognizing? (Name and department/faculty)
- Why are you recognizing them? (Briefly describe what they did or the impact they made)
- Your name
Submit your form(s) by the last Friday of each month. Human Resources will collect the submissions and work with Communications to feature them in the Campus Connector. Please note, we now have a dedicated page for this program on the Human Resources SharePoint: Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues.
Not a current subscriber to Campus Connector? Click here for information on how to subscribe.
The deadline for our next issue is Friday, October 31, 2025
Please contact Human Resources at hrengage@upei.ca should you have any questions.
