17吃瓜

The Faculty of Science ESC/HB Seminar series invites the campus community to two graduate student presentations on January 30, 12:30 pm in Duffy Science Centre, Room 204

Nisha Owens (MSc-HB; Murphy's Lab, Biology) will present "Investigating the Kynurenine pathway in breast cancer", and Lucy Li (MSc-ESC; Wang's Lab, SCCA) will present "The impact of coastal erosion on mental health". 

Both talks are open to the public. 

You're invited to the Robertson Library Book Club! Throughout Winter Term 2026, we will read and discuss three books on the topic of indigeneity in the region of Turtle Island known as Canada. Book club meetings will be co-hosted by Morgan Varis, a sessional instructor from IKERAS (Faculty of Indigenous Knowledge, Education, Research, and Applied Studies). These meetings will take place on the last Monday of each month from January - March and will be held in the Robertson Library lobby at noon (12pm); light refreshments will be provided. 

Our next meeting is Monday, February 23, 12pm-1pm, discussing Out of the Depths: The Experiences of Mi鈥檏maw Children at the Indian Residential School at Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia by Isabelle Knockwood (nonfiction)

"Daring to break the code of silence imposed on Aboriginal students, residential school survivor Isabelle Knockwood offers the firsthand experiences of forty-two survivors of the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School. In their own words, these former students remember their first day of residential schooling, when they were outwardly transformed through hair cuts and striped uniforms marked with numbers. Then followed years of inner transformation from a strict and regimented life of education and manual training, as well as harsh punishments for speaking their own language or engaging in Indigenous customs. The survivors also speak of being released from their school 鈥� and having to decide between living in a racist and unwelcoming dominant society or returning to reserves where the Aboriginal culture had evolved." -

Copies of all three books are available to borrow from the Robertson Library (courtesy of PEI Public Library/Service des biblioth猫ques publiques 脦P脡 and their book club kit program):

Birdie by Tracey Lindberg
Out of the Depths by Isabelle Knockwood
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

Hope to see you there!

The 2026 theme for 17吃瓜鈥檚 Data Privacy Week (January 26-30) is 鈥淧rivacy is Everyone鈥檚 Business,鈥� highlighting the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust.

Data Privacy Week spreads awareness about online privacy with the aim of educating individuals on how to manage and protect their personal information and encourage organizations to respect data and be transparent.

Make privacy your business! To learn more about what you can do to be privacy aware, check out the resources on the .

To find out about 17吃瓜 privacy training for your department, please contact the 17吃瓜 Access to Information and Privacy Office at accessprivacy@upei.ca

Collide Discover is the one-stop shop to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey, whether you already have an idea or not! Learn how to ideate with a customer focus, structure your concept into a business model, identify your most attractive customer segment, and communicate your early-stage idea effectively!

Collide Discover is the only way to make yourself and your team eligible to participate in the new Aspire stream of the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program next semester for first and second year students!

The best part? You can complete the whole program in just 3 DAYS! The full bootcamp is taking place in FSDE 128A and B on the 17吃瓜 campus on the following dates:

• Friday, January 30 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm

• Saturday, January 31 from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

• Sunday, February 1 from 9:30 am - 2:00 pm

Any current 17吃瓜 and Holland College student, faculty member, or recent graduate within the last 5 years is eligible to attend. Food is provided throughout the bootcamp! .

The fifth meeting of the 17吃瓜 Senate will take place on Friday, January 30, 2026, 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鈥痬eetings鈥痑re open to members of鈥痶he University community, although certain in-camera鈥痠tems (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 17吃瓜 community who wish to attend the open session of a 17吃瓜 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. 

Every year in February, we celebrate Black History Month. Members of the campus community are invited to join the 17吃瓜 Student Union, the Black Cultural Society, and the African Student Association at the raising of the Pan-African flag at the flag plaza near Kelley Memorial Building at 11:00 am. A reception with local food vendors will follow at 12:30 pm in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre. All are welcome. 

For information about other events and activities at 17吃瓜 to mark Black History Month, go to /communications/news/2026/01/upei-celebrates-black-history-month

As part of our ongoing effort to live 17吃瓜鈥檚 core value related to the Pursuit of Excellence, 17吃瓜鈥檚 Contracts and Insurance and Procurement teams 鈥� along with a cross-functional process improvement group including representation from administrative staff, Privacy, ITSS, and the Office VPAF鈥� have worked collaboratively to reduce administrative burden related to 17吃瓜鈥檚 Low-Value, Low-Risk Fee for Service (FFS) agreements. 

Did You Know? 

• In 2025, 17吃瓜 processed 195 FFS agreements
• These agreements are currently subject to 28 touch points across seven (7) 17吃瓜 departments and consume, on average, 4 hours of employee time each. That鈥檚 780 employee hours per year!
• These agreements average 26 days to process from start to completion.
• Most interestingly, 79% of the FFS agreements are valued at less than $50,000. 
• Many of these Fee for Service engagements pose minimal risk but require significant administrative effort. 

What鈥檚 New? 

• Effective February 9, 2026, 17吃瓜鈥檚 Procurement and Contracts and Insurance teams are proposing to eliminate Fee for Service agreements for engagements valued at $50,000 or less, provided they meet 鈥榣ow risk鈥� criteria.
• The new Low-Value, Low-Risk Process reduces administrative steps from 28 to 7 - a 75% reduction - while maintaining key safeguards, including insurance.
• This streamlined process will result in a significant reduction in paperwork; annual hours spent on Fee for Service engagements each year; as well as shortening the time to complete while reducing potential frustration for 17吃瓜 staff and external vendors. 

What Do You Need to Know? 

• The Contracts and Insurance Office invites all members of the campus community to attend upcoming information sessions regarding the new Low-Value, Low-Risk Fee for Service (FFS) Process. 
• These pre-launch sessions are intended to help departments prepare and ask questions ahead of implementation. 
• Each session will include an Overview of the Contracts and Insurance Office; Overview of Fee-for-Service Agreements; Overview of the new Low-Value, Low-Risk FFS Process; and offer an opportunity for Q&A  

Session Details:  

February 2, 2026 | 1:00鈥�2:00 pm |

February 4, 2026 | 9:00鈥�10:00 am | 

If you have questions or require additional information, please contact the Contracts and Insurance Office at contracts@upei.ca

Join the Master of Cleantech Leadership and Transformation (MCLT) for a hands-on, creative student mixer on February 25, 2026, from 1:30鈥�3:30 pm in McMillan Hall.

Open to all students (undergraduate and graduate), participants can sign up in teams of three to build sustainability-themed miniatures鈥攕uch as green homes and pollinator gardens鈥攚hile learning about the MCLT program.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams, with additional door prizes, food, and a relaxed opportunity for students to connect and explore future pathways in sustainability and graduate studies.

The event is free to attend but space is limited, so sign up today:

Questions? Email fgaballa@upei.ca or cleantech@upei.ca

The Faculty of Science ESC/HB Seminar series invites the campus community to two graduate student presentations on January 30, 12:30 pm in Duffy Science Centre, Room 204

Nisha Owens (MSc-HB; Murphy's Lab, Biology) will present "Investigating the Kynurenine pathway in breast cancer", and Lucy Li (MSc-ESC; Wang's Lab, SCCA) will present "The impact of coastal erosion on mental health". 

Both talks are open to the public. 

Note to Professors and Course/Lab Instructors: 

Please add the testing information for any in-person quizzes, tests, and midterms for the Winter 2026 semester to Accommodate, as soon as possible. We do not need the test file immediately. 

Registered Accessibility Services students must submit a booking request at least 7 days in advance to ensure a seat in our centre. They cannot submit their testing request until you have entered the testing information in Accommodate. 

You do not need to add the test file until a few days before the test date. If needed, changes can be made to test dates after testing information has been added. 

Below are some Faculty how-to resources: 

How to schedule a test in Accommodate:  

How to view student accommodations:   

If you have any questions about adding a test in Accommodate or testing with Accessibility Services, please contact astesting@upei.ca. 

Are you looking for talented and motivated students or recent graduates to join your team? If so, don鈥檛 miss the chance to register as an employer for the 2026 17吃瓜 Summer Job and Career Fair!

The Summer Job and Career Fair is a great opportunity for 17吃瓜 departments to connect with potential employees or interns. You will be able to meet with hundreds of students and alumni from various disciplines and backgrounds and promote your department鈥檚 employment opportunities.

The fair will take place on March 11 (storm date: March 12, same time) from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

Space at the fair is limited and restricted to employers hiring for 2026 summer jobs or looking to hire May 2026 graduates or recent grads. Registration is FREE for all 17吃瓜 departments, but you need to register by February 21 at 4:00 pm to secure your spot.

To register, please fill out this form: .

Registration includes a folding table, two chairs, electricity (upon request), and wireless internet.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Community and Industry Outreach Coordinator Jess Cameron at careerfair@upei.ca or (902) 894-2817. 

We hope to see you at the fair! 

Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full 17吃瓜 REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, January 30, 2026, for review 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 materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for the REB, must be submitted through the 17吃瓜 Researcher Portal (). Instructions for using the site are available at /research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, January 30, 2026. These applications will be reviewed at the February 19 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the 17吃瓜 researcher portal . Instructions for using the researcher portal, are available at /research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the researcher portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

The 2026 theme for 17吃瓜鈥檚 Data Privacy Week (January 26-30) is 鈥淧rivacy is Everyone鈥檚 Business,鈥� highlighting the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust.

Data Privacy Week spreads awareness about online privacy with the aim of educating individuals on how to manage and protect their personal information and encourage organizations to respect data and be transparent.

Make privacy your business! To learn more about what you can do to be privacy aware, check out the resources on the .

To find out about 17吃瓜 privacy training for your department, please contact the 17吃瓜 Access to Information and Privacy Office at accessprivacy@upei.ca

Did you know that you can use Moodle for online AND in-person quizzes? The Offline Quiz Moodle activity can be used to turn your existing online Moodle question bank into a scan-to-grade test. This can save you time grading and give you statistic insight into results, letting you review how students achieved on individual questions. This session will demo and cover how to use this tool in your courses. This lunch and learn will take place in the 17吃瓜 Teaching and Learning Centre located in the Robertson Library Annex (RL 230) on February 3 at 12:00 noon. Register here:
Registration is not required, but you will receive an event invitation. 

Graduate students are invited to come to the TLC on Feb. 5, 2026 at 12:00 to learn about creating an academic CV and some strategies for helping it grow as your career develops. If you are a Graduate Supervisor, consider encouraging your students to attend. 

Collide Discover is the one-stop shop to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey, whether you already have an idea or not! Learn how to ideate with a customer focus, structure your concept into a business model, identify your most attractive customer segment, and communicate your early-stage idea effectively!

Collide Discover is the only way to make yourself and your team eligible to participate in the new Aspire stream of the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program next semester for first and second year students!

The best part? You can complete the whole program in just 3 DAYS! The full bootcamp is taking place in FSDE 128A and B on the 17吃瓜 campus on the following dates:

• Friday, January 30 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm

• Saturday, January 31 from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

• Sunday, February 1 from 9:30 am - 2:00 pm

Any current 17吃瓜 and Holland College student, faculty member, or recent graduate within the last 5 years is eligible to attend. Food is provided throughout the bootcamp! .

The Faculty of Science ESC/HB Seminar series invites the campus community to two graduate student presentations on January 30, 12:30 pm in Duffy Science Centre, Room 204

Nisha Owens (MSc-HB; Murphy's Lab, Biology) will present "Investigating the Kynurenine pathway in breast cancer", and Lucy Li (MSc-ESC; Wang's Lab, SCCA) will present "The impact of coastal erosion on mental health". 

Both talks are open to the public. 

The Health, Safety, and Environment Department (HSE) is offering Basic (previously called Emergency) First Aid/CPR training sessions on the following dates:

• February 19, 2026, 8:30 am鈥�4:00 pm. Registration cut off: February 10, 2026
• March 2, 2026, 8:30 am鈥�4:00 pm. Registration cut off: February 20, 2026

**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 17吃瓜 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.

17吃瓜's Experiential Education will be hosting a session for staff and faculty who work with students in work-integrated learning (WIL) settings on Monday, February 2, 12-1:30pm in Andrew Hall, Room142 to explore opportunities and challenges to sexual violence prevention in WIL. Our department has been working on a project with the Interministerial Women's Secretariat to gather feedback to better understand the local landscape. Join for an overview of what we've heard so far from students and employers, and share your perspectives from the vantage of your own programs. Lunch will be provided.

Register here:

Email Shannon at smsnow@upei.ca with any questions.